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.
The passage begins by talking about how the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh waged war against peoples east of the Jordan River and settled there. We are told that in the long run they were unfaithful to God and He caused them to be taken into exile by the Assyrians. The passage then goes on to list descendants of Levi and describe the towns they were given in the land of Israel.
Paul told his testimony in front of King Agrippa. He explained that he had been a zealous Pharisee, persecuting those who followed Jesus. Paul then retold the story of how God intercepted him on the road to Damascus and Paul converted to being a follower of Jesus. Paul then stated that what he taught after his conversion is no more than what Moses and the prophets said would happen. That the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead. When Paul said that he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, Festus exclaimed that he was crazy for believing that someone had risen from the dead.
Paul responded that he was most certainly not insane, that King Agrippa was aware of the events to which Paul was referring. Paul then asked King Agrippa if he believed in the prophets. King Agrippa recognized the Paul was about to launch into an attempt to convert him and interrupted him by asking if Paul thought he could get King Agrippa to convert in such a short time. Paul responded by saying that he wished and prayed that everyone in his audience that day would come to the same understanding of God that Paul held, whether it took a short time or a long time. The position that Paul took here is one I strive to emulate. I strive to pray and live my life as if my chief desire is for all of those I interact with follow Jesus whether in response to my testimony or some other stimulus.
Today’s psalm is a reminder that when we are facing troubles and suffering we should turn to God and cry out to Him. The Lord will hear our pleas and answer our prayers.
Today’s two proverbs are closely related. I think the NIV translation is the more useful take on these proverbs. It tells us that we will eat the fruit of the words we speak, that we will experience the results of our own words. We should be careful what we say because our words can be uplifting and bring life, or they can be poisonous and bring death. If we speak poisonous words, it is we ourselves who will be poisoned. On the other hand, if we speak words that are beneficial and healthy, we will be well-fed and healthy. Let us choose to speak the latter.
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.
Another passage that lists some of the descendants of Jacob. This passage also contains the verse that was the basis for the book, “The Prayer of Jabez”. This book was vastly popular among certain types of Christians for awhile (this is not intended as a criticism of those who liked the book). There is something to be learned from this verse. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. It is in the context of being an honorable man that Jabez prayed his prayer. If we are honorable and obedient to God, He will grant our prayers as well. The key to Jabez’ prayer was that he asked God to be with him in all that he did. The only way that God will be with us in all that we do, is if all that we do is in service to God’s will. I will pray to God that He guide me so that all that I do is His will. I know that the only way I can accomplish that is through the power of the Holy Spirit.
When the new governor, Festus, arrived the Jewish leaders asked him to transfer Paul to Jerusalem. Luke tells us that this was so that they could have him killed en route. Festus, however, tells them that Paul is in Caesarea and since he, Festus, will be returning there shortly, they should come to Caesarea to make their case against Paul. When Festus returned to Caesarea he brought Paul before him to face the charges made by the Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders were unable to prove their charges and Paul proclaimed that he had broken no Jewish or Roman law. When Festus asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial before Festus, Paul appealed to the Emperor as a Roman citizen.
When King Agrippa came to visit Festus a few days later, Festus discussed the case with him. Festus said that the charges against Paul were not what he expected, but rather were about minutia of the Jewish religion and Paul’s claim that Jesus was alive. He said that he asked Paul to go to Jerusalem for trial because he could think of no other way to investigate the charges. However, since Paul appealed to Caesar, Festus ordered him held in custody until he could arrange to send him to Rome.
King Agrippa expressed a desire to hear Paul speak, so Festus arranged for Paul to come before both of them the following day. Festus told those assembled with himself and King Agrippa that the Jewish leaders had demanded Paul’s death, but that he had found none of the charges deserving of death. Festus went on to imply that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar, he would have released him (although the evidence of everything that had transpired up to this point suggests that such was not the case). Festus continues by saying that while he is going to send Paul to Rome and Caesar, he does not what to write by way of explaining what Paul is charged with. He asks that those present examine the case with him so that they, especially King Agrippa, can help him compose a letter for Caesar’s court explaining the charges against Paul.
