Sunday, April 12, 2015

Sunday, April 12, 2015

A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. Proverbs 13:1

I thought it interesting how the proverb for today pretty much sums up the other scripture readings. We see Joshua following God's instructions to march around the city of Jericho once a day for six days and then seven times around on the seventh day. The people shouted as God had told them to and the city walls fell, allowing them access into the city. The Israelites destroyed the city and everything in it, except for those items that the Lord told them to keep and were to be put into his treasury. All went well because the people listened to their Father's instruction.

But when they went to Ai, they were not successful. Joshua lamented to the Lord about this failure and threw himself facedown on the ground before the ark of the Lord. " the Lord said to Joshua, 'Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies;" Joshua 7:10-12a. This time their failure was because they had mocked God by disobeying his commands.

In Luke we read the story of the prodigal son. Though the reading doesn't say that the father rebuked his son for asking for his inheritance, we can imagine that the father had taught his children to be prudent and wise during their growing up years. And here again, the son goes off and finds only hardship and hunger.

And in Psalm 81 we read how God rescued Israel from so much. They called to God and he answered them. But then the people rebelled. "But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices." Psalm 81:11-12. If they would only have listened to God, he would have made their paths easier.

So what I get out of today's readings is that we can do it the hard way or we can do it the easy way. Listening to God. Following his ways. Doing what he tells us to do. Being obedient to our Father seems like the best way to live life.

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