Monthly Archives: September 2022

Daily Bible Study

October 1, 2022 Bible Study — On That Day All Will Acknowledge That God Is Lord

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Zechariah 11-14.

I am unsure what to make of this passage.  Everything from chapter 12 to the end of today’s passage reads to me as being part of the same prophecy, but different parts of it seem to be about different events while all pointing to “that day”.  So, here is what I see the parts I think  I understand to say.  The nations of the world will unite against the nation of Israel and suffer a devastating defeat at the hands of Israel.  I will state that this seems to be intended to be taken as hyperbole: fulfillment of this prophecy does not require that no nations ally with Israel, just that Israel face overwhelming odds against it.  This event will lead the people of Israel to praise God and acknowledge the great things He has done for them.  Also on that day, or perhaps on another “that day”, God’s grace will pour out on the people of Jerusalem, cleansing them of their sin and impurity and causing the names of idols to be forgotten (another case of possible hyperbole where the names are not actually forgotten, but are just no longer considered names of power).  Finally, on “that day” there will be neither sunlight nor darkness and God will be the only Lord over the earth.  All of the peoples of the earth will worship Him.  So, what does all of this mean for us?

    1. Do not go to war against Israel or God’s people
    2. God reigns supreme over all of the earth, and sooner or later everyone will acknowledge His rule
    3. God freely offers to cleanse us of our sin and corruption

 

 

Daily Bible Study

September 30, 2022 Bible Study — Do Not Be Afraid

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Zechariah 7-10.

Zechariah writes what God had asked of His people through the prophets who preceded him…and as I have read through the Bible I have seen that this was indeed what those prophets had said.  God had called on them to administer true justice, show mercy to one another, and not oppress the fatherless, the widow, the foreigner, or the poor.    Then Zechariah writes that the people should not be afraid because God once more intends to do good for them, for us.  All that He asks is that we speak the truth to each other, render true and sound judgment, do not plot evil against each other, and do not swear falsely.  So, God’s message did not change.  If we do as God commands, people from all nations will join us in seeking the Lord and we will need have no fear.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

September 29, 2022 Bible Study — Has God Raised Up Nations To Punish His People Who Then Went Too Far?

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

The first thing I want to comment on is this phrase which Zechariah writes that the Lord said, “I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.”  This suggests to me that when God chooses a nation to punish His people, sometimes that nation goes beyond what God intended.  I want to note that in this context “His people” means the people of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, but this message may also apply to Christians (I do not know that such is the case, but I believe that many Old Testament prophecies concerning the people of Israel also have application to Christians).  As an example, one my father actually suggested to me many years ago, God may have allowed the Nazis to come to power in Germany in order to punish the Jewish people in Europe, but the Holocaust was them going far beyond the punishment God intended.  The Holocaust was evil which impacted more than the Jewish people, but it did result in the establishment of the modern state of Israel.  Even if God allowed the Nazis to rise to power in order to punish the Jewish people (something I am not convinced is the case), it does not mean that the Jewish people are to blame for the Holocaust.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

September 28, 2022 Bible Study — Do Not Be Complacent, Seek To Do God’s Will Now

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Zephaniah and Haggai.

Zephaniah writes of the day when God will wipe everything from the face of the earth: man and beast, birds in the sky and fish in the sea, and the idols worshiped by the wicked.  Zephaniah goes on to say that neither silver nor gold will save anyone on the day of the Lord’s wrath.  He writes that God will make an end of all who live on the earth.  However, Zephaniah leaves one little window of hope.  He tells us to seek the Lord, to seek righteousness, to seek humility, and perhaps we will be sheltered on that day.  We cannot be complacent, we must actively seek to do what God desires of us.

