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.

Job 4-7:21

The first of Job’s friends. Eliphaz responded to what he said. Eliphaz said some things to which I think we should pay attention, but we need to keep in mind that in the end God calls on Eliphaz to request Job’s forgiveness. Eliphaz asked the rhetorical question:

‘Can a mortal be innocent before God?
Can anyone be pure before the Creator?’
The obvious answer being, “No.” A little further on Eliphaz tells us that evil and trouble do not come from nature, rather both are the products of human action. Eliphaz gives Job one more piece of advice that we would all do well to heed. He tells Job: If I were you, I would go to God
and present my case to him.
This is certainly sound advice. When we face trouble, let us take our case before God. Admit our errors and repent of our mistakes, throwing ourselves upon His mercy and accepting the consequences which He lays upon us.
Job responded to Eliphaz and told him that his words were not helpful. Job complained that Eliphaz assumed his guilt. This is to me the most important part of this passage. We should not assume someone else’s guilt in a particular situation. In any situation where we are challenging someone for sinning, we need to be able to tell them specifically what they have done wrong. If we cannot tell them specifically what they have done wrong, we should not assume that they have done wrong.

1 Corinthians 14:18-40

     Paul continues his discussion on spiritual gifts by saying that while he talks in other languages more than any of his readers, he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a language that no one present understands. He then says something that confuses me. First he says that speaking in other languages is a sign for unbelievers, not for believers and that prophesy is for believers, not for unbelievers. So far so good.
     However, next Paul tells us that if the Church is gathered and everyone is speaking in other languages, when someone seeking to learn about the Gospel, or an unbeliever, comes in to the meeting, they will think we are all crazy. On the other hand if the everyone at the meeting is prophesying, the seeker, or unbeliever, who comes in will be convicted that God is present among the believers by the words of God being spoken.
     Paul then addresses how this all applies in worship services. He says that the services should be orderly with only one person talking at a time. Only a few people should speak in other languages and then only if there is someone there to interpret. If there is no one there to interpret, they should speak silently to God in those other languages. He gives other examples of the way that the service should be orderly with only one person speaking at a time. He tells the Corinthians to remember that the word of God did not originate with them and that they are not the only ones who have heard it. As a result, they should acknowledge that what he is writing is God’s command.

***
One thing Paul says in the section on orderly worship troubles me. He says that women should be silent during the service. He follows this up by saying that if they have a question, they should ask their husbands at home. That suggests that he is thinking that the only thing they would have to say are questions. Which would be consistent with the fact that at that time women were generally not given as much of an education as men. However, it occurs to me that there is an additional interpretation of what Paul is saying. Perhaps he is suggesting that a husband and wife should be sure to have the same understanding of spiritual matters. All in all, this is a passage that I am not sure what to do with, especially since there are other passages written by Paul that seem to take a different perspective on this. Perhaps this passage was only meant for the situation as it existed in Corinth? There are elements of the passage which suggest that (the focus on the fact that the word of God did not originate in Corinth).

Psalm 37:30-40

The godly offer good counsel and teach right from wrong. The wicked on the other hand wait in ambush for the godly, seeking an excuse to kill them. But God will not allow the wicked to succeed. Put your trust in God and you will see the wicked destroyed. It may seem like the wicked are prospering like a tree planted in good, well-watered soil, but no sooner will you think they are here to stay then they are gone to be found no more. Look rather at the honest and good, they have a wonderful future awaiting them. Live a righteous life and God will rescue you when trouble looms.

Proverbs 21:27

Sacrifices will not suffice to offset continued wicked behavior and those who think that they can bribe God will discover they are mistaken.

***

Daily Bible Study

August 21, 2013 Bible Study — The Lord Gives And the Lord Takes Away

August 20, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Job 1-3:26

The book of Job begins by telling us that Job was a wealthy man with sons and daughters. He worshiped and feared God. We are told that one day Satan, the Accuser, came before God, along with all of the members of the heavenly courts. God asked him where he had been and he replied that he had been out patrolling the earth. God asked him if he had observed Job, a man of complete integrity who feared God? Satan replied that of course he feared God. God had made him wealthy and protected him. But if God took away everything he had he would curse God. God told Satan that he could test Job by taking all of his possessions, but was not allowed to harm him physically. >br?
In quick succession, Job lost all of his possessions and his children died in a tragedy. This was Job’s response:

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
When Satan went before God once more. God asked him if he had observed Job, who had maintained his integrity despite the fact that he had lost his possessions. Satan responded that of course he did, people will sacrifice much to save their life, but if God would but take away Job’s good health, Job would curse Him. God told Satan, “Go ahead, try it, but you may not take his life.”
Job became very ill, unable to relieve his discomfort. His wife told him that things were so bad, he should just curse God and die. Job responded that he would accept the good and the bad from the hand of God. He refused to curse God and maintained his integrity. Three of Job’s friends heard of his suffering and came to visit him. They wordlessly expressed their grief at his suffering when they arrived and sat with him for a full week, making no effort during that time to ease his grief with empty words. After seven days Job finally spoke. He cursed the day he was born. He expressed the desire that he had never been born. If he had died upon birth, he would not be experiencing his current suffering. Yet, through all of that, he did not blame God.

