Reading 1 – Num 16

“One of the most serious threats to the unity of the nation… was the affair of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. It arose directly because a purely fleshly reasoning caused the men concerned to press their personal importance to the detriment of the good of the nation as a whole. They fell into the error of ‘not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God’ (Col 2:19). Their action was based upon premises that seemed sound enough: ‘All the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them’ (Num 16:3). These were the words on the lips of the ‘250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown’, men who according to the record, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram ‘took’. Much lies concealed behind those words! One can imagine the secret meetings, the passing on of information from mouth to mouth, the fomenting of trouble, the sowing of discord, and all because Korah, being a son of Levi, desired to play the part assigned to others of his tribe, and Dathan and Abiram thought their tribe, the tribe of Reuben, deserving of greater pre-eminence than that to which God had called them!

“What is the relation of all this to ourselves as a community?… Our heritage is no less [than that of Israel], for the same God is working towards unity in Christ in the Ecclesia, which is both a body and a commonwealth….The people of Israel had a history of fragmentation and division which began in the wilderness and for which there are two principal reasons: Firstly, they had no sense of devotion to the Lord, whose Name was revealed in His mighty acts of power and compassion on their behalf….Their loss of the vision of the Divine glory caused them to yearn for Egypt, and ultimately to refuse to believe that they were the people whom God would bring into the land of His promise. They fragmented because they had no faith in the purpose of their calling.

“The other reason for their disunity was their failure to keep in mind, much less to comprehend the concept of the unity of their people, or to realize that the purpose of God was not with individuals or with tribes as such, but with ‘all Israel’, to whose wellbeing individuals and tribes contributed by playing each their several and necessary parts. Any fellowship other than that which acknowledges that one is our Head and all we are brethren is still, as it has always proved to be, a fellowship of opposition which leads to further fragmentation within the dissident group itself. As far as we can tell from a survey of our own history and that of Israel, there is no exception to this principle” (AH Nicholls, “The Christadelphian” 115:42,43).

Reading 2 – Pro 12:10

“A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” (Pro 12:10).

This is a good verse, and an insightful one. The plain fact is… the animal can almost never do anything to hurt the owner, and will — one way or another — probably be as devoted to the master whether it is hurt or not. (The devotion, or even “love”, of some horses, or dogs, for their masters has become legend — the stuff of great novels.) So to care for one’s animals — whether it’s a farmer with work and farm animals, or the pet owner — is to demonstrate, to some degree, that we are conscious of a God in Heaven, who takes notice of what we do to others.

There can always be a measure of self-interest in our “doing good” to others: perhaps we invite others to dinner, knowing full well that they will invite us in turn. Perhaps we give to charities, knowing that others will think better of us for doing so. Perhaps we are courteous and “kind”, knowing that little acts like this will “oil” the wheels of commerce and business… and help us materially. Perhaps we “feel the pain” of others, in some kind of pseudo-sympathy, merely to “get on” in the world. Perhaps we act friendly merely to “pick the pockets” of the beguiled buyer.

Somewhere in this list of “small kindnesses” there is really “cruelty”… because we may have stopped caring for others, and are only caring for ourselves, advancing our interests, making more money, whatever… It is then that “the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel”, as the proverb says.

So if you want to know if a man is really kind — deep-down, honestly “kind”, and not just “self-interested” — you might want to see how he treats dumb animals, or even how he treats people who can’t do anything to hurt… or help… him.

Reading 3 – Gal 2:21

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Gal 2:21).

“This may be one of those verses that you casually glide by in reading, but it is a concept that has tremendous implications for the person who will but study its meaning.

“The initial implication for the verse is simple. The Judaizers, believers in Jesus who taught that salvation still came through following the Law of Moses, had put themselves in an untenable position. They had, in effect by their teaching, made Christ’s death on the cross meaningless. Paul states the logic as follows: (1) If salvation comes by the Law of Moses, and (2) we already have the Law of Moses, then (3) Jesus did not have to come into the world to save us, and thus (4) his death was meaningless. The Judaizers had made the Law of Moses the thing that needed to fill the ‘salvation gap’ — the gap between baptism and salvation in the Kingdom. In other words, it was fine to believe in Jesus and become baptized as taught by Jesus and the apostles. However, the Judaizers inserted a step between baptism and the kingdom that enabled salvation. Their stopgap was the Law.

