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 32

“The destruction of the power of Midian, who might have harassed them from the east, secured to Israel the quiet possession of the district east of Jordan, which their arms had already conquered. All along, from the river Arnon in the south, which divided Israel from Moab, to the river Jabbok and far beyond it, the land of Gilead and of Bashan, their borders were safe from hostile attacks.

“The accounts of travelers are unanimous in describing that district as specially suited for pastoral purposes. We read of magnificent park-like scenery, of wide upland pastures, and rich forests, which everywhere gladden the eye. No wonder that those of the tribes which had all along preserved their nomadic habits, and whose flocks and herds constituted their main possessions and their wealth, should wish to settle in those plains and mountains. To them they were in very truth the land of promise, suited to their special wants, and offering the very riches which they desired. The other side Jordan had little attraction for them; and its possession would have been the opposite of advantageous to a strictly pastoral people. Accordingly, the children of Gad and Reuben requested of Moses: ‘Let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan’ (Num 32:5).

“If this proposal did not actually imply that those tribes intended henceforth quietly to settle down, leaving their brethren to fight alone for the conquest of Palestine proper, it was at least open to such interpretation. Moses seems to have understood it in that sense. But, if such had been their purpose, they would not only have separated themselves from the Lord’s work and leading, but, by discouraging their brethren, have re-enacted, only on a much larger scale, the sin of those unbelieving spies who, 38 years before, had brought such heavy judgment upon Israel. And the words of Moses prevailed. Whether from the first their real intentions had been right, or the warning of Moses had influenced them for good, they now solemnly undertook to accompany their brethren across Jordan, and to stand by them till they also had entered on their possession. Until then they would only restore the “folds” for their sheep, and rebuild the destroyed cities, to afford safe dwelling-places for their wives and children, and, of course, for such of their number as were either left behind for defense, or incapable of going forth to war.

“On this express promise, their request was granted, and the ancient kingdoms of Sihon and of Og were provisionally assigned to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, which latter had made special conquests in Gilead (Numbers 32:39). But the actual division of the district among these tribes was left over for the period when the whole country should be allocated among the children of Israel (Jos 13)” (Alfred Edersheim, “Old Testament History”).

Reading 2 – Pro 23:29-35

How easy it is, and with what a sense of comradeship (it seems) can one join one’s friends in a group for a few drinks. What harm is there, provided one is “temperate”? Did not Paul advise the young Timothy to “use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine oft infirmities”?

The trouble with drinking is that it is not in the nature of the young, generally, to be temperate. And drink clouds the mind; it over-stimulates the senses and weakens the self-control. A car can be an instrument of death in the hands of someone who drinks to excess.

Drink can arouse excessive merriment in some and bad temper in other. The most violent quarrels occur in bars.

Paul used a phrase which aptly described the weakness of will which can be caused by drinking: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess” (Eph 5:18). It is in the nature of alcoholic beverages that they encourage “excess” in many different ways — all of which are negative.

It is not so much that we should never touch wine and the like, but the company, the places and the dangers must ever be in our minds.

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luk 21:34-36).

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers… nor drunkards… will inherit the kingdom of God” (1Co 6:9,10; cp Gal 5:19-21).

The loathsome effects of excessive strong drink are described — almost humorously — in the book of Proverbs:

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. ‘They hit me,’ you will say, ‘but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?’ ” (Pro 23:29-35).

Present-day abstainers are in very good Scriptural company: John the Baptist was one of the greatest men who ever lived (Mat 11:11), and he was a teetotaler (Luk 1:15; 7:33). The leaders of the early ecclesias were commanded to be “sober”, “not given to wine” (1Ti 3:1,2; Tit 1:7). Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s wine (Dan 1:8). The Nazarites also vowed to separate themselves from every product of the grape (Num 6:3).

The moral issue from the Biblical standpoint is therefore simply this: A brother under the influence of alcohol is a brother who deliberately deprives himself of the ability to “serve the law of God with his mind” (Rom 7:25). God has graciously given us a knowledge of the Truth: an understanding of His laws, as well as a spirit “of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2Ti 1:7). Are we acting lawfully when we knowingly engage in a practice which will deprive us of soundness of mind, and bring us under its power (1Co 6:2), exposing us to the uncontrolled workings of the flesh? Is this the way to “flee from sin”?

Reading 3 – John 5:2,3

“Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie — the blind, the lame, the paralyzed” (John 5:2,3).

