We know him as Saint Patrick 

• His name wasn’t Patrick
• He wasn’t Irish
• He was never canonized by the Catholic Church as a Saint

Maewyn Succat was his real name.  He was born in Britain in 386.  His family had a high social standing for generations.  His dad, Calphurnius was a deacon from a Roman family.  His grandfather, Pontious was also a member of the clergy.  However, he was not raised religiously.  Many people work for churches for financial and job security but fail to raise their children in a spiritual way.

When Maewyn was 16 he was captured by pirates and brought to Ireland and sold into slavery.  Evidently, Ireland was the pirate hot-spot, which explains all the accents in the movies 😂. He was a slave for at least 6 years.  While a slave, he was a shepherd, spending most of his time alone and afraid.  So he turned to God.  He had a dream that he would escape and return to the very people that enslaved them to talk to them about Christianity.

Maewyn did escape and studied theology for about 15 years and became a priest. He changed his name to Patricius, or Patrick, which derives from the Latin term for “father figure,” when he became a priest because he knew he had to return to the horrible place he was enslaved as a missionary.  He knew the language, cultures, and rituals.  Their pagan rituals were nature-based (just like the Old Testament). Maewyn incorporated nature into his missionary work so that the people would be less defensive as he shared the Gospel.  For example, they used fire to honor their gods, so he sat around a bonfire when speaking to them.  He also drew a circle to represent the sun when he introduced the Cross.  (They worshipped Ra-the sun god), so he added it to the back of the cross so they did not shut him down as he continued to share the scriptures. (We could learn a lot about how to approach people with the Gospel)

And of course, everyone’s favorite…

The 3 leaf clover was used when Maewyn would need to explain the Holy Trinity.  He would scoop up the clover and point to each leaf and explain the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as separate but also as one.

Have a Great St. Patrick’s Day.

If you have children (of any age), ask them who he is?

My son had the craziest story that involved deer, rainbows, and gold.   Deer??

• Click here to read (4 chapters today)
• Click here to listen

Chapter 17- This is one of those chapters that appears boring BUT is filled with things to underline.  Have you ever watched a movie like Sixth Sense?  The kind of movie that when you watch it a second time and you pick up on all the little clues, this is that chapter!

Example: When we read the trial of Jesus:

Things to underline today:

• ⁶ On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
• ⁸ If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults—take them to the place the Lord your God will choose
• ⁹ Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict. 

Did Jesus have 2 (truthful) witnesses?  Was He tried at the Temple?  Who is the High Priest at the time?  If the priest gave a verdict why were Pontius Pilate and Herod involved? (many more illegalities will occur)

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Verse 14-20.  You might as well memorize these scriptures.  I am probably going to refer back to them 100 times!  You must read them twice, they are very important.  Right now in our read-through, we are a Theocracy-The Lord is King.  However, we will throw that idea away and become a Monarchy, and after that, we will become a divided kingdom (2 Monarchies).  The Lord KNOWS we are going to want a king (other than God) so here are the rules for the king:

Chapter 17:14  “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”

God does not just appoint them a king….they ask for one!  Oh no, that won’t be good.  We already know we are to follow God, not a king.  But God gives them a king anyway to show them they don’t need one!

The King must:

1. He must be the one the Lord chooses
2. He must not multiply his horses for military purposes
3. He must not acquire many wives (or you will take on their false worship)
4. He must make a copy of the Law and have it with him at all times.  He will read it every day. (oh, and follow it)

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Chapter 18-

• The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance.  If people are not worshipping at the Temple eventually, how will the priests live off the offerings?  SMH.

Chapter 18:9-13 (Refer to Lev. 18 for a recap)

¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

Sacrifice their sons and daughters??  This was a Canaanite ritual, that was common.  Molech represented the male principle of life and reproduction while Ashtoreth represented the female principle of fertility.

      

Canaanites would sacrifice their children to this false god.  A fire inside the statue would receive the newborn child and pass through to their god.  But this should not be a problem BECAUSE we have read that when they enter the Promised Land they will should destroy ALL of their pagan ritual sites, not take on their ways, or marry into their tribes, or partake in their sexual rituals to their gods……

The second part of the above verse…consult mediums?  Who would do that in the Bible?  Maybe the FIRST king does it?  (Trivia: Can anyone name the first king of the Monarchy in the Bible? No googling! It is NOT David 😂)

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Prophets- After reading that the Israelites should NOT listen to a fortune teller, a medium, or spiritist, they are introduced to Prophets.  Well, how do we know one from the other?

A True Prophet:

1. will be Hebrew
2. must speak in the name of the Lord
3. what the prophet says must come to pass

BUT ❤️

¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. ¹⁹ I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.

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Chapter 19 Cities of Refuge.  If you skipped some of the readings click here for the Numbers 35 post on this.

These chapters are amazing…Jesus is on every page! Kings, Prophets, Priests….

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Chapter 20.  A beautiful ending.  If Jesus is our High Priest, and you are facing a battle in your life: cling to chapter 20: ❤️

20 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. ² When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. ³ He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. ⁴ For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”