All posts by AttilaDimedici

Daily Bible Study

July 27, 2012 Bible Study

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     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.

2 Chronicles 19-20:37

     Jehoshaphat was a king who traveled among his people. One of the things he did was to appoint judges throughout the land to hear cases concerning the Law of the Lord and civil disputes. He even set up an appellate process with the high priest having final say in religious cases and a civil authority having final say in civil disputes. He instructed the judges to make their judgements in fear of the Lord, warning them not to pervert justice, show favoritism, or take bribes.
     At some point after this, several of the neighboring kingdoms joined forces to attack Judah. Jehoshaphat ordered a nationwide fast. In response many of the people of Judah came to Jerusalem with their families. Jehoshaphat calls in the Lord for rescue from the attacking armies. The Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men in the gathering and he prophesied that they should go out against the enemy army, but that they would not need to fight it. The following morning the army of Judah marched forth, singing praises to God. While they were on their way to confront the enemy armies, the three armies began fighting each other. By the time the army of Judah reached the battlefield, the enemy armies had completely killed each other. They found so much plunder among the dead of the enemy armies that it took them three days to gather it all. After this battle, all of the neighboring kingdoms were afraid to attack Jehoshaphat.

Romans 10:14-11:12

     Paul begins today’s passage with an important logical progression. He has just finished telling us that all anyone must do to be saved is call on God for salvation. Here he tells us that in order for people to call upon God for salvation they must first believe in Him. Then he tells us that in order for people to believe in God they must first be told about Him. He finishes this by saying that in order for someone to go to tell people about God and his salvation they must be sent. This tells us that we as a Church should not be waiting for people to feel the call from God to go out on missions and then supporting them. We should be calling people, sending them out on missions and supporting them. There is nothing wrong with the first, except that it is not as good as the second. While we should be sending people out to missions, we must not let the better be the enemy of the good. (It is good that people go out on missions. It would be better if they were sent out on missions.) When I found the clip art for this passage I had one thought, no, we cannot change the world. However, God can change the world through us, if we let Him propel our feet to take us to the place where He wishes us to bring His message.
     Paul tells us that salvation comes from faith and faith comes from hearing the word. However, he tells us that not everyone who hears the Gospel will accept it. He further tells us in particular that many of the Jews have rejected the Gospel. He tells us that some Jews have listened to the Gospel and received salvation. He tells us that it is like when Elijah was depressed and cried out to God that he was the only one left, God told Elijah that He had 7,000 others that had remained faithful. This is something that we must remember when we begin to think that everyone around us is hostile to faith in God. There are more around us who are faithful to God than we might think.
     Paul concludes today’s passage by telling us that it was God’s plan that many of the Jews would reject the Gospel, so that the Gospel might get preached to the Gentiles. That through the rejection of the Gospel by the Jews, the world was blessed. However, Paul tells us that the Jews are God’s special people and He wants them to turn to Him. He tells us that if the Jews turn to God and accept His salvation, this will bring an even greater blessing to the world.

Psalm 21:1-13

     The psalmist tells us that those who trust in the Lord will be kept from stumbling by God’s unfailing love. He also tells us that the wicked plot against God’s plans. However, their plots will fail and when God turns His attention to them, they will run and attempt to hide.

Proverbs 20:4-6

     Today we are told that we must take action when the time is right. If we put off action, it may be too late and we will go hungry. The second proverb tells us that sometimes people who know how to deal with our problems are reluctant to give us advice, but if we are wise we will find a way to draw that advice out of them. The third proverb tells us that many people will claim to be our true friends, but it is very hard to find one who is truly reliable.

