7-26-20 Today in the Word

COURAGE FOR THE QUEST
Sunday, July 26, 2020 | Joshua 21
 
BEHIND THE SCENES

Hidden Figures, a book and then movie released in 2016, tells the true story of three female African American mathematicians who worked for NASA and played a pivotal role in launching astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Even though they quietly worked behind the scenes, their contribution changed history. Throughout Joshua’s quest, there was another group of hidden figures who played a crucial role in Israel’s journey. Today’s text highlights the significant contribution of the Levites and God’s fulfilled promises to them.
After the lands were allocated and cities of refuge established, the Levites requested towns to live in as promised during Moses’ time. These people, from the tribe of Levi, were the keepers and teachers of the Law (Deut. 33:10). Notice that, for the Levites, their inheritance was not land; their inheritance was Yahweh alone (13:33). Therefore, instead of requesting land, they reminded Joshua that the Lord had promised to give them towns to live in and pastures for their flocks. These were scattered throughout the region so they could more easily teach people about the Lord and His ways. Similar to the cities of refuge, their allotment of towns was in fulfillment of the Mosaic legislation.
This chapter highlights the nation’s obedience to God. For a relatively new nation, following the Lord’s commands wasn’t easy. But the Israelites recognized they would not be where they were but for Yahweh’s protection and provision. The nation learned to care for God’s servants, the Levites. They would not be able to serve the Lord and do His work if it were not for the help and support of the surrounding tribes. From tribe to tribe, everyone contributed to helping the Levites find a home.
>> In today’s Christian culture, the teachers of the law are our ministers, Sunday School teachers, small group leaders, etc. These godly servants may be overlooked when it comes to their roles in shaping our society, but they play a pivotal part. Today, thank one of these servants of God.
PRAY WITH US
You’ve never met a Levite (the teacher of the Law), but most likely you remember who first brought the Word of God into your life. Pray for that teacher, parent, professor, or your first pastor today.
This month's devotional is written by Chris Rappazini. Chris Rappazini is the associate professor and program head of the BA and MA in Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute and Moody Theological Seminary. He is the vice president of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and previously served as the associate minister of preaching and teaching at Southside Christian Church in Spokane, Washington. Chris and his wife, Ashley, and their three children reside in Northwest Indiana.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t...
Read more

9-25-23 The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas

The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are at the time of the year when we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad’s birthday. And my Dad was well-loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve. I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling, and the wind and snow were whipping across the barny...
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th...
Read more