April 21- A Memorial

April 21, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Joshua 22:21-23:16; Luke 20:27-47;
Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 13:17-19

Youth lives on hope, old age on remembrance.
 ~French Proverb

Joshua 22:21-23:16

If you ever get the chance to Washington D.C., you should go and see the World War II memorial.  As you stand in the open space, the gravity of what occurred in the past and the dedication of those who went before us is palpable. The memorial opened on April 29, 2004 to honor the 16 million people who served in the armed forces of the United States during that terrible conflict.  The memorial is a monument to the spirit, dedication, courage, stamina, and vision it took to fight evil in the world.  Standing in the space reminds you of the many areas in the world where our service people fought and died. This monument reminds future generations to embrace national unity and moral strength to achieve justice and good for others.  Today the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh have erected a memorial as a remembrance to God.  But first there's a conflict!

As we saw in yesterday's reading, the nation of Israel is preparing to go to war with these tribes because they appear to have erected a pagan altar on the banks of the Jordan River.  The community is in no mood to get God angry after fighting all the battles to gain the Promised Land.  A delegation is sent to the leaders of these tribes to see if an agreement can be hammered out before fighting commences.  When approached, the leaders of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh quickly explain that since they would not be right in the midst of the community of the nation of Israel, they worried that their children would forget the Lord.  It was their intention to erect a memorial to the One True God.  It was to be a reminder to their descendants and the other Israelite tribes' descendants that this group of people have the right to worship the Lord in His sanctuary, offer sacrifices, burnt offerings, and peace offerings.  This explanation satisfies the priests of Israel and resolves the conflict.  The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar "Witness."

What have you erected in your life or home that reflects to your children your belief in God?  How are you providing a "Witness" to the next generation?

Joshua is preparing to die.  He begins his reminder to the Israelites of God's faithfulness to His promises. Joshua admonishes the Israelites to be careful to love the Lord.  Are you careful to love God?

Luke 20:27-47

One of the things I really like about Jesus is that he can explain things that the rest of us have no way of knowing without his help.  The fact that he was at the creation of the world, existed and made visits to earth pre-incarnate in the Old Testament, and then humbled himself to come down, go through the birth canal, and experience life in the confines of a human body make him the perfect teacher to teach us all things about God.

Today Jesus explains resurrection to a group of religious leaders.  Some of them believe that there is a resurrection.  Others of them think that you simply stop existing upon death.   Here is what Jesus has to say about that.  By the way, they use a dilemma about marriage in order to set the context for their question on resurrection.  Here is Jesus' answer:

• Marriage is a uniquely earthly institution. 
• In the age to come there is no marriage.
• If you are worthy of being raised from the dead, you will not be married afterwards.
• Angels in heaven don't marry. 
• You get a new life when you are resurrected.
• Moses believed in resurrection.
• Moses stated that the Lord was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who were dead when he said this) and yet he referred to them as alive.  This is because they are alive.

• God is the God of the living, not the dead.

We have discussed many times that marriage is an earthly institution designed to picture Jesus' relationship with the Church. The nation of Israel is portrayed in Scripture as the wife of Jehovah. Believers are spiritually married and in an intimate relationship with Christ, who provides seed to produce the fruit of righteousness on earth.  Believers are the bride, who act as a helpmate to Christ as he multiplies the children of God on earth.  This is why God hates divorce.  It screws up His beautiful picture. Your marriage is a physical picture of a spiritual reality. 

Jesus asks these religious leaders a question.  He wants to know if they have figured out how David can call his son "the Lord."  The teachers are stumped.  Jesus is both David's descendant and King David's Lord.  The virgin birth provides this answer.

Jesus warns the crowds against following teachers who like to look important and wise, but are really greedy, lazy, and crooked.  Jesus assures the crowd that these leaders will be punished in a harsher fashion for living this way.  Misleading people about God is a big no no.

Do you believe that you will be resurrected one day?  Is marriage a sacred institution to you?

Psalm 89:14-37

I love the section of this psalm that declares that God's throne is founded on two pillars: righteousness and justice.  Don't we often wish that there was justice in this world?  God's kingdom will be marked by justice.  Also, unfailing love and truth are attendants to His throne. This is my kinda place!

Proverbs 13:17-19

It is important to be a reliable messenger.  Jesus was rebuking the religious leaders of his day for being unreliable messengers.

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton
© 2011