Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 8-9 and Matthew 25:1-25

Deuteronomy 8 – The people are told that they must remember – always remember – all that the Lord has done for them. God led you in the wilderness to humble you, to test you, to know your inmost heart. “He made you go hungry, and then he gave you manna to eat, food that you and your ancestors had never eaten before. He did this to teach you that you must not depend on bread alone to sustain you, but on everything that the Lord says (8:3).  These words are very important.  Jesus lived on them in the wilderness.

         God is bringing them “into a prosperous land, a land of streams and springs of waters that well up from the deep in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, . . .”(8:7-10).  They must not  “ . . .  become proud and forget the Lord your God who rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves” (8:14). They must not become ensnared by prosperity or think you are no longer dependent on God. 

         And beware of thinking YOU did it (8:17) he tells them. For “if you forget Yahweh, your God, . . . you will most certainly perish. . .for not having listened to the voice of Yahweh your God” (8:19-20)

Deuteronomy 9 – They are prepared to enter the Promised Land.  It is not for any quality of goodness in them that God is giving them this land because of the wickedness of those he is displacing (9:5) and “to keep the word that he swore. . .” He tells the story of their apostasy, his breaking of the tablets and his fasting in the desert 40 days and nights for their sin, of his begging the Lord not to destroy them (9:26). Moses prays for them and reminds God of His integrity and reputation.  Moses really strong-arms God here, (9:28) pressuring him to remain faithful because of His reputation – anthropomorphizing God’s faithfulness a little.

Matthew 26:1-25 – Jesus predicts that he will be handed over in two days to be crucified. Jewish leaders consult about how to arrest and destroy him.  Meanwhile in Bethany, Jesus is staying with Simon the leper and a woman pours expensive ointment on him.  The disciples scold her for waste, but Jesus defends her. “The poor you will always have with you; but you will not always have me” (26:11).

Judas betrays him to the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus and his disciples prepare to celebrate the Passover.  At dinner, Jesus tells them one of them will betray him and they are all disturbed. Judas even dares to deny it is he.