“High on the hill of Zion the immaculately robed priests observed the temple ritual, aloof and impersonal. In the shadows of its walls the halt, the blind and the withered waited for the movement of the water” (Melva Purkis, “A Life of Jesus” 86).

Jesus turns from the temple and instead goes to Bethesda. “The true scene of his ministry was not among the subtle analysts of the Law but in the midst of suffering humanity” (Melva Purkis 89).

Reading 1 – Num 33

“This serves as a summary of the whole journeyings during 40 years from Egypt to the Jordan. Omitting the starting point in Egypt, and the final camp by the Jordan, there are 40 camps listed. Quite a number are not found elsewhere in Scripture, and some today cannot be definitely located. But that is not surprising. Pilgrims and travelers do not leave the kind of remains that archaeologists can use to make specific identifications. In many cases, the names given were supplied by the Israelites themselves, being derived from some small local peculiarity or crisis in their wanderings. These names, therefore, can provide a hint as to the circumstances of the Israelites at the various points of their wanderings. The chapter divides them into four stages: (1) from Egypt to Sinai (vv 1-15); (2) from Sinai to Kadesh (vv 16,17); (3) from Kadesh to Kadesh again — the 38 years of wanderings (vv 18-36); and (4) from Kadesh to Moab and the Jordan (vv 37-49). The chapter concludes with the final instructions and exhortation of Moses on the plain of Moab (vv 50-56)” (HP Mansfield, “Christadelphian Expositor”).

Reading 2 – Pro 24:33,34

“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man” (Pro 24:33,34).

“The worst of sluggards only ask for a little slumber; they would be indignant if they were accused of thorough idleness. A little folding of the hands to sleep is all they crave, and they have a crowd of reasons to show that this indulgence is a very proper one. Yet by these littles the day ebbs out, and the time for labour is all gone, and the field is grown over with thorns.

“It is by little procrastinations that men ruin their souls. They have no intention to delay for years — a few months will bring the more convenient season — tomorrow if you will, they will attend to serious things; but the present hour is so occupied and altogether so unsuitable, that they beg to be excused. Like sands from an hour-glass, time passes, life is wasted by driblets, and seasons of grace lost by little slumbers.

“Oh, to be wise, to catch the flying hour, to use the moments on the wing! May the Lord teach us this sacred wisdom, for otherwise a poverty of the worst sort awaits us, eternal poverty. Like a traveller steadily pursuing his journey, poverty overtakes the slothful, and ruin overthrows the undecided: each hour brings the dreaded pursuer nearer; he pauses not by the way, for he is on his master’s business and must not tarry. As an armed man enters with authority and power, so shall want come to the idle, and death to the impenitent, and there will be no escape. O that men were wise betimes, and would seek diligently unto the Lord Jesus, or ere the solemn day shall dawn when it will be too late to plough and to sow, too late to repent and believe. In harvest, it is vain to lament that the seed time was neglected” (CH Spurgeon).

Reading 3 – John 6:45

“It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ [Isa 54:13] Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me” (John 6:45).

“The people of God are ever anxious to learn. They have no time for or patience with foolishness. They do not want to be amused, or excited, or entertained — they want to be taught. They are ever eager to learn more about God and His Word — what He has said, and what He has done — the marvelous and beautiful kaleidoscope of divine and human events from Adam in Eden to John in Patmos. They never have time hanging on their hands. They never have ‘nothing to do’ — the pitiful bane of empty, infantile minds. All the spare time in their busy, active lives is given to study and meditation on the wonders of the Word. They begrudge time spent — even necessarily — on present, passing things: though, in love and faith, and stumbling, slow-learning patience, they realize that these things too, if necessary, can equally be a service to, and communion with, their loving Father” (GV Growcott).

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).

Reading 1 – Deu 1:38

“But your [Moses’] assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter [the Land of promise]. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it” (Deu 1:38).

“God employs His people to encourage one another. He did not say to an angel, ‘Gabriel, my servant Joshua is about to lead my people into Canaan — go, encourage him.’ God never works needless miracles; if His purposes can be accomplished by ordinary means, He will not use miraculous agency. Gabriel would not have been half so well fitted for the work as Moses. A brother’s sympathy is more precious than an angel’s embassy. The angel would better know the Master’s bidding than the people’s temper. An angel would never have experienced the hardness of the road, nor seen the fiery serpents, nor led the stiff-necked multitude in the wilderness as Moses had done.

