​Key Verse
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy
 
Meditation
John Piper begins a book on global missions saying, “Missions exists because worship does not.” Worship of God is the goal and fuel of Christian mission. As long as there is an absence of worship of God on the earth, the mission of God must be a priority for the Church. 
 
Every Christian has a role in God’s global mission, furthering worship of Jesus Christ in our neighborhoods and among the nations. Christians are called to send, support, pray for, and go share the good news with those who have not heard the gospel. Every Christian is gifted by God’s grace (1 Peter 4:10) to participate in God’s global mission. 
 
The blessing of God on His people (1, 7) is the base for us to pray for and participate in God’s mission for praise to come from all peoples. God’s saving power (2) will provoke people to praise Him (3, 5). After salvation, there is jubilation in every tribe and nation who experience God’s great salvation (4). The “ends of the earth” is God’s target for His mission, (7) worship rising to Him from every people group in the world.
 
One day God’s mission will be accomplished, worship bursting forth from every tribe, tongue, and nation (Revelation 7:9). The Church is called to further the worship of Jesus Christ by sharing His message of salvation with every neighbor, in every neighborhood, and among every nation until the final consummation when Jesus returns and the glory of God will cover the earth as the water covers the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).
 
Today’s Reading
May God be gracious to us and bless us   and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity  and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
 
Richly Dwelling
-God desires for the “nations to be glad, to sing for joy” from their reception of the good news of salvation. Do you share God’s heart, for all peoples to praise Jesus? Why or why not?
 
-What is your highest and best role in participation in God’s global mission- sending, supporting, sharing, praying, going…? Be specific.
 
-The Joshua Project is a great site to find out more about people groups throughout the world who need to hear the good news of salvation.  Take time today to read about one of the featured people groups on Joshua Project and pray for them.
 
Key Verse
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy

​Key Verse
9 “And on that day,” declares the Lord God, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
 
Meditation
Cold and wet nights in the wilderness leave you longing for warmth and light, the dawn of a new day. Today’s reading is dark and cold, the announcement of a death sentence for Israel because they refused to return to the Lord (Amos 4). God’s verdict points to Jesus who bore the penalty we deserve, through death entering the cold dark grave. By His resurrection, Jesus’ victory over death is credited to all who believe so we can experience resurrected life in Jesus Christ. The light of a new day dawns through the finished work of Jesus. 
 
Amos’s words of dark judgment are penetrating, leaving the reader longing for light. The basket of summer fruit (1) symbolized Israel’s end. In Hebrew the words sound the same, “summer fruit” and “end.” Ripened fruit was harvested. The season was changing. The Day of Judgment was near. God’s verdict was clear.
 
The indictments against Israel were detailed (4-14): Trampling the needy, perverting holy days, oppressing the poor, pride, and greed.  Amos described the darkness of the coming judgement day, noonday turning to night and feasts turning to famine. The darkness of God’s judgement had been determined by their rebellion against God.
 
Light dawns through the warmth of God’s covenant love. God’s Day of Judgment against sin is satisfied through the work of Jesus. Jesus bore God’s wrath against sin, darkness consuming day at His death (Mark 15:33). All who trust Jesus for salvation experience the warmth of God’s covenant love, the dawn of a new day. Jesus alone transforms darkness to light!
 
Today’s Reading
This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit. 2 And he said, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me,
“The end has come upon my people Israel;
    I will never again pass by them.
3 The songs of the temple shall become wailings[c] in that day,”
declares the Lord God.
“So many dead bodies!”
“They are thrown everywhere!”
“Silence!”
 
4 Hear this, you who trample on the needy
    and bring the poor of the land to an end,
5 saying, “When will the new moon be over,
    that we may sell grain?
And the Sabbath,
    that we may offer wheat for sale,
that we may make the ephah small and the shekel[d] great
    and deal deceitfully with false balances,
6 that we may buy the poor for silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals
    and sell the chaff of the wheat?”
7 The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
“Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
8 Shall not the land tremble on this account,
    and everyone mourn who dwells in it,
and all of it rise like the Nile,
    and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?”
 
