DEUTERONOMY 31-32:

Yesterday in Deuteronomy Moses reviewed the covenant and again stressed that the choice is between life and death, and between experiencing blessings or curses. Be aware that in the poem dictated to Moses by the Lord, the Lord speaks of things that were in Israel's future as if they had already taken place. This is called proleptic past tense and is a feature of prophetic writings.

PSALM 66:

Our glorious God deserves glorious praise. Note that this psalm shows the importance of confessing our sins to God.

ACTS 18:

In Acts 17, opposition hounded the steps of Paul, Silas and Timothy, first in Thessalonica and then in Berea. The people of Berea are an example for us all, and that's why so many churches are named after their city. Then Paul in Athens debated with the philosophers of his day.

GNT Translation notes:

Deut. 32:3 [Because in this song I will praise the LORD— giving honor to his name//I will praise the name of the Lord,] and his people will tell of his greatness.

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Ps. 66:4 Everyone on earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
[their songs give honor//they sing praises] to your name."
5 Come[, all peoples] and see what God has done,
his wonderful acts among people.
10 You[, O God,//0] have put us to the test[0//, God];
as silver is purified by fire,\
so you have tested us.
16 [Now, all who honor God,//0] Come and listen, [0//all who honor God,]
and I will tell you what he has done for me.

DEUTERONOMY 29-30:
Yesterday in Deuteronomy Moses ratcheted up the fear index to the red level. And the scary thing about the threats he used to motivate the people to obedience is that they later all came true, as we will see in books like Judges and 2 Kings.

PSALM 65:
Today's Psalm is a hymn of joy and mighty praise.

ACTS 17:
Yesterday we heard of how Paul and Silas were beaten and put in jail. This was as a result of freeing a slave girl from demonic bondage. Their overnight in jail led to the jailer and his family becoming followers of Christ. But the next day, as requested, Paul and Silas left town.

DEUTERONOMY 28:
Yesterday we read of the ceremony that Moses commanded the people to perform when they entered the promised land. The Levites were to loudly proclaim curses from Mount Ebal over anyone who violates the laws.

PSALM 64:
If you feel that people are looking for opportunities to slander you, this psalm is for you.

ACTS 16b:
Yesterday in this chapter— via the change of pronouns, we understood that Luke joined with Paul as one of his traveling companions. Also, note that the Holy Spirit can also be called the Spirit of Jesus. These are one and the same Spirit of God.

GNT Translation note:
Deut. 28:44 They will have money to lend [to] you, but you will have none to lend them. In the end they will be your rulers.
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Ps. 64:7 But [when You, O God, shoot your//God shoots his] arrows at them, [0//and] suddenly they [will be//are] wounded.
8 [You//He] will destroy them because of those words; all who see them will shake their heads.
9 They will all be afraid; they will think about what [You have//God] has done and tell about [your//his] deeds.
10 All righteous people will rejoice because of what [You have done, O Lord//the Lord has done]. They will find safety in [You//him]; all good people will praise [You//him].

DEUTERONOMY 27:
Yesterday in Deuteronomy, Moses continued with miscellaneous regulations. One repeated in the New Testament is to not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating when it is treading out the grain. Paul used that as a metaphor for something else.

PSALM 63:
This is another poem of David, including beautiful imagery. Pray like David, if you want to be blessed like David or need protection as David did.

ACTS 16:
Yesterday in Acts we heard how Barnabas and Paul with Silas and Judas/Justus delivered the letter from the leaders in Jerusalem. And afterward, Paul and Barnabas had their falling out over the issue of whether to take John Mark along on their next trip. Silas— who evidently had come back to Antioch, became Paul's new ministry partner.

DEUTERONOMY 25-26:
Yesterday we read some laws for what kind of people could not enter into the congregation of Israel, and how long before their descendants could enter into the congregation of Israel. And we heard laws about cleanliness based on the fact that God was living with the Israelites. And, God wanted his people to be kind, fair, and thoughtful of the needs of the poor.

PSALM 62:
Here is a psalm to pray and an example to follow when you feel the world is against you.

ACTS 15b:
Yesterday in the first half of this chapter we heard how the controversy over circumcision started and we heard the speeches of Peter and James.

GNT Translation notes:

[The last verse of this Psalm shows that it is a prayer addressed to God. It is an open question if in verse 5 David is speaking encouragement to his own soul. The vocative form seems to indicate that. I think that CEV is correct in showing that in verses 3-5 David is speaking about himself in the third person.]

Ps. 62:1 I wait patiently for [You, O] God to save me;

I depend on [You//him] alone.
2 [You alone protect and save me//He alone protects and saves me];

[You are//he is] my defender,

and I shall never be defeated.
3 How much longer will all of you [people] attack [me—] someone

who is no stronger than a broken-down fence?
4 You only want to bring [me//him] down from [my//his] place of honor;

you take pleasure in lies.

