Tag: Mark 8

Miklat

Numbers 35-36

Psalm 23

Mark 8

-Devotion by Aaron Winner (SC)

On any given day in Israel, the sounding of an alert can send an entire city scrambling toward a miklat—a bomb shelter—seeking safety from the enemy’s incoming attack. While this would not be commonplace for most of us, this is just another routine feature of Israeli life, a reality woven into the mandated architecture of homes, hospitals, and schools. These shelters stand as silent witnesses to the real persistent threat, offering all within its walls refuge from the destruction.

We can find the use of this word in Ancient Israel too, describing again, protection from harm, although the enemies are more likely to be within the same walls. In Numbers 35:6–15, God commands the establishment of six cities of refuge, places where those guilty of involuntary manslaughter could flee for safety. These cities were not loopholes for the guilty, but lifelines for the vulnerable—spaces of mercy in the midst of justice. Without them, the accused would face certain death at the hands of an avenger. With them, they were given time, protection, and the hope of appeal and even restoration. God used the physical space to deliver a message of hope for his people.

That truth echoes in Psalm 23:4–6, where the psalmist walks through “the valley of the shadow of death” yet fears no evil. Why? Because refuge is no longer merely a place; it is a presence. “For you are with me.” In seasons of fear, sorrow, or struggle, our instinct is often to run—to escape, to deny, or to despair. Yet the Shepherd leads us differently. He guides us to green pastures and still waters (Psalm 23:2), even though it may look more like scorched earth than scenic mountain hike.  A family singing hymns in the dim light of a bunker, the shared hope in a friend’s embrace as we grieve, a desperate flight from addiction that leads you back to the Word of God, all can be reminders of a present, working God.

In the same manner, we find this constant companionship in Jesus Christ. As the fulfillment of the Law, He becomes our ultimate miklat, both the bearer and redeemer of our sin. In Mark 8:1–9, Jesus feeds the four thousand, revealing Himself as the true Bread who satisfies not only physical hunger but a far greater spiritual need. Just as those awaiting the Gospel message outside of the boat, we neither have the strength to stand judgment nor the ability to walk to the next town over. Our miklat is built in the foundation of salvation’s careful plan, so let us be constantly reminded we can run to His refuge at any moment.

Reflection Questions

  1. When and where have you experienced God’s refuge?
  2. What might God’s refuge look like in a current situation you face?
  3. How can you be a part of offering God’s refuge to someone who feels like they are in a dark valley?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, giver of all life and true refuge, thank you for providing refuge and giving the gift of Your Son and salvation. Help me see and feel that You are near. Even when my situation doesn’t change, Your presence calms and shelters me. Show me where and how I can share You, Your strength, Your guidance, and Your peace with others. In Jesus’ name I pray.

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What is It Really Worth?

Old Testament: Numbers 33 & 34

Poetry: Job 23

New Testament: Mark 8

What is the most you have ever paid for something? What is the most you have ever gotten from selling something? We value our things and we value our money. It seems that prices keep going up and up on everything that we need. Yet when we sell something it seems the price is never quite as high as we would like it to be. When we buy or sell we must ask ourselves, “What is this really worth to me?” That question will help us decide if we want to buy or sell at the price offered.

Jesus asks His followers to place value on what may be the single most valuable thing we have, our life and the choices we make in it. In Mark 8:31 Jesus teaches that He, “must suffer many things and be rejected … and be killed, and after three days rise again.” In the verses that follow He tells Peter that Peter had not set his mind on God’s interests, but his own. Then Jesus tells us, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34) Jesus is saying that we must place a value on being His follower. We must also place a value on following our own desires. We must decide which is of greater value to us. If our desires win and we choose to seek the things of this life and avoid the suffering of following Jesus it is a steep price to pay. Jesus says, “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:35) Proverbs puts it this way, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:25)

I leave you with the 2 questions that Jesus asked His disciples in verses 36 and 37, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

-Bill Dunn

(originally posted May 10, 2017 for SGL)

Reflection Questions

  1. What did Jesus call Peter when he called him out for having in mind the things of men instead of the things of God? How often do you find yourself in the same mindset? How can we work at being more intentionally focused on the things/interests of God?
  2. Who have you seen deny themself, take up their cross and follow Jesus? What did it look like? What does it look like when you deny yourself and take up your cross to follow Jesus?
  3. What might it look like for you to “lose your life” for Jesus and the gospel?
  4. Is there anything more valuable to you than your soul? Are your life choices and daily decisions aligning with what you say you value most?
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Feeding the Thousands, Again

Mark 8

Saturday, July 30, 2022

I’ll be honest I forget sometimes that there is the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand.  The feeding of the five thousand has a bigger number so I usually remember that and not the four thousand, but today I would like to talk about the feeding of the four thousand and one story after that.  The story starts out by saying that there was a large crowd of four thousand who were following and listening to Jesus. They had been following for three days without food.

I want to stop quick and highlight the fact that there were four thousand people.  Sometimes big numbers become a statistic and you forget how big they are. So, stop for a moment and think about how many that is.  For example, in Minnesota the average number of students in a school district is about two thousand five hundred through 13 grades!  It’s almost double that number of people. That’s a lot!

That crowd had been following Jesus for three days without food.  The fact that there were four thousand still there is amazing.  They wanted to learn so much they went three days without food, and they still were trying to learn even with hunger getting worse every moment.  The chapter also says that if they sent the people home they would faint.  The disciples asked Jesus where they would find enough food.  Of course, like before, Jesus asks how many loaves of bread they have, and after that proceeds to feed everyone with seven loaves and a few fish.  

What I find as an interesting detail is that he didn’t give them just enough to keep them going but it says that he gave enough for them to be satisfied.  Which probably means more than one loaf per person.  That means he took 7 loaves of bread and made it into at least four thousand loaves if not eight thousand.  To give some statistics, that’s probably over a thousand times what they started with.  That blows my mind!

A few verses later Jesus and the Disciples are in a boat but they have forgotten to take any of the bread they had just gotten from Jesus feeding the four thousand.  The disciples start talking about how they have no bread.  This is only a little after Jesus has just provided for four thousand yet they are concerned about not having food.  That’s crazy!  They just saw him provide yet it’s as if they’ve forgotten.  Jesus notices them talking about this and points out that he provided for the five thousand then the four thousand.  He then tells them “Do you not understand?”  That is a great question. Do we understand?  I’d encourage you to go read those few verses again as I think it’s better put there.  

Jesus provided for them when they needed it as he will also provide for us when we need it.  Let’s try and remember this in our daily lives.

-Philip Kirkpatrick

Application Questions

  1. Could you have followed for three days or more without food? Have you ever tried fasting – giving up food and/or other distractions to spend more time listening to and drawing closer to God and His Son, Jesus?
  2. Do you worry too much about the day to day worries of life?
  3. What has already been provided for you? How can remembering these things help replace worry with peace and satisfaction?
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