Old Testament reading: Isaiah 15-19
Curses! With the exception of the final ten verses of today’s reading, the entirety of the text consists of burdens, or curses, against five different nations: Moab, Syria, Israel, Ethiopia and Egypt. Chapters 15-16 detail the destruction of Moab, the descendants of Lot’s oldest daughter, whom she bore through incest. The Moabites were a constant thorn in the flesh to Israel, yet Israel was forbidden to harass Moab as he was a kinsman, being the nephew of Abraham (Deut 2:9; 2 Chr 20:10). In Jehoshaphat’s reign, God exacted His revenge on Moab as Israel looked on from afar (2 Chr 20:17-23). Now, less than 100 years later, Moab’s destruction shall be made complete. Moreover, Isaiah specifies the time of this destruction as taking place within three years. Chapter 17 begins with the curse against Syria, represented by its capital city Damascus. In verse 4 the curse is extended southward to Israel. Unlike Moab and Syria, Israel will not be utterly destroyed, for God will leave a remnant, described as a gleaning of grapes and shaking of an olive tree. This hearkens back to Deuteronomy 24:20-22, where Israel was commanded not to completely harvest their olives and grapes, but should only take one gleaning, leaving the remainder for the stranger, the fatherless and the widow. Pictured here is God’s provision and hope for Israel despite the harsh punishment to come.
New Testament reading: Hebrews 8-13
The book of Hebrews was written to help us to understand how the entirety of the Mosaic Law was done away with in Christ. Hebrews 8 is one of the clearest texts on this matter, showing that the bringing of a second covenant of necessity nullifies the first. By inspiration, the Hebrews writer said, “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (8:13). Twice in this chapter and once in the next we read of this “new covenant” (8:8, 9:15). Hebrews 10:19-20 speaks of the blood of Jesus as securing this new covenant by a “new and living way.” By implication, the Hebrews writer admonishes his audience that any way other than Christ is old and dead.
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