“We readily see the logic and validity of the argument when we apply it to the Law of Moses, but do we see it when we apply it to other things? Do we see that we commit the same error when we take that verse and subtract ‘the law’ and put something in its place? For example, let’s take out ‘the law’ and put in ‘works’ and see if the logic still holds? ‘I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by works, then Christ is dead in vain.’ The logic again is irrefutable. Isn’t this the logic of Eph 2:8,9?: ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.’

“The fact is that everything — EVERYTHING — that can be done for us in the way of salvation… was done for us on the cross by Jesus Christ. We might be able to take ourselves out of the way of salvation by refusing to act on our ‘faith’, but we cannot do anything more to save ourselves than we did when we believed and were baptized into the saving name of Jesus. When we appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, it is not to see if WE have saved ourselves, but to see if we have keep the precious gift of salvation that we were given in an appropriate manner… or have we buried our talent in the ‘earth’ of our flesh?

“All human-created fillers for the ‘salvation gap’ — works, Bible study, being nice to our neighbors, etc — as important as they may be, will not save us because that work has already been finished. When we do those things (and rest assured we MUST do those things), it is not to save ourselves, but because we have been saved. These acts of faith must be done or we do not possess the faith that saved us in the first place.

“We fear this position because it hurts our human pride. We have nothing to brag about (which is the point in the first place). We also fear, like Paul’s Judaizing opponents are quoted as saying, ‘Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?’ This too is a complete misapplication of Scripture. Having our names written in the Book of Life is not about license to sin, but about understanding the process of salvation. The last thing we want to do is be guilty of teaching that ‘Christ is dead in vain’ ” (Kyle Tucker).

Reading 1 – Num 18:20

“The LORD said to Aaron, ‘You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites’ ” (Num 18:20).

“When the Lord divided Canaan among the tribes of Israel, Levi received no share of the land. God said to him simply, ‘I am thy part and thine inheritance,’ and by those words made him richer than all his brethren, richer than all the kings and rajas who have ever lived in the world. And there is a spiritual principle here, a principle still valid for every priest of the Most High God. The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever” (AW Tozer).

Reading 2 – Pro 13:24

“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him” (Pro 13:24).

” ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’ is a saying known to everyone. Solomon was even more definite. He declared that a man who spared the rod hated his son. It is hardly possible to think of anything more emphatic.

“In interpreting ‘the dark sayings of the wise’, however, we must not always insist on the literal even where the literal could easily be applied. No one would take this reference to hatred in a literal sense, for it is quite certain that a destructive leniency is usually the expression of a genuine but foolish love. The saying means that the effect of parental weakness is so bad that it is akin to hatred in its effects even though love is the cause of it. The saying is intelligible and forceful but not strictly literal. Why then insist on nothing but an actual rod and physical pain in the other part of the saying? Correction may be made by word and look and in a hundred different manipulations of circumstances, some of which may be more effective than the rod, although even that may sometimes be necessary” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – Gal 3:8

“The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’ ” (Gal 3:8).

“[This] was God’s promise to Abraham before he left his native Ur to go to the land of promise (Gen 12:3). This purpose was repeated as the ground of God’s communication concerning the overthrow of Sodom. ‘Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?’ (Gen 18:17,18). What is the blessing here promised? We perhaps think firstly of the material blessings of Christ’s reign, the era of peace, the establishment of justice, the abundance of food; houses for all; security based on law; the removal of tyranny, bloodshed, oppression and torture of all forms; the bringing of enlightenment, and love of the things that are best to all. It is true that these things are included, as the glowing pictures of the prophets of the coming age abundantly show: but they are not the first or the most important blessing. Paul quotes the words… as proof that God would justify the Gentiles through faith. ‘All the nations’ included Gentiles as well as Jews — clearly, therefore, the blessing of Abraham is for Gentiles. The proof that God would justify them lies in the word ‘blessed’ — in other words, when God said the nations would be blessed the promise concerned the justification of the nations” (John Carter, “Galatians” 66).

Reading 1 – Num 22

“The way of Balaam (Num 22-24) is the prostitution of a spiritual gift for a base gain. The error of Balaam is the secret idea that the will of God may be circumvented under cover of an outward respect for His Word. The doctrine of Balaam is the counsel to ruin by seduction the people who cannot be cursed by permission” (J Sidlow Baxter, “Explore the Book”).

