January 22, 2013 Bible Study — Getting Out of the Boat

January 21, 2013 AttilaDimedici

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. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

Genesis 44-45:28

     When Joseph’s brothers were preparing to leave, Joseph ordered that once again the silver with which they paid for the grain be put in their sacks with the grain. However, this time he also ordered that his silver cup be placed in Benjamin’s sack along with the silver he paid for the grain. As soon as his brothers had left the city Joseph sent his steward after them to accuse them of stealing his silver cup. The brothers deny stealing anything and agree to having their possessions searched. When the cup is found in Benjamin’s sack his brothers tore their clothes and returned to the city. Upon returning to the city, Judah spoke for the brothers and begged Joseph to make him, Judah, a slave and allow Benjamin to return to his father.
     Joseph was overwhelmed with emotion by Judah’s impassioned defense of his brother and could no longer contain himself. He revealed himself to his brothers. Joseph tells his brothers that they should no longer be angry with themselves for selling him into slavery because God had sent him into Egypt ahead of them in order to keep their families alive. Joseph then tells them to return to Jacob and bring him and their families back to Egypt where Joseph can help take care of them for the remaining five years of famine. When Pharaoh heard that Joseph’s brothers had come he sent orders that they should take carts from Egypt to go and load their families into to bring them all to Egypt. Joseph sent his brothers on the way with plentiful supplies and gifts for his father. As they left he called after them asking them not to quarrel on the way. When they got back to Jacob and told him that Joseph was alive and running things in Egypt, Jacob did not at first believe them. However, once Jacob saw the gifts Joseph had sent, he changed his mind and wanted to go to Egypt to see his son Joseph before he died.
     One of the important parts of this passage for us to pay attention to is what Joseph said to his brothers when he revealed himself. He tells them not to be angry at themselves for what they did to him because it fulfilled God’s will. We should both follow Joseph’s example and his advice. We should follow his example and forgive those who have done wrong to us, recognizing that God has, or will, bring good to us out of those wrongs we have suffered. But we should also forgive ourselves for the wrongs we have done. Before we can do that we need to do as Joseph’s brothers had done and change so that we are not the sort of people to repeat those wrongs. This story contains a microcosm of how we as Christians should deal with our bad choices. We need to repent and change our behaviors so that we do not make the same mistake again. Then we need to forgive those who have done wrong to us. Finally, we need to forgive ourselves for the wrongs we have committed, determining not to repeat those wrongs.

Matthew 14:13-36

      This passage starts with something I have never noticed before. When Jesus learned that John the Baptist had been beheaded, He withdrew by boat to a solitary place, presumably to be alone with His thoughts. When Jesus did this, the people of the surrounding towns followed Him on foot. When Jesus saw the large crowd that had gathered, He had compassion and began healing their sick. When it got late in the day, His disciples came to Jesus and suggested He send the crowds away so that they, the crowds, could go and get themselves something to eat. Jesus’ response was for the disciples to feed the crowd themselves. The disciples replied that they only had five loaves of bread and two fish, not by any stretch of the imagination enough to feed a crowd of this size. Nevertheless Jesus told His disciples to bring the food they have to Him. He then took the food, blessed it, broke it into pieces and gave it to His disciples to distribute to the crowd. The disciples filled twelve baskets with the leftovers they gathered up after everyone had eaten and was satisfied.
     When they had finished, Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side of the lake. He then dismissed the crowd and went up on the mountainside to pray. Shortly before dawn, Jesus headed out to the boat walking on the lake. The boat was well out from shore by this time, although not as far as it might have been because the wind was against it. When the disciples first saw Jesus they thought He was a ghost and were frightened. Jesus spoke to them and told them not to be afraid. Peter asked Jesus to confirm that He was who He said He was by telling Peter to come to Him. Jesus does so. Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. However, when Peter noticed how rough the wind was making the water he became frightened and began to sink. Peter cried out to Jesus. Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. Together they climbed into the boat.
     This second story highlights something that was pointed out in our Sunday worship service this week. In First Century Palestine, a disciple was someone who strove to become just like his teacher. Someone strove to become the disciple of a particular rabbi because they wanted to be like them, because they wanted to do the things that that rabbi did. That is why Peter wanted to walk on the water to Jesus, he wanted to be like Jesus and to do the things that Jesus did. When we look at this story, I think we see that the disciples were beginning to realize that Jesus was more than a man. Peter here asked Jesus to tell him to come to Him on the water because Peter was not sure that this was something it was possible for him to ever be like Jesus in. That is, Peter, along with the rest of the disciples, was beginning to believe that they were unable to realize their goal of being completely like Jesus. When Peter asked Jesus to tell him to come to Him on the water, Peter was asking if this was something that they could aspire to. Jesus’ answer to Peter, and to us, was that yes, everything He did is something that we can learn to do if we follow Him. Jesus calls us to be His disciples, to strive to become just like Him and to do the things that He did. We too can feed the five thousand and walk on water. However, in order to do it, we need to be willing to get out of the perceived safety of the boat and put ourselves at risk. All too often that is my problem, I am afraid to get our of the boat and walk to where Jesus is waiting for me to join Him. At least Peter got out of the boat even though his faith failed him before he got to where Jesus was waiting. I am afraid that my faith will fail me before I get to where Jesus is waiting and thus I do not even get out of the boat.

