Monthly Archives: May 2016

Daily Bible Study

May 12, 2016 Bible Study

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Chronicles 10-12.

    I mentioned yesterday that one gets an idea of how the Old Testament was put together by reading this Book. As I read today’s passage it occurred to me that the person (or people) who put this Book together did not possess the complete copies of 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. I would guess that they had fragments of those books, and either other written sources or oral traditions. In an attempt to keep alive a record of their faith for future generations they combined their various sources into this Book. It seems obvious to me that if the collator of this Book had access to complete copies of those other books he would not have included these stories. Later other groups of returning Exiles brought complete copies of those other books. Reading this reminds me of how hard people of faith have worked to preserve the history of how God has worked. I pray that I may show the same dedication to preserving the stories of God’s people for future generations.

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    I believe that the above insight provides sufficient reason to have read this passage. However, this morning, as I read this, I thought about the lesson we get from the story of David opining that he would like some water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem. The lesson is that leaders need to be careful about what they say. Some of their followers may take action based on the leader’s expressed desire that the leader would not want them to do.

Daily Bible Study

May 11, 2016 Bible Study — Hints About How the Bible Was Composed

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change. As I have been reading through the Book of 1 Chronicles this time I realized that finding spiritual truths is not the only reason for reading the Bible. Some sections, such as today’s passage, reveal things about how the Bible was put together. Knowing that can help us understand the message God has for us in other parts of the Bible.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Chronicles 7-9.

    This passage continues the genealogies of the sons of Jacob. It contains a list of those who returned to Jerusalem and surroundings after the Babylonian Exile. This makes it clear that this book was compiled around that time. Now I know that there are those who claim that this book was compiled as part of the effort by those coming to Judea from Babylon were the rightful inhabitants and rulers of the area around Jerusalem. There is certainly some truth to that. However, those whom I have heard make that argument go on to imply that those who came from Babylon were not who they claimed to be and that these writings should be taken with a grain of salt. My problem with that argument is that these genealogies would be arranged in a more consistent manner if they were made up in order to support the claim. As a point on this, some of the tribal genealogies contain a total number of warriors, others are merely the lists of descendants of a particular patriarch. This suggests that these genealogies were compiled from other sources, some of which retained the number of warriors, others of which over the years had had that left out.

Daily Bible Study

May 10, 2016 Bible Study

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Chronicles 5-6.

    Today’s passage is more genealogies and land grants. However, wedged in there while talking about the tribes east of the Jordan is an important lesson. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh were successful in their early conquests because they cried out to God and trusted Him. However, they were later taken into exile because they were unfaithful to God. After they conquered the land and became wealthy they began to worship the gods of the peoples whom God had destroyed to make room for them. This is an important lesson for us. God will be with us if we trust Him and call on Him. However, disaster will find us if we do not remain faithful to Him. I would like to point out that this disaster is not God punishing us for our unfaithfulness (more on God’s punishment in a moment). The disaster which follows our being unfaithful to God is the natural consequence of our actions. God will mete out punishment for our unfaithfulness in an effort to discipline us and turn us from our sin before those sins bring disaster. God loves us and tries to show us the consequences of our sins while there is yet time to turn from those sins.

Daily Bible Study

May 9, 2016 Bible Study

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Chronicles 2-4.

    This is another passage which I have trouble with reading. However, I can see why it is here. This list is clearly not a comprehensive list. Rather it is a list of relatively important persons. I need to remember to refer back to here when reading about personalities elsewhere in the Bible. For example, it is here that it most clearly lays out that Joab and his brothers were David’s nephews. We, also, learn here that Amasa, whom David appointed to replace Joab as commander of his army, and whom Joab subsequently killed, was David’s nephew and Joab’s cousin. Understanding that puts a whole new light on both David’s selection of Amasa and of Joab’s killing him.

Daily Bible Study

May 8, 2016 Bible Study — Who Borrowed From Whom?

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Chronicles 1.

    Today’s passage is one of those which is why I stayed with the One Year Bible Online reading list for so long. However, this passage reminds me of, and provides some of the basis for, some of my thoughts regarding The Biblical account of Creation. This passage tells us that Peleg was so name because it was during his lifetime that humanity was divided into different language groups. That would mean that Peleg was alive during the building of the Tower of Babel. Further, we see that Peleg was five generations from Noah, and Abraham was five generations from Peleg.

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    One of the things which many people have noticed is the similarity between various Mesopotamian creation myths and the beginning of the book of Genesis. From this they reach the conclusion that the Genesis stories derived from the Mesopotamian myths. It is certainly true that there must be some connection between the Mesopotamian myths and the Genesis stories. However, I have never heard anyone suggest that the influence may have run in the other direction. I was going to spend some time making the case for the Genesis account being the original, but that would have taken too long because what I really wanted to discuss was the implications of the influence running from the Genesis accounts to the Mesopotamian mythology. It would explain why Abram’s father, Terah, began the process of leaving his homeland. If Terah was part of a keeper of the creation stories, he may have been afraid of them becoming corrupted by the alternate stories being told in Ur. This would also explain why he stopped in Haran. There he found a community which still honored the Creation accounts which he knew. This would also explain why Abraham insisted that Isaac have a wife from there. This has gone quite far from the idea of Peleg being alive when God divided the languages. I think at some point I will need to write my thoughts regarding the migration of Abraham and the relationship between the Creation account and the myths of Mesopotamia.

Daily Bible Study

May 7, 2016 Bible Study — Doing What Is Right, Even When It Is Too Late

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Kings 22-25.

