Hard hearts, hard heads, hard teachings

Friday, April 11, 2014 Devotions: Ps 131, 132, 140, 142; Ex 7:25-8:19; 2 Cor 3:7-18; Mk 10:17-31 YHWH, I don't lift my eyes or my heart too high; I occupy myself with small things, not great. I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child at its mother's breast, secure and still. God is my hope, and I will trust in Him alone. I remember King David's relationship with God—he put service to God before his own comfort, and God promised David that one of his descendants would be Israel's eternal ruler. So it is: Jesus the Messiah is David's descendant in his human lineage. God shames His people's enemies, and protects them in His covenant promises. Lord, deliver me from evil mortals, from violent people who stir up conflict continually. You Are my God; hear my supplications; frustrate the wicked and reward the righteous and we will thank You and praise Your holy name. You are my Refuge; I am brought low, but You will lift me again. This I believe! After the Lord struck the Nile, seven days passed. Then the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh once again, to tell him: 'Let My people go, that they may serve Me. If you refuse, I will plague your country with frogs. Aaron stretched forth the rod, and it was so; frogs covered the land of Egypt. Pharaoh's magicians were able to duplicate this by their secret arts, so Egypt was doubly plagued. Pharaoh asked Moses to intercede with YHWH to remove the frogs, and it was so—the frogs departed at the appointed hour, on the next day. The stench of the piled dead frogs was awful; but when Pharaoh saw the respite, he again hardened his heart and did not let the people go—just as God had foretold. Next, YHWH had the dust of the earth become gnats across the land of Egypt; this was a feat the magicians could not duplicate, and they admitted to Pharaoh 'This is the finger of God!' But Pharaoh's heart remained adamant, and he did not relent. Paul continued his discourse to the Corinthians: If the dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such splendor that the Israelites could not look upon Moses's shining face, fading as it was, won't the dispensation of the Spirit bring even greater splendor? The dispensation of righteousness must exceed that of condemnation—what once was splendid is outshone by the present, surpassing splendor. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold: Moses veiled his face, to keep hidden the fading splendor But the minds of the people were hardened; and their awareness remains veiled. But when someone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the Lord's glory, are being changed into His likeness, from one degree of glory to another. For all this comes from the Lord, Who Is the Spirit. As Jesus was setting forth for a journey, a man came and fell down before Jesus, asking, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus answered, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' And the man replied, 'I have kept all these from my youth.' Jesus, having looked on the man, loved him and said, 'You lack one thing: go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me.' But hearing this, the man's countenance fell and he went away in sorrow, for he hade great possessions. Jesus looked around to His disciples and said, 'How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter God's kingdom.' They were amazed, and Jesus continued: 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' The listeners were astonished; 'Then who can be saved?', they asked. Jesus said, 'With mortals, it is impossible. But not with God; all things are possible with God.' Peter spoke up:' Lo, we have left everything and followed You.' Jesus answered, 'Truly I tell you, no one who has left houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, for My sake and that of the gospel, will fail to receive a hundredfold now in this time­-houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.'