Thursday, March 26   Deuteronomy 23-26; Luke 11

Deuteronomy 23: Why were the Ammonites and Moabites prohibited from entering the assembly? :  Why were the Israelites to have a spade among their tools? 

Deuteronomy 24: After a man takes a wife how long is he to NOT go to war? Why are the Israelites not to glean their fields? 

Deuteronomy 25: If a woman’s husband dies and her husband’s brother does not want to marry her, what was she to do? 

Deuteronomy 26: How would you summarize this final portion of Moses’ sermon? Luke 11: What should be the basic content of our prayer to the Father? What is the significance of the returning unclean spirit?  Why is your eye a lamp to your body?

Luke 10: How many apostles were sent out and what was their mission? Why did Jesus tell the lawyer the parable of the Samaritan?

Journal Prompt: According to Luke 11, what should be the basic content of our prayer to the Father?

Deuteronomy 23:  The Moabites and Ammonites did not allow the Israelites to pass through their lands on their journey to the Promised Lands, so God commanded that they not be able to enter the place of worship. They also tried to use Balaam to curse the Israelites. The spade was to be used to dig and cover up their excrement. “when you [prepare to] sit down outside [to relieve yourself], you shall dig a hole with it and shall turn and cover up your waste.” (verse 13)

Deuteronomy 24:  After a man takes a wife he should stay home for a year and not go to war to please his wife!  They were to allow the stranger, the orphan and the widow to glean the fields.

Deuteronomy 25: If a woman’s husband dies and her husband’s brother refuses to marry her, she shall approach him in the presence of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall answer and say, ‘So it is done to that man who does not build up his brother’s household.’ 10 In Israel his [family] name shall be, ‘The house of him whose sandal was removed.’

Deuteronomy 26: Moses reminds the Israelites to be faithful to God in bringing their ‘first fruits’, acknowledging God for what He has done for them, reminding themselves of their humble beginnings (Abraham was an Aramite, (Syrian) and after their years of hardship in Egypt, God brought them to a land of Promise. They are to provide for the Levites, the foreigners, the widows and the orphans – these are priorities in God’s eye.

Luke 11: We should include praise for God and His kingdom; ask for forgiveness of sins; ask to keep us from temptation; and provide for basic needs. Though one may be cleaned of an unclean spirit or sin he must guard against reinvasion. Satan will renew his attack even greater to reestablish his hold on you and make you worse than before. It is worse to know the way of righteousness but fall away. What you seek with your eyes goes into your heart. If you look for evil, you will become evil. If you look for good, you will be good.