1 Corinthians 14:1-17

Having just completed a lesson on what love is and its importance, Paul tells us that we should follow the way of love and desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. If the Spirit gives me the gift of speaking in a language other than that spoken by those around me, I can only speak to God in that language. On the other hand, if the Spirit gives me the gift of prophecy, I can strengthen, encourage, and comfort the people around me. While Paul would like if everyone could speak in other languages, he would rather that they prophecy. Someone who speaks in other languages is strengthened personally, but those who prophecy strengthen the whole congregation.
Paul continues to expound on this point at some length. He sums it up by saying that when we pray in another language our spirit is praying, but our mind does not understand what is going on. Paul concludes that it is better to pray so that both the spirit and the mind can be enlightened. The Spirit should fill us and our spirits should worship God, but our minds should be involved as well. If we praise God in the spirit using unknown languages, how can those around us join in our praise, since they do not know who, what, or why we are praising. In addition, if we are praising God in unknown languages, how can those who have come to learn of the Gospel be drawn to it if they cannot understand what we are saying?

***
Do I seek spiritual gifts as I ought? Or am I afraid of them because that would mean I am called to something outside of my comfort zone? I will pray to God that He makes me receptive to His gifts and desirous of them; even desirous of being taken out of my comfort zone to fulfill His will.

Psalm 37:12-29

How appropriately today’s psalm follows the passage from 1 Corinthians. I finished up my thoughts on that by talking of my fear of standing out if I exhibit the gifts of the Spirit and the psalm begins with:

The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.
…
The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
to slaughter those who do right.
Which certainly explains why I have that fear. However, the psalmist tells me why I should not fear the snarls of the wicked: But their swords will stab their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
I will take heart from this psalm and pray to God to give me the gifts of the Spirit He desires me to have, and the courage to use them in His service. I will follow the psalmist’s advice. I will turn from evil and do good.

Proverbs 21:25-26

The lazy desire much, but are unwilling to work for any of it. Many people are greedy for everything they can get from others, while the godly are eager to give whatever they can.

Daily Bible Study

August 20, 2013 Bible Study — Love Never Fails

August 19, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Esther 8-10:3

King Xerxes took Haman’s property and gave it to Queen Esther. In addition, he appointed Mordecai to the office that had been held by Haman. Then Esther approached the king in order to request that the plot to slaughter the Jews throughout the Empire be stopped. The king told Esther and Mordecai to send out an edict in his name to do just that, but to remember that any previous edict sealed with his seal cannot be revoked. Mordecai composed an edict authorizing the Jews in every city to band together to defend themselves and to attack their enemies on the same day that the the edict Haman had sent out was to take effect. When Mordecai’s edict was received in the cities of the Empire, the Jews rejoiced and many people converted to Judaism. When the day that the two edicts were to take effect, the officials of the Empire sided with the Jews because they were afraid of Mordecai, who was now the most powerful man in the Empire, after the king. After this had all transpired, Mordecai sent out a letter to all of the Jews in the Empire proposing that they celebrate an annual festival to commemorate this event. The Jews agreed to institute this celebration and celebrate their gaining relief from their enemies.

1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13

Paul continues his discussion of spiritual gifts by pointing out the different roles that different people have in the Church. He points out that some are called to be apostles, some are called to be prophets, some to be teachers, others to perform miracles, still others to heal the sick, and yet others to speak in other languages, but only some of us are called to do any one of these things. We are not all called to do all of these things. He then tells us that we should desire and request of God the greater gifts.
Having just told us that we should desire and seek the greater gifts, Paul says that he will tell us the best way. He tells us that no matter how wonderful, and powerful the spiritual gifts which we demonstrate, if we do not have love, they are worthless. Paul then describes the characteristics of love. It is such a concise and comprehensive summation of love that I will just quote it here from the NIV:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Paul then continues by telling us that all of the spiritual gifts will cease at some point, that the time will come when there will be no more prophecies, there will be no more talking in various languages, when the knowledge we have now will not count as knowledge. It is like we are looking through fogged glass, we can sort of make out what is on the other side of the glass. But the day is coming when we will not be looking through fogged glass, then we will see God’s glory clearly and will not need the understanding we got by looking through the glass.
Paul concludes this section by telling us that three things are eternal: faith, hope, and love. The greatest of those three is love.

***
The 13th chapter of First Corinthians is often used in weddings and in sermons about marriage. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, marriage is something which needs love in order to prosper. However, as a result we often miss two things about this passage. The first is that Paul is not talking about the love tied to our sexuality that is part of marriage (although the love that Paul is talking about is also part of a successful marriage). The second is that all of our actions are to be informed by love.
I was going to talk further about how people misunderstand this passage, but that is not where I feel led to go. Rather, I want to point out that this chapter on love was written by the same man, in the same letter, as the passage about women covering their heads when they pray and prophesy. This was written by the same man who a few chapters earlier said that those who live their lives in sexual immorality and other sins will not inherit the kingdom of God. What does that tell us about confronting people over their sins? It tells us that if we love someone we will not gloss over the ways in which they are damaging themselves by not following God’s instructions for living. IF we love someone we will try to get them to do things that will lead to true happiness. The only path to true happiness is through following God’s commands.

Psalm 37:1-11

Today’s psalm gives us great advice that is hard to follow. It tells us not to worry about the wicked, nor to be envious of those who do wrong. In the long run everything they attempt will come to nothing. Do not get angry over the acts of the wicked. Letting your anger over evil control you will only lead to harm. The wicked will disappear and those who have trusted the Lord will possess all that the wicked thought was theirs.
This is another one of those psalms that needs to be read. It goes so well with 1 Corinthians 13. The psalmist tells us to commit everything we do to the Lord. Paul told us to do everything in love. If we follow those two principles, we cannot go wrong. I will strive to commit everything I do to the Lord and to do it all in love.

Proverbs 21:23-24

And today’s proverb tells us something I can do that will go a long way towards fulfilling what I just said I would strive to do. If I learn to watch what I say and keep my mouth shut until I can say only that which is loving, I will have accomplished most of what I am striving to do. If I remember not to be proud and haughty, mocking those with whom I disagree, I will be even further.