    Josiah was the last good king of Judah. I would like to know what inspired Josiah to his lifelong dedication to the Lord. As soon as he was old enough to rule without a regent he commanded that the Temple be repaired. When the workers doing the repair work, or perhaps the priests doing the clean up in advance of the repair work, discovered a copy of the Book of the Law they brought it to the king. Josiah immediately recognized that the people of Israel had not been faithful in following God and had brought His judgement down upon themselves. Josiah did not attempt to convince God to reverse His judgement. Further, when Josiah received word that the disaster would come in due time, he still enthusiastically did what was right. Josiah went beyond what previous kings who served God had done. He removed the articles used to worship idols from the Temple. He tore down the pagan shrines, not only in the Kingdom of Judah, but also in the territory which had been the Kingdom of Israel. Josiah did what was right, even though it was too late to stop the coming disaster.

Daily Bible Study

May 6, 2016 Bible Study — Even When Things Are Hopeless, There Is Reason to Hope

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Kings 19-21.

    Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, went where he wished, conquered who he wished, and none could stop him, not even God. Or, so he thought. Sennacherib thought the world danced to his tune. But it was not just Sennacherib who thought the world danced to his tune. A lot of other people thought the same thing. Some of those people came to Jerusalem and told the people that they should just give up. God wouldn’t help, but even if He would He couldn’t. Hezekiah, the king of Judah at the time, did not believe Sennacherib or his messengers. Well, that is not exactly true. Hezekiah looked at the situation he was in, and felt helpless. He knew the kingdom he ruled could not resist the Assyrians (I want to note that despite that knowledge, Hezekiah had still bolstered the defense of Jerusalem to the best of his ability). Hezekiah could see no way out, but he knew that God could indeed save them, if only He would.

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    Looking at the world today, it looks bleak. I am not going to construct a list of all of the things which look bad. However, I am going to tell you that God is still in charge. If you think the world is bleak, follow Hezekiah’s example. Turn to God in prayer. Lay before Him all the reasons why things look bad. However, in that prayer, remember that God is indeed able to change things. And don’t forget to do those things within your own power to make things better.

Daily Bible Study

May 5, 2016 Bible Study — Leaders Need to Lead

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Well, OK, I accidentally did today’s passage yesterday. So, I am going to do yesterday’s passage today.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Kings 15-16.

    Something struck me that I never thought about before. The passage tells us that several kings in Judah did what was pleasing in God’s sight. Then it emphasizes that they did not destroy the pagan shrines. After two or three such kings, there was a king who did not do what was pleasing in God’s sight. Because his father allowed the pagan shrines to remain and did not lead the people to give them up, his son began following the practices of the people. Leaders need to do more than just do what is pleasing in God’s sight. They need to also lead the people to do the same. They need to inspire the people to give up their sinful ways. If the righteous leaders do not lead the people to be righteous, they will be followed, sooner or later, by a leader who is not righteous. A nation with righteous leaders will do well for a while, but if the people do not follow the example of those righteous leaders those righteous leaders will be succeeded by wicked leaders. Then the people and the nation will suffer. There are two sides to this. If the leaders do not inspire the people to be righteous, they are failing, at least in part, to fulfill the task to which they have been called. On the other hand, if the people are not righteous, it is only a matter of time until they have leaders as wicked as they are (or worse). Whatever our role in life, let us strive to live our lives righteously and to inspire others to do so as well.

Daily Bible Study

May 4, 2016 Bible Study — Sacrificing Our Children

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Kings 17-18.

    Every time I read this passage I am struck by how the author finds it horrifying that the people of Israel, and then those who were brought into the land to replace them, sacrificed their own children to their idols. About the Israelites before the Assyrians took them into exile:

They EVEN sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire.

Then about the people the Assyrians settled in the land to replace them:

…EVEN burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods…

I can just hear that in my mind as the author says it, “Can you believe it? How depraved would you have to be to sacrifice your OWN children?” I am convinced that the author would view our society with similar horror and disbelief about the way we practice abortion. I want to make clear that I see other cultures in our world sacrificing their children in a similar manner. God’s patience with us will not last much longer. The day of His judgment is coming. Let us get down on our knees and pray that God’s Spirit will change hearts before it is too late.

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    I am convinced from reading this that the people whom the Assyrians settled in the land of Israel had the opportunity to be merged into the people of God, the people of Israel. When they first came into the land, things went badly. So, the king of Assyria sent a priest from among the exiles to teach them about God. The priest taught them about God and they began to worship God, but they refused to give up their worship of other gods. The author then reminds us that God had entered into the following covenant with the descendants of Jacob

Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. But worship only the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone, and offer sacrifices only to him.

Immediately after writing this, the author tells us that the new residents would not listen and continued to follow their former practices. Let us not follow their example. Rather let us be careful to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands which God has given us. Let us fall on our knees and beg Him for mercy and seek how we can serve Him, and Him alone.

Daily Bible Study

May 3, 2016 Bible Study — Even When We Sin, God Will Hear Our Prayers

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Kings 13-14.

    I wrote the other day about the fact that I have been reading through the Bible every year for four years now. Yet I still cannot keep the names of the various kings straight, which has absolutely nothing to do with the point I want to highlight. King Jehoahaz did what was evil in God’s sight. He led the people of Israel into such sin that God was furious with them. As a result of His anger God allowed Israel’s enemies to defeat them repeatedly. Finally, Jehoahaz prayed for God’s help and God provided rescue for Israel. The important lesson here is how much God loves us. Despite Jehoahaz’s sin, and that of the people he led, God felt compassion for him when he called out to God and God answered his prayer. No matter how badly we have sinned, God will hear and answer our prayers. However, if that happens, let us not be as Jehoahaz and return to our sins once God has rescued us.