Psalm 18:37-50

The psalmist tells us that he pursued his enemies until they were destroyed. However, he tells us that they turned and fled from him not because of anything he did, but because God caused them to do so. Let us praise and exalt God because He will cause our enemies to turn from us and flee. The Lord lives and He will be our rock and our savior. He will avenge us and save us from our enemies. We need not fear pursuing the goals that God sets for us, for He will cause those who oppose us to turn and flee.

Proverbs 4:11-13

We can recognize the path of wisdom because it is straight and clear. If we follow the path of the wise ours steps will not be hampered and we will not stumble when we run. If we hold onto wise instruction it will provide us with life.

Daily Bible Study

January 21, 2013 Bible Study — The Starting Point of Wisdom

January 20, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Solving The World's Problems — Solving The World’s Problems

Genesis 42:18-43:34

     After imprisoning his brothers for three days, Joseph spoke to them and said that he would send them on their way, but he would keep one of them imprisoned as a hostage for their good behavior. Joseph told them if they were to bring their youngest brother Benjamin to him and then he would know that they were honest men. The brothers discussed among themselves that this must be God’s punishment against them for sending Joseph to his death (what they thought was his death). They were unaware that Joseph could understand them because he had used an interpreter to talk with them. Joseph gave orders that they be given the grain which they had come to buy. In addition, he gave secret orders that the silver they had used to buy the grain be placed in the sacks with the grain. Joseph selected Simeon as the hostage and had him bound in front of his brothers. Joseph then sent them on their way.
     After departing Egypt the brothers discovered that the silver had been returned to them and were terrified. When they told Jacob what Joseph had demanded of them (they did not know that it was Joseph), he refused categorically to allow Benjamin to go even though Reuben offered his own sons as hostages for Benjamin’s safety. After some time, Jacob told his sons to go back to Egypt to buy more grain. They responded that they could not go unless they took Benjamin with them. Judah promised to look after Benjamin and told Jacob to hold him personally accountable for Benjamin’s safety. Jacob agrees and sends them for gifts for Joseph (not knowing that it was Joseph) and telling them to take double the amount of silver as the previous time so that they could return the silver that was in the sacks when they got home the last time.
     When the brothers presented themselves to Joseph, he saw Benjamin with them. He gave orders that they be taken to his house and a feast be prepared. When the brothers were taken to Joseph’s house they were frightened, convinced that they were to be enslaved because of the silver that was returned to them. So they approached the steward of the house and explained that they had brought the silver back with them, plus additional silver to buy more food. The steward told them not to worry, it must have been God, the God of their father, who gave them the silver because he had received their silver on the last occasion and that grain was paid for. When Joseph came home for the meal, the brothers presented the gifts they had brought him and introduced him to Benjamin. When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin he was moved to tears. He left his brothers’ presence and composed himself. When he returned he ordered the food to be served. Joseph ate separate from his brothers. The brothers were amazed because they were seated in order of their ages, from eldest to youngest.

Matthew 13:47-14:12

Today’s passage begins with a final parable about the Kingdom of Heaven from the series that was in yesterday’s passage. In this parable Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a net let down into the lake to catch fish. The net will catch all kinds of fish, some good and some bad. When the net is full the fishermen pull it onto the shore and collect the good fish and throw away the bad fish. Jesus tells us that at the end of the age God’s messengers will separate the wicked from the righteous and throw the wicked into the blazing furnace. This is a warning that it is not enough to be caught up in the net, to be part of a church body, we need to serve God with all of our hearts as well.
Soon after this Jesus returned to his home town. Initially, the people were amazed, but then they started to question why they should listen to Him and where He got the power to perform miracles. They recounted how they knew His family and they were not anything special. Jesus told His disciples that a prophet is not without honor except in his home town. This is a warning to us that we should not dismiss the word of God just because we are familiar with the background of the one who is speaking it. There is a human tendency to attempt to bring down those who rise above the common lot, especially when they are from those we know.

Psalm 18:16-36

God has reached down and rescued me when I was in over my head. With God’s help I can charge through any barrier, scale any wall. When I am doing the Lord’s will nothing will block my path. I will not turn away from His commands because God’s way is the perfect way. God’s word is flawless and He will shield me. I will not turn from my God. Those who are devious will discover that God is even more savvy and canny than themselves, but those who are pure and faithful will discover that God is also pure and faithful. As long as I walk along the path that God has chosen for me, I will walk in the light.

Proverbs 4:7-10

The starting point to being wise is valuing wisdom above all else. Those who risk all that they have for wisdom will be honored.

Daily Bible Study

January 20, 2013 Bible Study — I Will Call Upon the Lord

January 19, 2013 AttilaDimedici

"OK, how about if I do this?" — “OK, how about if I do this?”

Genesis 41:17-42:17

     Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams. Joseph tells Pharaoh that God is using the dreams to tell him that Egypt is about to experience seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph advises Pharaoh that he should find a wise and intelligent man and put that man in charge of gathering a portion of the harvest during the good years to be held in reserve for the coming years of famine. Pharaoh heard Joseph’s advice and thought that it was wise. Pharaoh decided that the best person to implement Joseph’s plan was the person who had proposed it (Joseph). So Pharaoh made Joseph the second most powerful man in Egypt and gave him a wife from a powerful official in his court. Joseph implemented the plan and when the famine came, it hit more than just Egypt, but Egypt was prepared and people came from throughout the region to purchase food from Egypt.
     The famine struck Canaan as well. When Jacob learned that there was grain available in Egypt, he sent his ten oldest sons to Egypt to buy grain. When Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt, Joseph saw them and recognized them, but they did not recognize him. He approached them and accused them of being spies. They vociferously denied this telling him that they were all sons of one man. They told him that they had two additional brothers, the youngest, who was with their father, and one who was dead. Joseph had them arrested and told them that one of them would be released to go back to their father to bring their youngest brother to prove that they were telling the truth.
     Joseph is testing his brothers here. He is attempting to see how they will react to a threat to their half-brother Benjamin (Joseph’s full brother). We do not know what Joseph would have done if his brothers reacted to this differently, so I do not want to put too much emphasis on Joseph’s motives. Rather, I think the place to focus in this story is on how his brothers react to this situation, which we will see in tomorrow’s passage.

