Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20 ~ Luke 9:7-27 ~ Psalm 72:1-20 ~ Proverbs 12:8-9
Today is March 31st. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is great to be here with you as together we will wrap up another month. The day is day 90 of the year so it is day 90 of our adventure through the Bible this year. Well done. One quarter of the year has been…well, is about to be completed. So, if we’re this far in together, we can do this! We can make it. Good job getting this far. And oh, the adventures that are yet to be discovered as we move forward into the year. But well done on three months.
We’re reading from the Common English Bible this week. We’re listening to Moses in the book of Deuteronomy say the final things that he has to say, that is the entire book of Deuteronomy. So we’re listening. We’re among the children of Israel on the banks near the Jordan River listening to the impassioned pleas and reviews of where the people have come from and where they are going and who God is and why this all matters to them. Deuteronomy chapter 16, verse 1 through 17:20 today.
Commentary
In the book of Deuteronomy today, like we said at the beginning, like we’ve been saying, he’s saying the last things that he has to say, memorializing all of this thoughts over the children of Israel before he disappears from their presence and goes off to pass from history and they will move forward. So the last couple of days we’ve been hearing some instructions about capital punishment. It’s important to point out something here.
So yesterday we were reading about how somebody comes in and they are kind of like a seer or a fortune teller and they give a prophecy that comes true and then try to seduce a person away to follow a different god, that that person should be eliminated from the community. That resolve on a spiritual level isn’t really different today. Anything that would seduce us away from God is something that needs to be eliminated from our lives, although in today’s world it’s not so much people. It’s ourselves and all of the distractions.
Today Moses is reiterating the law that God gave about capital punishment. Lest we think this is just barbarism and anybody in this culture could just all of a sudden find themselves facing a crowd of people holding stones, getting ready to do away with them, let’s understand the safeguards that are built in here, two or three witnesses. Of course, our laws are built upon these same principles, but in the Mosaic Law, those witnesses had to be willing to be the ones to do the execution, right? So nobody is allowed to anonymously give a deposition. Nobody is allowed to just kind of give some testimony and just leave. People have had to have seen this crime that was worthy of death and be willing to be the perpetrator of justice in it, and be that sure, that absolutely, totally sure of the thing, which is very sobering, especially if you were put in that position. Very, very sobering. So there isn’t just indiscriminate capital punishment in the Mosaic Law at all. In fact, there is every deterrent possible.
What is the point of this law or any law but to understand this is the line? You don’t cross this line. This steps over what God will allow you to do. Or in a culture, this steps over what society has decided for itself. So you understand the parameters and what will happen if you don’t listen.
This kind of relentless intentionality on God’s part is not to enslave his people. They have already been slaves. Slavery is basically the only thing they do really understand. This law wasn’t given to simply install a new prison, a new level of slavery for them. It was to say if you will stay within these borders, if you will stay within these commandments, you will be on your way to a rich, bountiful, plentiful life in the promised land. So anyone living within that has nothing but joy to look forward to, nothing but good will come from it. But as a warning to those things that can come in and destroy this culture, we need to be very vigilant and intentional.
That’s not different now. We may not have to abide by all of these rituals and customs, but as we move back through review of the law that Moses is giving now, we see so much of human society is built upon so many of these principles that have stood the test of time. Anything that is going to draw us away from God is something that will eventually destroy us. We should understand that clearly because then it snaps our resolve and intentionality into place: That can’t be in my life. I can’t participate in that. I can’t turn to this. I can’t be involved in those things. They pull me away from God. And anything that is going to do that will destroy me.
May we invite the Holy Spirit to give us that resolve and to give us foresight and insight into the things that we’ve allowed and the intentionality and resolve to move away from those things because when we’re moving away from those things, we’re moving toward life.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, we invite you into that completely, fully, in every way, in everything. What are the things that we’ve allowed into our heart that are seducing us away? And how do we rid ourselves of those things with an intentionality that would be worthy of the unmerited favor that you have given us so freely? What are the things that are interfering with the relationship that we share with you, the intimacy that we have with you? Come Holy Spirit. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports
Good morning DAB family. This is Prophetic Intercessor Rising Up from North Carolina and I was listening to the March 25th Community Prayer and was moved by Katrina from Ohio who was calling in on behalf of her friend Gwyneth R., I believe the name was, who was suffering from stage 4 lung cancer that had spread to her brain and asked us to lift up our collective shields of faith to pray on Gwyneth’s behalf, believing that God would step into the midst of the situation and perform a miracle. And so I just want to call in this morning to pray for Gwyneth. God, on behalf of Gwyneth, we come lifting up our collective shields of faith. We ask you, God, to step in the midst of this situation as Jehovah Rapha. You are, in fact, a god that heals. You are Jehovah Perez, the Lord of the breakthrough, and we ask in the name of Jesus that you would break through in the midst of this situation, that you would stretch forth your nail-scarred hands, which is an eternal reminder that you bore the stripes upon your body so that we could stand in total and complete healing and deliverance. And so we lift up our shields of faith, O God, to decree and declare life over Gwyneth. We stand on your finished work of Calvary’s Cross. We stand on your word that says that it is by your stripes that we are healed. And so we decree and declare this morning that she is healed in the name of Jesus. We ask you to breathe in her direction, O God. Breathe the breath of life for you are the creator of life, the giver of life, the sustainer of life and we bind sickness and infirmity, God. Breathe in the midst of that hospital room. Breathe until her lungs are regenerated. Breathe until her heart tissue is regenerated. Breathe until the lung capacity and the heart capacity of her heart pumps with a new fervor, O God. In the name of Jesus, dispatch your ministering angels to stand in the four corners of that hospital room to minister health, healing, and wholeness and we too decree and declare that this sickness shall not be unto death but she shall in fact live to declare the glory of the living God, for you are the same God yesterday, today, and forevermore.
