What a beautiful story, the anointing of David. Anointing of oil was symbolic of setting a person apart for God’s service. “…from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power”.

We too have been anointed.
2 Cor 1:21-22
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

David was anointed king, yet he had to wait to be king, even though he was empowered by the Lord’s Spirit. Think about all the things that David learned while waiting. How often does God choose to have us wait? Do we use our waiting time wisely?

Why did God allow an evil spirit to torment Saul? (see 1 Kings 22:19-23 and Job 1:6-12)

What faith David had! He acknowledged that his deliverance from wild animals came from God and he had no doubt that God would deliver him from Goliath.

How is it with our faith? Do we trust God to deliver us from our “Goliaths”?

As we read the story of his life, it is simply amazing how often King Saul compromised, transferred blame, and rationalized....Oops…guess we do that too don’t we?

“I am grieved that I have made Saul king…”
God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t regret any actions. And He doesn’t change His mind. “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind…”
He is simply grieved that Saul is doing what he is doing. Do we grieve the Lord by some of the things we are doing?

The tribe of Benjamin had turned to homosexuality – a practice that God calls an abomination. God used the Israelites to discipline the Benjamites. Yet the people grieved for Benjamin.

One of the most profound statements in the commentary so far is this one. “Religious apostasy is somewhat understandable in an age of idolatry and pagan practices, so it is not surprising to see the Israelites repeatedly lapse into spiritual unfaithfulness."

It is absolutely amazing how applicable this is to our world today. Many of God’s people continue to “fall away” from sound biblical teaching. This is spiritual unfaithfulness. Paul echoed these same words in his letter to Timothy.

2 Tim 4:3-5
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

But what a great encouragement Paul gave to Timothy and to us.

But you (put your name here), keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Even though there may be spiritual unfaithfulness all around us, we must keep on doing the work that God has called us to do...to be His faithful witnesses!

A sad commentary concerning Samuel’s two sons, “They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.”Sounds a bit like some of our leaders today, doesn’t it?

In Samuel's day, the people wanted a king. God warned them that they wouldn’t like having a king. But did they listen? Of course not! They wanted to be like the other nations. They wanted to be like the world.

Here's their reasoning as to why they wanted a king:
“Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
What a stupid statement! Why do they need a king to fight their battles? THEY HAD THE LORD!!!

Interesting that Saul used the same lame excuse that Gideon used, that he was of the least of all the clans of the tiny tribe of Benjamin. Also interesting that Saul/Paul of the New Testament was from the tribe of Benjamin. They both had a “change of heart”.

“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!”
Another great lesson for us today. We just need to stand still, trust Him, and watch what He does.

Can we sin against the Lord by failing to pray for people? Samuel thought so.
1 Sam 12:23
As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.

“…consider what great things he has done for you.”
What a great verse to contemplate!

Hannah's little boy Samuel was growing up under the watchful eye of the priest Eli. One night Samuel was lying down in the temple when the Lord spoke to him.

“Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.”
God was speaking. Samuel was listening. Samuel was more than willing to respond to Eli’s voice, and just as willing to respond to the voice of God.

“The Lord came and stood there…”
The word of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Son of God) had just been revealed to Samuel.

“The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.”
Israel's age-old enemy the Philistines appear once more on the scene and soundly defeat the Israelites in battle. Then the elders of Israel make a very bad judgment call! They take the Ark of the Covenant out of the Holy Place and into battle with the Philistines. They put their trust in the ark of the Lord, instead of the Lord of the Ark. The result? The Israelite army was defeated and the ark was captured. But read 1 Samuel 5 and see what happened to the Philistines. The ark brought nothing but trouble with a capital T.

After crying out to the Lord, Israel then defeats the Philistines, but not in their own power, only through the power of God. Good reminder for us Christians today. Right, Jerry???
Phil 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

In the midst of all the spiritual apostasy going on around them, both Hannah and Elkanah were devout enough to go to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice at the prescribed times. And yet, Elkanah had two wives. Did he take Peninnah as his second wife because Hannah was barren?

Contrast the devotion of Elkanah to the actions of Eli’s sons.

