Scripture Union Daily Guide 15th February 2021 Message – Guiding Rules For Living
You are reading Scripture Union Daily Guide Devotional for Today Monday 15th February 2021. May you be blessed as you read on.
TOPIC: GUIDING RULES FOR LIVING
OPENING PRAYER: Sanctify my life dear Lord as I study your word in Jesus name.
SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 23:1-25
1No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord. 2No one born of a forbidden marriagenor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation. 3No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation. 4For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaimto pronounce a curse on you. 5However, the Lordyour God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lordyour God loves you. 6Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live. 7Do not despise an Edomite, for the Edomites are related to you. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country. 8The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord. 9When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure. 10If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. 11But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp. 12Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. 13As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. 14For the Lordyour God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you. 15If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master. 16Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress them. 17No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. 18You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostituteinto the house of the Lordyour God to pay any vow, because the Lordyour God detests them both. 19Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. 20You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lordyour God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess. 21If you make a vow to the Lordyour God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lordyour God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. 23Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lordyour God with your own mouth. 24If you enter your neighbor,s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. 25If you enter your neighbor,s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.
Question(s) for Reflection:
• Is there any command for me to obey?
• What is God revealing to me in this passage?
TODAY’S OUTLINE: SCRIPTURE UNION DAILY GUIDE 15TH FEBRUARY 2021 MESSAGE
The assembly of the Lord probably refers to the covenant people of God gathered in His presence. For us today it may refer to the church congregation or group of people gathering together to worship God. From vs.1-8, certain people were prohibited from entering the assembly of the Lord while the Edomites and Egyptians were allowed. Identify those prohibited and “why.” This barrier has been removed by Jesus Christ who offers salvation to all mankind irrespective of their backgrounds.
However, let those that name the name of the Lord depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19). The Lord was very particular about the physical and spiritual cleanliness of His people. They were required not to defile themselves or the camp (vs.10-11). Note in particular, the need for proper sanitation and waste disposal and hygiene in our communities (vv. 12 – 13). We should avoid and discourage open defecation and littering of our environment.
Sin defiles a believer and separates him or her from God, but Jesus has the power to cleanse us if we repent (1 John 1:9). Note the provision God made for slaves who run away from their masters (v.15). Read Romans 6:20-22 and God’s provision for the sinner who runs to Jesus for forgiveness in John 6:37b. Jesus is our surest refuge! Gifts in form of offerings/tithes from immoral earnings are outrightly rejected by God (vs.17&18).
All detestable activities that relate to fund raising in churches must be discouraged since God considers them detestable. Money earned from ritual, robbery and corruption are not acceptable either (see 1 Samuel 15:22). Note the instructions about vow making and its redemption (vv. 21 – 23 cf. Eccl. 5: 4 – 5).
• Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
Closing Prayer:
• Lord, help me to daily keep seeking your cleansing so that I will continue to dwell in your presence always.
• Pray for revival of Christians to personal witnessing and that the witness of the Church worldwide will never be muffled; pray for Church budgets to reflect Kingdom priorities.
Offer a prayer of faith in line with 2 Timothy 4:18 – And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Bible In One Year: Isa. 62-64; Mark 14:27-53
Thank you for reading Today’s Scripture Union Daily Guide 15th February 2021 Message – Guiding Rules For Living. God bless you!
Scripture Union Daily Guide 14th February 2021 – Peace Making
