For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    One of the things which is emphasized throughout Proverbs is the value of listening to advice and taking instruction. Time and again we are told that the wise look to learn from any source which offers itself, while those who think they know all they need to know are destined for trouble and likely destruction.

    Let us remember to follow the psalmist’s example and cry out to God when all seems lost. Even if our troubles seem to have no end, let us continue to have faith in God’s love and faithfulness. We do not serve God because of what He does for us. Rather we serve Him because it is right to do so.

    In the passage about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jesus I, and others, have pointed out that He entered Jerusalem as a king returning victorious from battle. In addition, a lot of time has been spent speaking and writing about Jesus’ response to the Pharisees requesting Him to silence the crowds. However, I cannot recall anyone talking about what the crowd was saying that had the Pharisees upset (although I am sure that I have heard, or read, such commentary).
    So, what was it that the crowd was shouting which worried the Pharisees? And why? They were wanted Jesus to tell the crowd to stop shouting about the King coming in the name of the Lord. They did not want the crowd shouting this because they were afraid that the Romans would interpret it as the beginning of an insurrection against their rule and would respond with military force. They were afraid to stir things up and upset the authorities. They did not want to upset the status quo. They were afraid of stirring things up and disrupting their comfortable life. Jesus’ answer was that if the people did not cry out their disruptive message, the very stones along the road would do so. The Pharisees’ comfortable life was about to be disrupted whether the people cried out to praise Jesus or not. Are willing to be the voices that disturb the status quo today? Or do we wish they would keep quiet so that we can go on living our comfortable lives?

    Today’s passage continues to describe the lands given to each of the tribes. For someone with an interest in it, these descriptions could be an interesting study in what would represent stable borders for modern Israel. However, what I want to comment on is the cities of refuge. These were places where someone who accidentally caused the death of another person could flee to avoid be killed in revenge for that death. They would need to stand trial when they arrived at one of these designated cities in order to establish that they had not intentionally killed the other person. If the trial found that such was indeed the case, those seeking vengeance for the death would not be allowed to take it, as long as the person responsible for the death stayed in the city of refuge to which he had fled. If, however, he were to leave that city before the death of the current high priest, the family would be allowed to take revenge. This system applied a punishment on the one who had killed another, even though by accident, without allowing an escalation of vengeance.