Even though, Hannah gave up her son in service to the Lord as soon as he was weaned, she still was a typical mother in many ways. She made him a special little robe each year.

“Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.” What does it mean to grow up in the presence of the Lord?

There is mention of "faithful priest" who will minister before the Lord's anointed. . This faithful priest is Zadok. His descendants will serve before the Messiah in the millennial kingdom.

Ezek 44:15-16
"'But the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok and who faithfully carried out the duties of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign LORD. They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and perform my service.

These descendants of Zadok will be given this high honor because Zadok was faithful in carrying out his duties in the sanctuary.

How are all of us as Christians doing in carrying out our duties in the midst of spiritual apostasy? Are we as faithful as the priest Zadok?

The tribe of Benjamin had turned to homosexuality – a practice that God calls an abomination. God used the Israelites to discipline the Benjamites. Yet the people grieved for Benjamin.

One of the most profound statements in the commentary so far is this one. “Religious apostasy is somewhat understandable in an age of idolatry and pagan practices, so it is not surprising to see the Israelites repeatedly lapse into spiritual unfaithfulness."

It is absolutely amazing how applicable this is to our world today. Many of God’s people continue to “fall away” from sound biblical teaching. This is spiritual unfaithfulness. Paul echoed these same words in his letter to Timothy.

2 Tim 4:3-5
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

But what a great encouragement Paul gave to Timothy and to us.

But you (put your name here), keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Even though there may be spiritual unfaithfulness all around us, we must keep on doing the work that God has called us to do...to be His faithful witnesses!

What a sad note concerning those Israelites who continually were attracted by pagan idols and practices...“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”

Does this sound like our world today? Everyone does as everyone wants. So much emphasis today is on what feels good, it seems to be all about self-gratification.

The Danites, from the tribe of Dan (one of the 12 tribes of Israel) hadn’t yet claimed the inheritance that God promised them. They took Laish and renamed it Dan. There they set up idols. This among other things is why the tribe of Dan is excluded from the 144,000 listed in Revelation.

Did you ever wonder what happened to Moses’ descendants? Some apparently didn’t do so well. His grandson fell in with the tribe of Dan and continued to use idols.

More Christophanies in today's reading...evidence of God the Son in the Old Testament.

Manoah's wife was sterile until she was visited by an angel of the Lord. When his wife saw the man of God she thought He looked like an angel. In Manoah's encounter with this same man of God, Manoah recognized that this man of God was the angel of the Lord. Manoah inquired of Him, “Are you the one who talked to my wife.”

The angel identified Himself just as He did with Moses at the burning bush, as “I am.”

Then Manoah asked His name, just as Jacob did in the “wrestling” incident with the man.

Then this most wonderful of images…Manoah and his wife witnessed the ascension. They knew they had seen God because they thought they were doomed to die…same thing that Gideon said when he saw the angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Son of God!

Oh, and the son born of the sterile wife of Manoah? None other than the man Samson.

Oh, how rich is today’s reading! Have we said that before???

It is impossible for a believer to read the story of Ruth and not be overcome with its significance.
It is a story of how God puts ordinary people (Ruth and Boaz) together to do “extra” ordinary things.

Think about the genealogy of both of these people. Ruth was a descendant of the incestuous relationship of Lot and his daughters. Boaz was the son of the Jericho prostitute Rahab. And yet God chose Ruth and Boaz to be great grandparents of King David and so the ancestors of Jesus.

What foreshadowing in this quote to Boaz from the elders at the gate, “May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.”

Through the descendants of Boaz certainly came One who is and who was famous in Bethlehem!

Stories in the Bible don’t always have a “happily ever after” ending. The story of Jephthah and his daughter is one of those stories that is both shocking and confusing. Jephthah made a rash bargain with God. If God would allow him victory against his enemies, he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house. Unfortunately, it was his daughter that came out of the house to meet him. How could a man make such a promise?

Equally shocking and confusing is that Jephthah’s daughter also honored her father’s bargain.
What does God say about such a bargain?

Eccl 5:4-6a
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.

Leviticus and Deuteronomy list rules pertaining to vows of dedication.
Deut 23:21-23
If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.

