READING FOR NOVEMBER 22, 2024: DEUTERONOMY 15, 1 JOHN 1, PSALM 119:65-72 DEUTERONOMY 15 When studying God’s economic system in Lev. 25 (see Sept. 10, 2024 reading), this writer wrote the following: “God put in place a sophisticated economic system for Israel that supports the family, rewards hard work, respects the land, creates work/life balance, eliminates generational poverty and honors God. For all these reasons, it will likely never again be tried.” If only the recent presidential candidates had such an economic plan.
This policy was only required for Israel, not for the foreigners staying in is the country. Thus, perhaps it could only work well when there was a consensus made possible by everyone being part of God’s covenant people. There is an echo of this in the early church: “The congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each to the extent that any had need.” (Acts 4:32-35).
All the details are not reviewed in Deuteronomy, but we do see some of the aspects of the Sabbatical year. An important feature is that all debts would be forgiven when the Sabbatical year is reached every seven years. This would work against the accumulation of enormous wealth and the prospect of generational poverty, which create extreme gaps in social classes. Moses goes on to suggest it should eliminate poverty (vs. 4) if practiced, but later implies that its flawed implementation will be such that poverty would remain (vs. 11). He also states that following this system, which should strengthen the middle-class, would enhance the national economy so that Israel could be a lending nation to other countries (vs.6), giving Israel a competitive advantage.
We also see it benefits the workers. Their legal period of indentured servitude would end at the arrival of the Sabbatical year, as would their debts. Even after the civil war, American workers sometimes lived as practical slaves in company towns and were hopelessly indebted to company stores. (Listen to Tennessee Ernie Ford’s haunting “16 Tons” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1980WfKC0o.) In cases where the bosses were exceptionally kind, Hebrew workers had the opportunity to be a bondservant for life. This is how Peter felt about HIs Lord, Jesus Christ: “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). The chapter concludes with guidelines for consecrating to God the firstborn of the flock and herd. This represents giving our best to God, who has given us His only Son to redeem us.
READING FOR NOVEMBER 23, 2024 CONTINUED: 1 JOHN 1, PSALM 119:65-72 1 JOHN 1 John, whom we assume to be the writer of this epistle, sounds much as he does at the beginning of his Gospel of John. He claims Jesus already existed at the beginning. He claims he and his associates experienced this same Jesus through their senses of sight, hearing, and touch. This Jesus who interacted with them on earth was also the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father God. This Jesus, who was revealed to them, John now reveals to his readers so that they can have fellowship with John and his associates and make their existing joy complete. Notice we, as Christians, can only have the highest degree of fellowship with others when they also believe in Jesus. Notice, too, that even though we have experienced Jesus ourselves, we cannot experience complete joy in life until we tell others about Jesus.
John states that he heard directly from Jesus that God is light. Light (phos in Greek) seems to represent a pure radiance by which right thinking or living is made known to others. When we walk in darkness, we reject that knowledge and live in sinful ways. If we do this and yet claim to be Christians, we are liars. Walking in light is evidence that we have been saved by Jesus’s blood from our sins. Those who deny they are sinners and believe they don’t need to be saved, are dangerously deluded. On the other hand, if we admit to being sinners and look to Jesus’s righteousness and sacrificial death for salvation, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all our sinfulness or unrighteousness. There is a very famous American who claims not to need forgiveness (https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4619501/user-clip-asked-god-forgiveness) Let’s pray he will confess his sins someday. Let’s pray for those around us who also have not done this.
PSALM 119:65-72 The Psalmist says God has treated us as He promised in His word, which means treated well. The Psalmist seeks discernment and knowledge from God, because he has believed God’s word. Perhaps that means discernment for life’s many unforeseen circumstances require God’s intervention to help us apply biblical principles to situations not specifically addressed by the Bible. For example, the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us to attend Yorktown Methodist Church, but there should be biblical principles that help guide us.
The Psalmist confesses that he did not always follow God’s path. He seems to draw a connection between being afflicted before and his current obedience to God’s word. Then he pronounces God’s goodness. Perhaps he suggests God’s allowing this affliction was part of God’s good plan to draw him back to obedience. Does God ever do this? Consider Jonah’s prayer in the big fish: “You threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current flowed around me. All Your breakers and waves passed over me. So I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight. Nevertheless, I will look again toward Your holy temple” (Jonah 2:3-4). The Psalmist says liescharacterize arrogant people. What should we do when faced with lies about us? Keep obeying and delighting in God’s Word. We don’t need to fight fire with fire.
