Deut 7:1-26
Moses reminded the people that God was going to help them conquer the seven nations, each one stronger than Israel, which occupied Canaan. His command was that those nations were to be wiped out completely along with their idols and altars; otherwise, they were likely to lead Israel astray spiritually. God intended that they be a holy people - just as He does for believers now - set aside for Himself, simply because of His great love for them. To be holy required that they obey God's commands. In return, not only would they be holy, but God would bless them abundantly in health, wealth and population growth. Reminding them of how He delivered them from slavery in Egypt was meant to encourage them to face foes in Canaan.
It was also necessary to follow an orderly sequence when casting the enemy nations out of Canaan, so that, for example, wild animals did not overrun the areas left vacant. All idols and altars found were to be destroyed, even the silver and gold of which they were made; God considered all of it profane.
Deut 8:1-20
Prosperity depended upon obedience to God's commands. The most valuable item God's people could possess was His Word. The Israelites learned this through many mistakes and trials. His Word was essential to learning His commands, and forgetting God's commands was as bad as forgetting Him (v.11); token acknowledgement of God without complete obedience to His commands is as good as forgetting Him. Jesus emphasized the importance of God's Word by saying: 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Word (for Jesus is God!) will not pass away' (Matthew 24:35). Those who choose to ignore God's Word will perish in the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:15).
Luke 7:36-50
Like many others, the Pharisee assumed that Jesus was not a prophet because He allowed the sinful woman to touch Him; this was based on his own perceptions of what was acceptable behaviour. But Jesus showed that He not only knew all about the woman, but also the thoughts going through the Pharisee's mind. The Pharisee was at fault for not practising love (Leviticus 19:34), while the woman, as sinful as she might have been, typified love in action.
The lesson for us is: never judge other communities or situations by the way we, or our community, believes and lives; always be guided by God's commands.
Luke 8:1-3
Jesus consistently did what He came to do - preach about the Kingdom of God. His disciples and the women who supported His ministry accompanied him.
Psalm 69:1-18
Sometimes we reach such lows in life that it seems as if even God is ignoring us and we have no hope. David paints a vivid word picture about himself in such a situation. He willingly confesses / admits that it is his own fault, and hopes that no one else has been hurt by following his example. He does, however, lay claim to having wanted to honour God through all his mistakes, and continues to believe that God will eventually deliver him.
Prov 12:1
Those who want to improve themselves will do so, and are prepared to take wise advice from caring, well-meaning friends and family.
Those who refuse to be corrected or to take wise advice will continue to make mistakes because of their stupidity.
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