Category: Scripture Journal

HIGHLIGHT

Deuteronomy 24:21 (ESV): 21When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.

EXPLAIN

This law was given in the midst of numerous miscellaneous laws, but in this paragraph, this is a repeated command.

First, we read that if one forgot a sheaf when harvesting a field, they should leave it. Second, when beating olive trees, they were to only go over it once. Third, we find this command.

Each time, the reasoning was to provide for the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. A beautiful example of this was when Ruth, a Moabite immigrant, gleaned in Boaz’s field behind the harvesters.

Interestingly, a few verses later in Deuteronomy 25 is the law that introduced the custom by which Boaz redeemed Ruth, purchasing her father-in-law’s land and the right to marry her.

APPLY

God has a special place in his heart for those who are displaced: the one is wandering, the fatherless, and the widow.

Scripture pictures the godly response as seeing people in need as an opportunity to serve Christ, rather than an obstacle to our success.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to see your world through your eyes. Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:11 (ESV): 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

EXPLAIN

In this fourth letter of Paul that we call 2 Corinthians, as his first and third letters to the church were not preserved, Paul was very vulnerable with the people.

In his introduction, he told them he didn’t want them to be ignorant of the trouble he had experienced in Asia. Instead, he urged them to help him in prayer.

APPLY

One of the greatest blessings and responsibilities of the local church is to band together in prayer for one another.

The local church should be like a hospital which receives wounded people without judgment or recrimination and nurses them back to health.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to provide that fellowship, care and prayer for others so they can find the healing in Christ they need. Amen.

HIGHLIGHT

1 Corinthians 14:1 (ESV): 14Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

EXPLAIN

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talked about how different members of the body all work together. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul explained that love is the greatest of all things.

Now in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul applies this teaching, encouraging the believers to seek spiritual gifts, but not for personal glory, but for the praise of God and the good of one another.

APPLY

We know we should pursue love, but how often are we challenged to desire spiritual gifts? Our passion should be to serve one another in Christ’s name. Spiritual gifts enable us to be more effective. But our motive should be service, not self-seeking.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, may I be used of you in service to others. Give me the tools – the spiritual gifts – and whatever else is useful to bring you glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Deuteronomy 19:18–19 (ESV): 18 The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

In the final verses of this chapter, instructions are given for judges in how to handle witnesses for court cases. There was great concern to make certain that witnesses were truthful.

Interestingly, this discussion and chapter ends with one of the “eye for an eye” passages. Jesus corrected the misapplication years later that “eye for eye” could be applied by individuals seeking revenge. Rather, this was to be a measure taken by the court.

Yet while this could be applied to the original case – between plaintiff and defendant, the context would suggest that this rule could be applied to a false witness, as well.

God despises dishonesty and slander. We must be careful never to allow slander to go unchecked.

Heavenly Father, help me always to be a champion for truth and so honor your name. Amen.

Deuteronomy 15:4 (ESV): 4 But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess—

This startling statement is made in context of instructions for the sabbatical year. Every seventh year, creditors were to release what they had lent to their neighbor.

Thus, God’s desire was that poverty not be present among his people, but rather that they would care for each other in how they did business together.

This verse is immediately followed by a stipulation. Verse 5 says they must strictly obey God’s voice. Verse 11 also notes that there would never cease to be poor in the land, but this was stated with the expectation that the people would live open-handed with generosity toward each other.

God desires that not only we individually demonstrate love and care for one another, but also that our economic systems be structured in order to provide for each other.

This will not eliminate poverty or inequity. Yet if we live with the mindset of generosity and love, our community will be a much better place in which to live.

Heavenly Father, help me to not only see the needs of others, but be compelled by your love to minister to them. Amen.

1 Corinthians 9:19 (ESV): 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.

In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul addressed the controversy among good Christians whether to eat meat that had been offered to idols.

He said that we are in free in Christ to eat anything, but we should be careful not to encourage those who would consider it “worship of an idol” to violate their conscience.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul then used himself as an example, talking of the church’s obligation to support him as a minister of the gospel. Yet, Paul gave up that right in order remove obstacles from before the gospel.

In Christ, we are free. We do not need to feel obligated by anyone or to anyone. Yet our freedom is superseded by love. Therefore, we willingly serve rather than insisting on our rights.

Make me a servant, humble and meek.
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.
And may the prayer of my heart always be.
Make me a servant, make me a servant today.

HIGHLIGHT

Deuteronomy 10:12 (ESV): 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,”

EXPLAIN

In Deuteronomy 9, Moses corrected a potential misunderstanding of the Israelites: God was giving them Canaan, not due to their own righteousness but because of the wickedness of the people living there.

Moses then reminded the people of their own sin with the golden calf, but continued to speak of the tablets of stone bearing the Ten Commandments.

Due to their sin, God had considered destroying the people, but due to Moses’ intercession God relented. Now, Moses spoke of God’s requirement.

APPLY

We must always guard against spiritual pride. We must learn from our failures to live godly. We must recognize how undeserving we are of God’s grace. Then, we should live carefully, holy before our Lord.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, thank you for your great grace. Help me to live humbly and holy before you. Amen.