And, in Num 25, the sins of Balaamites are seen to be: sex, money, power! What an ancient but timeless story, as we see it unfold! And how distinctly descriptive of the most modern stories: of the climb to precarious heights of power, and then the precipitous fall.

When it appeared that other means had failed, then the “counsel of Balaam” (Num 31:16) was to use “strange women”, temple priestesses and prostitutes of Moab to seduce — and ultimately to destroy — God’s special people. The people of God may win many engagements against the forces of evil, but they must ever be on their guard: the “friendship of the world” — which comes when it is least expected, and is the most subtle, and seems to have nothing to do with the “real” battle — may be the most dangerous and destructive part of the whole conflict.

Reading 2 – Pro 16:31

“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life” (Pro 16:31).

“The hoary head is a crown of glory, IF it be found in the way of righteousness” (KJV).

“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.”

“Listen to the oldsters: learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

Reading 3 – Eph 3:8

“Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8).

“The apostle Paul felt it a great privilege to be allowed to preach the gospel. He did not look upon his calling as a drudgery, but he entered upon it with intense delight. Yet while Paul was thus thankful for his office, his success in it greatly humbled him. The fuller a vessel becomes, the deeper it sinks in the water. Idlers may indulge a fond conceit of their abilities, because they are untried; but the earnest worker soon learns his own weakness. If you seek humility, try hard work; if you would know your nothingness, attempt some great thing for Jesus. If you would feel how utterly powerless you are apart from the living God, attempt especially the great work of proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ, and you will know, as you never knew before, what a weak unworthy thing you are” (CH Spurgeon).

Reading 1 – Num 24:17-19

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city” (Num 24:17-19).

Balaam’s prediction concerns the rise of David and the Davidic kingdom. The “star” refers to David — who struck down the Moabites (Num 24:17; 2Sa 8:2) and the Edomites (Num 24:18; 2Sa 8:13,14; 1Ki 11:15,16; 1Ch 18:12,13). Thus, under David, Israel prospered and the nations round about were subjugated and often had to bring tribute (eg, 2Sa 8:2,6).

But, the prophecy cannot be exhausted at this point, for David did not completely destroy Moab and Edom, with the result that later writers would be free to use this imagery to speak of the one who would come and deal ultimately with the enemies of God.

The use of the term “star” does more than point to a ruler; it also connects that ruler with heaven. The birth of Jesus was connected with heavenly signs (Mat 2:2), and one of his titles is “the bright Morning Star” (Luk 1:78-79; Rev 22:16) — used in connection with his descent from the line of David. When he returns from heaven to conquer the enemies of God, and to set up God’s kingdom, his advent will be accompanied by other signs in the heavens (Mat 24:29,30; Mark 13:24,25).

Reading 2 – Pro 17:3

“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart” (Pro 17:3).

“In the work here mentioned the object is to clear away the dross whether in the fining of metals or of human hearts, but the proverb does not suggest that there is a perfect analogy. Rather does it imply a difference. Metals may be purified by men with fining pot and furnace, but the heart can only be tried and cleansed by God. The process of fining is far more complex and wonderful than anything that can be effected with metals. It is not merely a matter of removing dross, but something quite new has to be introduced; new hopes, new desires and in fact ‘newness of life’ ” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – Eph 5:20

“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything” (Eph 5:20).

“Be thankful. Be intensely thankful. Be continuously thankful — every moment. We can never be thankful enough: we just do not have the physical and mental capacity to be as thankful as we should. No matter how bad or sad our circumstances may be, there are always grounds for more thankfulness than we are humanly able to feel or express. Being thankful has many practical values. It is wholesome. It is healthy. It is therapeutic. It refreshes and clears and invigorates the mind. It wonderfully flushes out the rubbish and the petty cares. It is an automatic antidote to much foolishness and fleshliness. No one can be thankful and lonely at the same time; or thankful and angry; or thankful and self-pitying — not if it is true, deep, spiritual thankfulness. Thankfulness is a powerful incentive to do what is right, and to resist what is wrong. It is a major ingredient of our love for God. It is a wonderful remembrancer — keeping the mind fixed on God and His goodness. ‘Give thanks ALWAYS for ALL things’ — for the ‘bad’ as well as the ‘good,’ for all is part of a deep and wise Divine Purpose that is training us for Eternity, and leading us to Life” (GV Growcott).

