God’s Renewing Word of Peace and Justice
Introduction
Deuteronomy 16:1-22: Today’s reading highlights three major religious festivals in Israel’s calendar including descriptions of how these festivals were to be celebrated. Passover took place in the spring; the Harvest Festival occurred seven weeks later to mark the completion of the grain harvest; and the Festival of Shelters took place in the fall after the olive and grape harvests. The chapter concludes with a description of the appointment of public officials who are to bear responsibility for the order and quality of life of the community.
Scripture Reading
The Passover
16 “Honor the Lord your God by celebrating Passover in the month of Abib; it was on a night in that month that he rescued you from Egypt. 2 Go to the one place of worship and slaughter there one of your sheep or cattle for the Passover meal to honor the Lord your God. 3 When you eat this meal, do not eat bread prepared with yeast. For seven days you are to eat bread prepared without yeast, as you did when you had to leave Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread—it will be called the bread of suffering—so that as long as you live you will remember the day you came out of Egypt, that place of suffering. 4 For seven days no one in your land is to have any yeast in the house; and the meat of the animal killed on the evening of the first day must be eaten that same night.
5-6 “Slaughter the Passover animals at the one place of worship—and nowhere else in the land that the Lord your God will give you. Do it at sunset, the time of day when you left Egypt. 7 Boil the meat and eat it at the one place of worship; and the next morning return home. 8 For the next six days you are to eat bread prepared without yeast, and on the seventh day assemble to worship the Lord your God, and do no work on that day.
The Harvest Festival
9 “Count seven weeks from the time that you begin to harvest the grain, 10 and then celebrate the Harvest Festival, to honor the Lord your God, by bringing him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing he has given you. 11 Be joyful in the Lord’s presence, together with your children, your servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns. Do this at the one place of worship. 12 Be sure that you obey these commands; do not forget that you were slaves in Egypt.
The Festival of Shelters
13 “After you have threshed all your grain and pressed all your grapes, celebrate the Festival of Shelters for seven days. 14 Enjoy it with your children, your servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns. 15 Honor the Lord your God by celebrating this festival for seven days at the one place of worship. Be joyful, because the Lord has blessed your harvest and your work.
16 “All the men of your nation are to come to worship the Lord three times a year at the one place of worship: at Passover, Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. Each man is to bring a gift 17 as he is able, in proportion to the blessings that the Lord your God has given him.
The Administration of Justice
18 “Appoint judges and other officials in every town that the Lord your God gives you. These men are to judge the people impartially. 19 They are not to be unjust or show partiality in their judgments; and they are not to accept bribes, for gifts blind the eyes even of wise and honest men, and cause them to give wrong decisions. 20 Always be fair and just, so that you will occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you and so that you will continue to live there.
21 “When you make an altar for the Lord your God, do not put beside it a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah. 22 And do not set up any stone pillar for idol worship; the Lord hates them.
Today’s Key Verse: Deuteronomy 16:15b
Be joyful, because the LORD has blessed your harvest and your work.
Reflect
How are each of these three festivals to be celebrated? What is significant about each one? How is God to be honored and thanked? What festivals are celebrated within your community of faith? What instructions are outlined for those who bear responsibility to administer justice? Are such instructions relevant for today? Why or why not?
Pray
Lord God, I thank and praise you for your many blessings. With joy in my heart I worship you. May all I do this day bring honor and glory to you. Amen.
And now, join us in thanking God that Bibles are changing the lives of hurting people in Uruguay. Gracious God, the pandemic brought great trauma and pain to many families in Uruguay, pushing nearly 100,000 people below the poverty line and making it difficult for them to afford a Bible. But thank you, God, that American Bible Society was able to provide struggling families with comfort from the Scriptures because of the “1 Million Bibles for Latin America” project. We pray that your Word will continue to bring the people of Uruguay the hope that comes from the Scriptures. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
Deuteronomy 17:1-20: Moses continues to give the people instructions for the administration of justice.