This psalm is one among many where the psalmist requests that God listen to his prayers. Today, this appears to be a request made because the psalmist recognizes that God is under no obligation to listen to his prayers, let alone answer them. Nevertheless, the psalmist expresses no doubt but that the Lord will listen to and answer his prayers. He proclaims that each morning he brings his requests before the Lord and waits patiently for God to answer. The psalmist tells us that God detests the sins of the wicked, but that we can worship God because of His love.
In the heart of the psalm is the prayer that I strive to pray every day:
Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
…
Make your way plain for me to follow.
I cry out to the Lord that He make His way plain for me to follow. Show me, oh God, what you want me to do. Make plain to me the actions you wish me to take. Take me by the hand and lead me.
Magrat in the garden
Today’s proverb is a timeless truth to which I can add nothing. I strive to avoid offending my friends, but I find it difficult when they fail to return the favor.
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.
Today’s passage includes more genealogy, something that I always struggle to read. The passage includes a list of David’s sons and a list of those who succeeded him on the throne. It also lists some of David’s descendants who were born during the Babylonian Exile. As I read this, I realized that while I was not seeing anything in it today this passage may shed new light on the interactions told elsewhere. Some of the people listed are mentioned in other accounts in the Old Testament and knowing how they are related will help understand why they did what they did.
Five days after Paul arrived in Caesarea, the high priest came down with other Jewish elders and a lawyer named Tertullus to present the case against Paul. Tertullus started by buttering up Felix. He then declared that the Sanhedrin had found Paul to be a troublemaker who stirred up riots among Jews all over the world. Further he claimed that Paul was a leader of the Nazarene sect and was trying to desecrate the Temple when they arrested him. Tertullus concluded by saying that Felix could confirm their story by questioning Paul.
Felix indicated that Paul should speak at this point. Paul started out by acknowledging that Tertullus was in essence correct in what he said when he buttered up Felix. However, he claimed that the Jewish leaders could not prove any of the accusations they were making against him. He told Felix that he had arrived in Jerusalem a mere twelve days before the current date. His accusers had not found him, at any point since his arrival, arguing in the Temple or stirring up a riot in the city.
Paul goes on to say that he was indeed a follower of the Way, which the Jewish leaders called a sect. He went on to say that he believed everything that was in accordance with the Law and the prophets and that he shared with those accusing him a belief in the resurrection of the dead. Paul then tells Felix that he was in the Temple completing purification rites when the incident began. He was not surrounded by a crowd, nor was there any disturbance. There were however some Jews from Asia there at the time who should be present to bring charges, if they had any which would stand up in court. Paul then stated that his accusers who were present should state what crime they had found him guilty of when he was before the Sanhedrin.
At this point, Felix adjourned the hearing, saying that he would issue a ruling when the Roman commander from Jerusalem came and testified. In the meantime he kept Paul under a sort of house arrest. A few days later, Felix summoned Paul to speak with him and his wife, who was Jewish. As Paul spoke with them about righteousness, self-control, and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened and ended the audience. Felix hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent often to speak with Paul. After two years of this, Felix was replaced as governor. In order to gain some favor with the Jewish leaders, Felix left Paul in prison (actually a kind of house arrest).
The psalmist calls on God to hear him and free him from his troubles. He tells us that God declares him innocent. God does declare us innocent, not because we have committed no sins, but because God has forgiven us for those sins. If God has declared us innocent, who is there with the authority to hold us guilty?
I prefer the way that the New American Standard Version starts the next stanza:
O sons of men, how long will my [d]honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?
There are those who think I should be ashamed to believe in God and Christ and to hold to Christian principles. I find that those who think this wish me to give up these beliefs in favor of beliefs which I have found through experience to be worthless.
For the next verse, I like the NLT:
You can be sure of this:
…
The Lord will answer when I call to him.
Yes indeed, the Lord will answer when I call Him. And He will answer when you call Him as well.
The psalmist then gives us a sound piece of advice:
Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
We will get angry from time to time, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, we should not let anger control our actions. When we are tempted to act in anger, we should pause and then let some time pass before we take action. We should sleep on it and plan our actions with a cooler head.
