Readings: Psalm 32, Proverbs 10:22-11:1, Leviticus 26-27, Luke 10:25-11:54
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. — Psalm 32:10
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. — Proverbs 11:1
But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. — Luke 11:42
Leviticus, done! It ended with vows made to the Lord. Vows were a big deal to God in Leviticus, and the way one went about a vow was important. But having finished Leviticus quicker than I expected I read a little bit of every book that I’m in.
It was interesting what stood out. Psalm 32 was a song of repentance, the singer sharing how he held in his sin and it caused him to waste away, until he confessed and asked for the Lord’s forgiveness. Proverbs continues to compare the wise and the foolish, and then this little gem came out. God’s love of justice, a just weight is his delight! And then in Luke Jesus begins taking on the Pharisees again, now that he has sent out the 72, he is on his way to Jerusalem and they are questioning him. This time it is a no holds barred condemnation of their lifestyle, their love of the limelight, their hypocrisy. And this was interesting: their ability to exactly tithe every single resource God had given them, but forget justice! What does this mean? I think the Pharisees were so careful about being pure and being right before God, in the rituals that God had given them, that they had forgotten to be just as careful about God’s call to love neighbor and live justly. I see this tendency in the church quite often. Where the focus is on bible reading, quiet time, individual prayer (all good things, mind you), but what gets lost is the care for the poor, fighting for the oppressed, and living just lives.
May my life be a delight to the Lord!
Daniel Groot 