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Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Joshua 11-12:24; Luke 17:11-37; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 13:5-6 (New Living Translation)

- With God on their side, the Israelites were unstoppable.

- Jesus healed 10 lepers, but only one came back to give thanks. And you know what, that one was a foreigner, an outsider. A familiar theme with Jesus and His kinsmen.

- "...the evil are misled by sin."

Joshua 9:3-10:43; Luke 16:19-17:10; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 13:4 (New Living Translation)

What's the main idea to be taken from today's reading?

- Look how the Israelites fared when they failed to consult God. They were tricked into a treaty with people they were meant to conquer. They acted rashly. Their actions were based on appearances, and not the truth. God always tells us the truth, even when we don't want to hear it.

- As this story continues to unfold, these people, the Gibeonites, will become a "thorn" in the sides of the Israelites.

- Jesus teaches using the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The object lesson here seems to be that if people won't follow the advice of Moses or the other prophets, they probably won't follow advice from any of the rest of us. But, what we need is the tiniest kernel of faith to propel us forward.