The final phrase from this psalm I want to emphasize comes from the NIV translation:
Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
Yes, Lord help me to be happy when others prosper. I want to always feel joy over the good fortune of others and never jealousy or anger.
This psalm is why I so love being able to study the Bible online. I got so much more out of it by looking at the different ways that the different translations chose to render the different phrases in this psalm. Comparing different translations is much harder without the ability to just call them up side-by-side on the screen.
Tomatoes on the vine
Being generous can lead one to be honored by the great and powerful.
Do not render judgment on an issue until you have heard both sides of the story, no matter how convincing the first argument you hear sounds.
Sometimes the best way to settle a dispute is to choose between the sides by flipping a coin or some other method that leaves the outcome to Divine intervention.
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.
Today’s Old Testament passage is a perfect example of why I started this blog. It is an account of the descent from Adam to David. It gives a straight line descent from Adam to Noah, with no mention of any of the other descendants of anyone before Noah. It then lists Noah’s three sons and gives the important (at least to the author) descendants of each of Noah’s grandsons. The passage then follows the genealogy to Abram/Abraham (telling us that he was born Abram and later known as Abraham). We are told the sons and at least some of the grandsons of Abram.
The passage next takes up with Isaac and gives us first the descendants of Esau. It goes on to list the kings of Edom from before Edom was conquered by the Israelites. After giving us this, the passage then tracks the genealogy from Jacob to David. When it gets to David it goes on to tell us that certain key figures were David’s nephews (Joab and his two brothers, and Amasa, who Joab killed to prevent him taking over as general of David’s armies).
All in all I found nothing to comment on here today, but there was still value in reading it. If I was not writing this blog, I would have read this once and moved on. However, because I was looking for something to write for the blog, I read it three times. I did not see anything significant at the moment, but I noticed a couple of things that may effect the way I read other passages.
That night Paul had a vision where God told him that he was going to preach the Good News in Rome. The following morning a group of 40 Jewish men entered into a conspiracy to kill Paul. They asked the chief priests and elders to request that the Roman commander bring Paul before them again in order for them to gather more information about the case against him. While Paul was in route to meet with the elders, this group of conspirators would kill him. However, Paul’s nephew (his sister’s son) overheard their plans and immediately went to tell Paul. Paul sent his nephew to the commander. Paul’s nephew told the Roman commander of the plot.
The Roman commander immediately ordered a large force of soldiers to escort Paul to Felix, the Roman governor, in Caesarea. The Roman commander sent a letter with the soldiers explaining why he was sending Paul to him. The commander told Felix that he had rescued Paul from the mob because he had learned that Paul was a Roman citizen (a slight distortion of events to put himself in a better light). He went on to say that he had met with the Jewish leaders to learn what the charges were against Paul. After hearing the charges, he considered them to be insignificant matters that did not justify death or imprisonment. However, when he learned of a plot to kill Paul, he sent him to Felix for Felix to pass judgement on the situation. When Paul arrived in Caesarea Felix read the letter and told him that he would hear the case when Paul’s accusers arrived.
The psalmist tells us that many were against him, so many that said that God would never deliver him. The psalmist tells us that they were wrong. That when he cried out to the Lord, the Lord answered him from His Holy mountain. He did not fear even though thousands of enemies surrounded him.
No matter what troubles we face, we need not fear because God will deliver us. When we face enemies and troubles, we do not need to worry and fret as to how we will emerge to safety because victory come from the Lord. God knows the challenges and enemies we face and He knows the path to see us through to safety. We need to remember that we will not be victorious by our own efforts. The only path for us to victory is to trust in God and have faith that He will prevail. Whether or not we have faith, God will prevail.
It is not illness of the body which makes us depressed, it is when our spirits are crushed that depression sets in. Those who are wise are constantly seeking to acquire both more knowledge and more wisdom.
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.
When Josiah died he was succeeded by his son, Jehoahaz. Pharaoh Neco replaced Jehoahaz with his brother Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim was succeeded by his son, Jehoiachin. King Nebuchadnezzar replaced Jehoiachin with his uncle, Zedekiah. All of these kings failed to follow the example of Josiah. Instead, they did evil in the sight of God. When Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. At that time, Nebuchadnezzar transported a large number of the people of Judah to Babylon as prisoners. He appointed Gedaliah as governor over those he left.
