Month: May 2025

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Glimpsing the Promise

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 3 Listen: (4:33) Read: 1 Corinthians 13 Listen: (2:33)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 4 Listen: (7:22) Read: 1 Corinthians 14 Listen: (5:40)
Read: Deuteronomy 5 Listen: (4:25) Read: 1 Corinthians 15 Listen: (8:06)

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 3.27

27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”

Numbers 20.12

12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

Reflection: Glimpsing the Promise

By John Tillman

Moses never set foot on the Promised Land but he set eyes on it.

The reason he set eyes on it was because of God’s grace. To understand this moment as grace, we have to understand the seriousness of Moses’ sin.

It’s easy to feel bad for Moses. At Rephidim, God told Moses to strike a rock to get water. At Kadesh, God told Moses to speak to a rock to get water. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck it. Twice.

“Strike it? Speak to it? What’s the big deal? One mistake and he can’t go in?” This wasn’t just a mistake. Something went wrong in Moses’ heart. God described Moses’ sin as distrust, “breaking faith,” and maligning God’s holiness. (Numbers 20.12; Deuteronomy 32.51-52)

Moses was justifiably angry at the people but he allowed his anger to overcome him. Moses distrusted God’s word and instead of demonstrating God’s holiness, showcased his own strength, anger, and pride. Instead of speaking to the rock, he yelled at the people. He made them fear him, not God. Moses used God’s power in a way God did not prescribe.

As we sympathize with Moses, we must examine ourselves. Sin and corruption may cause justifiable anger yet, in our anger, we must not sin. If we don’t trust that “God’s way” will work, we will abuse power, act rashly, and mistake angry words or actions for holy ones. Others’ sinfulness must not make us self-righteous and vindictive. We must not usurp Jesus’ place as judge or God’s place to avenge.

We begin faith as the new generation, crossing the Jordan, yet, eventually every generation comes to the edge of the Jordan without being able to cross. We have not and will not be perfect. Yet, like Moses, God graciously grants us a glimpse across the Jordan.

Moses never entered the Promised Land. David never built the Temple. Paul never lost his thorn. Like many faithful people, our eyes already glimpse the promise even if our feet have not yet tread its holy ground. (Hebrews 11.39-40)

There is part of the kingdom that we cannot build, part of God’s will that we cannot fulfill. We may feel lost or left behind, remembering our failures. Yet, all is not lost. All will be restored. God will be faithful to his purposes for the next generation. God’s grace to us is being able to glimpse it. Set your eyes on the promise.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

Everyone will stand in awe and declare God’s deeds; they will recognize his works. — Psalm 64.9

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime

 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Is The Lord Among Us?

Don’t allow distress to cause despair or lead you to treat others with disdain.

Is The Lord Among Us?
Read more: Complaints and Responses

Moses took these personal attacks to heart, growing angry rather than compassionate.

Complaints and Responses — Readers’ Choice

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Repeating History

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Read: Deuteronomy 2 Listen: (5:06) Read: 1 Corinthians 12 Listen: (4:25)

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 1.1-3

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.) 3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them.

Deuteronomy 2.21-22

21 They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The Lord destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place. 22 The Lord had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day.

Reflection: Repeating History

By John Tillman

In his 1905 book, The Life of Reason, Spanish-American philosopher, George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

It is somewhat humorous to me that most of us do not remember Santayana’s version, but remember Winston Churchill’s repetition of the idea in 1948: “Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.” Perhaps that is because Churchill’s version is catchier. However, it’s arguable that Moses expressed this concept much earlier in Deuteronomy.

Moses didn’t want Israel to repeat history, so he reviewed it with them through a series of speeches or “sermons” to the next generation. This repetition is why Deuteronomy’s name comes from a Greek word meaning “second law.” He reminded them of God’s covenant because he wanted them to be faithful and succeed where the previous generation failed.

A specific failure of the previous generation was failing to trust God to defeat the Canaanites. The large and powerful Anakites seemed undefeatable. The spies reported that they felt like grasshoppers compared to the Anakites’ size and strength. (Numbers 13.33) To encourage the new generation, Moses reviewed their recent military history in which God gave them many victories.

Moses also pointed out that nations related to Israel defeated enemies similar to the Anakites with God’s help. Edom descended from Esau and Moab and Ammon from Lot. God was faithful to them, giving them land and helping them defeat Anakite-sized enemies. Moses used these victories from the past to assure the new generation that God had victories in their future if they would be faithful.