Daily Bible Study

August 19, 2013 Bible Study — If I Must Die, I Must Die

August 18, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Esther 4-7:10

When Mordecai learned of Haman’s edict, he went into mourning. Dressed in sackcloth he sat at the gate to the king’s palace. When Esther heard that he was doing this, she sent a messenger with new clothes for him. Mordecai refused the clothes and sent a message back to Esther telling her the details of Haman’s edict. Mordecai asked Esther to intervene for her people with the king. Esther replied that if she approached the king without being summoned, she might be killed unless the king extended grace to her and she had not been summoned to the king in over a month.
Mordecai replied to Esther that she would not escape the coming purge just because she was in the palace. If she remained silent, deliverance and relief would arise for the Jews from some other place, but she and her family would die. He then suggested that perhaps she had been made queen for this very purpose. Esther took this to heart and replied asking Mordecai to gather all of the Jews in Susa together to fast for three days and nights. She and her servants would do the same. On the fourth day she would go to see the king, submitting herself to the hand of God, whether she lived or she died.

***
     This passage is one that touches me very deeply and is at the heart of my understanding of my duties as a follower of God. We are where we are in life in order to fulfill God’s purpose in this world. We cannot avoid the risks associated with doing God’s will. If we refuse to do that which we know God desires us to do because we are afraid of possible consequences, those consequences will still fall upon us and God will find some other means to do His will. On the other hand, if we step forth in God’s will, despite the risks, God may protect us from harm. We are called to live our lives as Esther did here and as Daniel’s three friends (Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego) did. Esther said, “If I must die, I must die.” Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego said, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods…” All too often I have failed to live up to these examples because I was afraid that someone would mock me. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give me the strength going forward to echo Esther and say, “If I must die, I must die,” or, “If I will be mocked, so be it.”
***
     On the fourth day, Esther went to see the king. When the king saw her enter his presence he extended her an invitation to be there, thus sparing her life. He then asked her what she desired of him. Esther invited the king to come to a banquet she had prepared and to bring Haman with him. The king granted her request. When they came to the banquet the king asked Esther what she really wanted. promising to grant her request, even up to half of his kingdom. Esther merely replied that she desired that the king and Haman come to a banquet she had prepared for the following day. She told the king that she would explain what this was all about at that banquet. The king agreed.
     As he was leaving the palace at the end of the day, Haman passed Mordecai and his rage at Mordecai was rekindled. When he got home, he boasted of his wealth and power, and about being invited to a banquet a private banquet with the king and Queen Esther. However, all of this was unsatisfying as long as Mordecai sat at the palace gates. Haman’s wife suggested that Haman set up a tall sharpened pole and in the morning request the king’s permission to impale Mordecai on it. Haman liked this idea and ordered the pole set up.
     Meanwhile, the king had trouble sleeping so he had the book recounting the history of his reign read to him. While it was being read, he heard an account of Mordecai revealing the plot against him. He asked what reward Mordecai had been given for this act. The answer was that nothing had been done for Mordecai. At that moment, Haman arrived, intending to request permission to impale Mordecai. The king summoned Haman into his presence and asked him what he should do to honor a man who truly pleased him. Haman, assuming that the king meant to honor him, told the king that he should dress the person in royal regalia and mount him on a royal horse. Then he should have one of his high officials lead the man to be so honored through the city square on the king’s horse, with the official declaring that this what the king does for one he wished to honor. The king liked Haman’s plan and ordered him to do this for Mordecai. Haman did as ordered. Afterwards Haman rushed home dejected and humiliated. When he told his wife and friends what had happened his wife told him that since Mordecai was a Jew, his plans against him would never come to fruition and to continue to oppose him would be fatal.
     Once she had said this, the king’s servants arrived to escort Haman to Esther’s banquet. Once they were at the banquet, the king once again asked Esther what she truly desired. Esther answered by requesting that her life and that of her people be spared. She told the king that she and her people had been sold to those who wished to kill and annihilate them. The king asked her who would dare do such a thing. Esther told him that it was none other than Haman. The king jumped to his feet in rage and went out to the palace garden. Meanwhile Haman attempted to plead for his life with Esther. However, in his grief he fell upon her couch just as the king returned. The king assumed that he was assaulting Esther and called for his servants to seize him. One of the king’s servants told the king that Haman had set up a sharpened pole intending to impale Mordecai upon it, noting that Mordecai had saved the king from assassination (this suggests that Haman was not popular among the palace servants). The king ordered that Haman be impaled upon the very pole he had set up.

1 Corinthians 12:1-26

Paul moves on to his next topic, spiritual gifts. The first thing he tells us about recognizing spiritual gifts is how to distinguish between true and false spiritual gifts. No one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus and everyone who honors Jesus is doing so by the Spirit of God. He then tells us that there are different spiritual gifts and that God calls us to different kinds of service. Despite these differences there is only one God working in and through us. We are each given a spiritual gift in order to help each other. The Spirit gives the gift of wise advice to some and that of special knowledge to others. Other gifts which the Spirit gives are great faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking on various languages, and interpretation of languages. All of these gifts are different, but they all come from the same Spirit. God distributes these gifts according to His designs in this world, not according to human desire.
The human body is made up of many parts, but it is still only one body. In the same manner, the Church is made up of many different people, with different skills and gifts nevertheless we are all baptized into one body, the Body of Christ, and we all share one Spirit. Just as the human body needs all of its various parts, placed according to God’s design, to function properly, so, too the Church requires all of the different parts which are placed according to God’s designs. In the same way that we honor certain parts of our body and protect other parts, so too in the Church should we be careful to honor and protect different parts of the Body according to their needs and their vulnerability. If one part of our body is honored, our whole body is honored, if one part of our body is hurt, our whole body suffers. The same is true of the Church, the Body of Christ, even if we do not always recognize this.