The remaining army officers approached Gedaliah and he swore an oath that the king of Babylon meant them no harm as long as they served him. However, one of the officers returned a few months later and killed Gedaliah and all of those with him. The remaining people of Judah fled to Egypt out of fear of how the king of Babylon would respond to this attack.
Paul continued his testimony about how God convicted him to become a follower of Christ, continuing to talk about how God led him to preach to the Gentiles. When Paul mentioned the Gentiles the crowd erupted in anger to the point that the commander ordered Paul taken into the barracks and flogged. As they were about to flog him, Paul asked the officer overseeing his flogging if it was lawful to flog a Roman citizen without a trial. The officer told the commander, who then questioned Paul as to his citizenship.
The commander was frightened because he had ordered a Roman citizen flogged without a trial. He ordered the Sanhedrin to convene the next day and brought Paul before them. Paul opened by telling the Sanhedrin that he had fulfilled his duty to God in all good conscience up to that day. The high priest ordered someone standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Paul responded by calling the high priest a hypocrite for ordering him struck in violation of the law. When those standing near him reprimanded him for insulting God’s high priest Paul apologized, saying that he had not realized he was the high priest. Paul continued by saying that it was wrong to speak evil of one’s rulers.
Paul says something similar in his letters and such passages are a struggle for me. I find it difficult to not speak badly of those who do things which I think are dishonest or otherwise wrong. I have attempted to limit my comments on political issues to pointing out logic flaws in the reasoning of individuals discussing those topics while avoiding comments on actual political issues, but I find that a difficult discipline to maintain. All too often, as time goes on I find myself openly calling into question the character of political figures who repeatedly take positions on issues that I find offensive. It is passages like this one that form the basis of my understanding that Christians are called to stay out of politics (although there are many other passages that go into that understanding).
After this incident, Paul realized that the Sanhedrin was composed of a mixed group of Sadducees, who held in contempt those who believed in the resurrection of the dead, and Pharisees, who vehemently believed that God would resurrect the righteous. Therefore, Paul loudly proclaimed that he was on trial for holding on to the hope of the resurrection of the dead. This led to violent argument among the members of the Sanhedrin. The argument became so heated and violent that the Roman commander was afraid that the two parties would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his men to go in and take Paul out by force back to the fortress.
Today’s psalm tells us of the futility of governments which attempt to free themselves from following God’s commands. It reminds me of what I have seen in the news over the last week or so. In so many places I have seen governments declare that they are not bound to follow God’s law. It can be frightening when one sees how the government is rebelling against God and then read what this psalm says about such governments. However, this psalm ends with a statement of hope, even in that situation: “But what joy for all who take refuge in him!”
While God will bring judgment on all who rebel against Him, He will provide protection and blessing for those who take refuge in Him!
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.
Josiah ordered repair work on the Temple. While the Temple was being repaired, Hilkiah, the high priest, found a copy of the
Book of the Law in the Temple. He sent it to King Josiah. When Josiah heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he sent to inquire of the Lord what they should do. He recognized that the people of Judah had failed to keep the Covenant with God. The prophetess whom they consulted told them that God was angry with the people of Judah and was going to bring disaster upon Jerusalem because of the sins of the people. However, because Josiah had humbled himself and sought God’s will, God was going to delay that destruction until after Josiah’s death.
Josiah held a convocation of the people at the Temple of the Lord where the Book of the Law was read to them. Josiah pledged to obey the Lord and keep His laws and decrees with all of his heart and soul. The people joined Josiah in dedicating themselves to obeying the Lord. Josiah then began a campaign of cleansing the land of idolatry. He started by removing all of the implements of idol worship from the Temple and having them destroyed. He then systematically began destroying and desecrating the pagan shrines throughout the city and then the land. He went so far as to destroy the pagan shrines in what had been the Northern Kingdom, including the idols and shrines built by Jeroboam.