Like Israel, we have failures in our past, both individually and as the global Church—slavery, abuse, nationalism, violence, corruption. At times, we have been more like Anakites than God’s people.

If we forget the mistakes of history, we cannot repent of them and we will repeat them. If we remember the victories of history, we can repeat them, with God’s help. The model of our victory from history is the resurrection of Jesus. Our victory will not be the destruction of human enemies, but of sin, Satan, and death.

Our past isn’t perfect and our future won’t be either, but God will be faithful to his promises. Anakite-sized enemies that seem undefeatable will fall. There is no enemy, problem, weakness, or sin that will not be overthrown by the gospel.

Divine Hours Prayer: Greeting

The Lord lives! Blessed in my Rock! Exalted is the God of my salvation! — Psalm 18.46

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime

 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Faith of a New Generation

Watching the mistakes made by their parents or grandparents, they refined their faith and purified its practice.

Faith of a New Generation
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Time to Go

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 1 Listen: (6:27) Read: 1 Corinthians 11 Listen: (4:20)

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 1:12-13

12 But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? 13 Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.

Reflection: Time to Go

By Erin Newton

A local pastor preached his final sermon recently after a nearly five-decade ministry. His story, however, is littered with covered-up scandals and evidence of abuse.  

Across town, another pastor declared he would be stepping away from his role in ministry. The terms were peaceable, and the reasoning was untarnished by scandal, rumor, or dissent.

In another state, another pastor hands in her resignation letter after feeling the call to continue ministry in a different capacity. A plan is set to have her continue preaching for a few months. She sighs a relief, “This church has never known a peaceful transfer. This is a good thing.”

How is good leadership measured? Does a longer ministry mean more faithful service to God? Or does the refusal to leave indicate a desire to hold tightly to one’s authority?

After a weary and long trek in the wilderness, God calls Moses to leave Horeb. It is time for the next stage of God’s plan for his people. Moses recognizes the need for help. Deuteronomy 1 reads like a flashback of Exodus 18, when Jethro admonished Moses, “You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone” (Exod 18.18).

Now Moses sees the value in dividing his role and bestowing authority on others who can help. With this change, he would not bear all the burdens of people alone, and the people would have an available leader to go to with their problems.

With Moses’s education in the royal courts of Egypt, it seems odd that he would not have known how hard it is to lead a large group without help. Perhaps he felt it was his obligation, his calling, alone.

Like many of us, was he tempted to think he was the only one fit for the job? Did he assume that leading God’s people was something that made him irreplaceable?

The text never says. But we do know that he accepted advice, he humbly received the help, and the people were better for it.

As we look at the community of God’s people around us, are we seeing the potential leadership of people who are currently sitting on the sidelines? Are we viewing the younger generations not as strange nuisances, but as future leaders? Are we humble enough to step down when God calls us?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Morning Psalm

Praise the Lord, all you nations; laud him, all you peoples.

For his loving-kindness toward us is great, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Hallelujah! — Psalm 117

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime

 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Josiahs Need Zephaniahs

If we long to see youth, like Josiah, rise up to lead revival instead of abandoning faith, we need to be like Zephaniah, unafraid to boldly speak of, condemn, and repent of sin.

Josiahs Need Zephaniahs—Readers Choice
Read more: Life-Giving Leadership

Be a life-giving leader. Sprout, bud, blossom, and produce fruit, leading people to Jesus’ presence. Let us be the sign people need to believe the gospel.

Life-Giving Leadership
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Limiting Our Freedom

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Numbers 36 Listen: (2:15) Read: 1 Corinthians 10 Listen: (4:04)

Scripture Focus: Numbers 36.5-9

5 Then at the Lord’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. 6 This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan. 7 No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors. 8 Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. 9 No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.”

Reflection: Limiting Our Freedom

By John Tillman

Earlier in Numbers, Zelophehad’s daughters, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah, from the tribe of Manasseh, came to Moses requesting to inherit land in their father’s name because he had no sons. God not only granted this request, but made this a law for all of Israel. In this chapter, Manasseh’s tribal leaders brought concerns to Moses.

Each tribe’s land was part of a sacred promise and laws protected tribes and individuals from losing land. For example, moving a boundary stone was a capital offense. Additionally, the year of Jubilee provided a “reset button,” returning land to its original tribal owners. This protected families against spiraling downward into generational poverty if bad luck or bad decisions caused individuals or tribes to sell or lose their land.