Matthew 13:24-46

     Matthew gives us a series of parables that Jesus told. The first is the story of the wheat and the weeds. The story is about a farmer who sows some wheat seeds. In the night his enemy comes and sows some weed seeds among those wheat seeds. When the seeds sprouted, the weeds sprouted up along with the wheat. When the farmer’s servants saw the weeds among the wheat, they asked if they should pull the weeds. The farmer told them not to because in the process of pulling the weeds, they might uproot some of the wheat. Instead the farmer tells them to wait for the harvest to separate the weeds from the wheat. This is a lesson for us that we cannot reliably separate out those who are serving God, but have not yet reached maturity so as to bear fruit, from those who are serving Satan and will never bear fruit. If we attempt to get rid of those who are “weeds”, we will inevitably destroy some of the “wheat”. This does not mean that there can be no Church discipline, as Church discipline is not intended to pull the “weeds” but instead is intended to train the “wheat” in how it should grow to bear the most fruit. God will separate the wheat from the weeds when the time is ripe.
     Next are the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast. There are several different messages contained in these two parables. However, they contain one message in common. They talk about how something that seems small and insignificant can have a large impact. The mustard seed may be small but it grows to the largest plant in the garden. Yeast is practically insignificant compared to the other ingredients in dough, yet it is the yeast that causes the dough to grow to double in size (or more, if you let it). Both of these parables tell us that while we may seem few in number and insignificant in the world around us, if we allow God to put us where He wishes us to be we can be a major force in this world. Perhaps God will cause our group to grow and become a noticeable presence in the world, like the mustard bush. Or perhaps He will cause our group to grow and permeate society around us to transform it, like the yeast. In either case, the key is to serve God.
     The final two parables in today’s passage talk about someone who finds a great treasure and risks all that they have to obtain it. Am I willing to risk all I have and am to serve God, to gain the Kingdom of heaven?

Psalm 18:1-15

I love you, Lord;
you are my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
I could think of no better way to express what this psalm means to me. Do not be afraid to call upon the Lord when you are in distress. He will hear and answer your prayer. Read this psalm and recognize the unstoppable power with which God will ride to the rescue of those who love Him. He will shield the brightness of His presence until He is ready to strike. Then His enemies will be struck suddenly with irresistible force, as if by hail and lightning. I recently faced a significant financial setback that was causing me to wonder how I was going to pay all of my bills. I called on the Lord and He provided me with the means to pay my bills above and beyond what I asked for.

Proverbs 4:1-6

This proverb advises the young to remember that their fathers were once young. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that they do not understand, they were once in your shoes. We gain wisdom and understanding by listening to those with more experience than ourselves. If we love wisdom, it will guard and protect us.

Daily Bible Study

January 19, 2013 Bible Study — What Type Of Soil Am I?

January 18, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Genesis 39-41:16

     When Joseph arrived in Egypt he was sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guards. God was with Joseph so that everything Joseph did prospered. When Potiphar noticed Joseph’s success, he gave Joseph ever more responsibility until Joseph was running Potiphar’s entire household. Joseph was successful because he behaved in a godly manner. His behavior resulted in good outcomes because that is what happens when one behaves in a godly manner. The same thing will happen with us, if we behave in a godly manner we will have success.
     However, Joseph’s success did not come without a price. Potiphar’s wife noticed him and considered him a handsome man. She wanted to add him to her conquests. When he refused to accede to her requests she became insistent. He started to avoid her as much as he could. Until one day he was in the house with her alone. She approached him and grabbed his cloak and demanded he come to bed with her. He left his cloak in her hand and fled. Potiphar’s wife then went to her husband and accused Joseph of attempting to rape her. Potiphar was furious and had Joseph thrown into prison. Despite the mistreatment he received, Joseph continued to act in a godly manner. This once again led to Joseph receiving special treatment.
     While he was in prison, Pharaoh’s baker and his cup-bearer were placed into the same prison. They were assigned to Joseph’s care. After they had been in prison for some time each of the men had a dream in the same night. When Joseph came to them the he saw that they were more unhappy than usual and he inquired as to the reason. They answered that they had dreams that seemed to have meaning but they did not understand them. Joseph tells them that interpretation belongs to God and asks them to tell him their dreams. The two men each told Joseph their dreams and Joseph interpreted them. Joseph told the cup-bearer that in three days he would return to Pharaoh’s favor and he told the baker that in three days he would be executed. Joseph asked the cup-bearer to mention him to Pharaoh and get him out of prison when he received his good fortune. However, the cup-bearer forgot. Two years later, Pharaoh had two portentous dreams in the night. Pharaoh sent for his advisers and magicians, but none of them could tell him what the dreams meant. At that moment, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh that Joseph could interpret dreams. Pharaoh sent for Joseph and asked him to interpret the dreams. Joseph told Pharaoh that he had no ability to interpret dreams, but that God would give Pharaoh the answer he was seeking.
     Notice that while the passage repeatedly says that God made Joseph successful in everything he did, Joseph still experienced hardship. The same will be true for us. If we follow God’s will, we will experience success. However, this does not mean that we will not experience persecution and suffering. Also, notice that when Joseph suffered misfortune, he did not rant and rave against God. Instead, he remained faithful even though time and again circumstances went against him and he experienced suffering.