Psalm 36:1-12

There is a wonderful insight into human nature in this psalm:

In their blind conceit,
they cannot see how wicked they really are.
No one thinks of themselves as truly evil. People constantly justify their actions to themselves, explaining why it was not wrong of them to do things which they know are wrong. Once we have done wicked acts, we lie to ourselves continuously, following up one evil act with another. Each one justified in our own minds. It is only when we acknowledge that without God we are wicked and then confess our sins that we can break this cycle of ever increasing evil.

Proverbs 21:21-22

It is only through the pursuit of righteousness and love that we can find life and honor. Wisdom will overcome strength every time.

Daily Bible Study

August 18, 2013 Bible Study — Examine Ourselves

August 17, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Esther 1-3:15

     The book of Esther takes place during the reign of Xerxes, king of Persia. The account starts with Xerxes holding a three month festival celebrating the opulence and power of the Persian Empire (it strikes me as being a sort of World’s Fair). At the end of the festival, he threw a week long party for everyone in his palace in the capital. Xerxes ordered that the wine flow freely and it did. At the same time, his queen, Vashti, threw a similar party for the women in the palace. On the seventh day, Xerxes was rather in his cups and ordered his eunuchs to bring Queen Vashti to him where he was partying with his attendants in order to show off how beautiful his wife was. Vashti refused to come. Xerxes was furious and, upon the advice of his advisers, divorced her (well, probably not technically divorced, but that’s close enough for understanding the rest of the story).
     Once Xerxes got over his anger, he began to regret not having a queen. His servants came up with a plan to find a replacement for Vashti by searching for the most beautiful women throughout the Empire. Xerxes could then choose a new queen from among them. Xerxes approved this plan. Among the women who were brought in as part of this plan was a young Jewess named Hadassah (also called Esther). Esther was the cousin of a Jew named Mordecai. Mordecai had adopted her and raised her as his own daughter after the death of her parents. Esther, along with the other young women brought in through this program, was put under the care of the eunuch Hegai. Hegai was impressed by Esther and gave her the best room in the harem. In addition, Hegai gave her a special menu and additional beauty treatments. While she was undergoing the one year preparation, Mordecai passed near the courtyard of the harem everyday in order to keep informed about how she was doing.
     When the young women were called to Xerxes bed, they were given their choice of clothes and jewelry. When it was Esther’s turn, she wore only what Hegai recommended. Xerxes was taken with Esther and made her his queen in place of Vashti. Through all of this Esther kept her nationality a secret, even after Mordecai became a palace official. Through all of this, Esther continued to consult with Mordecai and follow his directions. At one point, Mordecai overheard a plot to kill King Xerxes and reported it to Queen Esther. Esther passed this report on to the king, giving Mordecai credit for it.
     Some time later, Xerxes appointed Haman as the most powerful official in the Empire, after the king. All of the king’s officials would bow down to Haman when he passed, except for Mordecai. When Haman realized that Mordecai would not bow down to him, he became furious. He investigated and discovered that Mordecai was a Jew. Haman felt that it was not enough to punish Mordecai for the slight. He decided to destroy all of Mordecai’s people as well. Haman had lots cast in his presence to decide when to do this. The result was for a time 11 months in the future. Haman went before King Xerxes and told him that there was a people scattered throughout the Empire who obeyed their own laws and refused to obey the king’s decrees, a people who it was not in Xerxes interest to allow to continue to live. Haman told Xerxes that he would deposit a large sum of money into the royal treasury if Xerxes would authorize him to destroy these people. Xerxes gave Haman authority to issue such a decree as Haman saw fit. Haman composed a decree to be sent throughout the Empire instructing Empire officials that all Jews, young and old, male and female, were to be killed on March 7 of the following year. Those who killed them were authorized to appropriate their property.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Paul continues his critique of the Corinthian Church. He tells them that he is not surprised that there are divisions among them. Then he says something that seems like sarcasm to me. He tells them that there must be divisions among them in order to show who does, and does not, have God’s approval. This strikes me as sarcasm, because if there are no divisions in the Church than there is no need to distinguish between those with God’s approval and those without since everyone either has His approval or does not have His approval.
Paul then goes on to discuss what is happening when they gather to eat the Lord’s Supper (which in this case seems to be more like our modern fellowship meals than what we call the “Lord’s Supper”, more on that in another blog…someday). He tells us that when they gather, rather than waiting and sharing the food and drink equally, some people hurry up and eat their meals. This results in some going hungry while others get drunk. Paul continues by telling them that they are disgracing God’s Church and shaming the poor. Paul immediately dismisses the argument of, “We were hungry and could not wait for them to be ready,” by saying that, in that case, you should have eaten something at home. Paul points out that the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic joining together of the congregation in the death of Jesus. He talks about how when we eat the bread, we are taking into ourselves the Body of Christ and when we drink the cup we are taking into ourselves the Blood of Christ. What is the Body of Christ, but the Church, which is composed of our fellow believers? If we eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the Body of Christ, we are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon ourselves. Paul tells us that such behavior causes us to have weakness and illness. Finally, Paul reinforces his message that when we have fellowship meals and the Lord’s Supper, we should wait for each other. If we are too hungry to wait for everyone, we should eat at home before we go.