9 “And on that day,” declares the Lord God,
    “I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth in broad daylight.
10 I will turn your feasts into mourning
    and all your songs into lamentation;
I will bring sackcloth on every waist
    and baldness on every head;
I will make it like the mourning for an only son
    and the end of it like a bitter day.
11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
    “when I will send a famine on the land--
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
    but of hearing the words of the Lord.

12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
    and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
    but they shall not find it.
13 “In that day the lovely virgins and the young men
    shall faint for thirst.
14 Those who swear by the Guilt of Samaria,
    and say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan,’
and, ‘As the Way of Beersheba lives,’
    they shall fall, and never rise again.”
 
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the difficult to digest portions of God’s just judgement? 
 
-Where do you stand in life where you are eagerly awaiting dawn, longing to see the light of love and hope rise on the horizon?
 
-Jesus entered darkness to give us light! Jesus’ death forgives us of sin and His resurrection promises all darkness will one day end. How does God’s sovereign grace give you strength to stand in faith not only for forgiveness of sin but also for God to redeem what He has allowed?
 
Key Verse
9 “And on that day,” declares the Lord God, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.

*NOTE: On Wednesdays in 2025 we will celebrate “walking in the Word” through applying Biblical doctrine. Rightly understanding Biblical doctrine fuels doxology, delight in Jesus, and gospel centered discipleship. 
 
Last week we celebrated the joy of justification. This week we feast on peace as fruit growing from of the roots of justification.

Key Verse: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace..." Romans 5:1
 
Many Christians forfeit peace due to misunderstanding justification, taking our own work more serious than the work of Jesus. John Bunyan, Puritan pastor who wrote The Pilgrims Progress, could identify. In his book Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (free PDF here), Bunyan tells the story of his journey from condemnation to peace through understanding the justifying work of Jesus. At one time, Bunyan was a well-known rebel rouser who, after a brush with religion, became a whitewashed tomb. While walking through a field with a convicted conscience, Bunyan became overwhelmed with the realization that his “righteousness is in heaven” rather than his own work and performance. With eyes of faith, Bunyan saw Christ at the right hand of the Father, assuring him that at “no time” could it be said of him that he lacked righteousness before God. Bunyan was stunned through his encounter with the doctrine of justification, writing, “Here therefore I lived, for some time, very sweetly at peace with God through Christ. Oh, I thought, Christ! Christ! There was nothing but Christ before my eyes.”
 
Justification is helpfully described in an early church apologetic, the Epistle to Diognetus (@ 130 AD):
“In his mercy (Jesus) took upon himself our sins; (The Father) himself gave his own Son as a ransom for us, the holy one for the lawless, the guiltless for the guilty, the just for the unjust, the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for the mortal. For what else but his righteousness could have covered our sins?”
 
Justification is rooted in God’s eternal character and God’s eternal will. Peace will be experienced as the reality of justification takes root in your soul.
​
The immutable character of God in relation to justification is explained in Romans 3:21-26. God’s unchanging character is holy, so He cannot have fellowship with sinners; God’s unchanging character just, so the wages of sin must be paid. God’s unchanging character is love, and He desires fellowship with His people. God’s unchanging character is merciful, so Jesus fulfilled the demands of God’s law before dying as a propitiation for our sins. Through the life of Jesus, the righteousness of God appeared apart from the law. Through the death of Jesus, the righteousness of God is available for all whose faith is in Jesus- justified by God’s grace as a gift. God’s eternal character is how God is both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ Jesus.” (3:26)
 
The glorious exchange of justification is not only rooted in God’s eternal character- His holiness, justice, love, and mercy; it is also rooted in God’s eternal will. God justifies His people, 
 
“Not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
                                                                 2 Timothy 1:9-10 (emphasis mine)
 
God’s eternal will established “before the ages began” is known as the Covenant of Redemption, “the agreement between the Father, giving the Son as Head and Redeemer of the elect, and the Son, voluntarily taking the place of those whom the Father had given him.” (Louis Berkoff) God’s eternal love is evidenced in His eternal plan to justify His people so that through justification we may become His children. In light of this truth, take a moment to read Ephesians 1:3-10
​
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
 
Peace with God grows in our hearts when we shift the focus of our faith to God, His eternal character and His eternal will manifest through Jesus’ justifying work. Wretched sinners like us are made righteous before a holy and just God by the finished work of Jesus Christ, “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) becoming children of God. (Galatians 4:4-6) Believers have been “justified by His blood” and “saved from God’s wrath,” (Romans 5:6-11) so with John Bunyan we celebrate being “very sweetly at peace with God” through the work of God in Jesus Christ. 
 