Josiah called on the people to celebrate the Passover and the Passover was celebrated in all of its fullness for the first time since the time of the judges. Josiah went on to get rid of the mediums and psychics in the land as well as all of the detestable practices which people had adopted from the pagan peoples surrounding them, even those practiced in the privacy of people’s own homes. As I read the detailed description of the cleansing which Josiah performed, I realized how thoroughly ingrained in the lives of the people idolatry had become. It makes me wonder how much idolatry goes on in supposedly Christian America? Even among those who proclaim themselves “the Church”?
As he was about to be taken into the barracks, Paul asked the commander for permission to speak to him. The commander was surprised that Paul could speak Greek and expressed the thought that Paul was an Egyptian revolutionary. Paul corrected his misunderstanding and requested permission to address the crowd. Paul motioned for the crowd to be quiet and they quieted down. When he could be heard, Paul began speaking in Aramaic (or Hebrew, the Greek is unclear, but it was the local language). When they crowd heard him speaking in the language of the Jews, they became very quiet (suggesting that the crowd was under a similar misunderstanding to the Roman commander).
Paul started by telling the crowd about his credentials as a student of Jewish law, referring to his time as a student of the prominent rabbi Gamaliel. Paul told them of his fanatical opposition to the early followers of Jesus. He then told them of his trip to Damascus to continue persecuting the Christians and how God struck him on the road with a bright light. Paul told them how this experience led to his conversion to being a follower of Jesus.
This psalm gives us wonderful advice. It tells us that the route to great joy is to not follow the advice of the wicked, nor hang out with sinners, nor join in mocking others. No, the path to joy is to take delight in God’s commands and to study His instructions both day and night. Following this advice will make us like a tree planted on a riverbank, firmly rooted and prospering in all we do.
The wealthy think that their riches will protect them from the troubles of life. They are not always wrong, but even the wealthy will experience the consequences of their actions.
Those who are arrogant are on their way to their own destruction, while a necessary prerequisite to receiving honor is humility.
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.
Hezekiah became very sick and Isaiah told him to set his affairs in order because God has said he was going to die. Hezekiah cried out to God for healing. Before Isaiah had left the palace, God told him to return to the king and tell him that he would recover. Shortly after Hezekiah’s recovery the king of Babylon sent emissaries to him with a letter and gifts. Isaiah came to Hezekiah and asked him who the emissaries were and what they had seen. Hezekiah told Isaiah that they were from Babylon and had seen all of the treasures of Jerusalem. Isaiah told Hezekiah that the day would come when all of those treasures would be carried off to Babylon and that Hezekiah’s descendants would be taken there as captives. Hezekiah greeted this prophecy as good news, since it meant that there would be peace and prosperity for the rest of his lifetime.
Unfortunately, Hezekiah’s son turned to idolatry when he became king in Hezekiah’s place. Manasseh rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah had destroyed. He built altars to Baal and an Asherah pole. Manasseh built altars to “the starry hosts”(probably a reference to worshiping various astronomical phenomena) in God’s Temple. He practiced sorcery and divination. He even went so far as to sacrifice his own son in the fire. In addition to his idolatry, Manasseh was an oppressive, unjust ruler. He murdered many innocent people, filling Jerusalem with the blood of the innocent. It was during Manasseh’s reign that the prophets began predicting that destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Judah.
Manasseh’s son, Amon, was as evil as his father. His own officials conspired against him and assassinated him. However, the people rose up against the conspirators and killed them, placing Amon’s son Josiah on the throne. We are told that Josiah served God and did what was pleasing in His sight. Josiah did not turn from doing what was right.
When Paul arrived in Jerusalem he met with James and the other elders of the Jerusalem Church. Paul recounted his ministry among the Gentiles and the Church leaders were overjoyed. However, they were concerned about the rumors among Jewish believers in Jerusalem that Paul taught Jews living among Gentiles to abandon Jewish law. They asked Paul to join four men who had just taken a vow and pay for their purification rites. This would demonstrate that Paul still followed Jewish law. Paul agreed to this and went to the Temple the next day.
