Monthly Archives: August 2012

Daily Bible Study

August 12, 2012 Bible Study

© Image Copyright 2012, D.J. Hacker. All rights reserved.


Nehemiah 3:15-5:13
     Today’s passage begins with a continuation of the detailed list of who worked on rebuilding the various sections of the wall. The importance of this is that it shows that the people pitched in and worked on the project. Rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem was not a project that was done by leadership taxing the people and hiring builders. The people themselves took responsibility for different parts of it. Some people took responsibility for just the little bits “immediately across from his own house.” Other people took responsibility for larger sections. All are given credit here with no sense that some were better than others because they did more. Not only does this account not read as giving some more credit than others, it reads, to me, as those who did more doing so happily and not considering themselves more important than those who only did the section across from their own house.

     When the leaders of the neighboring peoples learned of the progress being made by the concerted effort to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, they were furious. They insulted the quality of the work being done in what appears to have been an effort to discourage the workers. Nevertheless work continued. The neighboring peoples made plans to attack Jerusalem. However, Jews who lived near to them heard of their plans and warned Nehemiah. Nehemiah responded by posting guards and mobilizing the people. When their enemies discovered their preparations they abandoned their plans to attack. From that point on, Nehemiah kept his guard up and made sure that the people were prepared to stop working and defend the city at a moment’s notice.

     At this point some of the Jews came to Nehemiah to complain that the wealthy and powerful among the Jews were taking advantage of them and causing them to have to sell their children into slavery. Nehemiah was angry when he learned what was going on, so he called a public meeting to address the issue. Nehemiah makes the point that they as a collective group were working to redeem Jews who had had to sell themselves into slavery, yet, here some of the same people were causing some of the Jews to sell themselves back into slavery. Nehemiah says that they must stop doing this. He admits that he, his family and retainers had been profiting from lending to the poor. He says that they must all stop charging interest for their loans to their fellow Jews and that they must restore what they had taken to cover the debt. The leaders agreed to return the property they had taken as interest and not charge interest going forward. Nehemiah does not say, “You are doing this and you must stop.” He says, “We are doing this and we must stop.” A reading of the passage suggests that Nehemiah and those around him were not guilty of the abuses that led to the problem coming to a head. But Nehemiah recognized that there was a fine line between what he was doing and what was causing the problem and that his actions might inevitably lead to the problem. Even though his own actions might have been “OK”, he chose to stop them because they could too easily slip over into the “Not OK”.

© Image Copyright 2012, D.J. Hacker. All rights reserved.


1 Corinthians 7:25-40
     Apparently the Corinthians had also asked whether it was OK for those who were not yet married to get married (or perhaps whether they should get married). I suspect that Paul was not quite sure of what exactly they were asking, so he phrases his answer several different ways to make sure that it was clearly understood. The first thing he says is something that he emphasizes is just advice, not a command. He says that he thinks that if you are not married, it would be better not to get married. However, he emphasizes that it is not a sin to get married. He points out that a single person can focus solely on doing God’s will. Whereas someone who is married needs to think about how to care for their family. He repeats that he is not placing restrictions on them. He tells them that he wants them to do what will help them serve the Lord with the fewest distractions. If sexual desires and temptations are distracting someone from serving the Lord, they should get married. If, on the other hand, they can restrain themselves, they should remain single. Paul expresses his belief that it is better to stay single, but that everyone must make that judgment for themselves. I think that this is something that the Church today fails to focus on. The Church (in the U.S. at least) seems to almost take the approach of teaching that getting married is God’s calling for people. Yet Paul here seems to be saying that we should look at it in the reverse. That staying single is the calling and getting married only for those who do not have that gift.

© Image Copyright 2012, D.J. Hacker. All rights reserved.

Psalm 32:1-11
     The psalmist tells us that we must confess our sins in order to be forgiven. That when we refuse to admit and confess our sins, they will eat away at us. When we stop trying to hide our sins and pretend that we have it all together God will forgive us and bring us healing. When we admit that we are not perfect, we will experience joy. If we pretend to have it all together, it will all fall apart. It is only when we admit our sin and brokenness that we can experience God’s healing and redemption.

