by Leah Burns | 14 July 2019 | Forgiveness is a word defined by action: it is a conscious choice to let go of the hate or resentment we may feel toward the people who have wronged us, and be willing to forgive even if a person does not want or deserve our forgiveness. Forgiveness […] Source: https://atoday.org/love-your-enemies-corrie-ten-boom-and-the-power-of-forgiveness/
Monday: Two Reasons for Sabbath
Read Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15. How do these two versions of the fourth commandment complement each other?
Remembering is an important part of the relationship that God seeks to re-establish with His people, a relationship centered on the fact that God is our Creator and Redeemer. Both roles appear in the two versions of the fourth commandment and are thus linked closely with Sabbath and its practice.
Coming out of a land dominated by so many false gods, the Israelites needed to be reminded of the true God’s role as the Creator. The Sabbath was a crucial way to do that, made all the more significant in the context of the weekly cycle of providing extra manna on Friday, a powerful example of His creative power. In the Exodus 20 version of the fourth commandment, God as our Creator is revealed most clearly.
By contrast, their rescue, redemption, and salvation is the focus of the fourth commandment in Deuteronomy 5. This was a story that the Israelites were to retell regularly; they could reconnect with it especially every Sabbath. Their first story was one of actual, physical rescue from slavery in Egypt, but as their understanding of God and His salvation grew, Sabbath would also become a weekly symbol and celebration of their spiritual salvation.
Both of these motivations for Sabbath were about restoring the relationship between God and His people: “I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy” (Ezek. 20:12, NIV). And, as we have seen, this was never about this group of people only. On the foundation of this relationship, they were to establish a new kind of society, one that was kind to outsiders and a blessing to the wider world.
“Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day” (Deut. 5:15, NIV). By keeping the Sabbath as a way of remembering and celebrating both our creation and Redemption, we can continue to grow in our relationship, not only with the Lord but with those around us. God is gracious to us; therefore, we need to be gracious to others.
In what ways should Sabbath keeping make us better, kinder, more caring, and compassionate people? |
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SabbathSchoolNet/~3/PC6Wk6NhKt0/
Romans 3:22
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~s/dailybible/main/?i=http://dailybiblepromise.com/verse/2019/07/14
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dailybible/main/~3/a6geO8RSJdM/14
Sunday: Manna Enough
After generations of slavery and the social degradation that such a condition can inflict on His oppressed people, God sought to lift up the newly freed Israelites, pointing them to a better way of living and giving them laws for the best ordering of their new society. But one of the first parts of this process came in the form of a practical and instructive object lesson.
Continuing for the full 40 years of their wilderness wanderings, this rhythm of life, visible evidence of God’s provision and practiced unselfishness, should have become part of the culture of Israelite society. It came in the form of manna, a food that appeared each morning on the ground around the Israelites’ camp.
Read Exodus 16:16-18. What do you think is the significance of the specific measure for each person emphasized in these verses?
In 2 Corinthians 8:10-15, Paul references this story as an example of how Christians should give: “At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality” (vs. 14, NIV).
The lesson for the Israelites, and us, was that God has provided sufficiently for His people and His creation. If we take only what we need and are prepared to share our excess with others, all will be cared for and provided for. Taking only enough for the day required the people to trust that there would be more the following day. Oppressed people, such as the Israelite slaves, tend to focus on their own survival, but God wanted to demonstrate to them a life of trust, generosity, and sharing.
But there was also another, more remarkable, dimension to this practice. Each Friday a double portion of manna appeared on the ground, and on that day—and only that day—the people were to collect the extra manna in preparation for the Sabbath. The special provision for the Sabbath became an additional way for them to learn to trust the Lord for all their needs. This extra portion of manna, an act of grace on God’s part, enabled them to enjoy even more fully the rest that God has promised them on the seventh-day Sabbath.
What can we do on Fridays that will help us better enjoy what God offers us on Sabbath? |
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SabbathSchoolNet/~3/71QX8LHj4u8/
Single Mom: “Kids’ Screentime Is the When I Get Things Done”
Dear Aunt Sevvy, During these summer months I’m struggling with my kids and all the time they have. I’m working and I often take them to the office with me. But on the weekends I need to get stuff done around the house. I’m a single mom, so I don’t get any help. So while […] Source: https://atoday.org/50915-2/