August 15

Journey-through-the-Bible-with-us

READING FOR AUGUST 15, 2024: LEVITICUS 7, LUKE 8, PSALM 80:14-19                       LEVITICUS 7 Verses 37-38 make the following summary statement about the sacrificial offerings: “This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering, and the *ordination offering and the sacrifice of peace offerings,  which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day that He commanded the sons of Israel to present their offerings to the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai.”  Rather than keep rehashing details about each of the above offerings, Let’s briefly review the purpose of each and where to find the process details. *See Lev.8:28

Chart from Bible Book Club

READING FOR AUGUST 15, 2024 CONTINUED: LUKE 8, PSALM 80:14-19                                 LUKE 8 Jesus went on a preaching tour accompanied by His official “twelve.” Also on the tour were women whom He had healed and women financing His ministry. Both women and men were certainly involved, although apparently in different ways. It so interesting that a discussion about parables came up in between Jesus’s presentation of the Parable of the Sower and His explanation of it. Ken Boa beautifully summarizes Jesus’s reasoning: “Some of the parables were designed to reveal mysteries to those on the inside and to conceal the truth to those on the outside.” Thus, only one kind of soil embraced the word with faith, as did the disciples; for three other kinds of soil the truth was concealed.  Our job as sowers is to be loving and obedient in sharing the word. We can’t control how it’s received. Are we sowing?   

The parable of the lamp under a basket in Matthew is tied to the Beatitudes, suggesting that living out the Beatitudes shines a light to the world. Here it is closely connected to being to being productive soil, even mentioning to “take care how you listen.”  CONTEXT IS KING. Talking about good soil, it appears that at this time Jesus’s mother and brothers were not yet believers. If so, this seems to contradict the Catholic doctrine of Mary’s lifelong perfection. 

Miracles in Luke 8:  

  • The disciples were in the boat with Jesus during a storm and thought they were perishing. They obviously had not read John 3:16 yet: “Everyone who believes in Him will not perish”
  • The people of Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave because they feared change. The demon-possessed man proclaimed the great change that Jesus made in him. We can either choose his way or the people’s. 
  •  A Jewish leader with a dying daughter and a chronically ill woman both fell at Jesus’s feet. No matter our place in life, all must fall at His feet in humble faith. Often personal crises can help bring us there.

PSALM 80:14-19 Certainly Asaph’s intent is asking for deliverance from God for Israel and its current king. Yet, there are some allusions to Jesus that are hard not to catch. Let’s see how these themes might intertwine. Asaph is appealing to God’s strength and authority: God of armies. It suggests that we can appeal to certain attributes of God based upon our needs. If we need guidance for a decision, we can appeal to the God of all knowledge and wisdom. If we need emotional support, the God of love. Asaph’s poet description of Israel as a vine planted by His right hand, points to God’s loving and intentional work in establishing Israel as His people: “For the vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel” (Isa.5:7). Verse 16 states the real cause of Israel’s present problem is God’s rebuke. Asaph’s request is for God to strengthen the man of God’s right hand, the son of man. Given his urgency, Asaph likely wasn’t looking centuries ahead. Consider, though, how Jesus speaks about Himself: “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” Luke 22:69. Only Jesus can deliverer humanity from sin and evil. Let’s look to Him and be saved.