© Image Copyright 2012, D.J. Hacker. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 21:5-7
     Today we have three proverbs that I see as linked. The first tells us that careful planning and hard work leads to prosperity, but that attempting to take shortcuts leads to poverty. The second two expand on this theme because they represent two “shortcuts” to wealth. One tells us that if you gather wealth on the basis of lies, at some point that wealth will vanish and you will be trapped by the lies, finding it hard to acquire wealth by legitimate means once you have started down the path of deception. The other tells us that using violence to acquire wealth will sooner or later cause that violence to rebound onto the perpetrator.

© Image Copyright 2012, D.J. Hacker. All rights reserved.
   
  I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Daily Bible Study

August 11, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Nehemiah 1-3:14

     Today is the start of the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s account begins in the 20th year of Artaxerxes reign. Ezra had led his expedition to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes reign. The story begins when Nehemiah’s brother and some other men who had recently visited Judah came to visit him. Nehemiah inquired about how things were going in Jerusalem. The men told him that things were not going well. The walls of the city had been torn down and the gates destroyed by fire. Nehemiah was heartbroken by this news. Nehemiah mourned at this news, but he did not just mourn. He fasted and prayed to God. When he had formulated a plan, he prayed for God to give him success in getting the approval of the king for his plan.
     Nehemiah was the cup-bearer for King Artaxerxes at this time. At some point after receiving the news about Jerusalem, Nehemiah is in the presence of the king. The king noticed that he looked sad and asked him about it. Nehemiah told the king that he was sad for the state of Jerusalem. The king asked Nehemiah how he could help. Nehemiah prayed silently as he asked the king to send him to rebuild Jerusalem. The king granted Nehemiah’s request. In addition, Nehemiah asked for letters instructing the governors of the areas around Jerusalem to allow him to travel to Jerusalem and to the manager of the king’s forest instructing him to give Nehemiah timber. The king granted this request as well. In addition, the king gave Nehemiah and armed escort.
     Nehemiah delivered the king’s letters to the governors of province. Several of the governors were unhappy with Nehemiah’s appointment. When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he did not apprise anyone of his arrival until he had an opportunity to inspect the city walls, which he did at night. Once Nehemiah had inspected the walls, he introduced himself to the leaders of Jerusalem. He proposed that they begin rebuilding the city walls. The city leaders received this suggestion enthusiastically. Work began on rebuilding the walls at once. The officials of the neighboring regions are unhappy with the walls of Jerusalem being rebuilt. Nehemiah tells them that they have no claim to authority over Jerusalem, legal or otherwise. Nehemiah delegates the rebuilding of various sections of the wall to different leaders of the city or surrounding settlements.
     An important takeaway from this passage is that Nehemiah prayed for God’s support and help at every stage of his plan. In addition, he made clear to everyone that he was relying on God for his plan to succeed. I have felt called by the Lord to fast as I read this passage and several others over the last few days.

1 Corinthians 7:1-24

     Paul now begins addressing questions that the Corinthians had asked him in a letter. The first of these is regarding sexual relations and marriage. Paul starts his answer by saying that it is good to remain celibate, but that since sexual immorality is so prevalent in the surrounding society most people should be married. Paul further instructs that married couples should not abstain from sex with each other, except for limited times when they have agreed to do so as part of a prayer and fasting time. Paul again reiterates that he wishes everyone would remain single but that he knows that not everyone has that gift. Paul emphasizes that what he is saying is advice, not a command.
     Next Paul says something that he emphasizes is a command. He says that those who are married should remain married. A wife should not leave her husband. If she does, she should remain single or be reconciled to him. Interestingly, he makes no such provision for husbands. He tells husbands that they must not leave their wives. Paul then returns to giving his opinion as advice. He says that a believer who is married to an unbeliever should remain with them, but if the unbeliever leaves, the believer is no longer bound by the marriage vows. Paul says that the believer should stay with the unbeliever for the sake of the children (but if the unbeliever insists on leaving, let them go). In addition, he says that perhaps the unbeliever may come to know the Lord through their believing spouse.
     Finally Paul closes out this section by telling us that we should stay in the state we were in when God called us. If we were circumcised, we should not attempt to undo it. If we were uncircumcised, we should not become circumcised. If someone was a slave, they should not let it concern them (although if they get the opportunity to gain their freedom, they should take it).

