The Bible readings for today, January 10 are Genesis 10, Ezra 10; Matthew 10; Acts 10. Read and be blessed. Here are are few of my observations on these scriptures. Genesis 10 is the genealogy of the descendants of Noah. Ezra 10 is a continuation of dealing with a situation that was revealed in chapter 9, that the people of Israel, including some priests and Levites, princes and rulers, had taken wives from the local inhabitants who were identified by their abominations. If you haven’t read it already, read Ezra’s prayer and statement, 9:6-15. Then chapter 10 is their repentant actions based on their confessions of guilt. Matthew 10 would require a book length article to adequately discuss it-the instructions, along with comments and prophetic declarations of Jesus in commissioning His disciples. Jesus foresees some very hard times for His representatives, a very high cost of discipleship, a time when His followers, to be worthy, take up their own cross to follow Him. The assignments starts out with the instruction to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, and with the giving of authourity with instructions to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, but then lays out very plainly the conflict before them. I love the symbolic meaning of sheep, as is evidenced by all the stuffed ones in our sanctuary, but v16 suggests a much more dangerous meaning. I highly recommend reading one of the best books written in the 20th century, The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and martyr. In a wonderful coincidence our last reading , Acts 10 relates a significant expansion of missionary commission. Whereas in Matthew, the message was limited to the Jews, in Acts 10, through angelic visitations and visions, the mandate was without a doubt, expanded to include the Gentiles.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 03:10:33 +0000
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