Daily Bible Study

July 26, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 17-18:34

     Jehoshaphat succeeded his father Asa on the throne of Judah. Jehoshaphat was deeply committed to following God’s commands and he became a strong and wealthy king. Jehoshaphat sent teachers to the various towns of Judah to teach the people. Along with the teachers, Jehoshaphat sent Levites with copies of the Book of the Law to teach the way of the Lord. Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with Ahab by marrying his son to Ahab’s daughter. Jehoshaphat went on a state visit to Ahab. Ahab threw him a great feast and during the feast requests that Jehoshaphat join him in retaking a city. Jehoshaphat agrees but says that they should find out what the Lord says first. Ahab summons 400 prophets who all testify that God will give them victory. Jehoshaphat responds by asking for a prophet of the Lord of whom to ask the same question. This always struck me as odd until I noticed that 400 was the same number as the number of prophets of Baal that Elijah confronted on Mt. Carmel. When I noticed that I realized that these were 400 prophets of Baal. The phrasing of this passage suggests that Ahab and others in the region considered Baal and Yahweh interchangeable. However, the passage also shows us that the followers of God did not and that people like Ahab knew this but would try to pass off Baal as the same as Yahweh anyway. This in my mind is similar to Muslims claiming that they worship the same God as Christians. I believe that Christians will recognize that the characteristics of Allah, as understood by Muslims, is significantly different from the characteristics of the God that Christians worship. Muslims proclaim that they worship the same god as Christians, but the god they worship has different characteristics than the God that Christians worship.
     Ahab admitted that there is a prophet of God in the land, but said that he hated him because he always said things that Ahab didn’t like. Jehoshaphat tells Ahab that kings should not talk like that. So Ahab summons Micaiah, the prophet. When the officials summon Micaiah, they tell him that the other prophets are prophesying victory and he should do the same. When Micaiah comes before Ahab, he tells him that he will be victorious in a sarcastic voice, making it clear that he is only telling him what he has been told by court officials to say. Ahab insists that Micaiah tell him what God said. Micaiah then tells him that God told him that if Ahab goes to war, he will be killed. Ahab goes to war anyway and is killed.

Romans 9:25-10:13

     Paul wrote that God had foretold salvation for the Gentiles when He spoke through the prophets that those who had been told they were not His people would be called the children of God. On the other hand, He had also foretold that many of the Jews would reject His offered salvation when He said through the prophets that only a remnant would be saved. Paul tells us that the Gentiles, who had not been trying to meet God’s standards, were made right with God because they accepted God’s gift by faith. On the other hand, the people of Israel, who attempted to get right with God by keeping the law, were not made right with God because they refused to accept God’s way and attempted to accomplish it on their own merits. Paul goes on to tell us that this is true of everyone. No one can become right with God on their own merits. The only way to become right with God is to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead.

Psalm 20:1-9

     The psalmist tells us that some boast of military might and worldly power. He tells us that those fall down and collapse. But we should boast in the name of the Lord and rely on Him. If we do so, God will raise us up and help us to stand firm. We will raise a victory banner in the name of the Lord.

Proverbs 20:2-3

     This proverb tells us that it is dangerous to arouse the anger of those with political power and that the honorable avoid a fight whenever they can. Only fools insist on quarreling.

Daily Bible Study

July 25, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 14-16:14

     Asa succeeded his father Abijah to the throne of Judah. King Asa pagan shrines and altars from much of Judah. We are told that as a result of Asa’s dedication to God, Judah had many years of peace. During this time Asa built up the fortified towns of Judah. At one point a large Cushite (which is either southern Arabia or Ethiopia) army attacked Judah. Asa’s army was vastly outnumbered, but Asa called on the Lord and they were victorious and acquired a vast amount of plunder. After this battle a prophet came to Asa and prophesied to him that if the people of Judah would continue to seek the Lord, they would have peace and prosperity. Asa called the people together to renew their covenant with God. We are told that during Asa’s reign many people migrated from the lands of the Northern Tribes into Judah in order to worship God. Later in his life Asa came to rely too much on human skills. When King Baasha of Israel invaded, Asa sent messengers to the king of Aram requesting his assistance. The king of Aram attacked Israel, forcing King Baasha to withdraw from attacking Judah. A prophet condemned Asa for allying with the king of Aram, telling him that if he had trusted God to rescue him from King Baasha, God would have given victory not only over Baasha, but over the king of Aram as well. In addition, when Asa developed a serious foot disease at the end of his life, we are told that he relied entirely on his physicians and did not turn to God for healing.

Romans 9:1-24

     Paul tells us that he would be willing to be cut off from Christ if that was what it took to bring salvation to all of the Jews. It was a source of sorrow and grief for Paul that so many Jews rejected the Gospel about Jesus. Paul tells us that not all of Abraham’s descendants are the children of Abraham’s promise (that is God’s promise to Abraham concerning his children). I find the rest of this passage troubling because Paul seems to say that God chooses to cause some people to be receptive to His offer of grace and others to reject it. I am not sure that is what Paul is saying here because there are other places where he talks about people choosing to have faith in God.
     One thing Paul does talk about here that is clear is that God has made each of us to fulfill different roles in this world. Some of us were chosen and crafted to be glorious vessels of God’s glory. Others of us were chosen for more mundane and less glorious purposes. We are clay being shaped and fired by the Potter to serve His purposes in this world. We should take pride in that whether we are designed for a use that is glorified (a decorative vase) or one that is mundane (a chamber pot).

