BIBLE READING: Luke 1

As Luke begins his narrative, he clearly states the intent of his message: to give  certainty regarding the plan of God through Jesus (Luke 1.4). By this time stories had evolved about Jesus that sounded like fiction or legend (for instance, the Gospel of Thomas). It seems his recipient, Theophilus, may have been exposed to some of this misinformation (Luke 1.3). And so, Luke began by demonstrating his credibility and desire to accurately tell the story of Jesus to his friend. 

We learn that Luke had followed the ministry of Jesus closely for some time (Luke 1.3) and he was aware of what others had written (Luke 1.1).  It is obvious that he took a long and careful look at what he was about to write. As a doctor and historian, Luke was thorough. In fact, he includes lots of fresh material not found in the other gospels. Luke goes to great lengths to explain the roots of this new movement, by detailing the story of its founder and the tie he has to God’s long-promised redemption. He includes facts that were observed and verified by multiple witnesses. As a solid ancient historian, Luke referenced both written and oral accounts, as well as his own experience in his effort to compile this narrative. Luke’s statement of intent coupled with his carefulness and thoroughness makes his gospel a credible source of information for believers. 

Such credibility in a multicultural context is still necessary today. We live in a world that often regards Christianity as one of many ways to God. It is popular to dismiss faith in Jesus as simply one cultural expression of religion. Furthermore, many say the scriptures are filled with fabrication or have been altered to meet the specific interests of one group's agenda. The fact is, the exclusive claims of Jesus fly in the face of a worldview that sees all attempts to reach God as legitimate. 

And so, we need to know that we can trust the gospel as we read it. People today need to be reassured that the decision to follow Christ is for the best. Luke argues that Christianity is unique. What God did in Jesus, he did for those who have come into this community, as well as for others like them who recognize they must come to God on his terms, not their own. 

The exclusivity of Christ offers great confidence but should give us great pause. Should I invest my life in only following Jesus? Can we know with certainty that Jesus is the only way? Luke believed so, but he invites us to examine the evidence for ourselves.

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 31

“And Moses commanded them, “… Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”” (Deuteronomy 31.10-13)

This generation had heard the covenant but would need to rehearse it regularly. But notice this command looked beyond just the present. There would come a time when some children and sojourners did not know the covenant of God. So Moses commanded them to gather together and teach it plainly in the presence of all the people. Sadly, this was not observed in the conquest years and there arose a generation that did not know God (Judges 1.10). How tragic that 200 years removed from Egypt, God’s people had forgotten the One that made them a nation to begin with. It’s not as though YHWH was absent from their history; but this generation had no idea what it meant to hear and fear him. I imagine many from the conquest generation had displayed conviction, but they had failed to equip the next generation with sufficient reason to continue. Perhaps they faltered in their own belief; perhaps they got lazy; perhaps they didn’t make the daily efforts to let their children hear the words of God’s covenant. Whatever the case, there arose a generation that did not know God and it was devastating for the future of God’s people.

We face a similar challenge in our time. Many of us have conviction about the gospel and its impact on our lives; but it is our responsibility to pass it on. We must not take for granted what the next generation knows. Faith does not come unless they hear the word of God (Romans 10.17). In every sphere of influence we must intentionally bring God’s ways into our conversations and activities. Especially as parents and grandparents, bringing your kids to church is critical to their spiritual development. But it is not enough to simply be among God’s people. They must hear the words of God and learn to fear him. To do this, the older must teach the younger (Titus 2.2-ff), the parents must nurture, train and discipline their children in godliness (Ephesians 6.1-4) and God’s commands must be well-known in the church of God. It must be our commitment to make God known as our legacy to future generations. Frankly speaking, we will all be gone and forgotten within a few generations. But our influence in passing along God’s covenant to others will endure and sustain the message of the gospel for all of time. It is a sacred trust we have been given as the people of God. Our legacy of faith may not produce long-term recognition, but God will know and remember us for eternity. So, we must ensure that we have been faithful, not just in our personal devotion but in preparing those who will come after us.

“For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain… I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith…” (Philippians 1.21, 23-25)

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 29-30

If you’re like me, as you read Deuteronomy there are times you think to yourself, “Why is YHWH asking this?” or even “Why is he behaving that way?” These are natural tendencies we must explore, and which YHWH encourages. However, as the Almighty God he is not obligated, nor is he required to answer those questions. This is especially challenging when his behavior seems to contradict itself. For instance, many will ask, ‘how can a loving God exact justice with such extreme measures that he is unwilling to forgive (29.20) and will uproot the people he chose with anger, fury and great wrath (29.28)?’ Perhaps we are given some rationale, but Moses immediately reminds us of a critical truth:

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29.29)

There are many things about God’s ways that we will never understand. But fundamentally we must remember that our relationship with God is predicated on his Supreme righteousness and mercy. To believe in these things is to accept that, even if I don’t get it now, God’s behavior is always right, good and true. Besides this, he chose us, we did not choose him. It was his choice to reveal what is required to be his people, and the only role we have is to accept or reject what he says. I’m not suggesting we won’t or shouldn’t wrestle with the larger questions about God. But faith is not a practice of dabbling in the unknown. We must learn to settle our attention on what we can know from what he has given us.

An easily overlooked fact is that God gave Israel everything they needed to be his people. As difficult and complex as the Law may have seemed, it was clear, and it was present for them to know what he wanted.