***
Paul’s teaching applies to meetings where the meal is the purpose of the gathering. However, there is a principle that can be applied to shared meals at Church gatherings of all sorts. In those cases where we have gathered together for some other purpose and share a meal somewhere in the middle, we may not be able to wait for everyone to get there to begin eating. However, in that case we should make sure that we do not take so much food that there is none left for those who have been delayed. It also means that we should strive to be on time to the meals at such gatherings so as to not inconvenience others.
There are two other things this passage says that strike me. The first is that I think we should more often make our Communion celebrations fellowship meals, as apparently was the practice in the Corinthian Church. The second is that Paul recommends (perhaps “commands” is a more appropriate word) that we examine ourselves and our motives before we take part in Communion. I would recommend that we do the same for fellowship meals, something which the Corinthian Church did not apparently distinguish from Communion.

Psalm 35:17-28

The psalmist begins today’s psalm with a phrase I think we can all sympathize with at some point or another:

How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?
The psalmist expresses the desire that God take action to address the injustice he is suffering. He asks how long God will allow the injustice to continue, but he never has any doubt that God will take action against those guilty of unjustly causing suffering on others. We may look at the world around us and think that there is a lot of injustice going on and that God has done nothing. However, God will take action when the time is ripe and all will see His goodness and love for those who worship Him.

Proverbs 21:19-20

If you wish to acquire wealth, do not spend everything you get on pleasures today. Rather save some of your income for a later day.

Daily Bible Study

August 17, 2013 Bible Study — Do I Imitate Christ Well Enough To Suggest That Others Imitate Me?

August 16, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Nehemiah 12:27-13:31

When the wall was completed, Nehemiah organized two choirs to go around the top of the wall in opposite directions, singing praises to God. When they met again, they joined together and went to the Temple to conduct a worship service dedicating the wall of Jerusalem. During the reading of the Law as part of this celebration, they discovered that the law said that no Ammonite or Moabite should be part of the assembly of God. At that point they excluded everyone of foreign descent from the assembly. This sounds harsh. However, there is some back-story.
Before this all happened, Nehemiah had needed to return to the court of Artaxerxes. When he returned to Jerusalem he discovered that the priest in charge of the Temple storerooms had converted one of them into a warehouse for Tobiah, one of the leaders of the neighboring peoples (and an opponent of the restoration of Jerusalem). Nehemiah also discovered that the Levites who were supposed to help conduct Temple services had not been given their allotment of food and had returned to working the fields rather than serving in the Temple. Nehemiah confronted the leaders over this and brought the Levites back. Further Nehemiah found the residents of Jerusalem conducting business on the Sabbath, both on their own and with non-Jewish merchants. He confronted them and demanded that they keep the Sabbath. Finally, he discovered that many Jewish men had married foreign women and had children with them and were not even teaching their children to speak Hebrew, instead raising them to speak the languages of their mother’s people. So, Nehemiah purged the people of foreign influences which were leading them away from God. The key factor in all of these things was that these foreign influences were leading the people to be unfaithful in following and worshiping God.

1 Corinthians 11:1-16

Today’s passage begins with Paul’s final comment on the topic he was discussing in yesterday’s passage: “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” I have heard different expositions on this passage, but the one that strikes me today is a simple question. Do I imitate Jesus well enough that I can in good conscience suggest that others imitate me? That is quite the challenge, but I think it is the standard we are called to live up to. For me, the idea that others are measuring the validity of the Christian message by my behavior is scary enough, but the thought that someone might be attempting to model their Christian life on what I do comes close to giving me the screaming willies. I just don’t do that good of a job of imitating Christ. I guess that means one thing: Time to up my game!…And there is only one way to do that, give the Holy Spirit more control over my life.
Paul next says that men should not cover their head when praying or prophesying and that women should. People have argued about whether or not this passage is something that we should follow today. I am not inspired today to make a case for it one way or the other. I will merely say that I am inclined to believe that we should follow the instructions in this passage. For today, the Spirit is bringing another point to my attention. One which I do not believe we spend enough time looking at. In the middle of this teaching Paul tells us that in Christ women are not independent of men. And that men are not independent of women. Men and women fill different, but equally important, roles in the Body of Christ. All too many of the problems in our congregations result from us acting as if we are independent of each other. I had a lot of trouble composing that last sentence because I kept coming up with things that touched on issues addressed in other passages, most of which are somewhat controversial. I wanted to stick with the point I see here, that men are dependent on women and women are dependent on men. We need each other.

Psalm 35:1-16

We can count on the Lord to fight our battles for us if we follow a few simple rules.

Do not give our enemies cause to attack us
Do not commit crimes of which to be accused
Do good for all at every opportunity
Mourn with those who suffer loss (rather than rejoicing in other’s misfortune)

If we do these things, God will give us victory over our enemies and humiliate those who attempt to harm us.

Proverbs 21:17-18

If we do not learn to delay gratification of our desires we will end up in poverty. If we spend our money on all of the luxuries we can afford, we will never accumulate much wealth.

***

Daily Bible Study

August 16, 2013 Bible Study — I Have The Right To Do Anything, But Not Everything Is Beneficial

August 15, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Nehemiah 11-12:26

Once the walls around Jerusalem were rebuilt people began to settle into Jerusalem. The leaders of the returned exiles settled in Jerusalem. In addition, one out of every ten of the people living in the other towns of Judah were selected to resettle in Jerusalem. Those who volunteered to settle in Jerusalem were commended by the rest of the people. The passage then goes on to list some of the people who settled in Jerusalem and some of the villages around Jerusalem where others settled.

