For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
The wicked destroy others by what they say. It is interesting that the proverb writer tells us that the righteous escape such destruction through knowledge, which tells us that the wicked destroy others through lies and deceit. Reading this reminded me of a friend who has been struggling lately. Their posts suggest that their struggles are the result of things others have said about them. The friend I am speaking of is being destroyed by words spoken by evil people.
My first thought on reading this psalm was, “Another psalm on crying out to God for protection. A wonderful message, but what can I write about this psalm that I have not already written, more than once, in the last few days?” Then I read this verse:
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
Yes, it talks about crying out to God, but it reminds me that God has a purpose for me, a purpose which He will fulfill. Not only does He have a purpose for me, He has a purpose for you. And He will fulfill His purpose for you. Your life here on earth is not pointless. It serves a purpose. That purpose will be fulfilled, because it is God’s purpose.
In response to Gabriel’s message Mary replied, “I am the Lord’s servant.” The message Mary received indicated that she was being called to a very difficult task. She is unmarried and a virgin. The angel has just told her that she is about to become pregnant, in a society that treats women who bear a child out of wedlock poorly. Yet her response is the Magnificat, a song of praise to God. Do we respond with similar joy to the tasks which God sets before us? Do you really think the task which God has set for you is harder than the one He gave Mary?
Let us make our response to God’s message be the same as Mary’s. When God calls us to a task, let us respond, “I am the Lord’s servant.” And rather than worry about how hard the task is, let us rejoice in God our Savior.
Balak the king of Moab, having seen how the Israelites defeated his neighbors, sent messengers to offer Balaam money to come and curse them. Balaam consults with God and is told that under no circumstances is he to curse the Israelites because they have been blessed. In the morning, Balaam sends them home, rejecting the task they had offered him. Balak sent a second group of emissaries to Balaam offering even more money. Instead of rejecting them on the basis of the message God had already given him, Balaam asks them to spend the night to see if God has some other message for them this time. This time God tells him to go with them, but to only do what He tells him to do.
From what is written in tomorrow’s passage, we know that Balaam had done something wrong at this point. I have struggled to understand what Balaam had done wrong. I realized that the answer is that what Balaam told the emissaries (both groups) would have been seen by the emissaries as a negotiating ploy. First Balaam said no, then, when asked again, he left open the possibility of doing something for them. God had told Balaam that the people the emissaries wanted cursed were blessed. Nevertheless, Balaam looked for a way to give Balak something for his money.
For me, one of the most interesting points of this passage is the indication that there were people, other than the Israelites, who worshiped and served God. We have very little information about them, but from time to time there is a reference to someone who was a prophet, or priest, to the same God whom the Israelites worshiped.