Matthew 12:46-13:23

Today’s passage includes the parable of the sower. After Jesus tells the parable, His disciples ask Him why He speaks to the people in parables. Jesus gives them an interesting answer. He tells them that He speaks in parables because the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven are given to His disciples not to the people in general. He goes on to quote an Old Testament passage. First He tells them that He speaks to them in parables because:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”
Then He goes on to quote from Isaiah where Isaiah says that the people hear but do not understand and see but do not perceive. Isaiah goes on to say that their hearts have become calloused, they barely listen and do not look. Otherwise they might see, hear, understand and turn and God would heal them. Neither Isaiah nor Jesus say that God did this to the people. This is something the people did to themselves. People do not see because they choose not to see. They do not hear because they choose not to hear. People do not understand because they do not want to understand. If people truly listen, look and seek to understand God’s will, they are able to do so. If they do seek to hear, see and understand God’s will, they will turn from their sins and God will heal them.
After saying this Jesus explains the parable of the sower. He tells them that some people hear God’s word but do not understand it. When this happens, the evil one snatches it away from their hearts before it ever has an opportunity to take root. This is the seed sown on hard ground (the path), people who resist the idea of needing God. Other people hear the word and embrace it, but they never take it into the depth of their being and when trouble arises because of the word, they fall away. These are the seed sown on rocky soil, people who want everything to be easy. Still other people embrace the word but get caught up in their daily life and do not nourish the seed. The worries and concerns of their daily life choke out the seed as it grows and they do not bear fruit. This is the seed cast among the thorns. The final group are those who embrace the word and understand it. They produce a crop many times what they receive. I sincerely hope I am in that last group but I fear I am in the third. I wish to be faithful and serve God as He desires, but the various aspects of my life seem to keep distracting me. Once more I ask God to make me fruitful, to cause me to produce His fruit.

Psalm 17:1-15

O Lord, I know that You hear my prayer. You test my thoughts and examine my heart. I strive to walk in your paths and follow Your commands. Help me to speak only Your words. I have seen the wonders of Your love. I offer my prayers to You because I know that You will answer.

Proverbs 3:33-35

The wicked will find God opposing them and mockers will find themselves mocked, but the righteous and humble will find God on their side in all they do. The wise will be honored, while fools will be embarrassed.

Daily Bible Study

January 18, 2013 Bible Study — He Who Is Not For Jesus Is Against Him

January 17, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Genesis 37-38:30

     When Joseph was 17 he began working with his brothers tending the flocks. In particular, he worked with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, who were the servant women that Rachel and Leah had given to Jacob as wives in their competition over having children. These were the sons that Jacob had put out front when he thought Esau might be coming to extract revenge. Joseph reported on their bad behavior to Jacob (in other words he was a tattletale). To make matters worse, Jacob spoiled Joseph, giving him extravagant gifts that indicated that he favored Joseph over his brothers. This resulted in Joseph’s brothers hating him.
     It is with this background that Joseph starts telling his brothers about the dreams that he had. In one dream he saw that they were out binding grain when the sheaf he had bound stood upright while the ones his brothers had bound gathered around and bowed down to his. This infuriated his brothers because they interpreted it as Joseph ruling over them. They also interpreted it as Joseph planning to rule over them. In another dream, he saw the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. When Joseph told his father about his dream, his father rebuked him for suggesting that his father, mother and brothers would bow down before him. While Joseph’s brothers became even more jealous of Joseph, Jacob filed it away in the back of his mind.
     Some time later Jacob sent Joseph to find his brothers and see if all was well with them. It took him some time to find where they were, but when he finally found them, they saw him coming from a distance. When they saw him they conspired to kill him and tell their father that a wild animal had killed him. Reuben, the eldest, in an attempt to rescue Joseph from his other brothers, suggested that they not shed his blood. Instead Reuben suggested they just put him in one of the cisterns and let him die there. Reuben intended to return later and take Joseph to their father. His brothers liked Reuben’s idea and decided to follow it. When Joseph got to them, they stripped him of the fancy coat their father had given him and threw him in an empty cistern. While they were eating their noon meal they saw a caravan on its way to Egypt. Judah came up with the idea that rather than let Joseph die, they should sell him to the merchants. The remaining brothers agreed. When Reuben went to the cistern to rescue Joseph, he discovered he wasn’t there. Reuben went to his other brothers distraught over this. The brothers took Joseph’s fancy coat and dipped it in goat’s blood. They then took the coat to their father Jacob, told him they had found it like this and if it was “his son’s coat”. Jacob recognized the coat and went into mourning for Joseph. His remaining sons and daughters attempted to comfort him, but Jacob refused to be comforted.
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Matthew 12:22-45

