For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    This proverb reminds us that it is better to live in poverty with barely enough to eat but at peace with those we live with than it is to have the most sumptuous lifestyle in conflict with those we live with.

    The psalmist tells us that those who hate Jerusalem, who battle against it, will be turned back in defeat. They will dry up and wither away. As log as their hostility remains they will receive no blessings from God, or God’s people.

    When Stephen reached the end of his account of the history of the Jewish people, the common ground he had with his accusers, he pointed out that the crucifixion of Jesus (and indirectly the persecution of himself) were rebellion against God just as much as the making of the golden calf. His audience did not want to hear that they had any sin to repent of. They stoned Stephen to death. Yet while he was being killed, Stephen asked God to forgive them. In doing this Stephen provided us a model for how we should react to those who persecute us today (especially considering that few of us face death for our faith…I have utmost respect for those who live where this is not true).
    The persecution which followed Stephen’s death scattered the believers. Philip went to a city in Samaria and began to preach. Notice that while the persecution scattered the believers, it did not silence them. They still preached the Gospel wherever they went. In Samaria, Simon the Sorcerer had been amazing people with the tricks he could perform. He led people to believe that he was someone great and had gathered quite a following. However, when Philip started preaching in Samaria, the people stopped following Simon and were baptized into the name of Jesus. Simon himself became a believer and followed Philip around listening to him and watching the wonders he performed.

    Solomon prayed as part of dedicating the Temple. He talks about many different situations where people will turn to God in prayer. He asks God to hear their prayers and grant their requests. This is not just a prayer for those of Jewish descent. Solomon specifically mentions foreigners who come to worship God. Let us make ourselves a Temple that honors God in the same way that Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem to honor God. If we do so, God will hear our prayers when we turn to Him and pray. Let us lift up our hearts to God with humble and earnest requests.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    One of our biggest challenges in life is avoiding the path which has the appearance of being right, but isn’t. This proverb reminds us that appearances can be deceiving.

    This psalm gives us advice that will keep us from following the path mentioned in today’s proverb. If we trust in the Lord, He will keep on us secure and show us how to avoid those paths which seem right, but are not. The psalmist tells us that the wicked will not rule the land of the godly. If a country’s rulers are wicked, it tells us that so are most of that country’s people. Of course, this also tells us that the way to replace wicked rulers with godly ones is to get the majority of the people to embrace godliness.

    One of the frequently overlooked lessons of the story of Ananias and Sapphira is that the giving by the well-to-do was totally voluntary. Peter told Ananias that it was Ananias’ decision whether or not to sell his land. And once he had sold it, it was Ananias’ decision what he did with his money. Ananias’ sin was not in his failure to give all of the money he got from selling his land to help the needy. His sin was in lying about it. Ananias and Sapphira wanted both the honour of giving their wealth to help the poor and to retain a good portion of that wealth.
    The high council had the Apostles arrested and put in jail. However, over night, an angel released them and told them to go back to the Temple to preach. When the high council sent to the jail for the Apostles the following day, those guarding the jail discovered they were missing. No sooner had word reached the high council than a messenger arrived telling them that the Apostles were preaching in the Temple once more. Imagine this, people had seen the Apostles arrested the previous day. Yet, here they were preaching in the Temple, making no attempt to hide.
    When they were brought before the high council and asked why they had defied the council’s order not to preach in the name of Jesus, Peter replied for all of them by saying that they would obey God rather than human authority. Gamaliel pointed out an important point, when a group emerges which is following a human leader, it will soon disappear after that leader dies. Unless the group is serving some purpose of God’s. If the latter is true, no amount of persecution will serve to crush the group. We do not need to persecute those who follow false teachings, God will deal with them in His own time.

    Solomon’s reaction to Adonijah requesting permission to marry Abishag, David’s last concubine, sheds light on the importance of learning the context of Biblical passages. Looking at it from the perspective of American culture today, Solomon’s reaction seems overboard: Adonijah was just looking to marry a pretty young woman. However, Solomon saw it as an attempt by Adonijah to position himself to claim the throne again, which it probably was. Adonijah had tried to set himself up as the default successor to David. When he perceived that David was on his approaching death, Adonijah had gathered those dignitaries he could count on to support him. His plan appears to have been to have all of them with him when David died and have them declare him king by acclamation. That failed. Here he appears to be attempting to marry David’s last concubine and through that marriage extend a claim to the throne.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    Let us remember to speak kind words to and about the people we meet each day. By doing so we will lift their spirits and improve their health. This follows yesterday’s discussion of the use by the wise of pleasant words to persuade. Taking these two together, let us use kind and pleasant words to persuade those around us to behave in a wise and righteous manner.

    This psalm reminds me of all of the times in my life which would have been much worse, if not for God’s intervention on my behalf. I will praise God for all that He has done for me. I thank God for the many times He has rescued me from trouble.

    Some of the religious leaders were upset with Peter and John proclaiming resurrection of the dead through Jesus. So, they had Peter and John arrested and brought before the council the following day. When the council began to question them, Peter immediately asked if they were being put on trial/called to account for healing a crippled man. Peter told them that the man was healed through the power of Jesus, whom they had crucified but whom God had raised from the dead. The council was amazed at Peter’s and John’s boldness before them, considering that neither had a degree from a prestigious school (or any school for that matter). However, because they had the actual facts on their side (the man who had been lame, but was no longer, was standing right there), there was not much the council could say. The council settled for ordering them to stop preaching in Jesus’ name. Peter and John responded by asking if the council really thought they would obey the council rather than obeying God. When forced to choose between obeying the law or obeying God, let us always choose God.
    In the aftermath of this confrontation, the believers were united in spirit and in mind. They did not consider their property their own. Rather they shared their possessions among themselves. Those who were wealthy sold some of their property in order to provide for the needs of the believers who were impoverished. As a result of this, there were no needy people among the believers. This gives us an example of how we should live today. Those of us who have much should give to help those of us who are in need.

    When David was very old and frail, his son Adonijah decided to make himself king. It does not look to me as if he intended to take the throne from his father, David. Rather, he merely wanted to make it an accomplished fact that he was king as soon as his father died. He set about presenting himself in a manner that looked like he was already king. He gathered the support of several of David’s chief advisers and most of David’s sons. Once again, we see a lesson for fathers in what David failed to do. We are told that David had never disciplined Adonijah, not even by so much as demanding an explanation for his actions.
    However, Adonijah had made a serious miscalculation. He had been unable to convince several key advisers(one of those being Nathan, the prophet) to the king to support his bid for the throne. Then he invited those who did support him to a celebration/sacrifice/feast intended as a de facto coronation. He left out those advisers who did not support him and his brother Solomon. Adonijah’s actions were reminiscent of those of his brother Absalom. When Nathan presented them in that light to the king, David realized that he could not fight another civil war at his advanced age. Rather David instructed his advisers who had not supported Adonijah to take Solomon and make him king in front of the populace of Jerusalem. After anointing Solomon king, they brought him back to the palace at the head of a procession where David acknowledged Solomon as his successor.
    When word reached the people who had joined Adonijah, they scattered. Adonijah had no choice but to seek Solomon’s mercy. Solomon offered Adonijah mercy on the condition that he not stir up trouble in an attempt to gain the crown.