The next day, Paul showed one of his Gentile traveling companions around the city before joining the four men at the Temple. A group of Jews from Asia who had seen Paul in the city earlier accused him of defiling the Temple by bringing a Gentile into it. By doing so, they started a riot. The rioters grabbed Paul, drug him out of the Temple and attempted to kill him. The commander of the Roman garrison received news that the city was in an uproar and brought his troops out to quell the disturbance. When the mob saw the Roman soldiers they stopped beating Paul. The commander arrested Paul and asked the crowd what he had done. The crowd gave conflicting answers. As a result, the commander ordered that Paul be taken back to the fortress. As they started up the stairs to the fortress the crowd became so violent that the soldiers had to lift Paul to their shoulders to protect him.
This is a short psalm and a reminder that we should praise the Lord and call on everyone to do so as well. Read the psalm. Let us praise the Lord with every means at our disposal.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Butterfly Bush up close
The first of today’s proverbs was a bit of a challenge for me until I read the NIV translation. The NLT says that a lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things. I have always thought of myself as lazy. However, the NIV says something very similar, but slightly different. The NIV says “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.” While I think of myself as lazy–I never work any harder than I need to, I also think of myself as one who, if the job needs doing, puts out the effort to do it right. There is a fine line between my self-perception and the laziness referred to in this passage and I do not always remain on the godly side of it, but there is nothing inherently wrong with making a job as easy as possible.
The second proverb tells us that if we are in doubt about the dangers we face in this life, turn to the name of God and He will guard us.
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.
Hezekiah was king of Judah when Assyria was at the peak of its power. Assyria invaded Judah. The king of Assyria sent an army led by his three chief officers to besiege Jerusalem. The Assyrian chief of staff summoned King Hezekiah to a meeting, but Hezekiah sent several court officials in his place. The Assyrians asked the officials what Hezekiah was relying on in his rebellion against Assyria. They told them that Egypt would not be able to help them. They then asked how Hezekiah thought he could rely on God, since he had torn down the shrines where the people had worshiped God and made them come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. They offer to provide Hezekiah with 2,000 horses, if he can find the men to ride them into battle. Finally, they claim that they invaded Judah at God’s direction, that God had told them to attack and destroy Judah.
Hezekiah’s court officials ask the Assyrian officials to speak in Aramaic (the language spoken by the educated elites of the Middle East at the time), since they understood it, rather than in Hebrew (the dialect of the kingdom of Judah), because they did not want the people to hear what was being said. The Assyrian officials then called out to the people on the city walls telling them not to let Hezekiah fool them into thinking that he could protect them from the Assyrian army. They told the people not to count on God to rescue them because He would be unable to do so. No other god had been able to save their people from the Assyrians and God would be likewise powerless to stop them. When the court officials returned to Hezekiah and reported the message of the Assyrians to him, he tore his clothes in despair and sent to the prophet Isaiah for guidance. Isaiah told Hezekiah not to worry. The king of Assyria would be called home to deal with troubles there and while he was there, he would be killed by the sword.
Soon afterward, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, received word that the armies of Cush (which was located approximately where Ethiopia is today) were marching out to meet him. Before taking his army to meet this attack, Sennacherib sent a letter to Hezekiah saying that he would return and that when he returned, God would be unable to prevent him from destroying Jerusalem. Hezekiah took this letter to the Temple and laid it before the Lord. Hezekiah acknowledged that Assyria had conquered these other nations and destroyed their gods. He then declared that this time it was different because those gods were mere idols, while the God that he worshiped was the creator of the universe. Hezekiah begged God to show His power and rescue His people from the Assyrians.
Isaiah sent a message to Hezekiah telling him that God had heard his prayer. God answered Sennacherib’s pride by telling him that all of his accomplishments were according to God’s plans. And now that Sennacherib had boasted against God, God would show His power by putting a hook in Sennacherib’s mouth and guiding him back the way he had come. Isaiah told Hezekiah that the Assyrians would not return to besiege Jerusalem, would not even launch the most basic attack against it. God would show His power and protect Jerusalem against this attack. That very night a large part of the Assyrian army died in the night. In the morning when he saw the number of men he had lost, Sennacherib broke camp and returned home. While he was in worshiping at the temple of his god in his capital, two of his sons killed him with their swords.
The king of Assyria was the most powerful man of his day. He believed that he could go wherever he wanted and no one, not even God, could stand in his way. This passage reminds us that no matter how much power we may have, we can only accomplish those things which God has allowed. The other side of it is, no matter how powerful those standing against us may appear, when God stands in our defense we will not be defeated. Hezekiah did not proudly confront the king of Assyria, rather he humbly cried out to God. This should be our model when facing life’s difficulties.