After Jesus heals another demon possessed man, the people begin to ask if perhaps He is the Messiah. However, the Pharisees start to say that He gets the power to cast out demons from Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus replies that any kingdom that is divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan drives out Satan, Satan’s kingdom would not stand. Further, if He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, by what power do their own people drive out demons? Jesus continues by saying that everyone who is not with Him is against Him, which is interesting because at another place Jesus says that whoever is not against Him is for Him. We tend to view these two statements as contradictory, yet these two statements tell us a lot about the nature of human reaction to Jesus. Sooner or later, everyone will take sides, either for Jesus, or against Him.
Jesus continues by saying that if a tree is good its fruit will be good, whereas if a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. You can tell what a person is like by what they say. What we say comes out of what is stored up in our hearts. If our hearts are full of good things, then our words will be full of good things, but if our heart is full of evil, our words will be likewise. On the day of judgment we will be held accountable by our words. Our words will either acquit us or condemn us. Based on this let us choose our words carefully.

Psalm 16:1-11

I trust in God to Keep me safe. Every good thing in my life was given to me by God. Those who make anything other than God the center of their life will suffer ever greater loss.

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
…
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,

God makes known to me the path I should follow and I will strive to follow it all of my days. Oh Lord help me to see the path that you have laid out before me!

Proverbs 3:27-32

Do good to those who deserve it and act when it is within you ability to do so. Don’t procrastinate on doing good, if you have the ability to do good now, don’t put it off. Do not plot against your neighbor and don’t make baseless accusations. Do not envy or imitate the violent.

Daily Bible Study

January 17, 2013 Bible Study — It Is Always Lawful To Do Good

January 16, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Genesis 35-36:43

After the problems at Shechem (which were in yesterday’s passage, but I did not cover in yesterday’s blog), Jacob receives word from God to move to Bethel and settle there. Jacob is instructed that he is to build an altar when he gets to Shechem. In preparation for this, Jacob told all of his household to get rid of all of their idols, purify themselves and change clothes. Jacob tells them that this is necessary because they are going to Bethel, where he will build an altar to God, who answered him in his distress and has been with him in all his travels. The people of his household gave him all of their idols and their earrings, which Jacob then buried under the oak at Shechem. Jacob then set out with his entire household. The fear of God fell on all the surrounding peoples and Jacob and his household were allowed to leave the area in peace. When Jacob arrived at Luz (which Jacob called Bethel) he built an altar to God there.
There is a slight discrepancy in the flow of the story here, as if the writer is stitching together two stories that don’t overlap seamlessly (one, a story of Jacob’s life up until now, with one that started telling about Jacob’s family from this point forward). God appeared to Jacob at Bethel and confirmed his name change to Israel. Jacob translates more or less as “heel” or “deceiver” (interestingly enough, there appears to be no connection between this Hebrew meaning and the 20th Century English Language idiom of using “heel” to refer to a dishonorable man) while Israel translates as “God fights”. We are not to be deceivers rather we are to be those who rely on God to fight our battles because the only battles we are in are God’s battles. I wish I could say that the only battles I get into are God’s battles.

Matthew 12:1-21

Today we have two stories about what Jesus had to say about the Sabbath (and indirectly about following religious rules). While Jesus was walking through a grain field His disciples snapped off a few heads of grain and ate them. The Pharisees confronted Jesus because His disciples had violated the Sabbath rules against working. Jesus points out circumstances in the scripture where the “rules” were broken by those considered holy. Then He told them that their problem is that they do not understand the passage where Hosea says that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. Then Jesus continued on until He came to a synagogue which He entered. The Pharisees looked to gain a reason to bring charges against Jesus asked Him if it was legal to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus answer was that it is always lawful to do good. Jesus then told the man to stretch out his hand which was healed when the man did so.
The Pharisees were caught up in a set of rules that they had created in order to obey the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. However, in the process of they lost track of the core of the command. The key part of the command was not the part to do no work, the key part of the command was to keep the Sabbath holy. You keep the Sabbath holy by doing good. Let us take every opportunity to do good.

Psalm 15:1-5

The psalmist asks, who can dwell in the presence of God? Then he answers the question. The answer is the one who speaks the truth. The one who does not slander or cast a slur on others. The one who does no wrong to their neighbor. The one who despises vile behavior. The one who keeps their promises even when it hurts. The one who lends to the poor without interest. If we act in this manner we will stand firm.

Proverbs 3:21-26

The writer of this proverb tells us that if we keep our eye on wisdom and preserve sound judgment and discretion we will have no cause to fear sudden disaster. If we do these things God will be at our side.

Daily Bible Study

January 16, 2013 Bible Study — Wrestle with God

January 15, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Genesis 32:13-34:31

Jacob prepares for his meeting with Esau by separating out some of his flocks and sending them on ahead of him. He divides these animals into three herds. He tells the herdsman to tell Esau that these are gifts for him from Jacob and that Jacob is coming behind them. After sending these on ahead, Jacob stays the night where he was. During the night, he gathered his family and started them on their way. Jacob stayed behind and wrestled with a man through the night. As morning approached, the man was unable to overpower Jacob, so he touched Jacob on the hip dislocating his hip. Then the man asked Jacob to let him go. Jacob replied that he would not let him go unless the man blessed him. The man told Jacob that he, Jacob, wrestled with God and with man and had overcome. Therefor the man gave Jacob the name Israel. Jacob asked the man his name and the man did not give Jacob his name, but he did bless him. Jacob is given the name Israel and blessed in part because he was willing to wrestle with God. This tells us that God does not expect our blind obedience. God knows that we will struggle with His commands and that He does not object.
As Jacob joined his family he saw Esau and his men approaching. Jacob quickly divided his family putting the servant women and their children first, then Leah and her children with Rachel and Joseph coming last. Jacob bowed low before Esau, but Esau ran to him and embraced him. Esau offered to travel with Jacob, but accompany him to Seir, where Esau made his base. Jacob convinced Esau that was not necessary.

