Date | Version | Reading Plan |
---|---|---|
@June 28, 2024 | ESV (2016) | M’Cheyne Plan 2024 |
Deut. 33-34
Deuteronomy 34:10–12 (ESV) 10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
The Book of Deuteronomy—final book of the Pentateuch—ends with the death of Moses. No prophet superseded Moses in ability to perform signs and wonders that the Lord had sent him to do in Egypt. As the Believer’s Bible Commentary points out, “when these closing verses were written, the Messiah had not yet appeared. Verse 10 was true only up to the time of Christ’s First Advent.” Moses knew the LORD “face to face” (see also Exod. 33:11; Num. 12:8; Deut. 5:4)., a phrase that speaks to his uniquely intimate relationship with the LORD, although not necessarily to be taken literally. Moses was by no means perfect, indeed his disobedience even prevented entry into the promised land, but these verses serve as a cue of remembrance to reflect on the work the LORD did through him.
Psalm 119:145-176
Psalm 119:160 (ESV) 160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
There is much to unpack from this final verse in the section of Resh. First, that the sum of God’s word is truth. God is incapable of speaking or embodying anything but perfect, objective, transcendent truth. It is on this word we live, every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Next is that not some but all of His righteous rules endure, complete in depth and breadth. They are to be taken as both individually and comprehensively righteous and our obedience is to be carried out accordingly. Finally is the length of their endurance: forever. Because God is eternal, both the righteousness and permanence of His statutes reflect His character of eternality. They have as much bearing on creation now as they did at the beginning and this will continue for all time.
Isaiah 60
Isaiah 60:19–20 (ESV) 19 The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.
Isaiah speaks of a day in which the sun will be no more because the LORD will be their everlasting light. I was reminded of Rev. 21:23 in which John spoke of the new heaven having no need for the sun because the glory of God will be its light. Having never been in a place where the sun was not the main source of light, it is difficult to imagine a place brightened with the luminance of God. However, this is the reality to which the faithful look in joyful expectancy, an everlasting dwelling in the light of God’s presence.
Matthew 8
Matthew 8:8–9 (ESV) 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
A centurion came to Jesus at Capernaum to appeal for His healing of a paralyzed servant lying and suffering at home. Jesus agreed to heal the servant, but the centurion requested that the man be healed remotely because he considered himself unworthy of having Jesus under his roof. In remarkable humility, the centurion acknowledged himself as a man of authority but also one who was under authority. Jesus responded to these remarks with favor, saying that He had found no one in Israel with such a faith. This understanding of being under authority while having authority is one that we must take seriously, especially as men. We have been designed by God to be leaders of families and communities, but this must be executed in full submission to God as our ultimate authority along with our persistent recognition of Him as the source of all authority.