Reading 1 – Num 28

Now that the people were about to take possession of the land, the sacrificial ordinances were repeated and once more commanded to the Israelites, with fuller details added. The daily morning and evening sacrifice had already been instituted in connection with the altar of burnt-offering (Exo 29:38-42). To this daily consecration of Israel were now added the special sacrifices of the Sabbath — symbolic of a deeper and more special dedication on God’s own day. The Sabbath and the other festive sacrifices were always brought in addition to the daily offering.

Again, the beginning of every month was marked by a special sacrifice, with the addition of a sin-offering, while the blast of the priests’ trumpets was intended to bring Israel’s prayers and services in remembrance before the Lord. If the beginning of each month was thus significantly consecrated, the feast of unleavened bread (from the 15th to the 21st of Abib), which made that month the beginning of the year, was marked by the repetition on each of its seven days of the sacrifices which were prescribed for every new moon. The Passover feast (on the 14th of Abib) had no general congregational sacrifice, but only that of the lamb for the Passover supper in each household.

Lastly, the sacrifices for the feast of weeks were the same as those for the feast of unleavened bread, with the addition of the two “wave loaves” and their accompanying sacrifices prescribed in Lev 23:7-21. This concluded the first festive cycle in the year.

Reading 2 – Pro 20:14

” ‘It’s no good, it’s no good!’ says the buyer; then off he goes and boasts about his purchase” (Pro 20:14).

“Having mentioned such a buyer [who showed little enthusiasm when seeking to purchase the article] we may observe his methods and then follow him home. He has not said much during the negotiations and all that he has said has been to depreciate the value of the thing offered. It is a poor beast and he is not at all anxious to buy. When the sale is effected, however, and he goes home with his purchase, it is quite probable that his tone will change completely. It was the best animal in the market and he only gave such a figure for it! Just as Solomon observed three thousand years ago. ‘It is nought, it is nought, saith the buyer, but when he has gone his way then he boasteth’ [AV]” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – John 1:14

“The Word became flesh” is here a straightforward reference to Christ’s nature, not merely his birth (cp 1Jo 4:2). God manifested Himself in the flesh of humanity (1Ti 3:16), not in stone (Exo 34:6). Jesus was of David’s seed (Rom 1:3); under a curse (Gal 3:13); being born of a woman, under the law (Gal 4:4); and made “sin” (2Co 5:21). He was of sinful flesh (Rom 8:3); in the likeness of men, of no reputation (Phi 2:7); and like his brethren (Heb 2:17).

The conception of Jesus in the virgin womb is likened to the original “Creation” of Genesis; in fact, it is the beginning of the new, spiritual “creation”: cp Gen 1:2 (the Spirit of God hovering over the waters) like a mother bird brooding over her young: Deu 32:11 (cp Exo 19:4). The words portray the energy-giving presence of God — wrapping, protecting, and caressing the chaos of the unfinished earth as He prepared to complete His creation. And THIS SAME ENERGY IN CREATIVE PROCESS is described in Luke 1:35 (the Holy Spirit will… overshadow you…): The language of Gabriel calls to mind that of Gen (cp Gen 1:2, LXX); the Spirit of God “overshadowing”, or “moving upon” the face of the waters to bring forth life, as a mother hen brooding over her eggs and then her chicks.

A direct parallel to the natural creation — this is the beginning of the spiritual, or new, creation. It is a picture of vast creative power, yet nonetheless tenderness and love. It is a picture of a God who sustains all things by His omnipotence, who acts as and when He chooses, and no man can understand, much less question, His prerogative. But also it is a picture of a God who is a Father, who pities His children, who lavishes mercies unnumbered upon those who can never hope to repay Him. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us…”

Reading 1 – Num 29; 30

The second cycle of feasts took place in the seventh or sacred month — seven being the sacred number, and that of the covenant. It began with new moon’s day when, besides the daily, and the ordinary new moon’s offerings, special festive sacrifices were brought (Num 29:1-6). Then on the 10th of that month was the “Day of Atonement,” while on the 15th the feast of tabernacles began, lasting seven days. All these feasts had their appropriate sacrifices.