Matthew 11:7-30

After Jesus had answered John the Baptist’s disciples and they went on their way, He began speaking to the crowds about John. He tells them that no one born of woman is greater than John, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. He goes on to say that society condemn the righteous with whatever excuse they can come up with. They said that John must be possessed by demons (mentally ill in today’s terminology) because he was an ascetic. On the other hand they called Jesus a glutton and a drunkard because He went to the best parties. We often miss one of the points of this passage. There is a place for both those who are ascetics and deny themselves in order to live more holy lives and for those who go to the parties in order to befriend the sinners and show them that they are welcomed into the Kingdom of God. After all, both Jesus and John reserved their most fervent condemnation for those who thought themselves righteous.
This passage ends with Jesus telling those who are burdened to come to Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden light. when I read this it reminded me of this song.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Several other great songs came up when I searched for this song. Perhaps this song was inspired by another passage, but I always think of this verse when I hear/sing this song. Always remember, count your blessings…count them one by one. If you start doing that when you wake up, you will still be doing it when you fall asleep.

Psalm 14:1-7

Evil fools tell themselves that there is no God in order to believe that they will escape the consequences of their actions. It is a temptation that we all face because we have all turned away from God and become corrupt. I will turn from my sin and pray to God, throwing myself on His mercy. I know that He will protect those who turn to Him

Proverbs 3:19-20

God laid the foundations of the earth with wisdom. If you want to understand how the world works and how to do well in that world, you must use that same wisdom.

Daily Bible Study

January 15, 2013 Bible Study –The Student Is Not Greater Than The Teacher

January 14, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Genesis 31:17-32:12

     After talking to his wives, Jacob gathered his household and set out for Canaan. Three days later when Laban learned that Jacob had fled he gathered a force of his relatives and pursued. The night before Laban caught up with Jacob he had a dream in which God warned him not to harm Jacob. When Laban caught up with Jacob he confronted him with sneaking off and claimed that if Jacob had told him he was going he would have sent him off with a celebration (a statement that is somewhat questionable considering the force he mustered to pursue Jacob). Laban then asks why on top of all that he had stolen his household gods (we had been earlier told that Rachel stole Laban’s idols before she left). Jacob tells Laban that he was afraid that Laban would have taken his daughters away from Jacob if he had known that Jacob was leaving, but that if Laban wanted to search the things he had for anything of Laban’s to go ahead. Jacob said that anyone who was found with anything stolen from Laban would be put to death. Laban searched through all of the goods in Jacob’s household, except for the camel saddle upon which Rachel sat. She told him that she could not get up for him because it was that time of month, after hiding the stolen idols in the saddle before sitting on it. When Laban failed to find the stolen gods (which Jacob was unaware of), Jacob lost his temper and laid out all of his grievances against Laban.
     Laban tells Jacob that everything that he has is Laban’s, but there is nothing he can do about it since God warned him to not harm Jacob. Laban then proposes a covenant of peace between them. Jacob agrees. The two men entered into a covenant of peace, swearing by God. It is interesting to note that Laban swore by the God of his grandfather and Jacob’s grandfather, while Jacob swore by the God of his father. Once they had entered into the covenant, Jacob offered a sacrifice to God and invited Laban and the men with him to a meal. In the morning the two groups went their separate ways.
     Jacob sent messengers ahead to Esau to tell him that he was coming. The messengers returned and told Jacob that Esau was coming to meet him, with 400 men. This frightened Jacob, so he divided his household into two groups, hoping that if Esau attacked one group the other could escape. But Jacob did not stop his preparation there. He then prayed to God. He said that he had come to this place on God’s command and that all he had was given to him by God. In his prayer, Jacob told God that he was not worthy of all that God had done for him, but nevertheless he was counting on God to protect him from his brother’s anger. There is a lesson here for us. Jacob made the best preparations that he could for the safety of his loved ones. Then he acknowledged that only God could ensure their safety and that all that he had was from God. I strive to face life in the same manner. I will make the best preparations I can, but will acknowledge that all that I have is from God and only God can keep it safe.

Matthew 10:24-11:6

Jesus tells the disciples that the student is not greater than the teacher. Since He had been called the prince of devils, why should we be surprised when they say the same about us? I will not be afraid of those who threaten to kill my body since they cannot touch my soul. I will fear only God, who can both kill my body and my soul. However, I will not be afraid because God cares even for the sparrows and I am assured that He values me more than those. If I publicly acknowledge my faith in Christ before the world, He will acknowledge me before the Father. If, on the other hand I deny my faith, Christ will disown me before the Father. This is my greatest fear, that I am too ready to disown Christ in front of others to avoid ridicule. Let me take up my cross and follow God.
John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the one they were waiting for or if they should look for another. Jesus replied, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” These are the signs of the Kingdom of God. Does the Church still demonstrate these signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God? Do we have the faith to believe that we should demonstrate these signs? Do I?

