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MARCH 12
And they marveled at Him.
Then some Sadducees, who say there is no
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resurrection, came to Him; and they asked
Him, saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that 12:24 the power of God.The Sadducees’igno-
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if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife rance of the Scriptures extended to their lack of
behind, and leaves no children, his brother understanding regarding the miracles God per-
should take his wife and raise up offspring for formed throughout the Old Testament. Such
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his brother. Now there were seven brothers. knowledge would have enabled them to
The first took a wife; and dying, he left no off- believe in God’s power to raise the dead.
spring. And the second took her, and he died;
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nor did he leave any offspring. And the third
likewise. So the seven had her and left no off- marry nor are given in marriage, but are like
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spring. Last of all the woman died also. angels in heaven. But concerning the dead,
Therefore, in the resurrection, when they that they rise, have you not read in the book
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rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how
her as wife.” God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of
24 Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Ja-
not therefore mistaken, because you do not cob’ ? He is not the God of the dead, but the
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know the Scriptures nor the power of God? For God of the living. You are therefore greatly
when they rise from the dead, they neither mistaken.”
DAY 11:What is the Christian response to taxes?
In Mark 12:13, the Pharisees and the Herodians came together to try to catch Jesus off guard
by a seemingly sincere question:“Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we
not pay?”The Herodians were a political party of Jews who backed Herod Antipas,who in turn was
but a puppet of Rome.The Greek word for “taxes”was borrowed from the Latin word that gives us
the English word “census.”The Romans counted all the citizens and made each one pay an annual
poll tax of one denarius.
Jesus was fully aware of their hypocrisy, using a feigned interest in His teaching to hide their
true intention to trap Him.“Why do you test Me?”(v. 15), He asked, and His response was to ask for
a denarius.This small silver coin,minted by the Roman emperor,was the equivalent of a day’s wage
for a common laborer or soldier. On one side of the denarius was likely the image of the current
emperor,Tiberius.If the coin was minted by Tiberius,it would have read,“Tiberius Caesar Augustus,
the son of the Divine Augustus”on one side and “Chief Priest”on the other.
Based on the image on the denarius, Jesus answered,“Render to Caesar the things that are
Caesar’s.”The Greek word for “render” means “to pay or give back,” which implies a debt. All who
lived within the realm of Caesar were obligated to return to him the tax that was owed him. It was
not optional.Thus Jesus declared that all citizens are under divine obligation to pay taxes to what-
ever government is over them (see Rom. 13:1–7; 1 Pet. 2:13–17).

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by
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MARCH 12 the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land
of Edom; and the soul of the people became
very discouraged on the way. And the people
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spoke against God and against Moses: “Why
Numbers 21:1–22:41
have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in
The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who the wilderness? For there is no food and no
21 dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was water, and our soul loathes this worthless
coming on the road to Atharim. Then he bread.” So the LORD sent fiery serpents
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fought against Israel and took some of them among the people, and they bit the people;
prisoners. So Israel made a vow to the LORD, and many of the people of Israel died.
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and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and
into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken
cities.” And the LORD listened to the voice of against the LORD and against you; pray to the
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Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and LORD that He take away the serpents from us.”
they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So Moses prayed for the people.
So the name of that place was called Hormah. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery
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