Psalm 19:1-14

     The psalmist tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God. Even though they do not speak, they proclaim God’s wondrous love to those who are willing to listen. This theme is echoed by Paul in Romans 1 when he says that God’s nature can be seen through that which God created, but some choose not to see. Just as the sun shines down on all of the earth, so does God’s goodness pour forth on all who pursue Him. The psalmist goes on to say that the commands of the Lord are more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. The psalmist tells us that the laws of the Lord are trustworthy and firm. They are clear to all who truly wish to know them. But the psalmist tells us that we have trouble recognizing our own error, the best we can do is to strive to avoid those actions which we know to be sin. If we do this, God will forgive us our less blatant failings.

Proverbs 20:1

     This proverb is so obvious that it seems redundant to say it. Yet, there are many who think that they find wisdom while under the influence of alcohol. There may be times when the consumption of alcohol will improve your life, but times when you are seeking wisdom are not among them.

Daily Bible Study

July 24, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 11-13:22

     After the Northern Tribes chose Jeroboam as their king rather than Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem and prepared to make war against them to gain control over them. The prophet Shemaiah received a word from the Lord that they should not fight against the rest of Israel and the warriors of Judah and Benjamin chose to listen to this advice. Instead of going to war against the Northern Tribes, Rehoboam fortified towns and strengthened the defenses throughout Judah. The priests and Levites that had been living among the Northern Tribes moved to the area controlled by Rehoboam because Jeroboam would not allow them to serve as priests. Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at shrines he created where they offered sacrifices to goat and calf idols Jeroboam had made. Jeroboam’s decision to create shrines to idols led many Israelites to move from among the Northern Tribes to the area controlled by Rehoboam.
     Rehoboam spent some time consolidating his control over the territory he still controlled. In addition to fortifying towns and stationing troops in them he gave his sons administrative authority and stationed them throughout in some of those towns. Unfortunately, once Rehoboam has firmly established himself, he stopped trusting in God and turned away from Him. When God brought the Egyptians up to attack Jerusalem, Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah turned back to God to save them from the Egyptians. We are told that the Egyptian Pharaoh ransacked the treasuries of Jerusalem, but left Rehoboam as king.
     Rehoboam was succeeded by his son Abijah. Abijah and Jeroboam went to war against each other. Abijah mustered 400,000 troops and Jeroboam mustered 800,000. When the armies faced off against each other, Abijah told Jeroboam’s forces that Judah continued the practices of worshiping God, while Jeroboam had driven off the priests of God and replaced them with priests to pagan gods. Abijah told Jeroboam’s army that they were fighting not just against the army of Judah but against God Himself. Jeroboam outflanked Abijah’s army and attacked from the front and the rear. The army of Judah called on God and was victorious.

Romans 8:26-39

     Paul writes that the Holy Spirit will help us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit will intercede for us as we lay before God our concerns. God will search our hearts and the Spirit will intercede for us so that our needs and wants become aligned with God’s will. Paul tells us that all things work together for good for those who love God. Paul goes on to say that if God is for us, who can stand against us? If we fully rely on God, there is no reason to fear any power on earth or in supernatural realms because none of them can stand against God. Even when we face trouble, calamity and/or persecution we should know that God will still work to bring about good for us. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. He will continue to love us no matter what our circumstance and we should strive to return that love. We must always strive to remember these two things no matter what our circumstance. First, God will work in all things for the good of those who love Him. Second, nothing is able to stand against God and separate us from His love. No matter what hardship or trial we face we can have confidence that God is using it to bring about good for us.

Psalm 18:37-50

     The Lord lives and He will pay back those who seek to harm us. He will hold us safe from our enemies. We can trust in Him.

Proverbs 19:27-29

     We are never too old to learn. There should never come a time in our lives when we are unwilling to take instruction from those who know things that we do not.