Our righteousness is Jesus Christ! And at no time will we lack the righteousness we need to fellowship with our Father.
 
Next week we will unpack more of the reality of justification!
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding?
 
-What role does your sin, sin struggle, personal condemnation, or lack of faith in the finished work of Jesus play in your inability to experience the fruit of peace in your life?
 
-How does the finished work of Jesus give you peace, making you righteous before God for a life of peace with God? Where, specifically, do you need to apply this reality?

Key Verse: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace..." Romans 5:1

​Key Verses
31 And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, 32 and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. 
 
Meditation
“Serving Jesus does not have a pre-requisite that we always enjoy what we are called to do.” 
 
God sovereignly appoints Christians to serve a specific people and place, and our faithfulness is not dependent upon our enjoyment of what He has prepared for us to do. 

Today’s reading can appear irrelevant, but open your heart so God’s Spirit can use God’s word to shape you for faithful service to God. Jesus has placed you where you are and has a purpose for you to serve Him with all you are.
 
This chapter is more or less a wilderness packing list, direction to move the tabernacle and carry the holy things. The sons of Kohath and Merari were given the primary roles and each clan had a supervisor.  The temptation to grumble was real for the Israelites in the wilderness, potentially amplified by the different “tasks of serving and carrying.” (49) The Kohathites carried the stuff from the Holy of Holies and the Merarites carried material for the outer tent. Every role was important if the tabernacle was to be toted to preserve God’s presence with his people.
 
Jesus fulfilled every detail of the Father’s direction when He came to serve His people, obedient to death so those of us discouraged in service to God can return to Him and find life through serving Him. From grace, Jesus has prepared good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10). 
 
Wherever you are and whatever task He has called you “to serve and carry,” do it with thankfulness and for Jesus. (Colossians 3:17)
 
Today’s Reading
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things. 5 When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it. 6 Then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles. 7 And over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the regular showbread also shall be on it. 8 Then they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet and cover the same with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 9 And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand for the light, with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied. 10 And they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of goatskin and put it on the carrying frame. 11 And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 12 And they shall take all the vessels of the service that are used in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of goatskin and put them on the carrying frame. 13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 And they shall put on it all the utensils of the altar, which are used for the service there, the fire pans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.

16 “And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of the whole tabernacle and all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its vessels.”

17 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 18 “Let not the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites, 19 but deal thus with them, that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden,20 but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.”

21 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22 “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses and by their clans.23 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the tent of meeting.24 This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: 25 they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting 26 and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them. 27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. 28 This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

29 “As for the sons of Merari, you shall list them by their clans and their fathers' houses. 30 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, everyone who can come on duty, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 31 And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, 32 and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. 33 This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

34 And Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the congregation listed the sons of the Kohathites, by their clans and their fathers' houses,35 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting; 36 and those listed by clans were 2,750. 37 This was the list of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.

38 Those listed of the sons of Gershon, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 39 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the tent of meeting— 40 those listed by their clans and their fathers' houses were 2,630. 41 This was the list of the clans of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord.

42 Those listed of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 43 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting— 44 those listed by clans were 3,200. 45 This was the list of the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.

46 All those who were listed of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel listed, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 47 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting, 48 those listed were 8,580.49 According to the commandment of the Lord through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Are you content with what God has called you to do and where He has called you to do it? Why or why not?
 
-Do you grumble about your roles of service or are you grateful for God dignifying you with a duty in service to Him? What does this reveal about your heart?
 
-Take a moment to rest in God’s sovereign grace, asking Jesus to grow gratitude in your heart for what Jesus has done and what Jesus has called you to do.
 
Key Verses
31 And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, 32 and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. 

​Key verse
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 
 
Meditation
You have heard it said: The longest distance in discipleship is from your head to your heart. The goal of God’s grace is not more information but redemptive transformation (Galatians 6:15). The gospel overthrows religious tendencies to expose the heart of discipleship. 
 
