Reading from Tuesday, April 6

Hello. Still playing a little catchup. Katsup. Ketchup? Katsup? Where are the Burns-O's?

Reading for April 6
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20
There really isn't anything new here. It is now Moses who is speaking and he is basically reiterating everything God just said for the past 10 or so chapters. Culminating in the same thing God concluded with the last reading: Obey God and be blessed, or disobey God and be cursed.

There really isn't much more to it than that. At least back then...

Luke 11:37-12:7
Jesus is invited to dinner at a Pharisee's home. After calling Jesus out for not washing his hands before dinner, Jesus uses this opportunity to jump into an attack  on the Pharisees. Haven't seen one of these since the book of Matthew:

 ⁵²"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

 I find this very interesting - the Pharisees, the one's who are tasked with teaching and upholding the law, are doing so in such an ineffective way that they are actually keeping people from the truth. Actually, the point here is probably that they are not only teaching in an ineffective manner, but  in fact teaching incorrect information.

Jesus uses a specific example of the Pharisees being so focused on tithing, but completely neglecting the poor and needy. He says that they should be doing both.

I think that Pharisees are a perfect representation of what the ideals of the Old Testament would naturally evolve into. God required strict adherence to the rules he laid out, no room for goofing around. One step out of line and zap. Deadsville. The Pharisees seem to represent that sort of militant obedience to God's law, where Jesus was more focused on helping those around him. Interesting.

The second half of this reading has  some good insight into why we should fear God:

 ⁴"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

It not only gives humans a great relief of fear and worry from the things of this world, but this is the first logical statement I've read that really makes sense as to why one should fear God. 


Psalm 78:1-31
This psalm recounts some of the stories from Exodus and Numbers. Mainly about the Israelites complaining about no food, water, or meat - and God delivering food, water and meat, though that meat one didn't end so well...God kinda went crazy and killed a bunch of  people for being such whiny carnivorous babies.

Proverbs 12:19-20
 ¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever,
       but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
 ²⁰ There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,
       but joy for those who promote peace.

Word. Goodnight.