The laws as to sacrifices appropriately close with directions about “vows” (Num 30). In all the ordinances connected with the sacred seasons, there is evident the symbolic significance of the number seven — alike in the feasts themselves, in their number, their sacrifices, and in that of the days appointed for holy convocation. Indeed, the whole arrangement of time was ordered on the same principle, ascending from the Sabbath of days, to the Sabbath of weeks, of months, of years, and finally to the Sabbath of Sabbath years, which was the year of Jubilee. And thus all time pointed forward and upward to the greatest “Sabbath,” or sacred rest, that remains as the hope of God’s people (Heb 4:9).

Reading 2 – Pro 21:31

“Victory rests with the LORD” (Pro 21:31).

Or, as KJV, “Safety is of the LORD.”

“Hold fast. All present things will pass. God never changes. The Truth never changes. All evil is temporary. All good is eternal. The present is but for a moment. The future is forever. Regardless of the sorrow, the disappointment, the griefs, the losses, the betrayal of those we trusted, the pettiness of those we respected, the antagonism of those we looked to for friendship, the weakness of those we looked to for strength — still all is as it should be, all things are working together for good. All we need to do is hold fast in faith, in unwavering assurance, in calm confidence, yea, in thankful joy and cheerful rejoicing. The dross is a mountain: but the gold is but a handful. All we see at present is the mountain: the gold is there, and will endure when all else is gone. Just leave it all to God to work out in His time — and labor and pray every moment that you may be part of that which at last endures” (GVG).

Reading 3 – John 2:9,10

“And the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now’ ” (John 2:9,10).

Natural life is usually what is pictured by the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’ ” (Ecc 12:1). “The days of trouble” describes life lived on a material level… which can be more and more of a struggle as the years go by, and physical and mental ailments and weaknesses and afflictions take their toll. And we discover, sadly, that — physically speaking — the “choice wine” came first, and we hardly realized or appreciated it until it had all been drunk.

But when we go to the wedding feast with Jesus, we discover that the “best wine” of our lives will be the last served! And, together with Christ, we will BE that “wine”! The grapes of life, harvested and crushed, the juices extracted… and through the fermentation process bringing forth a new life — more glorious and rewarding — in him.

As the old song goes: “Come with me; the best is yet to be. The last of life for which the first was made!” Except, in this case, “the last of life” will never end. The “best wine” with Jesus goes on and on… and on and on….

Reading 1 – Num 31

“Balaam predicted that a scepter will arise to destroy ‘all the sons of tumult’ (Num 24:17). As a token of this, Moses is now ordered to wage war against the Midianite men of strife. He does so thus foreshadowing the coming day of vengeance (Isa 26:9; 61:2; 63:4; Rev 11:18). This fulfills the instructions earlier given him to ‘vex the Midianites and smite them; for they vex you with their wiles’ and have ‘beguiled you’ (Num 25:17,18). The Midianites, having enticed the Israelites to unfaithfulness, now must be punished. The key verse of this chapter is v 3, with the word ‘avenge’. It is significant that in the battle, not an Israelite is lost” (HP Mansfield, “Christadelphian Expositor”).

Reading 2 – Pro 22:6

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Pro 22:6).

“A statement of general tendencies and not of an inexorable law. Human beings are neither machines nor plants. They have a power of choice; they can respond to good influences or they can be rebellious. Some very good men have had a bad early training and some very bad men were given every opportunity in the instruction of their early days. One of the surprising discoveries made by each successive generation is that children differ from the very cradle” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – John 4

Jesus and the Samaritan woman (John 4): “At the beginning of the conversation he did not make himself known to her… but first she caught sight of a thirsty man [v 7], then a Jew [v 9], then a rabbi [vv 13,14], afterwards a prophet [vv 17-19], last of all the Messiah [vv 25,26]. She tried to get the better of the thirsty man, she showed her dislike of the Jew, she heckled the rabbi, she was swept off her feet by the prophet, and finally she adored the Messiah” (Tatian).

