01.07.2010

Today's reading is Genesis 13, 14, Psalm 7, Proverb 7, and Matthew 10.

Abram, Sarai, and Lot journey far and wide and have adventures. Finally their households start to feud, and Abram offer peace to Lot and his household. You pick some stretch of land, and I'll pick a neighboring piece of land. Lot pick the area near Sodom, Abram picks the Hebron. Abram settled after surveying all of what would be Israel in the future, because God promised it to his descendants.

Also, Abram and his mighty household fight and win the first recorded war. He rescues Lot and the citizens of Sodom. Afterward, he denies his claim to the spoils, as offered by the king of Sodom, and rather honors the Lord with High Priest Melchizedek, king of Salem.

King David is once again proclaiming the Lord is the shield of the righteous, and asking the Lord to protect him from his wicked adversaries. This time, however, he says that if he is not righteous, the Lord should let his enemies strike him down.

Repetition is one of the great writing tools in the Bible. God uses repetition very effectively, and in today's proverb, we find it again. Again this proverb warns against adultery and prostitution. The prostitute in today's story makes her wishes sound nice and acceptable, but her house is said to be the entry way to Sheol. Adultery and prostitution have been a problem since the early Biblical days and continues on to today. It seems that the repetition is needed.

To the New Testament. Today in Matthew Jesus gathers his twelve disciples and gives them a command to go through Israel and preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand. Jesus sends them with nothing but His Word. They are to offer it to all of Israel, and anywhere it is not welcome, they are to leave. This is really interesting. They're to preach about the kingdom of heaven, and trust in God to win people over, not argue and debate people to convert them. Present the Word of the Lord.