This passage is very clear that such vows are not from the Lord. They are from the mouth of men. Lessons for us are equally clear. We must be very cautious in making vows to the Lord.

The Israelites wanted to make Gideon their ruler after he killed the two kings of Midian (incidentally Moses father-in-law was a priest of Midian). Gideon tells them that he will not be their ruler, that the Lord will rule over them. Yet Gideon makes a golden ephod from the plunder that had been taken from the Midianites. This ephod is usually something worn by the priest. Another definition of the word ephod is image. This ephod or image was placed in Gideon's town and all Israel worshiped the golden ephod. Now this sounds as if Gideon wanted a lasting monument to himself, and not something to honor God.

It gets a little confusing with the two different names, Gideon and Jerub-Baal. Can you believe he had seventy sons??? And even more astounding that one of those sons, the son of a concubine, would kill all seventy of them, save for Jotham. Was Jotham another son of the concubine? Seems like the math doesn't work here with the seventy.

Lots of lessons to be learned from Gideon. As we are faithful to God, He will give us more responsibility. God expands and uses the abilities He has already built into us. God uses us in spite of our limitations and failures. We can easily fall into sin if we are not consistently following God.

Great lessons for us today, wouldn't you say???

Oh, so much to write about today’s reading!

No doubt about the identity of the Angel of the Lord. Gideon knew he was speaking with God. Otherwise why would he have thought he was going to die?

Exod 33:20
But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

If we can’t see God and live and yet Gideon saw God, there is only one explanation. Gideon was face to face with God the Son.

How often have we thought similar thoughts as Gideon's?“My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Yet we should know that if God asks us to do something, He will empower us to do it!

God told Gideon that He would be with him and yet Gideon asks for a sign! Why can’t we just take God at His word and believe His promises to us?

Why on earth would the men who lapped with their hands be the ones chosen to do the fighting? Could it be because by lapping with their hands they were able to still be watching for the enemy? Instead of having their faces down in the water? We are warned about watching for the enemy from the apostle Peter.

1 Pet 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

While Satan cannot devour our salvation, he sure can devour our witness and our testimony. We must be alert to his schemes!

Deborah was the fifth judge of Israel, a prophetess and the only female judge. Deborah's home was in the hill country of Ephraim between Bethel and Ramah.

Deborah summoned Barak and told him it was God's will that he lead her forces against the mighty warrior, Sisera. Sisera was the commander of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan, who had terrorized Israel for 20 years. Barak accepted on one condition: Deborah must accompany him. Deborah and Barak's army consisted of only 10,000, while Sisera had a multitude of fighters and 900 chariots of iron.

When the battle ended, not a single man of Sisera's army survived, except Sisera himself, who fled on foot. When Sisera took refuge in the tent of Heber the Kenite, Jael (the wife of Heber) drove a tent peg through his temple killing him. Ouch!

Then the land had peace for forty years. Is that because of the obedience of Deborah leading the people into obedience?
A great responsibility our leaders have, isn't it?

Judg 2:10
After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.

And whose fault was that? They had been given this admonition earlier.
Deut 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

The people forgot what God had done for them. They neglected to teach it to their children. They prostituted themselves to other gods. Remember God’s relationship to His people is like a marriage. These people were God’s people. They had a covenant relationship with Him. To go after other gods for self-serving motives is to be a prostitute, which is what they did.

Do you notice the correlation to what we do as Christians now? Don’t we prostitute ourselves when we value other pleasurable things above our worship of God?

Finally Joseph's bones rest in Shechem, modern day Nablus. Interesting link to a recent article concerning Joseph's tomb.http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56238

Judah and Simeon join forces and fight for Jerusalem, a city in Benjamin's territory. They were unsuccessful because they were influenced with pagan culture in the land.

The commentary in the Chronological Bible, "The danger of incomplete conquest is the lingering presence of pagan influence." Not much difference today.

Interesting connection with the angel of the Lord in Judges 2:1-5 and the angel of the Lord in Exodus 23:20-22. Seems as if we are seeing a pattern here.

It’s remarkable how the eastern tribes assured remembrance of their identity to future generations by building the altar.