Daily Bible Study

July 23, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19

     Today’s passage begins by telling us that Solomon built a palace and moved his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter, into it because the Ark of the Covenant had been King David’s palace and that made it Holy ground. We are further told that Solomon assigned the priests and Levites to their tasks in the Temple according to the system created by David.
     The next story is one which has fascinated people throughout history. It is the story of the Queen of Sheba coming to visit Solomon. She had heard of Solomon’s great wisdom and came to see if the stories were true. We do not know where the Kingdom of Sheba was located, although modern scholars tend to favor a location on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula in what is now Yemen. That certainly makes sense to me as the reigning monarch of a kingdom could not afford to travel much further than that from their kingdom and expect to still be the ruler when they returned. In addition, reading between the lines of this story, it reads as a trading mission on her part and follows on the passage that tells us that Solomon sent trading ships sailing into the Indian Ocean. The Queen of Sheba brought gifts of great value to Solomon and he sent her home with gifts of equal or greater value (that sounds a lot like a trade mission). In addition, it is after the visit from the Queen of Sheba that we are given an account of the great wealth that Solomon gained through trade each year. Also, it is likely that her comment about Solomon’s great wisdom is a result of him understanding the value of his location as a hub of trade between Asia, Africa and Europe.
     When Solomon died his son Rehoboam succeeded him to the throne. The people of Israel requested that he reduce the burden of government (taxes and forced labor) that Solomon had placed upon them. Rehoboam first discussed this request with his father’s advisers. They told him that if he agreed to the people’s demands they would be his loyal subjects. Rehoboam then asked the young men he had grown up with what they thought. They told him that he should tell the people that he was going to put even heavier demands upon them. When I read this, I want to ask them what they were thinking with advising such a course of action, but I know where this mindset comes from. Throughout history there have been the sons of the politically powerful who do not know or understand the things their fathers did to amass their power and think that people will have no choice but to bow to whatever whims they have. Rehoboam rejected the advice from his father’s advisers and took the advice of those he grew up with. This had the entirely predictable result that the Northern Tribes rebelled and chose Jeroboam as their king.

Romans 8:9-25

     Paul continues his theme on slavery to sin by telling us that we are no longer slaves to our sinful nature. Instead we have been adopted as children of God. We no longer have an obligation to obey the sinful nature. If we continue to obey the sinful nature we will die. On the other hand, if we accept the power of the Holy Spirit to put to death the acts of our sinful nature, we will have life. God’s Spirit has made us His adopted children and heirs. God is not just our Father, but our Dad.
     Paul points out that if we are to share in Jesus’ glory, we must also share in His suffering. He points out that the entire world is groaning as it awaits the day it will be finally completely freed from death and decay. I think Paul has a twofold meaning here. In part he is reiterating something Jesus said. Jesus said that since the world persecuted Him, we should expect it to persecute us. Paul is restating this here. But he is also talking about how our bodies are subject to the frailties and infirmities of this life. We should not expect to not get sick, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit provides us with a taste of what it will be like when we are released from all sin and suffering (I am not sure what he means by that). We, as believers, wait with hope for the day when our frail, sin-wracked bodies are replaced with new perfect bodies. We do not yet have bodies that are free from sickness, that is something that we must wait for patiently, but with confident hope that we receive them.

Psalm 18:16-36

     The psalmist tells us that even though his enemies attacked him when he was vulnerable, God rescued him and provided him with shelter. The psalmist tells us that God shows Himself faithful to those who are faithful and shows integrity to those who have integrity. This means that if God appears to be unfaithful, it is because we are unfaithful and if God appears to lack integrity it is because we lack integrity. I have noticed that the people who complain the most about not being able to trust others are those who are the least trustworthy. The psalmist goes on to tell us that God rescues the humble and humiliates the proud. There are two things here. The first is that we should not take credit for our successes but acknowledge the debt we owe to God for the things outside of our control that contributed to that success. The second is in some ways more important, we should not take credit for other people’s success, even if some of our actions contributed to that success.

Proverbs 19:26/a>

     In our society we do not think much about children who treat their parents badly. We spend much more time concerned with parents who abuse their children. Yet the Bible spends a lot of time talking about the importance of treating our parents with respect. I think that we can see all around us the impact of our society for the last two generations teaching many of our children to disrespect their parents and those older than themselves. I fear that many who believe that respect for parents comes naturally will soon receive an unpleasant surprise.
Daily Bible Study