Psalm 13:1-6

While it may seem that the Lord leaves me to struggle unaided, I will praise His name. He has been good to me and God has provided for all of my needs. I trust in God because His love is unfailing.

Proverbs 3:16-18

Behaving wisely results in a healthy life and one that is economically secure.

Daily Bible Study

January 14, 2013 Bible Study –Freely You Have Received, Freely Give

January 13, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Genesis 30-31:16

     After Leah had born Jacob four sons and Rachel none, Rachel became frustrated and demanded children of Jacob. Jacob responded that she needed to take the matter up with God. Rachel then had Jacob sleep with her maid, Bilhah, so that she could raise Bilhah’s children as her own. Bilhah gave birth to two sons. When Leah saw this, and that she had stopped bearing sons to Jacob, she gave Jacob her maid, Zilpah. Zilpah also gave birth to two sons. Leah had two more sons for a total of six sons. Then Rachel finally became pregnant and had a son. Over the course of this passage we see a family dynamic of unhealthy rivalry between the sisters that Jacob did nothing to improve (and very likely made worse). When I was growing up this passage was often used to explain why polygamy was a bad idea. I don’t know if that is the point, but it does show us how dysfunctional Jacob’s family was (which should come as no surprise considering how dysfunctional the family he grew up in was). This just goes to show that God can and will use those who dedicate themselves to Him, even though they have many human flaws.
     After Joseph was born, Jacob began negotiating with Laban for new wages. Jacob begins the negotiations by saying that he wants to go back to where he grew up. Laban replies that he knows that Jacob has made him wealthy and asks Jacob what he owes him (this is really Laban’s way of saying, I don’t owe you anything, I have already given you the wages we agreed upon). Jacob comes back telling Laban he has worked very hard for Laban and that Jacob has indeed made Laban very wealthy, but when can Jacob start working to build his own wealth. Laban asks Jacob what he wants. Jacob suggests that he get all of the speckled, spotted and black sheep and goats that are in the herds he tends for Laban. Laban agreed to these terms, but he immediately went out and removed all of those that fit the criteria from the flocks that Jacob tended for him and put them in the flocks his sons tended. The passage tells us that Jacob placed pieces of wood with the bark partially stripped off in the watering troughs when the flocks were about to mate and this led to an abnormally large number of speckled, spotted and streaked lambs. As a result of his careful management of Laban’s flocks so as to maximize those that became his, Jacob became wealthy.
     As Jacob’s wealth grew, the attitude of Laban and his sons towards Jacob began to turn sour. As Jacob noticed this change in their attitude, God told him to return to the land of his father and grandfather. Jacob called Rachel and Leah out to where he was tending the flocks (the passage does not say, but I am guessing they brought his entire household with them). He tells them that he works very hard for their father, but their father cheats him of his wages. Nevertheless God has blessed him and he has gotten wealthy. Jacob then tells them that God has told him it is time to return to the lands of his father. Leah and Rachel express resentment of the way their father has treated them since they married Jacob and support his decision to return to the land of his birth. This is perhaps the only time we see this family behaving harmoniously.

Matthew 10:1-23

Jesus gathered His twelve disciples and gave them authority to drive out demons and power to heal the sick, He then sent them out to preach the Good News in the towns of Israel. They are to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is near. In addition to the preaching they are to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.” Jesus tells them to take no extra provisions with them but to rely on the people of the towns they preach in for sustenance. They should trust God to provide for them.
It seems clear to me from the way this is written that Matthew sees Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve as applying to more than them when Jesus sent them out to preach. He tells us that we are sheep among wolves. We are to be as shrewd as snakes, but as harmless as doves. We need to recognize the tricks people use to take advantage of others, but we should not use them. We will be persecuted and put on trial, but that will be our opportunity to testify about God’s love to unbelievers and the authorities. Don’t worry about what to say, or how to say it. Just let God’s Spirit speak through you. I need to let God’s Spirit speak through me more.

Psalm 12:1-8

This psalm feels as if it was written today:

Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!
The faithful have vanished from the earth!
…
They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
God answers that He sees the violence done to the helpless and hears the cries of the poor. We know that God will protect the oppressed, even though evil is praised throughout the land.

Proverbs 3:13-15

Wisdom is more valuable than anything else we can acquire, gold, silver and precious gems pale in comparison. Nothing else we can desire compares to wisdom. Search it out in order to find true joy.