“We should be glad that God usually works for man by man. It forms a bond of brotherhood, and being mutually dependent on one another, we are fused more completely into one family.

“Brethren, labour to help others, and especially strive to encourage them. Talk cheerily to the young and anxious enquirer, lovingly try to remove stumblingblocks out of his way. When you find a spark of grace in the heart, kneel down and blow it into a flame. Leave the young believer to discover the roughness of the road by degrees, but tell him of the strength which dwells in God, of the sureness of the promise, and of the charms of communion with Christ. Aim to comfort the sorrowful, and to animate the desponding. Speak a word in season to him that is weary, and encourage those who are fearful to go on their way with gladness” (CH Spurgeon).

Reading 2 – Pro 28:19

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty” (Pro 28:19).

“This thought applies not only to the tilling of the land but to all humble callings which will give bread. From such humble security men are lured in every year that passes, and many of them follow vain persons to poverty and sorrow. Closely following this passage — in the next verse [Pro 28:20] — we have the warning against making haste to be rich.

“The exhortation is needed now as much as ever. Often those who are most bitter in their criticisms of the rich are those who have tried hastily and unsuccessfully to follow in their wake. The Government has had to warn people against ‘share pushers’. All such swindlers use a golden bait, and it is surprising how many people who ought to know better have succumbed to their blandishments. There are still plenty of fraudulent enterprises even on the right side of the law, and men ready to take the money of those who ‘make haste to be rich’ ” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – John 11

“We turn to Christ in our moments of suffering and trial. Our need is enough for his love. But sometimes he remains away and we do not understand the message he sends. The crisis comes and goes. Perhaps we are left grief-stricken and alone. But one day we shall hear the summons, ‘The master is come. He calls for you.’ Before the open grave he will show us that he is the resurrection and the life… then we shall see the completed pattern of our lives, and we shall know that the sorrow and the suffering made up the fulness of his love” (M Purkis, “Life of Jesus” 276).

*****

“When Jesus heard that [the illness of Lazarus], he said, This sickness is not unto death” (John 11:4, AV). What a strange thing to say… for of course Lazarus WAS going to die! And this message would have been carried back to Mary and Martha, and given them perhaps a false sense of hope.

But, even though Lazarus DID die, Jesus was still correct. Lazarus might pass THROUGH death, but death was not to be the final end of his sickness. Jesus knew this too!

There IS a limit to every human suffering, and “the limit is tenderly appointed. The knife of the heavenly Surgeon never cuts deeper than is absolutely necessary. ‘He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men’ [Lam 3:33]. A mother’s heart cries, ‘Spare my child’; but no mother is more compassionate than our gracious God. When we consider how hard-mouthed we are, it is a wonder that we are not driven with a sharper bit. The thought is full of consolation, that He who has fixed the bounds of our habitation, has also fixed the bounds of our tribulation” (CHS).

And even though Lazarus died, his sickness was not “unto death”.

And even though he died AGAIN (quite possibly at the hands of evil men bent on removing his “witness” to the One who was “the resurrection and the life”), THAT death was not “unto death” either! Not really.

No death of any saint is “unto death”.

The voice whispers in our hearts: “Rejoice, I have conquered death. I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

*****

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies’ ” (John 11:25).

“All through life the sad story of bereavement goes on. As the leaves are torn from the trees by the rude storm, so those whom we love are plucked away from us. Were it not for the hope that we have in Jesus, these losses would be infinitely sad, without any alleviation. The death of a dear friend is a cause of deep sorrow; such is instinctive — Jesus wept over the tomb of Lazarus. But the sorrow of those who belong to Christ is a sorrow chastened by faith and cheered by hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again. Those who have fallen asleep in him are not lost for ever; those of you who mourn the loss of a loved one or a dear friend, grasp hold of the imperishable reality, that in the day of resurrection hand will clasp hand again and heart will clasp heart in reunion. The grave is only Winter, and after Winter comes Spring with its wonderful resurrections, in which everything beautiful that seemed lost, springs forth into life” (A Higginson, “Christadelphian” 115:105).

Reading 1 – Deu 2:15

“The LORD’S hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp” (Deu 2:15).