July 22, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10

     Solomon had placed a bronze platform in the Temple courtyard. During the celebration of the dedication of the Temple he got up on it and prayed a public prayer. It is not clear from the passage whether this was before or after the cloud filled the Temple. Solomon started his prayer by saying that there is no other god like God. He then said that the Temple cannot contain God. God is not bound to a location. Solomon then prayed that when the people sinned and God punished them, if they turned from their sins and prayed to God that God would forgive them and deliver them from their trials. Solomon further prayed that when foreigners heard of God and turned to following Him that God would grant their prayers as well.
     The passage records that when Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and burned up the sacrifices that were on the altar and the presence of the Lord filled the Temple. It tells us that the presence of the Lord filled the Temple in such a manner that the priests could not enter the Temple. When the people saw this happen they bowed down and praised the Lord. They celebrated a seven day festival for the dedication of the Temple and on the eighth day they held a closing ceremony. We are told that there were so many sacrifices that they had to perform sacrifices in the courtyard because the altar could not hold all of the offerings.
     God responded to Solomon’s prayer. God told him that when the people sin and He punishes them, if they humble themselves, seek God and turn from sin, He will forgive their sins and restore them. But if the people turn from God and worship other gods, He will uproot them and cause the Temple and Jerusalem to be such that all who see it will be appalled. It will stand as a testimony to the people of Israel’s unfaithfulness in the face of God’s graciousness to them.

Romans 7:14-8:8

     I used this clip art because in this passage Paul talks about the fact that we as Christians want to do right and don’t want to do wrong. In fact, most people, whether Christian or not, want to do what is right and want to not do what is wrong. Yet, we still often don’t do what is right and do what is wrong. We do not do what we want. We have a sinful nature that makes us a slave to sin. This paradox, that we do not do what we want but instead do what we want not to do, tells us that the law which tells us right from wrong is insufficient to bring about reconciliation with God. But Paul tells us there is another way, that God has provided a sacrifice to reconcile us to Him. If we turn to God and surrender ourselves to His Spirit, He will transform us and free us from our slavery to our sinful nature. We must acknowledge that we only do right when God takes control of us, that any good we do is of no credit to us, but is only through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us.

Psalm 18:1-15

     The psalmist tells us that God will be our shield and place of safety. That even when we feel that we are overwhelmed and God is far away, He will come to our rescue when we cry out to Him. We should continue to trust in God for safety and salvation, even when God seems far away and it seems like our prayers are bouncing off of the ceiling. He will hear our prayers, nothing can keep them from his ears. Further this psalm, with colorful imagery, tells us that nothing can stand in His way when He comes to rescue us, which He will indeed do.

Proverbs 19:24-25

     The first proverb tells us that often times the reason that people are in want is because they are too lazy to take advantage of the opportunities that they are right in front of them. If someone is chronically in need, they should ask themselves if perhaps the problem is their own behaviors. The second proverb tells us that the simple-minded need to witness punishment in order to learn, but that the wise learn when their mistakes are pointed out.

Daily Bible Study

July 21, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 4-6:11

     Today’s passage describes the Temple furnishings that Solomon had built. The first thing mentioned is a large bronze basin called the Sea. It was the size of a large above ground pool. We are told that the priests washed themselves in this basin. There were ten smaller basins made that were used to wash the utensils for the burnt offerings. In addition there were many other furnishings made. We are told that so much bronze was used that it was not possible to determine how much it all weighed.
     Once the furnishings were completed, Solomon summoned the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem for the Festival of Shelters to move the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple. When they got the Ark to the Temple, but before they put it into the inner sanctuary, they offered a large number of burnt offerings before it. The passage tells us that they offered so many animals that no one could keep count. When they had finished with the sacrifices, the priests carried the Ark into the inner sanctuary of the Temple, the Most Holy Place. We are told that there was nothing in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed within it. Once the priests had placed the Ark in the Most Holy Place they left the Holy Place. Then the Levitical musicians began singing to God with instrumental accompaniment. We are told that a thick cloud filled the Temple at this moment and the priests were forced to stop their service because of it. We are told that this cloud was the presence of God. This cloud is reminiscent of the cloud that led the people of Israel during the day in the wilderness. Solomon concludes by praising God for fulfilling His promises to his father David.

Romans 7:1-13

     Paul tells us in this passage that death frees us from the law. That when we died with Christ upon accepting His sacrifice for us, we were freed from bondage to the Law. Before Christ, the only way to serve God was through obeying the letter of the Law, but now we can serve God by living in His Spirit. Paul tells us that the law, which was intended to bring life, was twisted by sin so as to instead bring death and condemnation. Any attempt to set up a set of rules that we can/must keep for salvation is doomed to failure. Sin will make use of those rules to condemn us for our failures. The only way to be right with God is to acknowledge that we will fail to always act righteously and must rely fully on God’s grace. This does not mean that we do not attempt to act righteously, just that we acknowledge that we will always fall short of God’s righteous standard and thus are no better than anyone else.