Psalm 31:19-24

     The psalmist tells us that God has great goodness stored up for those who love Him. He tells us that even when we feel cut off from God, if we cry out to Him, He will answer our call for help. If we put our hopes in God, we should stand strong and courageous because God will come to our defense.

Proverbs 21:4

     This proverb tells us that pride and an arrogant attitude are as much a sin as evil actions. Having evil thoughts and attitudes is just as much a sin as taking evil actions.

Daily Bible Study

August 10, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Ezra 10:1-44

     The story switches back to the third person again at this point. While Ezra was praying in front of the Temple a crowd of people gathered. They joined him in weeping over the sin of marrying women who do not share the faith. One of the leaders came to Ezra and proposed that the Jews who had returned from Exile make a new covenant with God and divorce their pagan wives and send them, and their children, away. Ezra demanded that the priests, Levites and all the people present swear that they would follow this suggestion. Then a proclamation was sent out that all of the returned Exiles gather in Jerusalem or, if the leaders and elders so decided, forfeit their property and be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. When the people had gathered, they agreed to follow the proposed plan. However, they said that it would take some time and they could not remain out in the open for long because it was the rainy season.
     The plan that was agreed to involved each of the men who had married a pagan wife coming before the leaders in Jerusalem with the leaders and elders from his city. This suggests that there was more to it than just every man who had married a non-Jew divorcing her and sending her away with her children. Is the reason for the meeting with the elders to determine if the non-Jewish wife has embraced Judaism and therefore does not need to be divorced? The passage does not tell us. I find it interesting to contrast this with Paul’s advice to the Corinthians. Paul advises those believers who are married to non-Christians to stay with their spouse unless the spouse chooses to leave them. On the other hand, there is some common ground as well. Paul commands that those who marry after they become believers should only marry someone who is also a believer.

1 Corinthians 6:1-20

     Paul condemns the believers in Corinth for taking their disputes before secular judges. He tells them that it is better to be wronged than to do that. It is a tragedy today that there are cases where congregations go to court to resolve matters of congregational governance, or other matters of dispute. Paul tells us that if believers have a dispute, they should take it before someone from the Church who is judged wise on the issues in question. If the other party will not accept such a judgement, we should let the matter drop, even if it means accepting injustice. Paul suggests that instead of accepting being the victims of being cheated, some of the believers in Corinth were cheating others, including their brothers in Christ. Elsewhere, when Paul confronts the Corinthians about something, he says he is not trying to shame them. In this passage he says that he is trying to shame them. He tells them that they should be ashamed of going to court against fellow believers.
     Paul moves on to addressing sexual sin. Some of the believers in Corinth had been taking the freedom in Christ too far. They justified their sins by saying, “I am allowed to do anything.” Paul counters this by saying that some things are not good for you. He tells them that they must not become slaves to sin. He then counters an argument that has been revived today, comparing sexual desires to hunger for food. People often say that we have a need for sexual behavior just as we have a need for food. Paul flat out rejects this argument and denies that it has any merit. Paul tells us that our bodies are part of Christ. He, also, tells us that our bodies become part of whomever we have sex with. We should not join our bodies, which are part of Christ, with prostitutes (or others who are promiscuous). He concludes this line of argument by saying that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should honor God with our bodies.

Psalm 31:9-18

     The psalmist cries out that he is suffering terribly, that he is despised by all. Even his friends are afraid to approach him. But he trusts God even in this terrible state. He believes that God will save him. Can we manage the same faith when we endure suffering? Will we continue to believe that all works together for good for those who love the Lord when we face tragedy and misfortune?