You speak words of blessing,

but in your heart[s] you curse [me//him].
5 [O my soul, depend on God alone!//I depend on God alone;]

[O Lord, I put my hope in You.//I put my hope in him.]
6 [You alone protect and save me//He alone protects and saves me];

[You are//he is] my defender,

and I shall never be defeated.
7 My salvation and honor depend on [You, O] God;

[You are//he is] my strong protector;

[You are//he is] my shelter.
8 [O my people,//0] Trust in God at all times, [0//my people.]

Tell him all your troubles,

for he is our refuge.
9 Human beings are all like a puff of breath;

great and small alike are worthless.

Put them on the scales, and they weigh nothing;

they are lighter than a mere breath.
10 Don't put your trust in violence;

don't hope to gain anything by robbery;

even if your riches increase,

don't depend on them.
11 [O my God//0] More than once I have heard [You//God] say

that power belongs to [You//him]
12 and that [your//his] love is constant.

You yourself, O Lord, reward everyone according to their deeds.

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Acts 15:29 eat no food that has been offered to idols; eat no blood; eat no animal that has been strangled; and keep yourselves from sexual immorality. You will do well if you take care not to do these things. [Farewell] With our best wishes."

DEUTERONOMY 23-24:
Yesterday we read an odd collection of regulations: Cleansing the land from unsolved murder, marrying a captive woman after a war, rights of a first-born son when a man has more than one wife, the responsibility of helping neighbors, and various problems concerning adultery.

PSALM 61:
This is one I love to sing.

ACTS 15a:
In Acts 14, we heard of the incredible turn of events for Paul and Barnabas. At one moment they were hailed as gods, but after a very short time Paul was stoned. As they tell the believers, "We have to go through many hardships before we enter God's kingdom in heaven."

DEUTERONOMY 21-22:
Yesterday we heard an explanation of why cities of refuge were needed. And we heard interesting rules concerning war. In the war and conquest of Canaan that we will read about in Joshua, I urge us to remember that God spoke repeatedly about the wickedness of the Canaanite nations that Israel would conquer (beginning with what He said to Jacob way back in Genesis 15:16). Included in the detestable customs of the nations mentioned, is that they sacrificed human babies, burning them alive, plus all of the other sins Moses told the people not to imitate.

PSALM 60:
This poem is again based on David's experiences. I think that this psalm must show how David prayed before the victories mentioned in the rabbinical title.

ACTS 14:
In chapter 13 we completed the story of Paul and Barnabas' short but successful ministry in Pisidian Antioch. They were too successful, so were run out of town. This is just the first time that will happen!

GNT Translation notes:
Deut. 22:12 "[Attach//Sew] tassels on the four corners of your clothes.
[This change was made simply because the listener cannot hear the difference between 'sew' and 'so'.]
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Ps. 60:6 [From your sanctuary You, O God have said,//From his sanctuary God has said,] "In triumph I will divide Shechem and distribute Sukkoth Valley to my people.
12 [But] With [You, O] God on our side we will win; [You//he] will defeat our enemies.
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Acts 14:18 [With great difficulty, using such words the apostles finally did succeed in stopping//Even with these words the apostles could hardly keep] the crowd from offering a sacrifice to them.
[This is one of the most frequently misunderstood verses in the New Testament!]
21 Paul and Barnabas preached the Good News in Derbe and won many disciples. Then they went back to Lystra, to Iconium, and on to Antioch in [the province of] Pisidia.
26 and from there they sailed back to Antioch [in the province of Syria], the place where they had been commended to the care of God's grace for the work they had now completed.

DEUTERONOMY 19-20:
In yesterday's reading, we heard that the duties of the king included having a copy of the Law made, or perhaps making it himself (the Hebrew is unclear on that point). This is something we never hear of happening. (I don't think what was given to King Josiah at his inauguration qualifies.) Then Deuteronomy 18 very strict in its prohibition against all kinds of witchcraft and fortune telling. Then there is one of the most important prophecies regarding Jesus: God was going to send a prophet like Moses and the people must listen to him. Another important point about this prophecy is the specific requirement that the prophet would come from the people of Israel.

PSALM 59:
Because of David's unique situation, he certainly learned how to pray for protection from enemies.

ACTS 13b:
In the first part of chapter 13, we heard how God called Barnabas and Saul in the city of Antioch— the one in the Roman province of Syria, and the church sent them out. We repeat some verses from Paul's important speech, which took place in the other city called Antioch, the one in the province of Pisidia.

GNT Translation notes:
Ps. 59:4 [NET Though I have done nothing wrong, they are anxious to attack. Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me!//nor because of any fault of mine, O Lord,
that they hurry to their places.]
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Acts 13:40 Take care, then, so that what [God said through] the prophets said may not happen to you: