Week 14 Tuesday
Today we consider the grain and fellowship offerings in Leviticus, watch David trust God to win his archery contest against the wicked in Psalm 64, and see Saul transformed from persecutor to preacher on the road to Damascus.
Leviticus 2-3
📖 What are we reading? The grain offering, given in thanks for God's blessings, and the fellowship offering, celebrating peace between God and His people.
✞ What does this passage say about God? He is holy - leaven and honey were removed from the grain offering to symbolise this - and He is covenant-keeping, shown by the salt added to it. And in the fellowship offering, we see Christ, who offered Himself so that we could find peace with God (see Colossians 1:20 for the link).
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live? We are to bring our thanks to God for His blessings, and to rest in the peace that only Christ's offering has bought us.
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➡️ The bigger picture: Leviticus was revealed to Moses in the wilderness, soon after the tabernacle's completion, and no other book in the Bible contains as much direct speech from God. Its theme is holiness - showing Israel, and us, how a holy God can dwell among His people.
Psalm 64
📖 What are we reading? David's prayer for protection from secret plots against him. William MacDonald notes in his commentary that two archery contests emerge here - the preliminary between the wicked and the righteous (verses 1-6), and the main event between God and the wicked (verses 7-10).
✞ What does this passage say about God? He always wins the true contest - His arrows strike down the wicked, however hidden their schemes may be.
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live? We are to bring our fears and false accusations to God, as David did, trusting Him to have the final word.
Looking for some extra info?
📝 A devotion series on persevering in prayer, based on this psalm.
➡️ The bigger picture: The Psalms is a collection of 150 poems and songs, written by David and others, expressing the full range of human emotion in response to God and to life.
Acts 9:1-25
📖 What are we reading? Saul, breathing murderous threats against the church, meets the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus and is transformed from persecutor to preacher.
✞ What does this passage say about God? No one is beyond His reach - not even the church's fiercest enemy. Notice too Ananias' faithful obedience, despite his understandable fear.
🛐 How does this passage teach us to live? We must be willing to obey God even when it feels risky, as Ananias did, trusting that God is at work in people we'd never expect.
Looking for some extra info?
📝 A devotion series about Saul going from murderer to messenger.
➡️ The bigger picture: Luke's second book outlines the ministry of the early church - though it could just as well be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, as He guides and grows Jesus' small movement into something that changes the world.
A Prayer for the Day
🙏 Lord, thank You that Christ's sacrifice has bought us peace with You. Help us to bring our fears and accusations to You as David did, and remind us that no one - not even our fiercest opponents - is beyond Your reach. Amen.
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