Which brings me to Haggai.  When I started writing today I did not see a connection between the passage in Zephaniah and the passage in Haggai.  Then I wrote my thoughts about Zephaniah and realized it leads right into what Haggai said.  Zephaniah wrote that we cannot be complacent and just ignore the evil in the world around us.  Haggai wrote that we cannot wait to build God’s house until we have our lives in order.  The time to go out and actively do God’s will is now.  Zephaniah tells us to seek the Lord, to seek righteousness.  Haggai tells us to do it now.  This passage really speaks to me today.  I need to go out and find the tasks which God wishes me to do, and do them.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

September 27, 2022 Bible Study — The Lord Is A Refuge In Times Of Trouble

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Nahum and Habakkuk.

The two prophets whose writings we read today share a theme: God will take vengeance on the wicked.  Nahum writes of God’s judgement against Assyria.  In verse six of his first chapter, Nahum writes:

His wrath is poured out like fire;
the rocks are shattered before him.

This evokes molten lava in my mind, the destructive force of a volcano.  I imagine the destruction Mount Vesuvius poured out on Pompei: overwhelming, with no hope of escape.  However, the next line which Nahum writes gives us hope.  The Lord is a refuge in times of trouble for those who trust in Him.  Which brings to mind a picture I have seen, I believe from Hawaii but I am not sure.  The picture shows a somewhat typical suburban neighborhood where lava has flowed through and destroyed everything, except one house stands intact, untouched by the lava flowing through the rest of the neighborhood.  Put your trust in God, and your life can be like that house when it seems like everything will go up in flames.  Habakkuk writes of God using Babylon to bring His judgement upon the wicked, even though Babylon is also wicked.  Yet, Habakkuk also ends with a note of hope for those who trust in the Lord.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

September 26, 2022 Bible Study — Act Justly And Walk Humbly With Your God

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Micah 3-7.

Micah condemns the people of Jerusalem because their political leaders made decisions based upon the bribes they received, their religious leaders taught what they were paid to teach, and those tasked with predicting the future did so on the basis of what they were paid to predict.  Despite this, they believe that God will support them and that they will suffer no disaster.  Such behaviors, Micah tells us, will lead to the destruction of a nation.  From there Micah goes on to prophecy that God will raise up a redeemer to bring His people back to Him so that He can bless them once more.  Then God asks why we find it so hard to do as He asks of us.  After all, what has God asked of us other than that we act justly, love and show mercy, and walk humbly with God?  Walking humbly with God means recognizing that we are not God and that He has the right to tell us to do certain things and not do other things.  Actually, it is more than that.  Walking humbly with God means recognizing that doing the things which God tells us to do, and not doing the things He tells us not to do, will bring us greater contentment and pleasure than acting contrary to His commands.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

September 25, 2022 Bible Study — Jonah Wanted The People Of Nineveh To Suffer For Their Sins, But Was Not Willing To See Others Suffer For His Own Sins

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

I had a couple of different thoughts about the Book of Jonah today.  As I started to try to put those thoughts into words a question occurred to me: why does God seem to hound certain people until they, like Jonah, stop running from His will and consent to fulfill it?  And I think Jonah illustrates at least part of the answer to that question.  Jonah ran from God’s will, but when the judgement God brought down upon him threatened to fall upon those around him, Jonah offered himself up as a sacrifice to turn God’s wrath aside from them.  And that seems to offer up the difference between Jonah and those whom God allows to run away from Him.  God sent destruction in the form of a storm upon the ship Jonah was on until He got Jonah’s attention.  Then, when the people around him, had done everything in their power to escape the storm, only then did they allow Jonah to “take the fall”.  Perhaps, if Jonah had continued to deny God, God would have allowed everyone on board to go on their way, even Jonah.  We do not know, but I have seen people who have turned from God suffer many things until a time comes when God seems to give up on them and allows them to live in peace.  On the other hand, I have seen people who have turned from God suffer one thing after another year after year, until finally they give up and acknowledge God.  One other point, Jonah denied God because he was afraid that the people of Nineveh would turn from their sin and God would forgive them: he wanted them to suffer.  However, Jonah was unwilling for the people on the ship with him to suffer for his sins.  That also plays a roll in why God went so far to bring Jonah back to Him.