Proverbs 21:3

     It is more important to God that we do what is right and just than that we follow the correct rituals, whether they be sacrifices and offerings or something else.

Daily Bible Study

August 8, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Ezra 7-8:20

     At this point, we are introduced to Ezra. Ezra traced his ancestry to Aaron, which made him a priest. During the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra decided to lead a group of priests and Levites to Jerusalem. Ezra took this action because he was determined to teach the decrees and regulations of the Law of the Lord to the people of Israel. Ezra had some sort of connections in the court of King Artaxerxes, since he was able to obtain financial support from the King as well as an appointment as governor of the land of Israel. When Ezra assembled his expedition, he discovered that no Levites had chosen to join them. He sent to a community of Levites requesting that they send a delegation to take part in his expedition and they granted his request. Since Ezra lived in a land that promoted religious freedom and tolerance, he worked within the laws of the land to do God’s work.

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

     Paul tells us that he does not care much for human judgement of his teaching, not even his own. While he believes that what he is teaching is the will of God, he accepts that he may be mistaken on some points. He tells us this to show us that we should not be boastful and hold ourselves up as better Christians than others because we follow the teachings of a particular leader. Everything we have, including the teachings we follow, are gifts from God, so we should not hold one leader up in order to put another down.
     Paul writes to the Corinthian Church about how sure they are that they have it all together. They believe that their worldly success and comfort are indicators of how well they are following God. Paul compares this belief to the hardship he experiences. He says that this is not to tell them that the life they are living is an indication that they are doing wrong, but to warn them of what may be to come.
     Paul concludes this section by telling them that he is sending Timothy to them to guide them. He warns them that some of them have become cocky and taken an attitude of, “Well, Paul isn’t here, so we don’t care what he thinks.” Paul tells them that, Lord willing, he will be visiting them soon. Then they will discover if these cocky men have the blessing of God in their teaching.

Psalm 30:1-12

     The psalmist tells us that when the Lord favors us, all goes right for us. When things are going well, we have a tendency to forget the Lord and become boastful and take credit for the good God has done for us. If that happens God will turn from us, but if we turn back to Him, He will turn our mourning into joy. We should give thanks to God for all the good things He has done for us and never cease to give Him both credit and praise.

Proverbs 20:28-30

     A ruler who loves the people he rules over and faithfully serves them will rule securely. When one is young, dealing with adversity through physical prowess is a source of pride, but as one gets older one should take pride in finding other ways to deal with adversity. Ultimately, some lessons will only be learned through physical punishment.

Daily Bible Study

August 7, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Ezra 4:24-6:22

     As a result of the actions of the surrounding peoples, construction on the Temple was halted. However, when Darius became king of Persia two prophets rose up and encouraged the leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem and Judah to resume rebuilding the Temple. Officials from the provincial government established by the Persians soon arrive and demand who authorized the Temple work. The Jews claimed authorization by Cyrus.
     The Persian officials were skeptical, but the Jews provided enough evidence that they sent to the Persian capital for confirmation. When the officials’ letter arrived in the Persian capital, Darius ordered a search of the archives to see if Cyrus had indeed ordered the rebuilding of the Temple. When the record of Cyrus’ order was found, Darius ordered the provincial officials to not only allow the Jews to build in peace, but to provide financial assistance out of the taxes they were collecting for the Persian Empire. As a result, Temple reconstruction continued and it was rebuilt.
     When the Jews completed work on the Temple, they held a celebration to dedicate it once again. The following month they had a Passover celebration in the new Temple. The priests and Levites had purified themselves. They slaughtered the Passover lambs for all of the people who took part in this Passover celebration, which included some of the local people who had given up pagan practices. It is interesting to note that although the Jews had rejected the help of leaders of the surrounding people in rebuilding the Temple when they started, they accepted the local people into the Temple worship if those people chose to follow the Law.

