March 5th One Year Bible Readings

Numbers 4:1-5:31 ~ Mark 12:18-37 ~ Psalm 48:1-14 ~ Proverbs 10:26
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on OneYearAudioBible.org or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Today in Numbers chapter 4 we read about the duties of the Kohathites, Gershonites and the Merarites!  Reading this chapter reminded me of the church where I used to work - where we had to set up and tear down the sanctuary each Sunday, because we were holding services in a rented community center building.  And truly, most Sundays my days felt like verse 31 and the Merarites: ""Their duties at the Tabernacle will consist of carrying loads."  But, even though this task of carrying loads back then and today may seem "menial" at first glance, the task was of utmost importance for the community's worship!  So, I hope this chapter can be an encouragement to you if at times you feel like you are simply "carrying loads" at your church - keep in mind it is a holy task that the Merarites faithfully conducted before you in the time of Moses!

New Testament - I have heard Jesus' teaching about the 2 greatest commandments in Mark chapter 12 verses 29-31 summarized as simply Love God & Love People:  "Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: `Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these.""

Here is a very interesting note about Jesus' quote above from Deuteronomy 6:4 that starts '"Hear, O Israel!" - This verse begins what is known as the Shema - which was named after the first word in this verse and means "Hear."  The Shema became the Jewish confession of faith, which was recited by pious Jews every morning and evening and it is still recited in synagogue services today.  More very interesting information about The Shema from a Jewish website is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 48 is a celebratory Psalm of Mount Zion in Jerusalem, as verse 8 reads:  "We had heard of the city's glory, but now we have seen it ourselves- the city of the LORD Almighty. It is the city of our God; he will make it safe forever."

I like verse 10 a lot in this Psalm: "As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth."  I have had the good fortune to travel many places on this planet, and I will admit that it always encourages me to no end when I see God being praised and worshiped in other cultures.  I always try to visit churches wherever I travel on Sundays, and I love seeing how different cultures worship God.  One of the most memorable experiences was in the Dominican Republic in a very impoverished community.  I honestly don't know that I have ever seen a congregation worship God so wholeheartedly than I did that day in the DR.  It was beautiful.  The other thing I am reminded of when traveling is that when we are in relationship with Jesus, God is always with us no matter where we go.  When we're 35,000 feet above the ground in an airplane, God is with us.  When we're in the middle of nowhere that has no church - God is with us.  So, no matter where we go, if God is with us, we have the opportunity to praise God's name to the ends of the earth!  Even if you're traveling to some far off locale where no one else around you would praise God, will you?

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 10 verse 26 teaches us: "Lazy people are a pain to their employer. They are like smoke in the eyes or vinegar that sets the teeth on edge."  I think this gives each of us a chance to reflect upon how diligently we work for our employers.  I think about this a lot.  I know there are friends of mine that surf the net at work or send personal emails or play video games.  I suppose some of this is okay, if you really are counting it as "break time" and not letting it eat into the actual hours you are supposed to be working.  I would simply say that I think this is a very slippery slope for each of us - wasting time at work on personal stuff or games on the computers.  I pray that each of us are so diligent to not start down this slope at work...  and if we are on this slope already, to get off of it immediately!   Actually, while I'm going on this tangent, I'll keep going...  :)  A friend of mine once gave me some very wise advice.  He was in a job that he really didn't like.  He knew he wouldn't be there long, and he was looking for other jobs - outside of work time.  But, when he was at this job he was still giving it 100% - he was working hard.  I asked him why he was working so hard if he knew he was leaving soon.  He simply said to me, "Mike, if you pick up bad habits in one job, let me guarantee you that you are going to carry forward those bad habits to your next job.  Don't kid yourself and think that you can turn those bad habits off overnight.  You can't.  I don't want to carry forward any bad habits when I land my dream job."  Wow... what amazing wisdom from my friend here!  I also kind of wonder that if we have bad habits at work, if they will also carry over into our personal lives?  I think they might... I think we'd all do well to meditate on this Proverb and ask ourselves are we really working an honest day's work each and every day for our employer?

Worship God: Based on my mentioning the Shema in our Mark readings today, here is a video of the Shema in Hebrew.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZUVm8hQ4Pk

Have you ever prayed the Shema?  Click here and meet the Shema's author!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on three verses of Scripture today: ""The most important commandment," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you will love God today with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that you will love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Pray that God would show you today who your neighbor is and that you will love them.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  Based on my reflections in the OT, have you ever had volunteer duties at your church that were less than glamorous duties?  :)  Do you think that maybe these duties were actually very glamorous to God, even if they weren't glamorous to the world?  Do you make it a habit of volunteering at your church regularly?  What are some volunteer things you do for your church to help "carry the load" of your church's ministry?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Love, Trust and Obey Jesus,
Mike

Comments

[Ramona]

Loading in and breaking down, or striking, temporary church sanctuaries probably taught everyone who participated skills that have been transferred into every other area of your life and increased your value in the “market place.” God is kind of like that you know.

