God bestows life

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching the blog archives for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. As you read, I encourage you to record any reflections or comments you may have, for the entries here serve best as the first remarks in a conversation.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Saturday, June 26, 2010
Devotions: Ps 107:33-43; 108:1-6; Num 20:14-29; Rom 6:1-11; Mt 21:1-11

God is Master of nature, turning salt marshes to pools, and springs into deserts. God provides for the hungry and thirsty, and brings in the farmers’ crops and the herdsmen’s flocks and herds. God pours contempt on princes and lifts up the afflicted. The upright are cheered by God’s ways, and the wicked swallow their bile. Let whoever is wise ponder these things, and let everyone consider YHWH’s steadfast love. My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and praise You, Lord. Your steadfast love is great above the heavens. Let Your glory be over all the earth, that Your beloved may be delivered. Give help by Your right hand and answer me.

Moses asked safe passage from the king of Edom; he promised not to damage fields or vineyards, or even to take water from Edom’s wells. But Edom refused Israel passage, twice. So Israel went another way. They came to Mount Hor, and YHWH told Moses and Aaron, ‘Here Aaron will be gathered to his people, because of your rebellion at Meribah.’ God told Moses to take Aaron and his son Eleazar up the mountain, then to strip Aaron and dress Eleazar in the priestly garments. They did as God directed; when Moses and Eleazar came down from Mount Hour, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days.

Paul continues his teaching on Christian living. Should we continue in sin so that grace may abound? Of course not! If we died to sin, how could we still live that way? All who have been baptized into the Messiah Jesus were baptized into His death; we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that just as the Messiah was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. Our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed and we might no longer be slaves to sin—for anyone who has died is freed from sin. And if we have died with the Messiah, we believe that we also will live with Him. We know that the Messiah, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has any dominion over Him. The death He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God, forever. For this reason and in the same way, you also must reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in the Messiah Jesus.

As Jesus and His party approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples to go into the village, where they would find a donkey with its colt. He told them to untether them and bring them to Himself. He told them, ‘If any one says anything to you, just tell them the Lord has need of these animals, and He will return them immediately.’ All this took place, and fulfilled what Isaiah and Zechariah prophesied: ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold your King is coming to you, humble and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass.’ They brought the animals; the disciples put their garments on the colt, and Jesus sat on it. Most of the crowd put their own garments on the road, and others cut tree branches and spread them on the road. The crowds surrounding Jesus as He road into Jerusalem shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ All the city was stirred, and people were asking ‘Who is this?’ The crowds answered, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.’