What great words from Joshua, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”Joshua was the decision maker for his family. He was the spiritual leader of his house. How are we as Christians doing with that one?

“He is a holy God; he is a jealous God.”God tells us early on that He views our relationship with Him as a marriage. He doesn’t want any other “god” taking our attention. I find great comfort in that!

Chapters 18-21 of the book of Joshua are filled with specifications for the land allotments of the tribes.
Only the tribe of Dan is listed as having difficulty taking possession of their territory. None of the other tribes seemed to have had any problems. Could it be that they did not trust the Lord's provisions for them? We have this promise listed , “Not one of the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

God kept His promises then. He keeps His promises now. Here are a few of our favorite promises. John 14:15-18, John 14:1-3, I Cor. 12, Is. 35:10, I John 5:14-15, John 14:27.

Claiming His promises is all about trust!

Caleb was 40 years old when he went in to explore the land of Canaan. He, along with Joshua were the only two of the original multitude (fighting age and above) who were able to actually go into the land of promise. Why? Because Joshua and Caleb trusted in God’s promises. When Caleb settled in the land he was 85 years old, strong and vigorous.

In the division of the land Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh had no sons and so the daughters petitioned Joshua and the leaders for the right to have an inheritance. This will be extremely significant later. In the culture and customs of that day, the women basically counted for nothing, except for having children. Yet if we read the gospels, Jesus certainly elevated women.

God told them not to make a treaty with the people living in the land.
Exod 34:12-15
Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.

The people of Gibeon tricked Joshua into making a covenant with them claiming that they were from a distant country. Isn’t that just like Satan? He played on Joshua’s mercy. Even after Joshua realized that he had been tricked, he still wanted to hold on to the oath he had made with men rather than to please God. Not a good thing!

How often do we as Christians worry about what others think, and not so much about what God thinks?

When the Israelites took Jericho they were told to keep away from the devoted things within the city. Yet Achan acts unfaithfully and takes some of the devoted things. His one act of disobedience brought about God’s anger against all Israel.
A lesson for us today…when we sin others almost always get hurt. Sin has consequences.

Joshua pronounces curses on Jericho. The results of that prophecy happened during Ahab’s reign. Hiel laid the foundations at the cost of his firstborn, the gates at the cost of his youngest son, just exactly what Joshua had predicted.

IKing 16:34
In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

After Ai was taken Joshua built an altar and read the total Book of the Law, every word to the whole assembly, including women, children, and aliens.
This is great encouragement to read the entire Bible on a regular basis. Just as we are doing this year.

Joshua sent two spies into Jericho. They stayed at the house of a prostitute. Did the spies go into Rahab’s house because there were many people coming and going there and they wouldn’t be noticed?

Rahab was instrumental in protecting the men and in effect helped the Israelites take Jericho.

Rahab said “…for your Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” She as well as many others in Jericho had seen or heard about the pillar of fire and the cloud that guided the Israelites.

The story of Rahab is so significant. It is such a beautiful illustration that God can use ordinary people, even prostitutes to do extraordinary things!

Fascinating that most remember the parting of the Red Sea yet seldom remember the parting of the Jordan River – and at flood stage even! Notice that the priests stepped into the water without hesitation and look what happened. Talk about stepping out on faith.

How goes it with us as Christians? Are we obedient to where God is leading us? Do we step out in faith?

God gives a great blessing to the tribe of Levi.
“Bless all his skills, O Lord, and be pleased with the work of his hands.”

Isn’t this a blessing that every Christian should want? No matter what our skills are; manual labor, missionary work, office work, teaching, ministering, nursing, housework, heads of corporations, etc. shouldn’t we want all our skills to be blessed?
Col 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Scripture says that when Moses died “his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.”
Sounds like he was still healthy and strong. It's just that his time was up. His eyes must have been pretty strong to be able to see all that land from the top of Mount Nebo! Moses was able to “see” from the tip of the Dead Sea (Zoar) to way north of the Sea of Galilee (Dan).

In all of our spiritual battles, this promise should empower and encourage us. “The Lord himself goes before you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Discouragement is one of the Devil’s Deadly Ds. If we give in to discouragement it inevitably leads to doubt. Satan will whisper in our ears the same thing he whispered to Eve, “Did God really say….”

