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APRIL 17
31 Israel served the LORD all the days of But a good man will be satisfied from
Joshua, and all the days of the elders who out- above.
lived Joshua, who had known all the works of Luke 13:23–35
the LORD which He had done for Israel.
32 The bones of Joseph, which the children of 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few
Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried who are saved?”
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at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob And He said to them, “Strive to enter
had bought from the sons of Hamor the father through the narrow gate, for many, I say to
of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
and which had become an inheritance of the 25 When once the Master of the house has risen
children of Joseph. up and shut the door, and you begin to stand
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord,
buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say
son, which was given to him in the mountains
of Ephraim.
Psalm 47:1–9
13:23 are there few who are saved? That
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. question may have been prompted by a number
h, clap your hands, all you peoples! of factors.The great multitudes that had once
O Shout to God with the voice followed Christ were subsiding to a faithful
of triumph! few (see John 6:66). Great crowds still came to
2 For the LORD Most High is awesome; hear (14:25), but committed followers were
He is a great King over all the earth. increasingly scarce.Moreover,Christ’s messages
3 He will subdue the peoples under us, often seemed designed to discourage the
And the nations under our feet. halfhearted. And He Himself had stated that
4 He will choose our inheritance for us, the way is so narrow that few find it (Matt.
7:14). This contradicted the Jewish belief that
The excellence of Jacob whom all Jews, except for tax collectors and other
He loves. Selah notorious sinners,would be saved.Christ’s reply
5 God has gone up with a shout, once again underscored the difficulty of enter-
The LORD with the sound of a trumpet. ing at the narrow gate. After the resurrection,
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! only 120 disciples gathered in the upper room
Sing praises to our King, sing praises! in Jerusalem (Acts 1:15) and only about 500 in
7 For God is the King of all the earth; Galilee (1 Cor. 15:6).
Sing praises with understanding.
8 God reigns over the nations; to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are
God sits on His holy throne. from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and
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9 The princes of the people have drank in Your presence, and You taught in our
gathered together, streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not
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The people of the God of Abraham. know you, where you are from. Depart from
For the shields of the earth belong to God; Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be
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He is greatly exalted. weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the
Proverbs 14:14
prophets in the kingdom of God, and your-
14 The backslider in heart will be filled selves thrust out. They will come from the
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with his own ways, east and the west, from the north and the
14:14 backslider in heart. This term, so often
used by the prophets (Is. 57:17; Jer. 3:6,8, 13:29 They will come. By including people
11,12,14,22; 8:5; 31:22; 49:4; Hos. 11:7; 14:4), is from the 4 corners of the earth, Jesus made it
here used in such a way as to clarify who is a clear that even Gentiles would be invited to
backslider. He belongs in the category of the the heavenly banquet table.This was contrary
fool,the wicked,and the disobedient,and he is to prevailing rabbinical thought, but perfectly
contrasted with the godly wise.It is a word that consistent with the Old Testament Scriptures
the prophets used of apostate unbelievers. (Ps. 107:3; Is. 66:18,19; Mal. 1:11).

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