Friday, Ordinary 32, Proper 27, Nov 7

Joshua Built an Altar of Uncut Stones

Meggido uncut stone altar–an example of what kind of altar God asked his people to make, Israel, Wikipedia, CCL

Meditation

Friday, Ordinary 32, Proper 27 split its focus between the honoring of the Lord by building altars made with uncut stones which would be stones carved by God (as opposed to the pagan altars hewed with cut stones -see picture sample below) and the horrors of the future world as God releases the four bound angels, who would rain down a world of pain on non-believers. Despite that, some intransigent people would refuse to change their ways, according to what St. John the Apostle, wrote from Patmos, where he had the vision.

John’s vision of the four angels release from being bound, who brought an army of 200 million soldiers—2/3rds of the population of the United States—and they were to kill a third of the people around the world, which would be over 2.375 billion people. The people still didn’t cease their “evil magic, their sexual sins, and their stealing” even though they were warned of the deadly consequences.

The options for the people were to follow God or their own pursuits. Unlike Joshua and the Psalmist, who wrote extensively about the great promises that God delivered on, the future world turned away from God. Joshua tried to bring his people to the primary goal of meditating on God—by listening and applying the commandments of God. “Love the Lord your God and all will be well” were the words of the law that Joshua read. Love. That pesky word, love. All the commandments revolved around loving God and neighbor as oneself. If the Children of Israel would love God and their neighbor, how much different would it have been?
The same is true for all of us. We must love God and our neighbor as ourselves. Then it will go well with us. Joshua and the Psalmist put things in proper perspective. The future world failed horribly, according to John’s vision, and they paid the consequences.
An aside—I found it interesting that the Revelation of John spoke of evil ‘sorceries’ or ‘magic’, but the word in Greek was the root word for pharmacy. So it was about people abusing what we understand today as medicine—dosing people; drugging them to control them for evil purposes and so on. We think of medicine as doing no wrong, but there are countless people who are hooked on prescription drugs and what are the ‘drug companies’ doing about it? Little to nothing. Given the potency of what ‘drugs’ and ‘doses’ can do to people, in the hands of someone evil, it could be devastating.
We must be watchful that our world is following the commands of God as Joshua instructed, so that we avoid the hazards of falling into evil ways.

Thanks be to God.

All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.

Click on the Scriptures for links to biblegateway.com, where many translations of the same text enhance the understanding the readings, which come from the (RCL) Revised Common Lectionary – Daily Lectionary
Readings. I add a Daily Prayer to bless you with God’s Favor.

Enjoy the Daily Encouragement and Bible Study and may you be inspired to be your best self for Ordinary 32, Proper 27.

Ordinary 32, Proper 27

Crown Him with Many Crowns – Unknown

Altar of Cut Stones Which God Specifically Told Israel NOT to Use

Horned altar at Tel Be’er Sheva, Israel. The kind of altar customary for pagans–not the kind God wanted. Wikipedia CCL

Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen

Ordinary 32, Proper 27

Ancient of Days (Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power) – Phillips Craig and Dean

Ordinary 32, Proper 27

Bible Readings

http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2078:1-7;Joshua%208:30-35;Revelation%209:13-21&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;NIV
(multiple versions)

Friday, Ordinary 32, Proper 27

Psalm 78:1-7

Joshua 8:30-35

Revelation 9:13-21

Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating

Psalm 78:1
King James Version (KJV)

78 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Ordinary 32, Proper 27

From Greenland’s Icy Mountains – Lorin Whitney

Single Bible Study chapter to study

Joshua 8:30-35

King James Version (KJV)

³⁰ Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal,

³¹ As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.

Uncut stone altar built by Joshua, dev.freebibleimages CCL

³² And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

³³ And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

El Greco Children of Israel at foot of mount, receiving the law Wikipedia CCL

³⁴ And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

OBSERVE:

Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.

1.

2.

3.

INTERPRETATION:

What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?

APPLY:

Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.

Prayer of Encouragement

Almighty God, for the greatness of your faithfulness in fulfilling your promises we praise you and give thanks. For the unrighteousness that we ignore and make excuses for, we ask your forgiveness. In Jesus name, Amen

Ordinary 32, Proper 27 Music

I Have a Friend so Precious — tendai madidi

tendai madidi

Ordinary 32, Proper 27 Humor

4 Angels Loosed

©Jeff Larson, Used by permission

I Will Sing – Don Moen

I hope you found a chance to encounter your Creator and experience the Love of God and the joy of Christ in Ordinary 32, Proper 27.

Conclusion

Friday, Ordinary 32, Proper 27 touched on two extreme moments in history—past and future (via a vision of St. John of Patmos). The beginning of the settlement of Israel where Joshua established new traditions by reading the law. He was carrying on a new way of living. Israel had strayed several times on the route to the Promised Land.

Now they were there in the land of milk and honey. Joshua wanted to get off on the correct foot and set aside time to read all of the law. Every word that Moses had received from God. It was like starting the day with reading the Scriptures—the day goes better, no matter what the challenges. Opening their hearts to listening to the Word of God and the way that God wanted for them to go, started the Children of Israel off in the land just as they should have. We can learn from them.

The New Testament lesson in Revelation gave us a glimpse into the future, when the people have so turned away from God, they have devolved into evil magic, sexual sin and stealing. In all of those, there was the taking advantage of other people. It was not a behavior of those who would be doing what the Law said that Joshua read to the Hebrew people.