Good morning family. This is Abbie from Maryland. It’s been a while since I called in, a little over a year or so, but I just wanted to let you all know I am lifting you all up in prayer. I just wanted to give a shout-out to a couple of people that I have listened to your stories and prayers and I want you to know I’m praying for you. Especially Brian. I’m sorry for the loss of your mom. When I heard it, it really touched me. But what touched me most was the fact that everyone was lifting you up in prayer and just want you to know that you are in my thoughts. And also, Candace, I’m sorry for the loss of your husband. May God comfort you, continue to wrap you in his love. And today I listened to a lady who called to ask for prayer for her son Josiah who is experiencing some health issues. I lift you up, Josiah, into the hands of God Almighty who is able to do anything, who is able to do exceedingly beyond what we can think of or ask for. I ask you, O Lord, to heal Josiah and every health issue he is having in his growth, in his development, and soak him into the blood of Jesus. This touched me more because I also have a son, Enoch, who is growing well, but he also has some delays. So I ask that you all continue to lift my son, Enoch, up into the hands of God, that every form of developmental delay, God, heal him, touch him, make him whole, and also lift up his sister, Ella, into the hands of God to just continue to watch over her. And just my entire family. I love you all. Love hearing from you. Blind Tony, I love your prayers and your poems. I love Biola from Maryland. She’s on fire. God bless you all. God bless this community. You guys have been a blessing to me beyond what you can even imagine so God bless you.
Dearest Debbie in Des Moines, this is Annette A. from Oklahoma City. Probably the day you were calling and getting your message from the Lord about somebody praying for their son, that was probably me. My son came from Colorado and came to Oklahoma City and he came to see me, unbeknownst to me, I didn’t even know he was going to be here, and told me that he was involved in some very nefarious activity at which time I was pleading with him to not do what I thought he was going to be doing. And it was very painful to watch somebody that you know is just heading down a terrible spiraling road and I really did not know if this was going to be the last time that I would ever see my son again. As he was leaving, I was hanging onto him and praying and crying, “Please don’t do this. Please don’t leave.” And I was begging God to keep him safe. So my sister, I thank you for having my back and I thank you for your prayers and it is never…well, it’s always an amazement to me how this community will hear God and not know why and things will come to mind when we pray for one another and we’re not quite sure why, but I am thoroughly convinced that we are hearing the voice of God.
Hey there Daily Audio Bible. This is Rita from Tennessee, down below Brian and Jill in Memphis, outside of Memphis in Collierville, TN. This is my third year to listen to the Daily Audio Bible and I cannot tell you all how blessed I am by the spoken word and by your prayer requests. I feel like I know some of you who call in frequently, but I’m blessed by every prayer request. I’ve got a big one. It’s been on my heart for a long time and I’m finally calling in to ask for prayer for my son, Turner. He is 33 years old and has battled addiction since he’s been (sorry), since he’s been about 18. He is at a rehab in Michigan and he has been there before. I’m just praying that the Holy Spirit would come to him in his time of need and just restore everything that has been broken and taken away and that this would be the final time that he has to be in rehab and that he would finally turn his life over to the Lord once and for all and that he would be healed Thank you so much for praying because I know you will. Have a great day.
Hello beautiful Daily Audio Bible family. This is Cheryl calling from Arizona. This call today is specifically for Patricia in New Orleans. I was just listening to the podcast on Tuesday, March 28th and heard Patricia’s call in for Candace in Oregon. And Patricia, my heart is so moved for you, my sister. I love you so much. When I heard your words of comfort for Candace, it deeply touched my heart, and Candace in Oregon, I love you as well and have been praying for you. Patricia, I also wanted to echo what you said about Victorious Soldier and her prayers. I so agree and say amen to that. What a blessing she is to all of us. And Patricia, I do pray in the name of Jesus for you and that you have everything that you need in every way and that the comfort and the provision of the Holy Spirit be with you to sustain and protect and provide for you. I just want to extend my love to you today, my prayers to you today, and my thanks for you today and for all of you at the Daily Audio Bible. You are so precious to God and to me. Community, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week and hope to speak with you all soon. Alright, I love you. Bye-bye.
Hello Daily Audio Bible. My name is Pat from Montana and will you pray for me? (excuse me) Thank you for reading the Bible because it has brought me so much closer to God. I’m __________ a such a happy marriage with my husband, but my life has been miserable for a very long time. I have a 51-year-old son who is a full-blown alcoholic. He works on and off and on and off. He __________ and he drinks himself daily to death. How he survives, I honestly don’t know. It’s just that he’s a very healthy, fit person, works out and always puts good food in his body except for this bad liquor. We have been trying to get help for him for years but he goes in and comes out and goes in and comes out. And I just want to ask everybody out there to just pray. We’ve prayed for years and years and it has __________ stopped. And I love him so much. He knows that but he doesn’t hurt anybody, but he hurts himself and I wait for that call every day to come. But that is how it is. __________ to all the beautiful, wonderful people caring. And Brian, every time you read the Bible, it brings me closer to God. He’s blessed you because I know you read this and you help a lot of people. I’m very sorry about…