1 Corinthians 10:14-33

     Paul continues his discussion on eating meat offered to idols. He starts by pointing out that by taking part in Communion/The Lord’s Supper/The Eucharist (whatever term your tradition uses to refer to the breaking of bread and sharing the cup) we become one body, even though we are many. He then extends the same metaphor to the sacrifices which the Jews offered in the Temple and then ate part of as a meal. In the same way, those who partake in offerings made to idols become part of the body which is worshiping an idol.
     Paul points out that he is not saying that food offered to idols has some significance, nor that idols are real gods. Rather the sacrifices made to idols are made to demons, not to God. Paul says that we should not participants with demons. We cannot be part of the Body of Christ and the body of a demon (I really need to take some time and write a blog on some thoughts I have had about spiritual beings). Paul then continues by talking about our freedom in Christ. He quotes some as saying that as a Christian we have the freedom to do anything. He acknowledges this as a truth, but he tells us that there is an important qualifier, not everything is beneficial, not everything is constructive. Yes, we are free to do anything, but we should only do those things which are constructive and beneficial. More importantly, we should only do those things which are beneficial for others. Our concern should be with building up others.
     From this, Paul offers a guidance about eating meat. He tells us that it is ok to eat anything sold in the market because, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” He goes on to say that if someone invites us to a meal, we should eat whatever is put before us without asking any questions. However, if someone tells you that the food that is put before you was offered as a sacrifice, then do not eat it. The reason to not eat it is to make clear to the person who told us that we will not take part in pagan sacrifices and by doing that we might encourage them to do so.

***
For a long time, I always assumed that Paul was talking about our fellow believers when he talked about someone telling us that meat had been offered to idols. However, it occurred to me recently that this applies just as much to a non-Christian who tells us that. If we are invited to take part in a religious meal by non-Christians we should decline (a Jew inviting us to a seder, or other Jewish holy meal, may be an exception. I have not thought that all the way through). We need to be clear that we do not partake in non-Christian worship practices.
This reminds me of a major fuss that occurred a short while back over certain fast food chains preparing all of their meat according to halal (Muslim dietary code). The reason that some people were upset about this is because a significant factor in whether or not meat is halal is that in order to be halal it must be dedicated to Allah before it is slaughtered. This is very similar to the way that food was offered to idols and then used as food in Paul’s day. My initial reaction was that this was no big deal because Paul told us to eat food sold in the marketplace without asking any questions. Then I realized that since a big fuss was made about this, it now fell under the category of someone telling me that it had been offered to an idol. I have since forgotten the details about this and am not much concerned about it (it now falls under the class of “food sold in the marketplace, ask no questions”). However, this illustrates the point Paul was making. I think that as Christians we should avoid knowingly eating food that is halal, but we should make no effort to know whether or not any food is halal. If, however, someone, whether a Christian, a Muslim, or of some other faith, makes a point of telling us that particular food is halal, we should not eat it, not for our sake, but for theirs.

Psalm 34:11-22

Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
This was the first thing my eyes went to when I looked at this psalm today. I think there is something important here that we often overlook. “Turn away from evil and do good” is not really two instructions at all. When we do good, we are turning away from evil. Or to put it another way. the only way to turn away from evil is to do good. Having read that phrase I went back and read the entirety of today’s psalm. The psalmist also tells us that we are to keep from speaking evil or telling lies. There is a lot in this psalm, but I will conclude my meditation on it with this line: The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
That has certainly been true in my life.

Proverbs 21:14-16

You see the truth of the middle of these proverbs all around us. Those who do evil are terrified when they see justice done. They seek excuses to allow the guilty to escape punishment. And the third proverb is also true. I just read a story about a daredevil who died in a terrible accident while skydiving wearing what is called a “wingsuit”, which allows the skydiver to “fly” in a manner similar to a flying squirrel. In this case, the “pilot” (a term which is used to refer to those who do this) flew too close to the mountain, lost control and hit the mountain at a high speed. His search for the next thrill overrode his good judgment.

Daily Bible Study

August 15, 2013 Bible Study — God Will Not Allow Temptation That Is More Than We Can Stand

August 14, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Nehemiah 9:22-10:39

The people continued their communal prayer recounting God’s actions throughout their history and the rebellion of their ancestors. At the end of this prayer, the people made a binding agreement, in writing and signed by their leaders, to obey all of God’s laws and commandments. In addition they swore to not arrange for their children to marry the children of those who did not worship God and keep His commands. They swore to not do business on the Sabbath. They promised to pay an annual tax for the maintenance of the Temple. They promised to offer the first fruits of their harvests and a tithe on the rest. They promised not to neglect the Temple.

1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13

Paul continues his discussion of our freedom in Christ in today’s passage using himself as an example. He tells us that he is a free man, enslaved to no one. However, he allowed others to dictate how he behaved in order to bring as many as possible to Christ. When he was with those who lived according to strict rules and regulations because they thought that was what it meant to be righteous, he lived according to strict rules and regulations in order to convince as many as possible to accept the Gospel message. When he was with those who rejected rules and regulations because they thought that rules and regulations interfered with loving each other, Paul lived without regard to rules and regulations in order to convince as many as possible to accept the Gospel message. Despite doing the latter, Paul states that he believes in living according to God’s rules and regulations as mediated by Christ. When he was among those who were weak, Paul says that he became weak. He was willing to become all things to all people in order that some might be saved.