Psalm 17:1-15

     The psalmist tells us that God will test our thoughts and examine our hearts, we cannot hide our sin from Him. God’s love is unfailing and He will rescue those who seek Him as refuge from their enemies. God will destroy those who seek their reward in this world, but will give satisfaction to those who seek to see Him face to face.

Proverbs 19:22-23

     The first proverb tells us that we will find people who are loyal more attractive. It also tells us that one is better off being poor than being dishonest. There is actually a connection between these two statements. People who are dishonest never trust anyone. They are always sure that those around them are lying to them and are going to betray them. When you meet someone who thinks that way, you can be sure that they are will lie to you when it suits their purposes and betray you at the least hint of gain from doing so. The second proverb tells us the way to avoid becoming that person. If we fear the Lord, we will trust Him for our security and not fear the betrayal of others. If we fear the Lord, we will be honest and loyal. We will know that the Lord will protect us and thus not need to fear the betrayal and dishonesty of others. This is really a twofold thing. The first part is that as we are more honest and loyal, others are less likely to lie to us or betray us. The second part is that if we rely on God for our security, He will protect us from the consequences of others dishonesty or betrayal.

Daily Bible Study

July 20, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 1-3:17

     Second Chronicles begins with Solomon taking the throne of Israel. He then gathered the leaders of Israel and went to Gibeon where the Tabernacle is still located (even though David had moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem) to offer sacrifices. That night God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he desired God to give him. Solomon asks for the wisdom and knowledge to lead the people properly. God replied that he would give Solomon wisdom and knowledge, and because Solomon’s first thought was of the people, God would give him great wealth and fame.
     The next thing we are told is that Solomon had a huge force of chariots and horses. This is followed be an account that suggests that Solomon’s power and wealth were based on being in the center of a trading empire. David built his power by protecting the trade routes through Israel/Palestine from bandits and raiders. Solomon built his power and wealth by taking control of the trade that used those routes. Next we are told that Solomon arranged a trade agreement with King Hiram of Tyre for master craftsmen to oversee the building of the Temple and for lumber to use in the construction. Solomon took a census of the foreigners living in the land of Israel. He then recruited them as forced labor to build the Temple.
     Today’s passage ends with a description of the Temple that Solomon built. There are two things about it that strike me. The first is something that I have always been aware of. It contained a massive amount of gold and other precious materials. The second thing is that it wasn’t really all that big. The Temple was about 2700 square feet, the average new house in the U.S. in 2010 was about 2400 square feet. Now the square footage of a house is based on multiple floors, while the Temple was a single floor. However, on another site I found a measurement that said the footprint for an average house was around 800 to 1500 square feet. Based on that, a house that was 30 feet by 50 feet would not be considered terribly large, whereas this passage tells us that Solomon’s Temple was 30 feet by 90 feet, or less than double the size of a moderately large house.

Romans 6:1-23

     Yesterday’s passage ended with Paul telling us that as people sinned more and more, God’s grace became more abundant. Today’s passage begins by telling us that this does not mean that we should sin so as to cause God to show us even more grace. Instead he tells us that the power of sin over us has been crucified alongside of Jesus and we are raised with Him. That even as death no longer has any power of Jesus, so sin should no longer have any power over us. Paul tells us that we are slaves to that which we choose to obey. If we sin, we are yielding ourselves into slavery to sin. We should instead choose to be slaves of righteousness.
     I had never looked at this passage this way before, but I have a story that illustrates what Paul is getting at here. When I got out of college, I smoked pot. After a time, I realized that as a Christian I should quit (I probably knew all along that as a Christian I shouldn’t smoke pot, but before this point that hadn’t entered my calculations). I, also, felt called to be more active in the Church. I tried to give up pot, but was unsuccessful in doing so. I became more and more convicted that I should be more active in the Church. But I felt like I needed to give up pot first, that otherwise I would be a hypocrite. After quite some time of trying to quit pot and failing, God revealed to me that I should not put off any longer doing what I knew I should be doing and I should become more active in the Church. I said to God, “OK, I can’t stop doing this, which I know I should not be doing, but I will start doing that, which I know I should be doing.” The interesting thing is that when I stopped trying to quit smoking pot and started doing the things that I knew that God was calling me to do, I almost immediately stopped smoking pot. When I made myself a slave to righteousness (obeying the commands of being righteous), I stopped being a slave to sin. There were a couple of steps involved here. The first was acknowledging that smoking pot was a sin. The second was acknowledging that I did not have the ability on my own to stop committing that sin. The final was being open about the fact that I was a sinner and being active doing works of righteousness anyway. The lesson I take away from this (both the story and this passage) is that if there is a sin in your life that you cannot overcome, you need to become more active in doing acts of righteousness. I have sins I struggle with now. I see that the solution to my struggle is to spend less time in “leisure” activity and more time doing acts of righteousness, whether that is Church activities, writing another blog or some other activity that God calls me to. Time we spend doing acts of righteousness is time we do not have to sin.

