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APRIL 22
Psalm 50:1–6
A Psalm of Asaph.
T he Mighty One, God the LORD, 16:13 You cannot serve God and mammon.
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going Many of the Pharisees taught that devotion to
money and devotion to God were perfectly
down. compatible (v. 14). This went hand-in-hand
with the commonly held notion that earthly
riches signified divine blessing. Rich people
were therefore regarded as God’s favorites.
While not condemning wealth per se, Christ
50:1 The Mighty One,God the LORD.The Divine denounced both love of wealth and devotion
Judge is introduced with three significant Old to mammon.
Testament names. The first two are the short
and longer forms of the most common word 16:15 justify yourselves.The Pharisees’belief
for “God” in the Old Testament, and the third is was that their own goodness was what justi-
the name for Israel’s God par excellence, i.e., fied them (see Rom.10:3).This is the very defi-
Yahweh.From the rising of the sun to its going nition of “self-righteousness.” But, as Jesus
down. A common Old Testament idiom convey- suggested, their righteousness was flawed,
ing from east to west,i.e.,all over the planet. being an external veneer only. That might be
enough to justify them before men, but not
before God, because He knew their hearts. He
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, repeatedly exposed their habit of seeking the
2
God will shine forth. approval of people (see Matt. 6:2,5,16; 23:28).
Our God shall come, and shall not
3
keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him, Give an account of your stewardship, for you
And it shall be very tempestuous all can no longer be steward.’
around Him. 3 “Then the steward said within himself,
He shall call to the heavens from
4 ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the
above, stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am
4
And to the earth, that He may judge ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do,
that when I am put out of the stewardship, they
His people:
“Gather My saints together to Me,
5 may receive me into their houses.’
5 “So he called every one of his master’s
Those who have made a covenant with
Me by sacrifice.” debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much
6
6 Let the heavens declare His do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hun-
righteousness, dred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take
For God Himself is Judge. Selah your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’
7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do
Proverbs 14:25–27 you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of
wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and
25 A true witness delivers souls, 8
But a deceitful witness speaks lies. write eighty.’ So the master commended the
unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.
26
In the fear of the LORD there is strong For the sons of this world are more shrewd in
confidence, their generation than the sons of light.
And His children will have a place of 9 “And I say to you, make friends for your-
refuge. selves by unrighteous mammon, that when
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of you fail, they may receive you into an everlast-
life, ing home. He who is faithful in what is least
10
To turn one away from the snares of is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust
death. in what is least is unjust also in much. There-
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fore if you have not been faithful in the
Luke 16:1–31
unrighteous mammon, who will commit to
He also said to His disciples: “There was your trust the true riches? And if you have
12
16 a certain rich man who had a steward, not been faithful in what is another man’s, who
and an accusation was brought to him that this will give you what is your own?
2
man was wasting his goods. So he called him 13 “No servant can serve two masters; for
and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? either he will hate the one and love the other,
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