Bible connect (Week 13 Day 2)

� Reading 2 - Deut 32-34

32 - Chapter 32 is the song of “The Rock” (verses 4, 15, 18, 30, 31). The song makes it clear that God is good and kind, that He loves Israel and that He has fully kept His side of the bargain.

33-34 - Chapters 33-34 closes Deuteronomy. Moses blesses each tribe (in this order: sons of Leah, sons of Rachel, and then the sons of handmaids) and then dies. Notice that Moses does not die of old age but sim- ply because God took him (verses 7). It is time for Israel to move forward into the Promised Land and time for new leadership for God’s people. It is time for Joshua!

Psalm 13

Like Psalm 6 from last week this lament psalm asks “How long?” (verses 1-2). We do not know what was happening in David’s life that prompted this cry for help. There are so many times in his life that this psalm could fit. As there is no discussion of sin in the psalmist’s life what is missing here is an explanation. Why am I suffering like this, God (verses 3-4)? David’s frankness in this psalm guides us in our praying when we are afflicted and do not understand why. We need to take our problems to God! It is not wrong to cry out to God in candor, but such prayers need to be always mindful of God’s past activity for us (note the contrast to the wicked - “but I,” verse 5a) and so we can be filled with future confidence (verses 5b-6).

13 - The idea of repentance percolates to the front in verses 1-9. Some ask why the Pharisees warned Jesus in verse 31? They may have been lying or, they may have been sincerely trying to help. Not all Phar- isees were bad.