The tribal heads of Manasseh realized that if the daughters married outside the tribe, one promise of the law would cancel out the other. When Jubilee came, instead of lost land being restored, land promised by God would be lost. The provision of land to the daughters would undermine the provision of land to the entire tribe.

To protect one freedom from canceling out another, God limited the women’s freedom in order to better their tribe. Instead of marrying whomever they wished, they were told to marry within the tribe to preserve the fair distribution of land to all tribes.

Scripture is written for us but not to us. This means that all scripture is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3.16) however, most of scripture was written to particular people in particular situations. This passage doesn’t dictate economic or marriage policy to us but it can inform how we use the freedom that God has given us.

Like the women, we have a great inheritance of freedom, power, love, and knowledge in Jesus. How are we using it?

Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah limited their freedom to benefit their tribe and nation. Paul warned the Corinthian church against exercising freedom in ways that harmed others.

Does our freedom cause others to be in bondage? Is our power stripping others’ rights? Is our benefit paid for by another’s loss?

We must limit our freedoms when exercising them harms others. Let us be careful that we do not cancel someone else’s blessing by using our own.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

Open my eyes, that I may see the wonders of  your law. — Psalm 119.18

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime

 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Freedom For, Not From

Let us think about our freedom in the way Paul did, not as a way to benefit ourselves but as a way to benefit others.

Freedom For, Not From
Read more: Inheritance of Rachel’s Daughters

As Jesus looked to a greater law than Moses, he grants to men and women a greater inheritance than any land or property.

Inheritance of Rachel’s Daughters — Readers’ Choice
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Don’t Rage Out or Tap Out

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Numbers 32 Listen: (5:22) Read: 1 Corinthians 6 Listen: (3:03)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Read: Numbers 33 Listen: (4:53) Read: 1 Corinthians 7 Listen: (6:09)
Read: Numbers 34 Listen: (2:59) Read: 1 Corinthians 8 Listen: (1:54)

Scripture Focus: Numbers 32.14-24

14 “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.” 16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17 But we will arm ourselves for battle and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance. 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.” 20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him—22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord. 23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”

Reflection: Don’t Rage Out or Tap Out

By John Tillman

Even Moses had flaws and one of his was his temper.

In Numbers 20, the people grumbled about water. God instructed Moses to bring forth water by speaking to a rock. Moses lost his temper, yelled at the people, and struck the rock instead. (Numbers 20.8-12) Because of this, God told Moses he would not enter the Promised Land. Moses remained bitter about this. Near the end of his life, Moses continued to blame the Israelites for provoking him and making God angry with him. (Deuteronomy 3.25-27)

In Numbers 32, three groups of Israelites, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, came to Moses and requested to take their inheritance of land on the east side of the Jordan. Moses snapped. Moses had just spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness because the fathers of these tribes refused to go into the land. Now, it seemed to Moses these leaders were repeating that mistake. Moses said that they were making the Lord angry. But was that true?

The tribes’ intention was not to refuse to go into the land. They intended to make a vow to lead the military campaigns, fighting for their brother tribes until they all secured their promised land. God must have known what was in their heart, but Moses misunderstood their intentions and leapt to a conclusion in anger. After further explanation, Moses approved their plan and their vow.

There are at least two things to learn from this.

Don’t rage out. Anger has a corrosive effect on our perceptions of things, events, and people. Holding a grudge or a grievance hardens our heart. The angrier we become and the longer we stay that way, the more likely we will be to have misunderstandings and respond with angry outbursts.

Don’t tap out. We mustn’t tap out early when there is still work to be done. When we have secured God’s blessings for ourselves, we mustn’t “tap out” and rest. We must press on, for the good of others, even when we have reached our reward. Just because we have secured God’s blessings for ourselves, obeyed the gospel, experienced freedom of religion and conscience, and are free from want or poverty, doesn’t mean there is not more to do on behalf of our brothers and sisters.

Keep listening to better understand others. Keep working to bring the blessings of our promised kingdom to as many people as will receive it.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Search for the Lord and his strength; continually seek his face. — Psalm 105.4

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime

 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Who Needs Anger?

Anger is out of control in our society. Two of the main reasons why are that anger feels good and anger is profitable.

Who Needs Anger? — Readers’ Choice
Read more: Anger Industrial Complex

Anger will rule us or we will rule it. We must ask, “Why am I angry?” and “How can I turn anger toward loving action?”

Anger Industrial Complex  — Readers’ Choice