Reading 1 – Num 34

“This section describes the borders of the land of Canaan which Yahweh is about to make available to the Israelites for their possession. However, the area defined was never fully occupied by Israel, simply because the tribes never fulfilled the conditions imposed. The Book of Joshua records that, though Joshua’s victories made it possible for each of the tribes to obtain its inheritance, they lacked the faith and courage to completely do it. After his death, the people compromised with the remaining Canaanites, and so ruined their opportunity of inheriting the land promised…

“The chapter is divided into six sections: (1) South border (vv 1-5); (2) West border (v 6); (3) North border (vv 7-9); (4) East border (vv 10-13); (5) Transjordan area (vv 14,15); (6) the leaders appointed to divide the land by lot (vv 16-29)” (HP Mansfield, “Christadelphian Expositor”).

Reading 2 – Pro 25:2

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings” (Pro 25:2).

“We should not have anticipated this thought, but all experience shows that it is fundamentally true. Men have often found that all their attempts to understand the laws of Nature have only opened up a vista of increased complexity. Last century the materialists were in the ascendant and for a time imagined that they were on the point of explaining everything. Now they are discredited and it is acknowledged that the universe is far more mysterious than our forefathers ever imagined. Last century the food experts thought that they knew all about the subject of nutrition; then, through the practical failure of their theories, vitamins were discovered, and now experts, who certainly know far more than their predecessors, admit, as Mr Eustace Miles once wrote: ‘We really know very little about the matter.’ At one time the ductless glands of the body were regarded as useless, now they are found to be so mysteriously important that some investigators have claimed that they are practically everything.

“As in Nature so in the written Word, God has concealed things and has called upon His servants to exercise their minds in searching for the treasures of divine wisdom. It has always been ‘line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.’ Faithful men and women try to put the littles together and in the process find the mental exercise which brings their minds nearer to God” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – John 7:22,23

“Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?” (John 7:22,23).

This point of the Law of Moses seems to have been given for the specific purpose of showing that the Law itself could be superseded — that is, that one requirement of the Law might override another. And if this were a possibility — then might not a different Law override, or supersede, the whole?

Therefore, Jesus makes the point: to heal a man, truly and completely, by teaching him the way of life is to bring the true Sabbath “rest” — of which the whole Law of Moses was merely the shadow.

Reading 1 – Num 35:6-34

Six of the 48 Levitical cities — three east and three west of the Jordan — were set apart as “cities of refuge,” for the unintentional manslayer. These cities were for the protection of the accidental manslayer, but it must not be imagined that the simple plea of unintentional homicide afforded safety. The law specified that the roads to these cities were always to be kept in good repair. But, according to v 25 (cp Jos 20:4), a seeker for sanctuary would, on arriving at the gates of a city of refuge, first have to plead his cause before the elders of that city. If they accepted his case, they would give him provisional protection. If, however, afterwards, the “avenger of blood” claimed his extradition, the accused person would be sent back under proper protection to his own city, where the whole case would be thoroughly investigated. If the homicide was then proved to have been unintentional, the accused would be restored to the “city of refuge,” and enjoy its protection, till the death of the high priest set him free to return to his own city.

As for the duty of “avenging blood,” its principle is deeply rooted in the Old Testament, and traced up to the relation in which God stands to our world. For, the blood of man, who is made in God’s image, when shed upon earth, which is God’s property, “cries out” to God (Gen 4:10) — it claims payment like an unredeemed debt. Hence the expression “avenger of blood,” which should be literally rendered “redeemer of blood.”

Symbolically, the cities of refuge are the place of God’s merciful protection. There, the manslayer was to find a refuge, sheltered, as it were, under the wings of the grace of God, till the complete remission of the punishment at the death of the high priest. This death foreshadows the death of Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, who has made a perfect covering for all sins.

Reading 2 – Pro 26:17

“Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own” (Pro 26:17).

“Adults often reveal less capacity for learning than children. They have the advantage of books containing all the accumulated wisdom of mankind, and beyond all this and permeating a great deal of it, there is the instruction that has come direct from God, yet the knowledge is very little used. Life is full of avoidable evils through men ignoring principles or rules of conduct which are perfectly well known, and which have had their wisdom demonstrated in every generation.