1 Corinthians 3:5-23

     Paul continues his discussion of the foolishness of dividing along lines according to which teacher of the Gospel one followed. Paul tells them that it makes no difference which teacher they learn from as long as that teacher bases his teaching on Jesus. Paul compares our lives of faith to a building, as long as the building is built on a solid foundation, it will survive. If the materials used to build are perishable the building may be destroyed but if the builder built on the foundation of Jesus, they will survive.
     Paul wraps up this section of his writing by telling us that the body of believers as a whole is a temple to God. Anyone who destroys this temple of believers by disrupting its unity will be destroyed by God. Paul tells us not to boast in following a human leader. That we should take anything that will build our faith from any teacher who bases their teachings on Jesus.

Psalm 29:1-11

     God’s voice is loud and powerful. When He wishes He will be heard now matter how loud the other noises that attempt to drown Him out. When God shouts, the earth trembles and mighty trees split asunder. Let us praise Him that He uses this strength for the good of those who love Him.

Proverbs 20:26-27

     The first proverb tells us that a wise ruler drives the wicked from his land. The wicked will destroy the land and bring destruction upon the rulers who shelter them. The second proverb tells us that God looks into our inmost being. It is not dark to the Lord.

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Ezra 3-4:23

     The first thing the returned Jews did after getting settled was to rebuild the altar They did this before they began rebuilding the Temple itself. As soon as they had rebuilt the altar they began offering the sacrifices prescribed by the Law. Even though they were afraid of the people who were living around them, they rebuilt the altar on its old site. We are not told why they were afraid of the people living around them.
     Once they had the sacrifices established, they began rebuilding the Temple. When the people living around them heard that they were rebuilding the Temple, they approached the leaders of the returned Exiles and asked to work with them to rebuild the Temple. The passage tells us that these people living around the returned Exiles were the “enemies of Judah and Benjamin.” Once again, we are not told what made these people the enemies of the returned Exiles. However, the leaders of the returned Exiles reject their assistance. From this point on the people living around the Jews began working to interfere with the Jews efforts to rebuild Jerusalem. Certainly these actions make the people performing them the enemies of the Jews. However, the hostile acts we are told about come after the Jews have rejected including them in their rebuilding effort, so cannot be a justification for that rejection.
     The surrounding peoples continued to make efforts to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem, including writing letters to the kings of Persia. This culminates in a letter to Artaxerxes when he takes the throne of Persia. This letter claims that if the Jews successfully rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, they will stop paying tribute to Persia and that Jerusalem has a history of being rebellious against whatever empire currently controls the region. Artaxerxes wrote a return letter ordering that Jerusalem only be rebuilt if he sent an order specifically to that effect. Based on the power of that letter from Artaxerxes, the Jews opponents in the area mustered their forces and forcibly stopped the Jews from continuing to rebuild Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4

     After telling us in yesterday’s passage that Christianity’s teachings are foolishness in the eyes of unbelievers, Paul now tells us that there is Christian wisdom. That wisdom is God’s plan to redeem the world through those who accept Jesus. The rulers of this world have not understood God’s plan, because if they had they would not have crucified Christ. This passage confuses me because I am not sure where Paul is going with this line of thought. He never really tells us what this wisdom is, at least not here. However, he tells us that this wisdom was revealed by the Holy Spirit. Just as only a person’s spirit can know that person’s thoughts, so only God’s Spirit (the Holy Spirit) can know God’s thoughts. Those of us who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior have received the Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit). The Holy Spirit will reveal God’s thoughts to us.
     Paul writes to the Corinthians that when he was with them, he had to talk to them as spiritual infants, feeding them spiritual milk, not solid food. They were not ready for anything stronger than spiritual milk. He is not condemning them for that. However, he says that they are still not ready for anything stronger, because they are acting like little children, quarreling amongst themselves over who is better.

Psalm 28:1-9

     The psalmist tells us that we should not be like the wicked who care nothing for what God has done or for what God has made. If we cry out to God and trust in Him, he will hear us. We should live our lives so that we desire to receive a taste of what we have done to others, rather than fear that such might happen.