“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” (Deuteronomy 30.11-14)

Paul would apply this principle to us in Romans 10.5-8. We have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1.3) through the good news preached about Jesus (Romans 10.9-13).  We don’t have to wonder what God wants from us or worry about what we don’t know. Too often we dabble in the unknown, driving ourselves to unstable thinking and unnecessary fears. Please remember that God has given us his word to settle us in the storm and provide stable truths for any season of life. As Deuteronomy 29.29 reminds us, we are not responsible for what God does. We are responsible for what we know, and we are capable of doing what we know. If we will humble ourselves to the simple service of obeying what we hear in God's word, we will find the peace and purpose we desire the most.

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 25

“You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” (Deuteronomy 25.4)

Preparing grain in the ancient world was a mundane, daily activity. The wheat was laid on the ground of a threshing floor and oxen were driven over it. As it was threshed, the grain would fall from the ears to the ground and the straw would cover it. This process would benefit both the oxen and the owner who had food for himself and his animals. However, the oxen could easily be distracted by the food on the ground (or just flat out hungry from being driven a round for hours). So, you can imagine this might hinder efficiency. For this reason, some farmers would muzzle the ox to keep it focused just on the work and not on the oxen’s own benefit.

But in this scenario God commands Israel not to do so. Instead, they were to let the oxen eat from the straw while they were working. In other words, the oxen should get to partake in some of their own labor. If you think about it, it is somewhat cruel for the oxen to be subjected to this work without some sort of benefit. God’s command is consistent with his expectations for treatment of animals (see Proverbs 12.10; Deuteronomy 22.6-7). If the oxen are going to work this hard to serve the master, they ought to get some reward. But this obscure command wasn’t just about the oxen.

“Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (1 Corinthians 9.9-11)

Some had taken for granted the labor Paul had done in teaching them the gospel. After all, he wasn’t very eloquent (1 Corinthians 1.17; 2.3-4), and besides that, he had a job to support himself (1 Corinthians 9.6). They accepted his efforts but didn’t offer him much in return. Like a muzzled ox, he was working for their advantage without receiving benefit. Now, Paul did not write this simply to receive the benefits (1 Corinthians 9.12-15). It was his obligation and stewardship to preach to them, and that was his reward (9.16-23). But these Christians needed to understand the obligation was mutual. If they had been served by his spiritual efforts, it was right and good to give the worker some benefit.

We often consider this principle regarding preachers, but Paul would also invoke this command in the context of elders (1 Timothy 5.18). Their work is a precious service to the people of God that must not be overlooked. “They are keeping watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13.17). “Let them be considered worthy of double honor” (1 Timothy 5.17); in other words, take care of these invaluable workers in the kingdom.

In recent years the church has done a good job showing appreciation to these types of men. But you know, spiritual servants are easily taken for granted. Most do not do it for the money and yet they offer incredible value to the people of God. Let’s not overlook this labor of love from those who work hard for the gospel among us. Thank them. Encourage them. Appreciate them. Let them eat of the work they are doing among you. Give them hope that their labor is not in vain by living a life worthy of the efforts they are encouraging you to make. It is God’s design that we give each other hope by sharing what we have with one another.

“I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with [you] in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9.23-24)

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 22

“If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 22.22)

3X in this chapter God draws a hard line in the sand concerning flippant sexual behavior. Infidelity, promiscuity and deception have no place in the relationships of God’s people. These activities are plainly labeled as ‘misconduct’ (22.17), ‘an outrageous thing’, ‘whoring’ (22.21), and ‘violations’ of the other person [and the law] (22.24, 29). God even compares the activity of unwelcome sexual pursuit to murder (22.26-27); hence why the consequence of these behaviors is often death. God takes sexual behavior in relationships seriously and so should his people. Spouses should be truthful and loyal to one another, and men especially, must control their passions towards women.

Improper sexual behavior is wholly unacceptable, especially among God’s people; and in Israel’s law there were severe consequences to impose this point so it would not continue. Sexual promiscuity is evil, and God wanted his people to purge it from their midst.

The principle holds true today. In fact, Paul invoked this section of scripture to rebuke the Corinthian church, who was doing the very thing the law condemned. “…a man has his father’s wife. Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5.1-2; cf. Deuteronomy 22.30). He does not advocate for stoning, but he does tell them to “purge the evil person from among you” (1 Corinthians 5.12). God’s people must be holy and allowing this vile practice to be acceptable in the church of God corrupts the whole body. The person must be removed, per the command of God.

The extremity of this response and call to action is instructive. God’s people don’t make excuses for uncontrolled sexual behavior. Marriage relationships are to be valued and prioritized, and sexual promiscuity must grind on our souls. We cannot allow the wickedness of the world to disorient us into apathetic acceptance. The fact is, our culture is numb to the notion of abstinence, and self-restraint. It is common for people to expect sexual behavior as a basic human need to be fulfilled at will. But we must understand that this attitude has not only led to the breakdown of the nuclear family, but to a continued degeneration of sexuality’s holy purpose. Furthermore, it has blurred the lines of what a good and healthy relationship ought to look like. We must be strong on this point and push back against the bold and godless narrative. Human sexuality is a gift that must be honored as a holy practice in the marriage relationship (Hebrews 13.4). It has immense spiritual value handled properly, according to God’s direction. But most importantly we must see that this is serious to God; it must be serious to us