I want to contrast the way the people of Nineveh responded to Jonah’s prophecy of destruction to the way the people of Israel responded to Micah’s prophecy (or, at least the way that their response is recorded in today’s passages).  When Jonah prophesied to the people of Nineveh that God would destroy the city in 40 days because of their wickedness, they repented of their evil and began to fast and pray.  On the other hand, Micah tells us that when he told the people of Israel that God was going to destroy Samaria and Jerusalem, they told him to shut up.  When a prophet of God speaks to us, let us respond like the people of Nineveh did here, not the way the people of Israel did.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

September 24, 2022 Bible Study — As You Have Done, It Will Be Done To You

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Amos 6-9 and Obadiah.

I chose that line out of Obadiah verse 15 as my title for today because it reflected much about what I wanted to write about out of both the portion of Amos for today and Obadiah.  Amos refers to the plumb line which God measures His people against.  He measures us against the standard He used to measure Christ and finds us wanting.  The determining factor in that measure is what we have done to others, but God does not measure us against those others.  He measures us against Jesus.  Fortunately, He also rebuilds us according to that standard if we will allow Him to do so.  Amos also speaks about those who use their religious observance as cover for their deceitful practices; those who diligently take part in religious activities while eagerly awaiting their return to business activities where they will defraud their customers. Finally in Obadiah the prophet condemns the people of Edom for taking advantage of the misfortune of the people of Judah rather than aiding them in their distress.  In all of these cases we learn that it will be done to us as we have done to others.  But there is a positive side to this as well, when we do good for others, that will be done to us.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

September 23, 2022 Bible Study –Seek God Instead Of Evil

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

It was 22 years ago today that my beautiful wife married me. I thank God for her every day.

Happy Anniversary, Darling!

Amos was called to prophesy against Israel, but first he prophesied against the surrounding nations and those prophesies speak to the world today.  Amos condemned the nations around Israel for capturing their neighbors and selling them into slavery, for committing atrocities against them in order to take their wealth and/or their land.  God will bring judgement on those who do such things, whether on a nation-state level or on a smaller scale.  Then using the same format as his prophecies against Israel’s neighbors, Amos begins to call out the people of Israel for their sins.  He condemns them for many of the same sins for which he condemned their neighbors: selling people into slavery, abusing the poor in order to make a profit at their expense, and more.  Amos points out how they use goods obtained in violation of God’s laws in their worship practices.

example: Sleeping before the altar in garments taken in pledge, when the Law of Moses explicitly tells them to return a garment taken in pledge before nightfall

Then Amos goes on to condemn them for forcing the religious to violate their deeply held beliefs and silencing those who sought to speak God’s word.  Amos speaks of the suffering which such sins will bring, but he also offers an alternative: Seek God and live.

Amos goes on to make an interesting point.  Do not seek the Day of the Lord for it will be a day of great suffering.  Sometimes we see the evil in this world, the suffering inflicted on the innocent, and desire that God bring His wrath to bear upon those who commit such injustices.  Amos seems to be saying that instead of praying to God to come and make things right, we should do what is right and seek justice for the innocent.  Seek good, not evil, Maintain justice. Love good and hate evil.  Do these things and God will be with you.  And if God is with us, the evil which inspires us to call for the Day of God’s Judgment will retreat.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

September 22, 2022 Bible Study — Return To The Lord With Fasting and Mourning And He Will Pour Out His Spirit Upon The People

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Joel 1-3.

My lovely wife married me 22 years ago on the 23rd of this month.  So I am going to wish her Happy Anniversary every day from now until then.

Happy Anniversary, Darling!

There are two aspects to today’s passage, I hope I can write about them in a manner which connects them the way they are connected in the passage.  Unlike other prophets Joel does not specify the sins from which the people should turn in the face of disaster, but he does call on them to turn to God.  He calls on us to turn to God with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  I believe that God’s people are once again in a situation which calls for them to turn to God with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  If we do we will experience the promise which God gave through Joel.  He will pour out His Spirit upon the people and all who call upon His name will be saved.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.