Proverbs 20:24-25

     God directs our paths, even when we do the wrong thing. I look back over my life and there are many times where I can see that I made the wrong decision. Yet, in some of those cases, if I had made the right decision I would never have ended up in circumstances where I received great blessings. I do not understand how that works, but I neither regret that I have ended up where God has placed me, nor do I believe that all of my decisions are the one’s that God desired me to make.
     It is foolish to commit to something without first considering whether it is worth the price it will cost you. We often discover that the cost of something we desired with all of our hearts was worth more to us than what we got. We gain nothing if we give up our hearts in order to obtain our heart’s desire.

Daily Bible Study

August 5, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Ezra 1-2:70

     Today I begin reading the book of Ezra. The passage starts by recounting that at the beginning of his reign, Cyrus sent out a decree encouraging the Jews to return to Jerusalem and other traditional lands to live and rebuild the Temple. He instructed their neighbors to voluntarily assist them with the expense of returning and rebuilding the Temple. We are told that about 50,000 people took advantage of this decree and returned to the land of Judah. In addition, Cyrus sent back the Temple furnishings that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple. The people who returned fell into two groups. The first were those who had a record of their ancestry going back to before the Exile. The second group were those whose family tradition said they were descended from Israel, but they did not have a record of their ancestry.
     We see here that a large group of people decided to return to the land of Judah and rebuild the Temple. We do not know what their individual motives were, but we are told that God stirred their hearts to make this move. In addition, their neighbors contributed to assist in the rebuilding of the Temple. They contributed not only to the cost of rebuilding the Temple, but to the costs of relocating to the land of Judah. Perhaps these neighbors were fellow Jews who did not wish to disrupt the lives they had built for themselves by returning, or perhaps they were just neighbors who wanted to help their fellow-man live out their dream. Even if they were Jews who did not wish to return, we should not condemn them. The costs of the return and rebuilding were such that some needed to contribute so that others could do the work. Just as today, not everyone can go into the mission fields. Some must work mundane jobs to support the expenses of those who go into missions.

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

     Paul tells us that the message of the cross looks foolish to those who do not accept it. This is something very basic that Christians must come to accept. We can make no argument that will make us look wise in the eyes of those who do not believe. Paul sums up the world’s reaction to Christianity this way, “So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.”
     But Paul has more to say on the subject of the wisdom of Christianity. Paul tells us that God chose to use those the world considers foolish to shame those it thinks wise. We need to take the attitude of the man born blind that we are told of in John 9. When the wise men told him that they knew Jesus was a sinner, he responded, “Well, I don;t know about that. I don’t have your education and knowledge. What I do know is this. I was blind and now I can see.” We as Christians should not try to convince the world that we are wise. We must fully rely on God to convince them. We can merely tell them what we have experienced. I know what I know. I was blind and now I see. Many people will look at us and think us fools, but the Spirit of God will work in the hearts of some and they will come to know the Lord.

Psalm 27:7-14

     As is often the case, this psalm makes its point in words that it is hard to find a better way to say. How often has God said to me, “Come and talk with me,” and I have replied, “Not now, I’m busy?” I want to never do that again. I want to try to make my answer that of the psalmist, “Lord, I am coming.” God will not abandon us, even if all else have. I strive to constantly follow the model of this psalmist and ask the Lord to teach me how to live. I desire to patiently wait for God to act. When He calls, I will answer.

Proverbs 20:22-23

     The first proverb tells us not to seek revenge, we should wait for God to handle the matter. How often have we seen someone do even more harm to themselves in the effort to make someone else pay for a perceived wrong? Which brings up another reason to leave payback to God. It may be that the person that we perceive as having done us wrong did not do anything that deserves payback. Perhaps, we are wrong in attributing the harm we suffered to that person.
     The second proverb, on the surface, is unrelated to the first. Yet, sometimes the reason we think someone deserves payback is because we are judging them by a standard that we ourselves do not live up to.

