Reading for Today:
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Numbers 9:1
Chapter 9 1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
–10:36
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Psalms 31:6-14
6 I hate them that regard lying vanities; But I trust in Jehovah. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy lovingkindness; For thou hast seen my affliction: Thou hast known my soul in adversities; 8 And thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a large place. 9 Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah, for I am in distress: Mine eye wasteth away with grief, `yea', my soul and my body. 10 For my life is spent with sorrow, And my years with sighing: My strength faileth because of mine iniquity, And my bones are wasted away. 11 Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach, Yea, unto my neighbors exceedingly, And a fear to mine acquaintance: They that did see me without fled from me. 12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. 13 For I have heard the defaming of many, Terror on every side: While they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life. 14 But I trusted in thee, O Jehovah: I said, Thou art my God.
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Proverbs 11:7-11
7 When a wicked man dieth, `his' expectation shall perish; And the hope of iniquity perisheth. 8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, And the wicked cometh in his stead. 9 With his mouth the godless man destroyeth his neighbor; But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered. 10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth; And when the wicked perish, there is shouting. 11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted; But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
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Mark 9:30-50
30 And they went forth from thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. 31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered up into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he shall rise again. 32 But they understood not the saying, and were afraid to ask him. 33 And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way? 34 But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who `was' the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all. 36 And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them, 37 Whosoever shall receive one of such little children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. 38 John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us. 39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is for us. 41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, because ye are Christ's, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. 42 And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if thy hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than having thy two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. 44 `where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' 45 And if thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life halt, rather than having thy two feet to be cast into hell. 46 `where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' 47 And if thine eye cause thee to stumble, cast it out: it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell; 48 where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 49 For every one shall be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace one with another.
Notes:
Numbers 9:15 tabernacle…raised up. The presence of the Lord arrived when the tabernacle was completed and erected on the first day of the first month of the second year after they had come out of Egypt.
Numbers 9:16 cloud…fire. The presence of the Lord which was seen in the cloud by day became a fire that was seen at night (see Lev. 16:2).
Psalm 31:6 I have hated. See
Psalms 26:5
5 I hate the assembly of evil-doers, And will not sit with the wicked.
on the proper basis for such hatred (see Ps. 139:21). useless idols. This is a common designation for false gods (see Deut. 32:21; 1 Kin. 16:13; Jer. 10:15; 14:22; 16:19; 18:15; Jon. 2:8). On the “idiocy” of idolatry, see
Habakkuk 2:18
18 What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
–20.
Mark 9:43 cut it off. Jesus’ words are to be taken figuratively. No amount of self-mutilation can deal with sin, which is an issue of the heart. The Lord is emphasizing the seriousness of sin and the need to do whatever is necessary to deal with it. life. The contrast of “life” with “hell” indicates that Jesus was referring to eternal life. hell. The Greek word refers to the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, a garbage dump where fires constantly burned, furnishing a graphic symbol of eternal torment. the fire that shall never be quenched. That the punishment of hell lasts for eternity is the unmistakable teaching of Scripture (see Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:41; 2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 14:10, 11; 20:10).
Mark 9:50 Salt is good. Salt was an essential item in first-century Palestine. In a hot climate, without refrigeration, salt was the practical means of preserving food. Have salt in yourselves. The work of the “word of Christ” (Col. 3:16) and the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23) produce godly character, enabling a person to act as a preservative in society.
DAY 6: What essential element is Christ looking for in our character?
To be directly confronted by Christ with sin in your heart, as the disciples were in
Mark 9:33
33 And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way?
, must have been powerfully convicting and embarrassing. We are told that “they kept silent”—they were speechless at His inquiry. They were caught in a dispute over “who would be the greatest” (v. 34), possibly triggered by the privilege granted Peter, James, and John to witness the Transfiguration. The disciples’ quarrel highlights their failure to apply Jesus’ explicit teaching on humility (Matt. 5:3) and the example of His own suffering and death (vv. 31, 32; 8:30–33). It also prompted them to ask Jesus to settle the issue, which He did—though not as they had expected.
Jesus “sat down” (v. 35)—rabbis usually sat down to teach—and said that “if anyone desires to be first,” as the disciples undeniably did (v. 34; see 10:35–37), “he shall be last of all and servant of all.” The disciples’ concept of greatness and leadership, drawn from their culture, needed to be completely reversed. Not those who lord their position over others are great in God’s kingdom, but those who humbly serve others (see 10:31, 43–45; Matt. 19:30–20:16; 23:11, 12;
Luke 13:30
30 And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.
; 14:8–11; 18:14; 22:24–27).
Then Jesus took “a little child”—the Greek word indicates an infant or toddler. If the house they were in was Peter’s, this may have been one of his children. The child became in Jesus’ masterful teaching an example of believers who have humbled themselves and become like trusting children.
From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com.
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