Daily Bible Study

January 13, 2013 Bible Study –Touch The Hem Of His Cloak

January 12, 2013 AttilaDimedici 4 Comments

Genesis 28-29:35:46

     At Rebekah’s instigation Isaac called Jacob to him and told Jacob not to marry any of the Canaanite women. Instead Isaac sent Jacob to Rebekah’s father’s house with instructions to marry one of Laban’s (Rebekah’s brother) daughters. When Esau realized how upset his parents were with his choice of wives, he went to his uncle Ishmael and married one of his daughters. It is interesting to note that when Isaac decided to send Jacob away to find a wife, he sent him to Laban and not to Ishmael. It may be that he recognized Esau’s anger at Jacob and wanted Jacob to be well out of Esau’s reach when he, Isaac, died. Or it may be that he did it to make Rebekah happy. Or there may be some other explanation. It is however interesting to take note of.
     Jacob begins his journey. One night early in the trip he stops near Luz and lays down for the night. While he was sleeping he had a dream. He dreamed that he saw a stairway ascending to heaven with angels going up and down it. In the dream, Jacob perceived God standing at the top of the stairway. God told Jacob that He was the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. God went on to promise Jacob that He would fulfill His promise to Abraham through Jacob (God did not mention His promise to Abraham to Jacob, but the wording of the promise is very close to the wording of His promise to Abraham) and that He would be with Jacob, wherever Jacob went. When Jacob awoke, the thought that he had slept at a place that was the very gateway to heaven frightened him. Jacob responds that if God will watch over him and take care of his needs, then God will be his God and he will give a tenth of all that he receives back to God. (Note: the word translated as “if” could also be translated as “since”)
     I think there is a lot in this for us (or at least me). I believe that God has promised to be with us and to take care of us. In return for that I will make Him my God and worship Him. Like Jacob, I will give back to Him a tenth of what He gives to me. There is one other piece to this. The thought that he had slept on the threshold of heaven frightened Jacob. I believe that since I accepted Christ as my Savior, I am always on the threshold of heaven. While this is a glorious thought, it should also frighten me more than it does, because I am a sinful man.
     The passage goes on to describe Jacob arriving at Laban’s and going to work for Laban. Jacob negotiated a deal with Laban to work for him for seven years in order to get Laban’s daughter Rachel as his wife. However, when the time came Laban tricked Jacob and gave Jacob his daughter Leah as his wife instead. Jacob worked seven more years for Laban in order to marry Rachel. The passage tells us that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Further it tells us that because of this God caused Leah to conceive four sons while Rachel conceived none.

Matthew 9:18-38

     A synagogue leader came to Jesus and told Him that his daughter had just died. The synagogue leader said that if Jesus would just come and lay His hand upon her, she would live. Jesus went with the man, accompanied by His disciples. As He walked, a woman who had been ill for twelve years said to herself, “If I can only touch His cloak, I will be healed.” She approached Jesus and touched the edge of His cloak. When she touched Him, Jesus turned and saw her. He told her that her faith had made her well. At that moment the woman was healed. Jesus continued to the synagogue leader’s house. When He got there, He found the house surrounded by those who were mourning the girl’s death. Jesus told them to go away because the girl was not dead, merely sleeping. The crowd laughed at Him for believing that the girl could be helped. Nevertheless, the mourners were put out of the house and Jesus took the girl’s hand and she got up.
     This passage describes two people who had faith that Jesus could meet their needs and it describes people who laughed at the idea of a miracle. First we have the synagogue leader, who even though his daughter had died, had faith that Jesus could provide aid. His friends told him, “Just bury her and get on with your life. There is nothing else you can do.” He knew they were right, there was nothing he could do for his daughter. But he knew that Jesus could help her, so he turned to Him. When those I care about are suffering from things that I can do nothing about, do I turn to Jesus? Or do I just get on with my life and leave them suffering? If the latter is it because I lack faith to believe that He will help them? Then there is the woman who had been suffering for twelve years. She was determined that if she could just touch the edge of Jesus’ cloak, she would be healed. Do I believe that He will heal me of my hurts? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to just touch the edge of His cloak? Or am I one of those who laughed when He said the girl was just sleeping?
     When Jesus traveled on from here, two blind men followed Him crying out to Him for mercy. When he arrived at His destination they approached Him. He asked them if they believed He could restore their sight. They responded that yes, they believed. Jesus healed them and told them to tell no one. But they were so joyful for what He had done for them that they could not help but tell everyone they met what had happened. Am I compelled to tell everyone what Jesus has done for me as these two formerly blind men were?
     Jesus traveled through the towns and villages of the area preaching. He saw the crowds and was moved to compassion for them. The people were confused and helpless. The writer tells us they were like sheep without a shepherd. I don’t know if you have ever seen sheep, but when they are without someone to provide them with guidance, they tend to mill about and do stupid things. After seeing the people like this Jesus turned to His disciples and said to them that the harvest was plentiful, but there were few workers. He told His disciples to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send workers to the harvest. When I look at society around us, I see what Jesus was talking about there are so many who are starving to hear God’s word. And there are so few preaching it. Oh Lord, send out workers to harvest your fields. Show me Lord, how I can better preach your word to those who are dying.

Psalm 11:1-7

I trust in the Lord. I will not flee from the wicked. The psalmist asks what can the righteous do when the foundations are being destroyed? He answers it as well. They can trust in the Lord. God loves justice and righteousness, but will rain down burning coals on the wicked. We can trust in the Lord. Let others destroy their foundation, I will constantly reinforce mine by building my life on God Himself.

Proverbs 3:11-12

Forgive me Lord for being upset when You discipline me. Help me to learn the lesson You are trying to teach me. I know that your discipline is a product of love.

Fact and Fantasy

Monthly Archives: January 2013

January 22, 2013 Bible Study — Getting Out of the Boat

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January 21, 2013 Bible Study — The Starting Point of Wisdom

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January 20, 2013 Bible Study — I Will Call Upon the Lord

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January 19, 2013 Bible Study — What Type Of Soil Am I?

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January 18, 2013 Bible Study — He Who Is Not For Jesus Is Against Him

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January 17, 2013 Bible Study — It Is Always Lawful To Do Good

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January 16, 2013 Bible Study — Wrestle with God

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January 15, 2013 Bible Study –The Student Is Not Greater Than The Teacher

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January 14, 2013 Bible Study –Freely You Have Received, Freely Give

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January 13, 2013 Bible Study –Touch The Hem Of His Cloak

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