***
     Paul refused to insist that people take him as he was. He was willing to reach them in whatever way necessary. He would behave in whatever manner was necessary to get a hearing. This did not mean that he compromised the Gospel. However, among the straight-laced, Paul was straight-laced. On the other hand, among those who thought the straight-laced were all hypocrites, Paul avoided coming across as straight-laced. With those who were tired of the arguments and discord between different groups, who wondered how anyone could know who was right, Paul avoided coming across as “I’m right and you’re wrong.”
     I think I do pretty good on the first two counts. However, I have trouble with the third group. All too often, I come on too strong when I disagree with people. I have been asking the Holy Spirit to help me with that and I think I have been making progress.
***
     Paul then goes to the metaphor of athletic training. All athletes who hope to compete at the highest level train with discipline, yet only one of them comes out victorious. In the same way, Paul strives to live his spiritual life with discipline. He does not live so that he can feel good about his spirituality. He has a goal and everything he does is aimed towards that goal. He is not just casually running so that he can be in better condition. He is running hard so as to prepare his body for a race. He disciplines both his body and his spirit.
     Paul then uses the example of the children of Israel in the Exodus. They were all guided by the cloud that moved in front of them. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual water, yet God was not pleased with many of them. Some of them craved evil things and worshiped idols. Some of them engaged in sexual immorality. Some of them put God to the test and some of them grumbled against God. All of these sins led to death.
     Paul warns us not to be cocky in our faith, not to become overconfident and stumble because we took our eyes off of God. He tells us that God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted more than we can resist. When we are tempted, He will show us what we must do to overcome the temptation. We just need to do what He shows us.

Psalm 34:1-10

This psalm has some great lines:

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
But there is one that stands out to me: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
I am not sure what the psalmist meant, but I read that as meaning that the psalmist is telling us that if we want to see that God is good, we need to try living according to His commands for a while. If we do that we will quickly see that they lead us to a better life than living according to our own designs. It reminds me of the decision that led me to finally put my doubts to rest.
For many years I struggled with the question, “How do I know if God is real?” After many years of working on understanding how the world worked and after looking at different ideas about how it came to be, I was left with two choices that could potentially be intellectually satisfying. Either the God of the Christian Bible was real, or the universe was the product of random chance and nothing meant anything. I wanted proof one way or the other, but I was unable to find any.
As time went on, this lack of proof led me more and more to think that the universe was purely random. There was only one problem. That conclusion depressed me beyond words. Finally, one day I was crying out in my soul to God, “I cannot go on any longer if You do not exist, please prove to me that You are!” At that moment it came to me that I had my answer (I know now that this was God speaking directly to me). Since I could not live with the conclusion that the universe was random, I would live as if I believed that the God of the Bible was real. I would “taste and see.” Within days, I knew (not just thought, not just believed, KNEW) that the God of the Bible was real. I had tasted of God and seen that He was good!

Proverbs 21:13

When you hear the cries of those in need, have the means to do something for them, and do not, then you can know that the day will come when you are in need and your own cries will not be answered.

Daily Bible Study

August 14, 2013 Bible Study — Is Preaching the Gospel Voluntary?

August 13, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Nehemiah 7:73-9:21

     Once the wall around Jerusalem was rebuilt and the people were able to settle into “normal lives in and around Jerusalem a gathering of all of the people was called. They asked Ezra the priest to bring out the Book of the Law and read it to them. Ezra read to them from daybreak until noon. Ezra was flanked by several Levites. The way I read the passage, they were standing some distance from him, repeating what he said so that those more distant from Ezra could hear what he was saying as well. In addition to reading the Book of the Law, Ezra explained what it meant.
     As the people listened to what Ezra was saying, they began to weep. Nehemiah told the people that they should not weep because the day was a sacred day of the Lord. He told them instead to go and celebrate with a feast, sharing their food with those who had nothing prepared. With further encouragement from Ezra and the Levites the people went from mourning to joy at having heard and understood God’s words. The leaders of the people, along with the priests and Levites, met with Ezra to go over the Law in greater detail. While studying the Law they discovered that the Law prescribed the Festival of Shelters in that month. When they realized this they sent out word and the people gathered and celebrated the Festival of Shelters as outlined in the Law. The people celebrated the Festival with joy. Ezra read from the Book of the Law each day and on the eighth day they all gathered for a solemn assembly.
     At the end of that month, the people gathered again for a day of fasting. They dressed in sackcloth and humbled themselves before God. Once more the Book of the Law was read to them. At the end of the three hour reading the people confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord for an additional three hours. Following that the leaders of the Levites called on the people to praise the Lord and led them in a prayer recounting the mighty miracles God had performed for their ancestors during the Exodus, miracles God performed for them despite their sins against Him.

1 Corinthians 9:1-18

Having just said that he would spend the rest of his life as a vegetarian rather than cause someone to stumble in their faith in Christ, Paul asks a rhetorical question of his readers. He asks them if he does not have the right to accept support from the churches where he has preached the Gospel. Paul goes on to show that Scripture does indeed teach that those who pastor/teach/lead a congregation are entitled to financial support from that congregation. He then points out that despite the fact that he was entitled to support from the congregations he preached the Gospel to, he never asked for nor expected such support. Paul then tells them that he has no intent to start asking for such support now. He tells them that while he has a right to such support, he would rather die than accept it. Paul tells them that the reason he does not want to receive their support is because that is the only thing he has to boast of. He cannot boast of preaching the Gospel because he is compelled by God to do so. Paul did not consider preaching the Gospel to be something he did voluntarily. Since he has no choice (at least in his own mind) but to preach the Gospel, what reward is he entitled to? His answer is that he is not entitled to any reward. However, by preaching the Gospel without accepting any remuneration. Paul both becomes eligible for a reward and received that reward in the same action. Paul considers preaching the Gospel free of charge to his reward.

