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May 3, Day 123 – Everything We Need to Know

"Self-Portrait at 18" © by Eric C. Stricker - Original Oil on Fabric
"Self-Portrait at 18" © by Eric C. Stricker - Original Oil on Fabric

Again, as always, today’s readings are filled with wonderful truths that we need to apply to our hearts and daily lives.  In Joshua 21:20-22:34, we read about the further division of the Israelite land inheritances.  Yesterday, we saw how the Levites (the Kohathites, Gershonites, and the Merarites) received towns from within the various other Israelite tribes.  Part of God’s purpose for distributing the Levites throughout the land was that they might teach, exemplify, and strongly influence all the other Israelites to observe the laws of God.  Here, the “rest of the Kohathite clans received towns from the tribe of Ephraim” (verse 20).  At the end of chapter 21, we read, “So the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there.  The LORD gave them rest on every side … not one of all the LORD’s good promises failed; every one was fulfilled” (verses 43-45).  Here is the testimony that God keeps His Word; “not one of His promises failed.” This testimony should elicit our praise, for God is faithful.  In Joshua 22, we see that Joshua grants the eastern tribes release now to return to their homes across the Jordan. “They carried out the mission the LORD gave them” (verse 3).  On the way home, they “built an imposing altar by the Jordan” (verse 10).  Personally, I wonder about their motives in setting up a separate altar; to me, those tribes seem to be selfish, unsupportive, and divisive from the very beginning.  They insisted on possessing lands east of the Jordan removed from their brother Israelites, and they actually admit that they built the altar out of “fear” (verse 24).  And to say that it represents “a witness between us” (verse 27) also demonstrates a lack of trust.  In my view, this whole scene foreshadows the future division of Israel into two kingdoms.  We know that this ugly division actually happened under Rehoboam, Solomon’s son (cf., 2 Chronicles 10:16).  Thus, I find these actions and excuses to be unacceptable. Although Phinehas the priest was “pleased about their response” (verse 30), we wonder what God thought about it.


In Psalm 55, we see that, whenever our “thoughts trouble us and we are distraught,” (verse 1), the appropriate course of action for us to follow is to “call upon the LORD” (verse 16). God is definitely interested in us and in our thoughts.  David tells us, “Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall” (verse 22).  We should reflect the same action that David voiced: “As for me, I trust in You” (verse 23).


In John 3, we observe that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night with honest and legitimate questions.  Jesus was not disturbed by the darkness of the setting or its implications, and He compassionately but truthfully honored and answered this Pharisee’s questions – bringing light to Nicodemus – in one of the Bible’s most well-known passages.  This chapter is such an important chapter because it also brings to light the answers to so many of our questions. What is the Spirit like?  Why did Jesus need to come?  Why and how must we be born again?  Jesus directly gives us God’s answers to these prototypical questions, and He distinguishes between the two worlds – heaven and earth; good and evil; light and darkness.  Although these matters are invisible unknowns to us, Jesus reveals that a proper knowledge and understanding of heavenly things requires faith in Him, which John then explains clearly.  John 3:16 concisely summarizes everything we need to know.

 
 
 
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