Daily Bible Study

August 4, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

2 Chronicles 35-36:23

     Josiah called the people of Israel to celebrate the Passover. He provided a large number of sacrifices for the Passover. In addition, his officials provided even more. The priests and Levites prepared the Passover lambs and gave them to the heads of the family divisions. After they provided for the people, they prepared them for all the priests and Levites in such a manner that those whose duties were otherwise (musicians, gatekeepers, etc) did not have to leave their posts in order to celebrate the Passover. This whole thing was an example of the leadership taking an attitude of service.
     Josiah’s reign ended when Neco, the king of Egypt, marched to battle against Babylon in support of the remnants of the Assyrian Empire. Josiah went out to prevent Neco from marching through his lands (the only practical way to get from Egypt to where the Egyptians were planning to confront the Babylonians) despite Neco telling him that he had no interest in fighting him. Josiah was killed in the battle. Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz succeeded him. However, Neco took him captive on his return from his defeat by the Babylonians and placed his brother, Eliakim (who was renamed Jehoiakim) on the throne. Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years, until Nebuchadnezzar took him captive and placed his son, Jehoiachin, on the throne. However, the following spring, Nebuchadnezzar sent for Jehoiachin to come to Babylon and replaced him on the throne with his uncle Zedekiah. We are told that during this time period the people did progressively more evil, turning to worship of other gods led by the kings that reigned during this time. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadnezzar came and took the remaining populace into captivity.

1 Corinthians 1:1-17

     Paul begins his letter to the Corinthian church by telling them that they have been called by God to be a holy people. Not only did God call us to be a holy people, He made us holy through Jesus. Paul tells us that God did this for the Corinthian believers and for those who call on the name of Jesus everywhere. Paul tells them that God has given the Church in Corinth many gifts, including eloquent words and knowledge. He says that God will keep them strong until the end. I believe that Paul is being genuine here, despite the rebukes he writes this letter to give them. Paul is telling them that they are doing well, before going on to tell them that they have areas that need improvement.
     Paul then gets to the first issue that he wants to confront them about, their divisiveness. He condemns them for dividing into groups and justifying their arguments on the basis of, “Paul taught this.” “Oh yeah, well Apollos taught us to do it this way.” “Well, you’re both wrong, Peter taught it differently.” “Well, I don’t follow any man-made rules. I just follow Jesus.” Does that sound familiar? While I think right now the Church in the U.S. is not as bad in its divisiveness as at sometimes in the past. However, I find it interesting the number of people who use this passage to justify their hostility to denominations who never notice that they are doing the same thing. Paul is not particularly attacking denominations (although denominations came to be partially out of what Paul is condemning). Paul is talking here about the human tendency to set up our way as the only right way and to try to say, “You don’t do it right. That makes me better than you.” Paul is telling us here that we should strive to live in unity with one another and recognize that we are all equally sinners before God. However, he, also, points out that some of the people crying “Unity, unity,” are just as divisive as anybody else.

Psalm 27:1-6

     This is a psalm for us to remember in times when we are tempted to fear. While the psalm reads as the expression of a confident person, I sense a bit of “whistling past the graveyard” in it. I think the psalmist was looking at what was going on around him and felt fear. But he thought about it and said, “I trust God, what is there to fear?” In the face of his fears, he reviewed his belief in the power of God. As he did so, his fears diminished and his joy in serving God increased. The same can happen for us. If, when fear begins to rise in us, we remind ourselves of God’s great power and His promises to care for and protect us, we will find our fears receding. If we praise God and strive to serve Him in the face of our fears, those fears will be pushed aside and we will realize the joy of serving God.

Proverbs 20:20-21

     The New Living Translation says that if you insult your parents your light will be put out. Other translations say that if you curse your parents. I think either way this is hard to get at the way we use words today. This is talking about calling down evil upon your parents. It is curse as in wishing that something nasty happen to them. And from looking at the various translations, I think the sense of what will happen is a descent into metaphorical darkness as if your eyes had been put out. The result will be like trying to find your way in a cave with no light source.
     The second of today’s proverbs tells us that those who receive wealth at a young age will likely fail to learn important life lessons.

