DAN TO BEERSHEBA

Today’s Reading: Judges 20

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Dan is a city mentioned in the Bible and described as the northernmost city of the Kingdom of Israel, belonging to the Tribe of Dan. Seen here is the main entrance to the ancient city of Dan. Beersheba, or Beersheva, as it is now known in Hebrew, is the most southwestern city. Our ministry of Crossroads was, at my last visit, recognized on a plaque in the entrance to the children’s wing of the hospital at Beersheva. We raised a large amount of money to help build the wing in honour of Dr. Nelles Silverthorne, a famous Canadian researcher paediatrician, who often appeared on 100 Huntley Street. The hospital serves both Bedouin Arab children and Jewish children.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Judges 20:20a

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin…

Israel had extremely hard lessons to learn. Again they were fighting members of their own family; all of them were children of Abraham. When people are estranged from God, trouble and divisions usually follow. This happens in individual families as well as in nations. Inevitably, the cause of the conflict is the curse of sin…sin against God and against people. In America this happened in the Civil War. People whose roots were mainly in the United Kingdom were killing each other, perhaps as many as 500,000 died just 150 years ago. The book, Killing Lincoln, speaks of the President’s well-worn Bible, which has many notes written in the margins. The last two US Presidents laid their hands upon that very Bible when they were sworn into office. We can be sure that President Lincoln believed he was directed by God to remove the curse of slavery from the land. It’s easy for us to second-guess decisions made by leaders. Jesus was so revolutionary (not in a military way) that He taught us to love our enemies. We should ask ourselves the question, “How well are we obeying His commandment to love unconditionally?”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I find it difficult to understand Your unconditional love. It amazes me that You, Lord Jesus, chose to die rather than call on a mighty army of angels to destroy the world and all who did such evil against You. I pray for a greater measure of Your love to fill me up to overflowing. Help me to show my love for You by loving all people, even those who would consider themselves my enemies. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

In preparation for our next book in this blog, 1st Corinthians, I’ve been reading ahead. Last night I read 1st Corinthians, chapter 13. It occurred to me that this chapter is a description of the way Jesus lived His life. He was and is the very embodiment of love. He is “the Glory of God.” It’s not hard for me to believe that “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Love is the only way to make an enemy a friend. Through the years I’ve discovered this wisdom in my relationships with Government, with the media, and with people in general, and in particular those with whom I disagree. On this basis, our TV network, YES TV, has opened its door in various TV productions to spokespersons of varying opinions.

Norma-Jean mentioned to me the Frank Sinatra love song, Young At Heart, which has a line in it, “If you should survive to 105…” George Beverly Shea, who lived almost to 105, recorded the powerful song, The Love of God. If I can find it online, I’ll put it in my blog (click here). Could this be George’s secret to long life? For years he watched the 100 Huntley Street telecast on his computer every day! What a great man!!!

Yours for living and loving,

David

P.S. Here is a satellite map of the territory (Dan to Beersheba) from which the tribes gathered to fight against Benjamin because of the outrage they felt at the perversion of the men of Gibeah (Judges 19:22-30).