As Paul continued his journey to Jerusalem, he met with the believers in each city were he stopped. When he got to Caesarea, he stayed with Philip the Evangelist for several days. Agabus came down from Judea and prophesied that the Jews would bind Paul and turn him over to the Gentiles. The believers in Caesarea attempted to convince Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem. Paul responded that he was prepared not only to be bound, but to die in the service of Jesus. Paul then went on to Jerusalem where he was welcomed by the believers living there.
When reading this passage I have always heard preachers focus on Paul’s willingness to suffer persecution in the name of the Lord. And we should certainly be willing to face such persecution. We should not allow the threat of persecution turn us from following the path that God has set us on. However, I cannot help but wonder. Perhaps the reason that God sent prophets to warn Paul what he would face when he got to Jerusalem was because God was trying to tell Paul to not go to Jerusalem. As I have been reading the book of Acts this year, I noticed something. Other believers repeatedly attempted to get Paul to be less confrontational in his interactions with unbelievers. Paul had a tendency to rub people the wrong way and the book of Acts does not praise him for that. I have never seen it this way before, but I believe that the Scripture is not praising Paul for his abrasiveness. Rather it seems to me that Scripture tells us that God used Paul despite his abrasiveness.
Today’s psalm is another one of praise. I have often felt called to talk about how we as Christians need to be out among the sinners of this world in order to witness to them. This psalm reminds us that we need to spend time telling the faithful as well what God has done for us.
Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song.
Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.
Let us not forget to tell the faithful how God has worked in our lives, so that we can encourage them as well.
Magrat’s guest not sure he wants to be friendly
Listening to rumors and gossip make us feel like we are part of the “inner circle”, but we tend to take them into our basic understanding of people and events without ever examining their accuracy.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for over a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. 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. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Today’s passage tells us that God had finally had enough of the sins of the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and sent Assyria to sweep them away into exile. Despite repeatedly sending them prophets telling them to turn away from their sinful ways, they continued to worship other gods. They went so far as to sacrifice their own sons and daughters to these other gods. “They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger.” This passage sounds like an indictment of most countries of the world today. In the countries that comprise Western Civilization, we sacrifice our children on the altar of convenience and abort them before they are born. In the Islamic countries they encourage their children to become suicidal jihadists and sacrifice them that way. There may be countries in the world today which are not sacrificing their children on the altars of the gods they worship, but I am not familiar with them.
After the Assyrians took the Israelites captive, they settled other peoples in the land of Israel. However, lions preyed upon these new settlers. When word reached the King of Assyria about the depredation of the lions, he sent back a priest of the Lord to teach the new people in the land to worship the Lord. The new people in the land worshiped the Lord, but they also continued to offer sacrifices and worship the gods of their ancestors. They would not follow God’s command to worship only Him.
Six years before the King of Assyria overthrew the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Hezekiah became king in Judah. We are told that he did right in the sight of the Lord. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and we are told that there was no king like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after. Hezekiah destroyed all of the places in Judah where people worshiped idols. He removed the high places, destroyed the sacred pillars (which were part of Baal worship) and burned the Asherah poles. He even broke apart the bronze snake which Moses had made because the people were worshiping it in place of God. As a result of his dedication to serving the Lord, Hezekiah was successful in all that he did.
In today’s passage we have a contrast between people who failed to obey the Lord and a man who led his people in strong dedication to follow the Lord. Those who worshiped the Lord and were faithful to Him were blessed, those who did not suffered. David is often viewed as the king of Israel whom we should most admire. I do not wish to diminish our view of David, but I believe that Hezekiah represents a model we should more closely follow. He led his people back to serving God and, unlike David, got rid of the high places where the people mixed worship of God with idolatry.
When the uproar in Ephesus died down, Paul went to Macedonia and traveled through it and then down into Greece. He was preparing to travel by ship from Greece back to Syria when he learned that some Jews were plotting to kill him (or have him killed). So, instead of taking ship from Greece, Paul traveled back through Macedonia and took ship from Macedonia. He stopped in Troas, where he was joined by Luke and some others (or possibly the others sailed first and Paul traveled with Luke). From Troas, Paul sailed on to Miletus where he sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus to join him.