***
I was going to say that I wished that I felt such compulsion by the Spirit to preach God’s word that I could understand Paul’s emotion that it was not voluntary. Then I realized that I have from time to time felt compelled to share the Gospel. In particular there was one instance that finalized my understanding and surrender to the Holy Spirit. I was at a party at a long time friend’s house. I was somewhat intoxicated, to the point that I now consider to be beyond what fits God’s will for us. I was flirting with a young woman and started discussing what was wrong with the dominant world views. I explained that the problem with those who favored socialistic solutions was that they tried to pretend that greed could be done away with and that the problem with those who favored capitalistic solutions was that they tended to say that greed was good. After spending some time making these arguments, quite eloquently I believe, the young woman asked me what my answer to the world’s problems was. I was taken aback. I had thought I had done a good job of adopting the role of the well-meaning cynic. I did not want to reveal that I was a Christian, but I had no choice, not because I could not claim that there was no answer, but because God revealed to me, through the fog of intoxication, that He expected ME to be willing to declare Him before men (or in this case woman).
It was not to my credit that I answered as I did when I answered her question by telling her that my answer to the world’s problems was God. It was an act of the Holy Spirit, and one of the moments of greatest blessings in my life. I had forgotten that incident until today, now I pray that the Spirit compel me to witness like that more often (and more blatantly).

Psalm 33:12-22

The psalmist tells us that the people whose God is the Lord will experience joy, not in a personal sense, but in a corporate sense. No matter how well equipped you are, nor how strong, nor what aids you may have in your endeavors, you will not have success unless God is on your side. I will put my hope in the Lord because no matter how powerful those who strive to harm me, God will defend me. I will trust in His name.

Proverbs 21:11-12

The simple gain wisdom by observing wrongdoers being punished, the wise gain wisdom by being instructed. God takes note of what the wicked think they are doing in secret and they will not escape the consequences of their evil.

Daily Bible Study

August 13, 2013 Bible Study — Be Careful Not To Cause Others To Stumble

August 12, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Nehemiah 5:14-7:73

Nehemiah recounts how he never drew on the food allowance of the governor for the twelve years he was the governor of Judah, nor did he use his position as governor to acquire land. He and his men devoted their time to working on the wall. As the work on the wall reached completion Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab sent word requesting that Nehemiah meet them in a village outside of Jerusalem. Nehemiah suspected that they were plotting to ambush him and replied that he was working on an important project and could not take the time to come to meet them. Nehemiah’s enemies sent the same message to him requesting a meeting outside of the city to him four times. He sent the same reply to them every time. Finally, they sent a personal message with a message threatening to send word to the king of Persia alleging that Nehemiah was plotting to have himself named king of Judah and rebel against Persia. Nehemiah told the messenger to pass the word to his master that such allegations were baseless and that he was not going to meet with him.
Later, Nehemiah went to visit a shut-in named Shemaiah. Shemaiah told Nehemiah that his enemies were coming to kill him that night and that they should go to the Temple and bolt the doors. Nehemiah refused to follow such advice to barricade himself in. Shortly after this they completed the walls and set up doors in the gates. During this time many letters went back and forth between nobles of Jerusalem and Tobiah. The nobles kept praising Tobiah to Nehemiah and passed everything Nehemiah said on to Tobiah. Many of the nobles in Jerusalem had sworn allegiance to Tobiah because of his family connections. After the wall was finished, Nehemiah appointed his brother as governor over Jerusalem and gave him instructions on keeping the city well guarded.

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

     Today Paul moves on to another topic, whether or not Christians may eat food offered to idols. This is not a topic of much concern to us today, but there is much we can learn from what Paul says on the topic. The first thing Paul tells us is that it is more important to love one another, and to act towards one another with love, than it is to have the correct knowledge. He further says that it is only through love that we gain full knowledge.
     From there Paul goes on to the specifics of eating meat offered to idols. He starts by expounding on the fact that idols are not truly gods. There is only one God. Some people worship many different gods, but we know that those gods are not truly gods at all. However, not all believers know this, more importantly, some believers are used to believing and behaving as if certain idols are real gods. As a result if and when they eat meat that has been offered to idols, they think of it as worship of those idols. We do not win God’s approval by what we do or do not eat. We do not lose anything in God’s eyes if we do not eat specific foods, nor do we gain anything if we do eat them.
     Paul goes on to tell us that since we neither gain, nor lose, by what we eat, we should consider the consciences of those whose faith is weaker than our own. He tells us that we should be careful to make sure that we do not exercise our freedom in Christ in such a manner as to cause someone with a weaker conscience to stumble into sin. If our actions might encourage our brother or sister in Christ to sin, we should choose not to take those actions.

Psalm 33:1-11

The psalmist calls on those who are godly to sing for joy and praise the Lord. It is fitting that those who He has purified praise Him. We can trust everything that God does. If something is just and good, we can be sure that God loves it. The psalmist tells us all we need to know of God’s power in verse six:

The Lord merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.
THe psalmist tells us that God brings to naught the plans and schemes of the nations, but whatever God intends comes to pass. All that happens furthers God’s agenda for this world, despite the attempts of people and nations to thwart those plans.

Proverbs 21:8-10

The guilty follow a path that winds and twists, while the innocent are direct and open about their intentions and where they are headed. If you desire evil, you are evil.

Fact and Fantasy

Monthly Archives: August 2013

August 22, 2013 Bible Study — Stop Assuming My( or His/Her) Guilt

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August 21, 2013 Bible Study — The Lord Gives And the Lord Takes Away

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August 20, 2013 Bible Study — Love Never Fails

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August 19, 2013 Bible Study — If I Must Die, I Must Die

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August 18, 2013 Bible Study — Examine Ourselves

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August 17, 2013 Bible Study — Do I Imitate Christ Well Enough To Suggest That Others Imitate Me?

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August 16, 2013 Bible Study — I Have The Right To Do Anything, But Not Everything Is Beneficial

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August 15, 2013 Bible Study — God Will Not Allow Temptation That Is More Than We Can Stand

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August 14, 2013 Bible Study — Is Preaching the Gospel Voluntary?

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August 13, 2013 Bible Study — Be Careful Not To Cause Others To Stumble

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