August 20 ▪ Day 232

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 21:25–26
Joshua 5–6
Mark 12
Psalms 48

Verse Focus (Proverbs 21:25–26)

²⁵The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
     because his hands refuse to work.
²⁶All day long he craves for more,
     but the righteous give without sparing.

Meditation

Our verse focus today is Proverbs 21:25-26. Once again we learn of the folly of sluggards: laziness leads to death. As the NIV translates these verses, “The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.”

There are two phrases in these verses that cut me. In verse 25, the Scripture says of the sluggard, “his hands refuse to work.” Ouch! Although I have battled against laziness, this verse cuts me so sharply because I watched a loved one refuse to work for years. It did not end well. It is frustrating and infuriating to see someone you love head down a wrong path; what was most galling about this behavior is that it came from his will. He refused to work. Perhaps he thought he had good reasons for what he did. However, the sad part is that what started out as voluntary became involuntary soon enough. He made the choice not to work; eventually that choice was taken from him and he became incapable of working. Now, at a relatively young age, he suffers from severe dementia. I can’t help wondering if he had been working if that would have delayed the onset of his medical problems.

The second phrase that cuts me is in the contrast in verse 26. The sluggard craves for more, “but the righteous give without sparing.” The righteous person isn’t craving or trying to satisfy his own needs; instead, he is giving to others — satisfying the needs of those around him. Craving versus giving. Which marks your life? Too much of my life is ruled by wanting, and not nearly enough is devoted to giving! Lord, transform my heart. Enable me to give freely. Let me work as you will.

Joshua chapter 5 tells how the Israelites celebrated Passover in the Promised Land. To prepare for this celebration, Joshua circumcised all the sons of Israel. It seems curious to me that they did not circumcise their newborn sons while wandering in the wilderness. Perhaps I underestimate the difficulties of doing so when they were on the move from place to place. But I suppose also it was because circumcision was always the sign of the covenant. Since the wandering in the wilderness was a punishment of the first generation that had rebelled against going into the Promised Land, it was a bit like the covenant promises were put on hold for a while.

Now, however, the new generation is circumcised and they hold Passover again. They may not have celebrated Passover while they wandered in the wilderness; if they did so after that first time at Mount Sinai, the Scripture does not mention it. But this Passover celebration marks the 40th year since God brought them out of Egypt — to the very day. And now they are in the Promised Land. It is also significant because, for the first time, they eat of the produce of the land of Canaan. The manna that had been provided for them during all their years of wandering in the wilderness stops the very next day. As verse 12 says, “They ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.”

As chapter 5 concludes, we read of Joshua meeting the commander of the LORD’s army. The angel gives Joshua instructions about how to conquer Jericho. In verse 15, the angel tells Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” I appreciate the echo of what happened when Moses saw the LORD in the burning bush in Exodus 3:5. There is pleasing symmetry to these events.

Joshua 6 tells the story of the fall of Jericho. It is a remarkable conquest — mostly because of how the LORD directed that they should come against the city. For six days, the soldiers march around the city along with the priests, who are carrying the ark of the covenant and blowing trumpets. No one speaks; no one shouts. There is only the sound of the priests’ trumpets. And after circling the city, they retreat to their camp. On the seventh day, however, they get up extra early and they march around the city seven times — when they finish that seventh circuit, Joshua finally directs them all to shout. I appreciate how verse 16 shows that Joshua describes the fall of Jericho as a fait accompli. “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city.” And when they begin to shout, the walls “fell down flat (v. 20).” They go in and kill all the men, women, children, and livestock, sparing only Rahab and her family. Silver, gold, bronze, and iron are given to the LORD, but all the other things are destroyed.

The beginning of chapter 5 mentions how the parting of the Jordan River had frightened the kings of the Amorites and the kings of Canaanites, causing their hearts to melt. Now, with this unique conquest of Jericho, fear of the Israelites continues to spread. As verse 27 remarks, Joshua’s “fame was in all the land.”

As I read Mark chapter 12, I notice many of the same things that I noticed six months ago when we read this chapter. But I suppose, once having received some insight into a passage, you will continue to remember that insight each time you read the passage again. So I continue to delight at Jesus’ clever reply in verse 17 to those who were trying to trap him, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” I delight in how Jesus confounds the Sadducees by proving from God’s name that life after death does exist for humankind. And I continue to be haunted by Jesus’ remark that most people give “out of their abundance (v. 44);” I long to become more generous.

Today as I was reading this chapter, I began to meditate more on verses 29 to 31. Here, Jesus cites the two most important commands in the Old Testament. As verse 30 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Verse 31 continues, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And as I read this passage, I had to admit that — as important as these two commands are — I’ve allowed them to get a bit lost in amongst all the other passages of Scripture.

And I think about the questions that I try to ask when I read Scripture. I ask, what have I learned about who God is? I also ask what I’ve learned about human nature. But perhaps I should be asking myself, what does this passage teach me about loving God? And what does this passage teach me about loving my neighbor? These two commands are the lens with which we are to view all of Scripture; they are the filter — or the foundation.

So what does Mark chapter 12 teach us about loving God? I’m sure there are a number of things that we can learn, but here are a few thoughts that come to mind. I think the widow teaches us that we should love God exuberantly, honoring Him before worrying about ourselves. Jesus’ discussion with the Sadducees about resurrection shows us that love of God will continue into the afterlife. Jesus’ knowledge of the Scriptures shows that part of how we love God is through our knowledge of His Word. The warning against the scribes who “for a pretense make long prayers (v. 40),” reminds us that love of God can be inauthentic. And, of course, verse 30 tells us that we should love God with everything that we are.

As I re-read Psalm 48, I ask myself this same question. What do I learn about loving God from this psalm? God is great, and God is to be praised. Praising God is loving Him — as is meditating on his steadfast love (v. 9). Rejoicing in God and His justice is part of how we love Him. And, as verses 13 and 14 tell us, we “tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever.”

Father God, help us to tell the next generation of your wonders. Let us speak of how you have been faithful to us. May my words bring you honor and praise. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to love others with a love that is tangible and practical. Thank you for the symmetry in your Scripture. Thank you for all that you have to teach us in your Word. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.