Paul told the elders from Ephesus that they would not see him again as in every city prophets were telling him that he would face jail and suffering when he came to Jerusalem. He warned the elders to feed and guide the God’s flock. They were to be on guard against false teachers who would arise and attempt to gain a following with false teachings. They should remember Paul’s teaching and example. How he worked hard so as to have the means to meet his own needs and provide help to those in need.
Another psalm of praise. Some days these are hard to write anything about. Today is one of those days. I will encourage you to read the psalm and let its sentiment sweep over your soul. I will pull out this phrase for special focus:
Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
Even if you can think of no other reason to praise God, you should praise Him because He is the reason that you came into being. If you do not know why that should lead you to praise Him, remember that He did not create you on a whim. He created each and every one of us to accomplish a purpose. We may not know what that purpose is, but if we strive to be faithful to God, we will fulfill that purpose in a way which will bring us joy.
Yellow rose close-up
Unlike yesterday, today’s proverb is clear to me. When I regularly find myself in quarrels it is time to examine what I say. The cause is usually because I am saying foolish things and asking for trouble by doing so. When we say and do foolish things, we will get caught out by our own words.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for over a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. 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. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
In today’s passage we have reference to three kings of Judah and six kings of Israel. We are told that each of the kings of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Four of the five kings of Israel whose reigns are detailed in today’s passage were killed by assassins who then took the throne (the reign of the sixth king is described in tomorrow’s passage).
We are told that the first two kings of Judah did what was pleasing to God. However, neither of them removed the high places where the people offered sacrifices. The third king, Ahaz, son of the second and grandson of the first, did evil in the sight of the Lord, going so far as to sacrifice his son in the fire. He paid tribute to the king of Assyria in order to get him to attack Aram and Israel so that they would stop attacking Judah. In addition he went to the capital of Assyria and worshiped the gods of Assyria there. He then instructed the high priest of Judah to build a new altar modeled after the altar used in Assyria. It is not clear from the passage but it appears to me that Ahaz instituted worship of the Assyrian gods on this altar.
The miracles performed by Paul so impressed the people of around Ephesus that some Jewish exorcists started using the name of Jesus in their exorcisms. When one group tried this, the man possessed by the evil spirit told them that it knew Jesus and knew Paul, but did not know them. The man with the evil spirit then attacked them and drove them from the house naked and bleeding. Word of this spread throughout the area. One of the biggest impacts was on believers who had continued in occult practices. In reaction to this, they brought their grimoires (books of spells and incantations) and burned them on a public bonfire. It is worth noting that these were not just books of information, but were rather “cookbooks” for practicing magic.
Shortly after this a silversmith named Demetrius who manufactured and sold shrines to Artemus called a gathering of the people to whom he subcontracted some of the work. Demetrius then told them that Paul was preaching a message that would destroy their business and respect for their city. As he spoke to them he got them angrier and angrier until a riot started. The rioters gathered in the city amphitheater. Some of them grabbed Paul’s traveling companions and took them into the amphitheater with them. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the rest of the believers would not let him do so. There was a lot of confusion in the amphitheater and most of the people who were there did not know why. Some of the Jews in the crowd tried to put their representative forward to explain the situation, but when the crowd realized he was a Jew (and this not a worshiper of Artemus) they just shouted him down. Finally the mayor of the city was able to calm the crowd down enough to speak. He then convinced the crowd that any grievance could be settled in civil court and that if the rioting continued the Romans were likely to send in the Legions to sort things out.
The psalmist tells us that it is good and fitting to sing praises to God. I could not agree more. The psalmist goes on to tell us why it is fitting:
He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and calls them all by name.
…
The Lord supports the humble,
but he brings the wicked down into the dust.
Later he tells us:
He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse
or in human might.
No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
I will praise the Lord and I will put all of my hopes in His unfailing love.
I do not understand what the first proverb means. The second proverb however tells us that when the wicked are knowingly allowed to avoid punishment, the innocent suffer.