God warns Moses that the people will be unfaithful. He calls it prostitution. When we are unfaithful to God, with some gain for us, that is spiritual prostitution.

The Song of Moses is mentioned again in Rev. 15. John saw those who had been victorious over the beast and his image. They were singing the Song of Moses. One of the verses in that song is the following:

Deut 32:18
You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.

Ever wonder who the Rock was? Paul tells us.
1 Cor 10:1-4
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Here's a great little verse giving us assurance that our salvation is secure!
Deut 32:39
"See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.

Oh, and here's another one...
2 Cor 1:21-22
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Any doubts???

Have you ever really thought about the verse, “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.”?

God never asks us to do anything that is beyond our capabilities. He does set a very high standard though doesn’t He? Sometimes we may think it is insurmountable but He promises us that it isn’t. Why?
“…the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.”

How do we get the word in our mouth and in our heart? Would that be possible if we only spend a few minutes each week listening to a sermon? Or if we only spend a few minutes each week in prayer? Or if we only spend a few minutes each week in any kind of daily devotional? Or if we only spend a few minutes each week reading His Word?

I don’t think so!

And yet another offer is presented from the Father to His children if they follow His decrees and commands. Just read again all the blessings of obedience listed in Lev 26:3-13. It sounds almost like the Millennial Kingdom or the Garden of Eden. This time He promises them all this and once again, “I will walk among you.”

2 Cor 6:16-18
What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.""Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Even now He promises us an abundant life with Him if we only listen and obey!

In the custom of gleaning, some remnants are left over for the alien, fatherless, and the widow, but the remnants were not picked and handed to them, they had to go get them for themselves.

It was through this custom that Boaz was introduced to Ruth…and we know where that led. Ruth 4:13
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
Ruth 4:17b
And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. (ancestor of Jesus)

Again God warns the Israelites about the nations teaching them to follow their detestable ways.
Deut 23:14
For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.

What does it mean for us today to be holy?

Many of the dietary and health regulations listed in Deuteronomy and Leviticus are just plain common sense. It seems that many of the animals, fish, and birds listed as unclean are those who either eat meat or are scavengers.

Lev 17:11
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

Couldn’t help but think of Jesus on this one. It is through His shed blood that we have atonement for our sins.

Col 1:19-20
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

In all the rituals concerning people with infectious diseases, leprosy, boils, burns, etc. there is no mention of a cure. They were simply separated from the general population. Jesus came with cures, not just for the physical but for the spiritual as well.

“You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean…”
If only we would keep ourselves separate from things that contaminate us.

2 Cor 7:1
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

"At the heart of the marriage relationship is the idea of faithfulness to the vows of commitment.
Faithfulness is important both in marriage and in the people's relationship with God. Their unfaithfulness to God is considered spiritual adultery."
-quote from the Chronological Bible comments

Spiritual adultery happens when believers in Jesus break their vows of commitment and follow after other gods.

According to the law, the penalty for adultery is the death of both parties involved.
(Deut 22:22, Lev 20:10)

When the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery, notice they didn’t bring in the man with her. (John 8:3-11) Could it be that some of those men who were standing around the woman were guilty themselves? Is that what Jesus wrote on the ground…their names or their sins?

All the woman's accusers left, one by one. Jesus told the woman that He didn't condemn her. But He also declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

The sin is condemned, but not the repentant sinner. Praise God for that!

A great welfare system that God put in place – be openhanded toward your brothers. God said, “There will always be poor in the land.”

John also recorded these same words from Jesus.
John 12:8
You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

Jesus was probably talking here about the poor in worldly possessions. A woman had just poured out some costly perfume on Jesus (a year's wage to be exact). However, there are also spiritually poor among us. What is our responsibility to them?

We should feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty, but we should also tell them about the "Bread of Life" and the "Living Water".
We should house the homeless, but we should also tell them that in "our Father's house are many mansions".
We should clothe the naked, but we should also tell them about the "garments of righteousness".
God called us to do both, to take care of physical needs but to also take care of spiritual needs. Tall order!