“Sometimes the individual failure is so obvious that almost all observers smile at it. I recall… instances of this kind in which the facts were related by the victim when sufficient time had passed for him to join in the amusement… a young man, when returning home one night, chanced to pass a low part of the city where there was a quarrel between man and wife. The young fellow, perceiving that the woman was being ill-treated, gallantly went to her assistance. He was, as he expressed it, ‘getting on very nicely’ in his contest with the man when the ungrateful woman came up behind and hit her champion on the head with a saucepan. According to his own account, the young man spent a carefree hour in the gutter before he came back to consciousness of this painful life. Then, as he limped slowly homeward, he began dimly to recall to memory certain maxims regarding the unwisdom of meddling with strife that does not belong to us” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – John 8:29

“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29).

“Have only one motive in life: to please God. Get all your pleasure and satisfaction from that. It will, at one stroke, eliminate 90% of your ‘problems,’ and ALL your inner ‘unhappiness.’ Don’t seek praise. Don’t seek status with others. Don’t seek advancement. Don’t seek THINGS. All these pursuits are happiness-robbers. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor pride with praise, nor lust with possession. All these are ashes in the mouth at last. Even of themselves they are stupid, but as set against and displacing spiritual motives and pursuits, they are pure suicide. Check every thought and word, and ask: ‘Will this please God? Could I at this moment be pleasing Him better?’ This wonderfully pacifies and harmonizes and unifies life, and gives it purpose. Set the goal of your life to bring every thought into harmony with this, and to eliminate everything out of harmony with it. This is success” (GVG).

Reading 1 – Num 36:1-12

The proposed division of the land — suggested by the census in Num 26 — brought up a special question of considerable importance to Israel. Zelophehad, of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the family of Gilead, had died — not in any special judgment, but along with the whole generation that perished in the wilderness. He had left no sons, and his daughters were anxious to obtain a “possession,” lest their father’s name should be lost among his family. By Divine direction, which Moses had sought, their request was granted, and it became a judicial statute in Israel ever after: that daughters or — in their absence — the nearest kinsman should enter upon the inheritance of those who died without leaving sons, and should if possible raise up that would carry on the name of the one who had died.

In all such cases, of course, the children of those who obtained the possession would have to be incorporated, not with the tribe to which they originally belonged, but with that in which their “inheritance” lay. Thus the “name” of a man would not “be done away from among his family.” Nor was this statute recorded merely on account of its national bearing, but for higher reasons. The desire to preserve the name of a family in Israel sprang not merely from feelings natural in such circumstances, but was connected with the hope of the coming Messiah. Until he appeared, each family would desire to preserve its identity, and its legitimate claim to its own special portion of the Land of Promise.

Reading 2 – Pro 27:17

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Pro 27:17).

“This suggests that even those of equal knowledge and ability can sharpen each other. It is not necessary to have a qualified teacher to enable us to learn. A man’s ideas are ‘right in his own eyes, but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.’ The neighbour may not be of equal calibre with the one he so ‘searches’ and yet his criticisms may be of great value. The original idea may need a good deal of modification to make it sound, and the explanatory words may need much clarifying to make them fully intelligible. We may often be surprised at the failure of our friends to appreciate a good thought or to understand language which seems perfectly clear to us. If we are to render service our thoughts must be such as can be appreciated and our language must be easy to understand. A very humble critic may serve us well by misunderstanding us, if he tells us of his difficulties” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – John 9:7

” ‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (John 9:7).

So he was sent to wash, even though he could not as yet see!

“Our blind eyes are touched by the ointment prepared by the mingling of the dust of the ground with the moisture from the mouth of him who was sent from heaven. But this does not cure us. We receive the command to go and wash in the waters of Apostleship (John is careful to point out that Siloam means Sent). It is a long and difficult journey. Some do not undertake it at all; some begin only to give it up and resume their begging at the gate. Often it is made shorter and easier by the friendly guidance of one who can see. It is the responsibility of all enlightened ones to listen for the tapping of the stick and the cry to be directed to the waters of Siloam. But faith and obedience are rewarded. With the washing of the waters we enter a new world illuminated by the Sun of Righteousness. This may mean estrangement, persecution and sacrifice, but it will also be an opportunity for witness and loyalty. Jesus will know. He will seek us out and invite us into a fellowship so deep and abiding that all the former relationships are like the phantom sounds and movements of the dark world from which we have been delivered” (Melva Purkis, “A Life of Jesus” 240,241).