After His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus challenged religious authority by turning over tables in the temple. When His authority was questioned, Jesus responded with parables that expose imposter religion, forcing readers to wrestle with two key questions:
 
Am I a son who promises to serve but does nothing, or a tenant in the Lord’s vineyard who not only avoids rent but also rebels against the landowner? 
 
The religious leaders heard Jesus’ parables with defensiveness, planning Jesus’ death. The revealed identity and agenda of Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of their hard hearts. 
 
Jesus is the promised king (1-11) who exposes religious imposters and turns over tables of the self-righteous, purifying God’s purposes for His people to pray and have personal relationship with the Lord (12-17). Like the fig tree, Jesus will not tolerate a tree that should bear fruit and does not (18-22). By the Father’s authority (23-27), Jesus exposes religious hypocrisy (28-46).
 
Religion presents as honoring to God but rejects Jesus as Savior. The gospel frees disciples to welcome the overthrow of religious strongholds in our heart to engage Jesus in wholehearted relationship. More than head information, disciples long for heart transformation. The first step is repentance, even of our good and religious works that have been more about our self-righteousness than glorifying Jesus our Savior.
 
 
Today’s Reading
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
    humble, and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
    you have prepared praise’?”
17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants
33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What aspect of the conflict between Christ and religious leaders stands out to you from today’s reading? Why?
 
-Do you struggle with saying yes to Jesus but not following through, or trying to protect yourself in self-righteousness, afraid you will not receive His grace? Why?
 
-Jesus has conflict with the religious leaders and then goes to the cross to die for the sin of their hypocrisy, yet they do not repent and turn to the Lord for relationship. Take a moment to repent of self-righteousness and ask the Spirit to search your heart. Then, ask the Lord to bear fruit in and through your discipleship.
 
Key verse
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 

 Key Verse
1- And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings.
 
Meditation
The exaltation of God and His Word serves as the remedy for a fractured people and the cure for lifeless situations.

In today’s chapter, “the word of the Lord” is invoked seventeen times and in four distinct ways, underscoring its centrality during a period of profound division and spiritual decay in ancient Israel. King Jeroboam openly defied the word of the Lord, even after witnessing its power when his withered hand was restored. Similarly, the man of God from Judah failed to uphold the word of the Lord as his sustenance and guide, forsaking divine truth for the deception of an old prophet. Such rejection of the word of the Lord compounded the death and division permeating the land, spreading spiritual ruin like an unchecked virus.

Jesus Christ is the Word of the Lord incarnate. In His earthly ministry, Jesus perfectly embodied and fulfilled the authority of the word of the Lord, even as He endured ultimate separation from the Father in His atoning death on the cross. By faith in Christ, believers are forgiven for their failures to honor God's Word and are reconciled to God, entering into newness of life.

In response to God’s sovereign grace, Christians are called to magnify Jesus and submit to the authority of His Word. This unites the people of God under the sovereign reign of His truth and enables us to experience the abundant life promised in Christ.

Christians must affirm God and His Word as our highest authority, living in joyful obedience as those redeemed by grace and nourished by His eternal truth.
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Today’s Reading
And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. 2 And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” 4 And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.5 The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. 6 And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. 7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8 And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

The Prophet's Disobedience
11 Now an old prophet lived in Bethel. And his sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told to their father the words that he had spoken to the king. 12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he mounted it. 14 And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 And he said, “I may not return with you, or go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place, 17 for it was said to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.’” 18 And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.19 So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water.

20 And as they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. 21 And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the command that the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” 23 And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 And as he went away a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body.25 And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown in the road and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.

26 And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word that the Lord spoke to him.” 27 And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28 And he went and found his body thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey. 29 And the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back to the city to mourn and to bury him. 30 And he laid the body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!” 31 And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.32 For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.”

33 After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. 34 And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Where do you stand with the word of the Lord? Does it lead you to love and trust the Lord of the Word?

-Which character in the narrative do you identify with most? Why?

-How does the Gospel, the word of the Lord made flesh (John 1: 14-18) to die for your rebellion against the word of the Lord, fuel focus on the Lord of the word?

Key Verse
1- And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings.