Deuteronomy 33:1-29, Luke 13:1-22, Psalms 78:59-72, Proverbs 12:25
Today is the 9th day of April. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today. It’s a travel day. Heading back to the rolling hills of Tennessee. Had a great time in Washington yesterday at Columbia Community Church. Thanks for coming out and say hello. Good to see everybody again. And we’ll head back to Tennessee, get ready, and head Georgia for the More Gathering, which begins later this week in just a couple of days. So, that’s what’s behind us and that’s what’s before us. And here we are, where we are, taking the next step forward in the Scriptures We will be reading from the book of Deuteronomy today and then completing its tomorrow. From the Good News translation this week. Deuteronomy chapter 33.
Commentary:
Okay. So, we encounter this fascinating story in the book of Luke. And, so, every year when we pass by this I point out because it’s really interesting because it gives us this a rare glimpse of the kinds of things people were talking about. So, the kinds of things that would be passed around by word of mouth and then continue to be passed around and discussed. So, we would call this going viral today because there are those stories the kind of filter their way around the Internet and people talk about them. Obviously in Jesus time there was no Internet. So, things just got passed around from person to person and little traveling groups and work parties and any place that there would be a discussion. What’s interesting about these couple of incidents that are mentioned today in the gospel of Luke is how people make assumptions about God in them because they’re tragedies. And usually it’s a tragedy that finds its way into the news. So, the first thing that is brought to Jesus attention or that he mentions is the fact that some Jews from Galilee were in the temple complex in Jerusalem making sacrifice when this would’ve been at Passover, when essentially Roman special forces who had probably been tracking these guys and had some evidence that there was zealotry going on, that there was insurrection going on with these people, made a strategic attack. Like, they went in and took these people out because for the Romans, these people were terrorists. So, they went in and took them out. Now, because they were in the temple making sacrifice to the Lord they probably weren’t terrorists. They were probably devout Jewish people wanting the restoration of Israel. But is all starts looking murky because it just depends on how you’re looking at it and who you are in the story. But, in the end, the way that the whole thing gets framed is that these people who were killed in the temple must’ve been greater sinners than anyone else and God was judging them. And then the religious leaders in the temple also made tremendous accusations against Rome because they came in and killed these people mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifice, a complete sacrilegious thing, a very defiling thing. So, I mean, man, if that happened today that would make international news. It’s that big of a story with all of the hooks for intrigue, right? There’s a lot of religious connotations here. There’s human blood being spilled in the temple, which would be outrageous to the Jewish people. And then there’s the way that the Romans are going to communicate this, that they just took out some bad guys, basically. And, so, the way that the news is spread is going to depend on who’s giving it to you. And even though they may have the facts of the case the way that it’s interpreted is going to be different depending on who you are. So, ya, we have a very complex story that has gone viral and it has made its way to Jesus, and Jesus comments on it, which makes it even more interesting because it captures a piece of the news. Like, we have some headlines from the first century. The second little bit of news is that a tower fell near a water source coming into Jerusalem and it killed 18 people when it fell down. The thing that draws those two stories in common is what people were saying. They were essentially saying that the tragedy that has befallen the people who were killed was because they were greater sinners than anyone else and God was judging them specifically in the moment. And that kind of thing is still in the world today. Every time there’s a weather tragedy or some sort of tragedy something happens that makes the news then what’s going to follow behind that are those people who would say that God is judging the people who had found or experienced tragedy. So, in other words, when sensational tragic things happen it is the hand of God’s judgment against specific people because God wants them to suffer publicly or specifically or horribly. So, the question then becomes, is that true? Is that how this all works? We turn on the news in the evening, we see the different things that are going on. We’re getting the news spun at us depending on where we are and what our position is. So, it’s being interpreted differently, but in the end we see tragedy and we say God is judging those people. Or even if we don’t say that we wonder about it. So, Jesus actually comments and He gives language to whether or not God is specifically singling out and judging people. Like this. Jesus asks, because those Galileans were killed in that way, do you think it proves that they were worse sinners than all other Galileans or what about those 18 people in Siloam who were killed when the tower fell on them? Do you suppose this proves that they were worse than all the other people living in Jerusalem? To both of those incidents Jesus says, no indeed. In other words, no that’s not what happened, that’s not how this works. And then Jesus tells those were listening to him, I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did. In other words, these incidents were not surgical strikes by God singling out very, very specific people so that they would die tragically and publicly. Rather, everyone’s heading in the same direction and bringing down judgment upon themselves. The only remedy is repentance because we’re creating our own destinies and they’re not going to end well if we do not change our minds about God, which is literally what repentance is. And Jesus is our invitation to change our minds about who we think God really is. So, God’s not a hot tempered sovereign who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, flies into a rage, knocks towers over to kill people. Rather, God looks like Jesus and we’re invited to change our minds about him, to repent. And we can certainly consider to continue to blame God for things that he hasn’t done, which only makes us consider Him to be unpredictable and untrustworthy or we can change our minds. Repent. Rather than blaming God for all of the tragedy or all of the darkness in the world that he doesn’t have anything to do with, we should be looking for all of the light and life and good news in the world. That’s where we will find God at work. And that change of perspective draws us into trust and the correct way of viewing things. So, some things to think about today.