Numbers 4-5:31
“Aaron and his sons must always go in with them and assign a specific duty or load to each person,” thus begins a principal that is echoed throughout today’s reading. (Numbers 4:19; 27; 32). The children of Israel where directed to do an assigned job. Not only were they assigned a job, their placement to do that job was also directed. Are we willing to submit to leaderships direction or do we walk in telling the “pastor” what our gifts are and what we will do.

God is a God of order, not chaos. Paul echoes orderliness within Christian meetings in the 14th Chapter of first Corinthians, 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. And it is also noted in the Book of James, that were there is disorder a certain “work of the flesh” is lurking about, 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16)

Numbers, chapter 5, reminds us that God does not suggest purity within the “camp,” he requires it. The purity also includes marital fidelity. However, I still haven’t come to a full understanding regarding this ritual of drinking water with clay mixed in. I’m thinking that if I were faithful and I had a jealous husband on my hands and he made me drink some nasty water with dirt in it, the household would not need an air condition unity in the summer time.
Mark 12:18-37
Questions, questions, questions. I have learned in life that most questions are not asked by folks to get information. Most questions are asked to inform the questionee (is that a word) that the questioner is so far above the intelligence of the one being asked. Thus most questions are designed to be the one being asked, “In their Place.” So the religious leaders of Jesus’s day wanted to put Jesus in this place, and most thought His place was “dead.”

Psalm 48:1-14
I like the last half of the last verse in this Psalm,

“He is our God forever and ever, and he will be our guide until we die”

Whether we like it or not, whether we voluntarily Praise God or not or we are forced to bow down with an Angels foot on the back of our neck, God is our God forever and ever even if we shout at the top of our lungs, “There is no God!”

Proverbs 10:26
O, may the Holy Spirit check me if I’m like today’s Proverb. Not only is a lazy person a source of anguish to their employer, they cause everyone around them, friend, relatives, and foes to carry a unequal share of corporate responsibilities.

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[Raeann]

21And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

[Raeann]

21 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, This is one of the most often repeated vereses in the books that Moses wrote. I usher and assist in my churches nersury on a weekly basis, I find this work both very gratifying and rewarding.

[DeeDee]

There is alot of references in Number 4-5:31 where God spoke to either Moses and Aaron or spoke into Moses:
4:1 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron..
4:17 The the Lord said to Moses and Aaron..
4:21 And the Lord said to Moses
5:1 The Lord gave these instructions to Moses
5:5 Then the Lord said to Moses..
5:11 And the Lord said to Moses..

That brings me to the thoughts of: To whom much is given, much is required. Moses was a leader, so was his brother Aaron. Whether they wanted to be, it was upon them. We have to learn to rise to the occasion if we are called to this positioning in our life from God, which I believe God calls all people into leadership in some respect, but then don't get me wrong, if you are the behind the scenes man or not the lead in something, where it be at work or church or family..God calls us to many different positions and orderliness which he has displayed and he is not an author of confusion or chaos, but of order and love and not a respector of persons, He loves all of us..

I am like Ramona on the questioning in Mark..how dare they, the saduccees question or put on an act to be seen, Oh Teacher..tell us this one thing, they couldn't give flippity squat what the Lord had to say as being knowledgable and sowing into the seed of the heart, they were out to sow discord, and Christ saw their evil hearts..its sad to say that there are people out there within churches that are just that pious, snooty, hi-falutent(I know my spelling is wrong) and think they are above the Laws of God Himself, and they are so wrong..God will reward the diligent and curse the ones who use His temple as anything but pure, holy, and just..

I remember looking back at my old life and working at an office where I used to surf internet on what I thought should be my "free" time or breaks in between work, which I know is wrong now looking back at that. Right now I am a stay at home mom and a full time online student, so now my employer is my family so to speak. :) and I pray that I always serve my home well and give God the Glory within it each and every day.

God Bless each and every one)~~DeeDee

[Luch]

Along with Mike's offering of the Shema comments and the video piece, I would like to offer this video piece from New Testament scholar Scott McKnight. Here's an introduction to his book 'the Jesus Creed' where he also addresses the need to bring the Shema into our daily lives in a new testament kind of way. Only about 3 minutes in length.

enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfveyGofEy0

[Chris D]

Love both the Shema and the Jesus Creed. Hope to return to the Shema chant frequently enough to commit it to memory, as it will serve me well in some visitation I do. And the Jesus Creed--especially if I can put it to music--will be wonderful food for mouth and soul. Thanks to Mike & Luch for the links.