This was the “pruning” (which is the meaning of “Zered”: cp v 13) of the murmurers over 38 years. “His power was exerted in a way of wrath and vengeance on them, for their murmurings at the report of the spies; and therefore, it is no wonder they were consumed, for strong is His hand, and high is His right hand; and when lifted up it falls heavy, and there is no standing up under it, or against it: it smote them with one disease or another, or brought one judgment or another upon them: as the sword of Amalek, by which many were cut off, and the plague at Shittim in the plains of Moab, in which died 24,000; besides the destruction of Korah and his company, which was quickly after the affair of the spies, and the plague at that time, of which died 14,700; and thus, by one stroke after another, he went on to destroy them from among the host until they were consumed, even all of them but two” (John Gill).

Reading 2 – Pro 29:20

“Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Pro 29:20).

“We can bring ourselves into line if we frequently raise the question: what is our aim in speaking? Speech may be with the object of giving instruction, or putting questions to receive instruction, or it may be in the ordinary amenities of social life. We can think of nothing else unless it is mere self-expression, a talk for the love of talking. Where is there room for any ill-feeling to be expressed in any of these opportunities for speech? In the ordinary amenities of life there is surely every reason for good feelings which may be revealed freely with only good effects. If anyone is so unfortunate as to find ill-feeling at home, then a desperate effort should be made to avoid any aggravation of it. Words provocative of anger are always out of place in the home, but they are especially to be deprecated when such provocation has already begun. If a little fire started in a dry corner of the house, no man would be fool enough to throw petrol on it. It is strange that men should often be so ready to feed that more terrible flame, which, as the apostle James says, is set on fire of hell. Homes have been wrecked and lives made sad by the folly of hasty and ill-tempered speech. It is perfectly true, as the wise man says, that there is more hope for a fool than for a man who is hasty in his words” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – John 12:8

“You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (John 12:8).

It has been said: “Since Jesus said, ‘The poor you have with you always’ (John 12:8), and we cannot change the world, why should we bother trying?”. But Jesus did not say, “Forget the poor because they are always there.” He said, in effect, “You will always have opportunities to help the poor.” When Jesus was present, his followers lavished gifts upon him, and they did well. But now that he is absent, we may forget that we can give gifts to Jesus just as well by helping his poor brethren. Who would ignore the needs of the Master? But now he sits at the right hand of God, and he no longer needs the cup of cold water, the food, the clothing. But someone else — who bears his holy name, or might — does!

Reading 1 – Deu 3:27

“Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan” (Deu 3:27).

The Law — typified by Moses its giver — had to be crucified, or put to death, before “Joshua” (or “Jesus”, as in the New Testament) could enter the Promised Land. But, like Abraham, Moses the faithful man was shown the land he would later possess (Gen 13:14,15). It was wonderfully merciful of Yahweh that Moses — his eye undimmed — might be allowed such a vision of what will surely be his future glory with his Saviour and ours: an eternal inheritance in the Land of Promise, after his resurrection from the dead.

Reading 2 – Pro 30:8

“Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread” (Pro 30:8).

In the materialistic age in which we sojourn, we see all around us both men and women striving for greater things, seeking better work conditions, better pay, a better position in society. And even for Christ’s brethren, there is immense pressure for them to “succeed” in the things of this life — a success which is measured purely in terms of social advantages, and material possessions. Yet when measured against the standards of Divine Wisdom, this “success” proves to be nothing short of failure.

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luk 12:15). This was the exhortation of the Lord Jesus, introducing his parable of the man seeking to build bigger and better barns in which to store his accumulation of wealth.

But although riches are not to be sought after; neither is there any virtue in poverty. There are those who suppose that there is righteousness in becoming poor for poverty’s sake, and so give up all to live on the goodwill of others. But there can be no virtue in making ourselves burdensome to others, or even worse, looking to the state as a provider. Indeed, scripturally, poverty is associated with shame: “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured” (Pro 13:18).

There is no intrinsic virtue to poverty, for it merely cultivates covetousness, and in many cases, theft to obtain that which is desired, yet beyond lawful means to obtain.

Reading 3 – John 13:17

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

“Happiness is not in catering to desire, but in putting desire away. Happiness is not in seeking pleasure, but in recognizing and thankfully enjoying the myriad of pleasures that God showers bountifully on us every moment: in His love, in His Word, in His Purpose, in His marvelous Creation: from the infinitely small to the infinitely great — all infinitely beautiful. Happiness is not in getting, but in giving: not in being served, but in serving (though truly there is happiness in being served — if the service is of need beyond our own capacity to fill, and if the service is in love). Christ tells us where happiness is: in pureness of heart, in meekness, in mercifulness, in hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Don’t look for it anywhere else. It isn’t there. It must be created within ourselves. Its source is of God” (GVG).