Prayer:
Father, we acknowledge we have wondered what You are and are not involved in. We have no shortage of news, no shortage of things going on, and usually it’s tragic in nature and it makes us wonder why You’re doing these things or why You’re allowing these things to happen. When a change of heart and mind, when repentance comes we begin to see Your work of good in the world and we realize we’ve been blaming You for things You didn’t do. So, we ask forgiveness. And we ask Your Holy Spirit to come, help us to reinterpret because so many things are being interpreted for us in so many ways and they sound like they’re right. And, so, we just buy them, but it ultimately makes us confused about what You are doing. And we have this perfect example of Jesus in this world and what He did and what He said. These are the kinds of things You are doing in the world. So, we choose to not only look for those things, but to participate in those things, as Your body the body of Christ in this world. Come, Holy Spirit. We pray 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 and Praise:
Hey there DAB community. This is Kerry C. I’m part of the Alabama’s Pelham praise party and am loving the Lord and experiencing new things in Him. And I have a prayer request. I want to lift up a very special person in my life who has brought the Lord back to my vision and given me some eyes of enlightenment where I desperately needed them. He’s a conduit of Jesus. He’s just really opened my world back up where it was just very closed off. And I just praise the Lord for loving my friend. My family and I just want to lift them up Lord and just ask that You give his family unity, Lord God that You open the eyes of the blind and that You bless Him now, bless her now, bless their son now. Lord God and bless every generation after Him Lord God. He keeps his family every day Lord God. And show Your love to them in Your exceedingly abundantly goodness, Your love and Your kindness Lord God. I just praise You for opening Him up and for us Lord God and I just ask You to please stay with Him every minute of the day and make Your face shine upon them. And thank You DAB community because You are the ones that turned Him around, Your love, Your prayers, Your calls everything. I just… Brian thank You so much to You and Jill and Your family. And I know Your daughter, China, she was wonderful yesterday. So, everyone thank You so much for loving, for the love of God and just changing lives everywhere. And his glory may it be known. So, I praise You all. I praise the Lord for You all and thank You all. And just wanted to thank You so much. Bye.
Family, it’s Redeemed in Him from Virginia and this call is for Sophie from Oregon. Sophie, I heard your call April 3rd at the end of the message, how much you’re struggling to just have the will to go on. And I just wanted you to know that I am with you, we are with you as a community, and we are praying that God will give you supernatural strength to go on and healing for your body, mind, and spirit. Isaiah 40:31, for we know that God hears your cries for help sister. And for those who hope in the Lord He will renew their strength. He will. Hang in their Sophie. You’re being prayed for around the world. So, please let us know how you’re doing. We love you and we’re just praying that you’ll get some needed rest, healing for your body. Whatever it is you need, we are praying that God is going to supernaturally give that to you. In Jesus name. Sophie please let us know how you doing. Amen.
Hey fellow DABbers. This is Robert from Indiana. And I know I am not very good at calling in and praying for people or asking for requests, but I just wanted to still call in and ask for prayers for…just everyone who is suffering…not suffering…just everyone who is having difficulty with unplanned pregnancy and young adults and teens and just all of that…all of those circumstances. So…just…I would appreciate your prayers and I appreciate everything that you guys do for me. So, I just want to let you know I love you guys and I think of you every single day. See ya.
Hey everybody this is Jay from…on the road. I’ve have been living in my car for the past three days now and it is surprisingly peaceful. I’m doing it by choice. My house is in Maryland but my job is New Jersey and it would be counterproductive for me to have two apartments or, you know, live in a hotel all week long. So, I’m trying it out. See how it’s working. And it’s actually working pretty well. The hardest part is finding somewhere to park at night we’re I’m not going to be kicked out. But pray for me for that and that I’m able to find a nice quiet spot to park in every night. And I go back to Maryland on Fridays, go to church and then come back to work on Monday morning. So. let’s pray. Heavenly Father we thank You so much for Your love, Your grace, Your mercy. Thank You, Father for just giving me peace and thank You for giving my friends and family in the Daily Audio Bible peace in their heart. Father, we pray right now that everyone within the sound of my voice, whatever is on their heart, whatever is troubling them, whatever has them to the point where they are stressed out or overwhelmed, that they’ll just take that to You and they’ll realize that You will take on that burden for them because You’re there You’re waiting. And we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hi Daily Audio Bible family. It is Bri calling for the first time and I just want to say I keep you all in my prayers. And __ I’m asking for God to guide me and for Jesus to show me my purpose as I’ve been in a job that is rooted in stress and negativity and I am seeking to fill my purpose in the kingdom of God. And I actually have been selected for University of Cambridge’s new Masters in accounting program. And the professor that she’s contacted me. However; I am looking at __ and they just watch and they don’t want me to…I feel like I can’t say…I feel like I can’t do anything besides look at and check financials. __ doesn’t rad and money. So I just ask that God guides me to a new job and that I can make a positive change in our world and connect more to our kingdom and move forward to bring newness and bring life and bring joy. I work in New York City in financial services and am a 22-year-old girl and I’m shaking now but…