March 14

Coward or Courageous? Rude or Responsible?
Numbers 35-36 /Mark 13-14

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OT

35:30-34 All murderers must be executed, but only if there is more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death. And never accept a ransom payment from someone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing the slayer to return to his property before the death of the high priest. This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no atonement can be made for murder except by the execution of the murderer. You must not defile the land where you are going to live, for I live there myself. I am the LORD, who lives among the people of Israel.

NT

13:12-13 Brother will betray brother to death, fathers will betray their own children, and children will rise against their parents and cause them to be killed. And everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me. But those who endure to the end will be saved.

:34-36 The coming of the Son of Man can be compared with that of a man who left home to go on a trip. He gave each of his employees instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. So keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when the homeowner will return–at evening, midnight, early dawn, or late daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.


OT Flash Points

An ingenious method of dealing with capital murder and punishment –
Cities of refuge
Victim’s next of kin is responsible for giving punishment

NT Flash Points

Communion – identification with the death of Jesus
The city of refuge for those condemned
Betrayal = cowardice = passing judgment while neither taking responsibility nor having authority to punish
A condemned man is not known by even his closest friends


Perspective

1st step to finding out what dominates me is to accept, “I am responsible. I have yielded to _________.”
Nothing in the human soul can free itself from this bondage formed by yielding, whether to God or our self
But on the basis of the redeeming blood of Jesus, I can stand on the Rock and say to my appetites or the devil himself – THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY REIGNS! IN MY HEART, MY MIND AND MY BODY!

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