
Loading summary
A
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy. No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord. No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the Lord even to the 10th generation. None of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord. No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord even to the 10th generation. None of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam. Instead, the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you. Because the Lord your God loved you. You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever. You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian because you were a sojourner in his land. Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the Lord. When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing. If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal omission, then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp. But when evening comes, he shall bathe himself in water. And as the sun sets, he may come inside the camp. You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. And you shall have a trowel with your tools. And when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement. Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you. Therefore your camp must be holy so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master, to you. He shall dwell with you in your midst, in the place that he shall choose, within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him. None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God. You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on Money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest. That the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips. For you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. If you go into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain. When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man's wife and the latter man hates her, and and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or, or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken. No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge. If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. Take care in a case of leprous disease to be very careful to do according to all that. The Levitical priest shall direct you as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt. When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. You shall restore to him the pledge as the sun sets that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you. And it shall be righteousness for you before the Lord your God. You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. You shall give him his wages on the same day before the sun sets, for he is poor and counts on it, lest he cry against you to the Lord and you be guilty of sin. Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children. Nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin. You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless or take a widow's garment in pledge. But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt. And the Lord your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I command you to do this. When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow. That the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it. Afterward, it shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I command you to do this. A reading from the Book of Psalms. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side. 10,000 at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the Most High, who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him with long life. I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. A reading from the Book of Acts. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles. And brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, it is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses. The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. And he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear. But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will. And all the assembly fell silent. And they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written. After this I will return and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it. That the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old. Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders with the whole church to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas they sent Judas, called Barsabbas and and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following the brothers, both the apostles and the elders. To the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. Greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood, and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well for farewell. So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, let us return and visit the brothers in every city, where we proclaim the word of the Lord, and see how they are now. Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark but Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work and there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus but Paul chose Silas, and departed, having been commended by the brothers, to the grace of the Lord and he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Podcast Summary: Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry
Episode: April 9, 2025
Scripture Readings: Deuteronomy 23–24; Psalm 91; Acts 15
Host/Author: Crossway featuring Jackie Hill Perry
In the April 9 episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry," listeners are guided through a comprehensive study of Deuteronomy 23–24, Psalm 91, and Acts 15. This episode delves into the intricate laws of the Israelites, the comforting assurances of Psalm 91, and a pivotal moment in the early Christian church addressing the inclusion of Gentiles. The readings are presented in a structured manner, providing both historical context and spiritual insights to enrich the listener's understanding.
Summary: The reading from Deuteronomy 23–24 outlines a series of laws governing the social, religious, and ethical conduct of the Israelites. These chapters emphasize the importance of maintaining purity within the assembly of the Lord, the fair treatment of foreigners, and the establishment of just practices within the community.
Key Points:
Eligibility for the Assembly of the Lord: Restrictions are placed on individuals with certain physical conditions or those born of forbidden unions, extending these exclusions to the tenth generation (Deuteronomy 23:1-3).
Treatment of Foreigners: While Edomites and Egyptians face specific restrictions, there is a directive to treat them with kindness, remembering the Israelites' own history as sojourners in Egypt (Deuteronomy 23:7-9).
Social Justice: Instructions are given to ensure fair treatment of slaves, prohibition of wrongful practices like charging interest to fellow Israelites, and mandates for returning pledges promptly, especially to the poor (Deuteronomy 23:15-25).
Family Law: The text covers aspects of marriage and divorce, emphasizing the sanctity and seriousness of marital commitments (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).
Agricultural Practices: Guidelines are provided for harvesting, ensuring that the sojourners, fatherless, and widows have access to the produce from the fields without exploitation (Deuteronomy 24:19-22).
Notable Quotes:
"A reading from the book of Deuteronomy. No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord." [00:01]
"You shall not wrong him. None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute." [12:45]
"You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns." [24:30]
Insights: These passages underscore the balance between maintaining a holy community and showing compassion towards the marginalized. The laws serve as a framework to build a society grounded in justice, mercy, and reverence for God.
Summary: Psalm 91 is a profound declaration of trust in God's protection and faithfulness. It portrays a relationship between the believer and the Divine as one of refuge and safety amidst life's adversities.
Key Points:
Divine Protection: The psalmist emphasizes God as a protector who shields from physical and spiritual dangers, such as pests, traps, and calamities.
Certainty of Salvation: Assurance is given that those who dwell in God's shelter will not fear the terrors of night or the dangers of day.
Angelic Guardians: God commands His angels to guard believers in all their ways, ensuring their safety and preventing missteps.
Ultimate Victory: The psalmist assures triumph over fearsome creatures like lions and serpents, symbolizing the ultimate victory of good over evil through God's support.
God's Presence in Trouble: A promise that God will be with the faithful in times of distress, rescuing and honoring them with long life and salvation.
Notable Quotes:
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." [25:00]
"His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day." [27:15]
"Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the Most High, who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you." [31:45]
Insights: Psalm 91 serves as a comforting reminder of God's unwavering protection and presence. It encourages believers to place their trust fully in God, assuring them that no harm can befall those who seek refuge in Him.
Summary: The reading from Acts 15 recounts the significant council held in Jerusalem, where early church leaders addressed the contentious issue of whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to undergo circumcision and adhere to the Mosaic Law for salvation. This chapter highlights the unity and diversity within the early Christian community and the foundational decisions that shaped the church's mission.
Key Points:
The Dispute: Certain men from Judea advocated that Gentile believers must be circumcised according to Moses' custom to be saved, causing considerable debate (Acts 15:1-2).
Mission to Jerusalem: Paul, Barnabas, and others were sent to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and elders about this matter, emphasizing the importance of collective decision-making (Acts 15:4).
Peter's Argument: Peter argued that God does not discriminate between Jews and Gentiles and that salvation comes through grace, not the law, advocating against imposing the Mosaic requirements on Gentiles (Acts 15:7-11).
James' Judgment: James supported the view that Gentiles should not be burdened with the full yoke of the Mosaic Law, recommending only a few essential abstentions to foster unity (Acts 15:19-21).
The Letter: A letter was drafted to communicate the council's decision, urging Gentile believers to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality, thus promoting harmony within the diverse church (Acts 15:23-29).
Church Division: The chapter concludes with Paul and Barnabas parting ways over a disagreement concerning Mark, illustrating the human dynamics within the mission of the church (Acts 15:36-40).
Notable Quotes:
"Peter stood up and said to them, brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe." [40:22]
"Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled and from blood." [55:10]
"Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus but Paul chose Silas, and departed, having been commended by the brothers, to the grace of the Lord." [60:35]
Insights: Acts 15 underscores the early church's commitment to inclusivity while maintaining essential standards for communal harmony. The council's decision paved the way for the widespread mission to Gentiles, highlighting the transformative power of grace over traditional legalism.
This episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year" offers a rich tapestry of biblical teachings, weaving together the societal laws of Deuteronomy, the personal assurances of Psalm 91, and the communal decisions in Acts 15. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on the balance between law and grace, the assurance of God's protection, and the importance of unity within diversity. Jackie Hill Perry, through the Crossway channel, provides a thoughtful exploration of these scriptures, inviting believers to deepen their faith and understanding as they journey through the Bible.