Daily Bible Study

August 3, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33

     When Manasseh returned from captivity, he destroyed the idols and altars to pagan gods that he had built. He offered sacrifices to God and encouraged the people of Judah to abandon the worship of foreign gods. The account tells us that his son, Amon, returned to worshiping idols and did not repent, instead doing even more evil than his father had. Amon was killed by a conspiracy of his own officials. The people killed the conspirators and made Amon’s son, Josiah, king.
     Josiah was crowned king when he was eight years old. When he was sixteen, he began to seek God. When he turned twenty he began a program of religious reform. He had the pagan idols and their altars destroyed throughout Judah and even into the territory that had been controlled by the Northern Tribes. He had all of the pagan priests throughout the territory killed. When he finished this, he took the money that people had been donating at the gates of the Temple and began repairing the Temple.
     While they are repairing the Temple the workmen discover a copy of the Book of the Law. The Book of the Law was taken to King Josiah and read to him. When Josiah hears what is in the Law, he is distraught because the children of Israel have not been keeping the Law. Josiah sends his aides to inquire of God and request His forgiveness. They went to speak with a prophetess named Huldah. Huldah sent word back to Josiah that God had declared that He was indeed going to bring disaster upon Judah and Jerusalem. But because Josiah had humbled himself, repented of the sins of his ancestors and turned to God, God was not going to do so during Josiah’s lifetime. Josiah called an assembly of all the people before which he pledged to keep the whole Law of God, not just the word but also the spirit. He then called on the people to make a similar commitment. We are told that the people of Israel did not turn away from God through the rest of his lifetime.
     The story of Josiah shows us the impact that one person can have on the culture around them. Josiah was sixteen when he began to seek the Lord. He was twenty when he began his religious reform. But by his example the entire people of Israel became faithful followers of God, abandoning idol worship for his lifetime. Yes, he was king and that allowed him to force others to his will. Nevertheless, if we live our lives as examples of faithfulness and with fervor for worshiping the Lord, we can have an impact on the people around us.

Romans 16:10-27

     Paul continues sending greetings to specific people that he knows in Rome. We tend to think of the book of Romans as being written to a single church, which in some ways is true. However, in his acknowledgements of people here at the end of the letter, Paul greets three groups that meet with people he is acknowledging. In addition, he extends his greetings of specific individuals to their entire household. All together this suggests that the Church of Rome was composed of multiple congregations, just as the Church of any modern city is so composed.
     Paul goes on to appeal to the Church at Rome to avoid people who teach divisive things contrary to what has already been taught. He tells us that they use smooth talk and glowing words to convince the innocent. I do not know what teachings Paul had in mind here, if he was indeed thinking of specific teachings. However, we can see the sort of thing he was talking about in the Church today. There are people who teach that behaviors that Paul condemned are OK and then try to tell those supporting clearly worded teachings from the Bible that they are being divisive. A classic example of this is the fuss over remarks by the COO of Chik-Fil-A. In an interview, he talked about how the company is supportive of traditional marriage. As he continued that he even gave an idea of what he meant by a traditional marriage when he said in the very next sentence, “…we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.” He was called bigoted for attacking “gay marriage”, yet nowhere does he mention “gay marriage.” As a matter of fact, he seems to be putting more emphasis on opposing divorce in his comments than on opposing “gay marriage.”

Psalm 26:1-12

     The psalmist declares:

I do not spend time with liars
or go along with hypocrites.
I hate the gatherings of those who do evil,
and I refuse to join in with the wicked.

Do we do the same, not just declare it, but actually do what he declares that he does? Do we live lives of integrity, singing songs of thanksgiving and telling all who will listen of God’s wonders? Do we publicly praise the Lord? I strive to do so, but know that I fail more often than I should.

Proverbs 20:19

     Today’s proverb tells us that those who gossip will betray things told to them in confidence. That if you spend time with someone who talks too much, sooner or later you will tell them something in confidence that they will tell to others.