25 September 2010
Psalm 87, 90; Hosea 1:1-2:1; Acts 20:1-16; Luke 4:38-44

The prophet is instructed to take a wife who is either a prostitute or one who will be unfaithful to him. It is uncertain which way the description is to be interpreted. What is not difficult or uncertain is how to interpret the reason for the description. She is representative of the people of Israel who could be said to be whoring after other gods or unfaithful to the Lord. Hosea’s children, likewise, are a sign to the people of themselves in the eyes of God. They will receive no mercy, they are not His people so long as they continue unfaithful to Him and He has named the place where they will be broken. We need always remember that He is a jealous God, He has done much to purchase us and it is the height of unfaithfulness to go after other gods. Their names in that day were the baals, today they may be consumerism, materialism, and many others which claim the better part of our lives.

The healing ministry at Capernaum begins with Peter’s mother-in-law and then continues after sundown, as the Sabbath ended. The people respected the Sabbath restrictions of the Pharisees enough to wait but surely they had laid their plans and expectantly waited for the time when they could get their sick and those who needed inner healing to this man, Jesus. Luke gives us the detail of Peter’s mother-in-law that shows that Jesus did not respect the Pharisaic restriction, He performed this healing at her house when he returned from the synagogue. The disciples are excited about the response to the ministry and implore Jesus to return and make this a base of operations but He has drawn away from the crowds and gone away to be alone with the Father. Good leaders need to spend time away in order to get their marching orders not from the crowd (however small that number may be), but from the Lord.

In this passage from Acts the pronoun “we” appears. Apparently Luke joined Paul on this part of the mission and is now providing first hand reporting. He was there when Eutychus fell out of the window and died as Paul spoke well into the night and in that story gives us several details, “there were many lamps”, the time of night when it happened, and Paul’s words directly quoted. Luke also tells us that Paul was eager to be in Jerusalem at Pentecost. Why would Paul want to be there? Was he expecting the Lord to do as He had done on that first Pentecost?

Lord, you have been our dwelling-place
in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us,
and prosper for us the work of our hands—
O prosper the work of our hands!