Psalm 16:1-11

     There are two elements to today’s psalm. The first is that the psalmist turns to God for safety. He recognizes that every good thing comes from God. The second is that he vows to not take part in the worship of other gods, whether those gods are Vishnu and Zeus, or pleasure and wealth. The psalmist says that he will follow God’s guidance and not be shaken because God is right beside him. What more do we need than the joy of being in God’s presence and the pleasure of living with Him forever?

Proverbs 19:20-21

     Today’s first proverb tells us that we should actively seek advice and instruction. Beyond that, we should take advice and instruction, even when we were not seeking it. The second proverb tells us that we make whatever plans we desire, but God’s purpose will be served. We should seek to align our plans with God’s will, to make our plans to serve God’s purposes.

Daily Bible Study

July 19, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 28-29:30

     This passage tells us that David called together the leaders of Israel to tell them that Solomon would be king after him and that it would be Solomon who would build the Temple. David told them that he wanted to build the Temple, but God told him not to because he had shed too much blood. David instructed Solomon that if he served and worshiped God with his whole heart God would bless him. David told Solomon that if he sought God he would find Him, but if he forsook God, God would reject him forever. That applies today as well, those who seek God will find Him.
     This passage tells us that David gave Solomon plans for the Temple and the Temple furnishings. David then told the assembly that he had gathered materials for building the Temple and in addition to those materials, he was going to give resources from his private treasury. He then called on the leaders of Israel to follow his example and donate materials for the building of the Temple. We are told that they did as he requested and gave a large amount of materials for the building of the Temple. The passage tells us that the leaders gave 188 metric tons of gold. In 2009, a metric ton of gold was worth about $34 million. Today, it would be significantly more. And the leaders of Israel gave 188 metric tons of gold for the Temple. In addition they gave other precious materials in large quantities.
     The passage then records that the people rejoiced in what was given for the Temple. David prayed a prayer of praise in which he stated that all of the wealth which had been given was God’s to begin with. He said that we could not take credit for giving to God, since all that we have God gave to us. This is again something for us to remember today. All that we have is God’s to begin with, so we should be readily willing to give of our resources to help those in need.
     The passage tells us that the following day they offered a large number of burnt offerings and crowned Solomon as king to succeed David.

Romans 5:6-21

     Paul wrote that when we were sinners and completely helpless, Jesus died for us. He pointed out that very rarely will someone be willing to die for someone else they consider a good person. Yet Jesus died for us when we were sinners. Paul then wrote that if God was willing to sacrifice His Son for us while we were sinners, how much more will He provide for us now that we are reconciled to Him.
     Paul wrote that just as death came into the world through one man, Adam, so now life has come into the world through one man, Jesus. Adam’s disobedience to God brought separation from God and death to all who came after Him. Now Jesus’ obedience unto death, brings reconciliation to God and eternal life to all who follow after Him. Adam’s disobedience gave sin the power to rule over us, but now Jesus’ death allows God’s grace to rule over us breaking the power of sin.

Psalm 15:1-5

     The psalmist asks, who can live in God’s presence? Then he answers this question, only those who are blameless. We know from the passages we are studying in Romans that none are blameless, but that God’s grace covers our sins. This psalm still gives us the behaviors we should strive to emulate. The psalmist tells us that we should speak truth from our hearts. I think there are two ways to read that, both correct. The first is that truth should just naturally flow from us, that suggestion that we should say something other than the truth should strike us as odd. The second way to look at this is that we speak the truth in a manner that shows that we care about those we are speaking with.
     The next tells us more about how we speak. The New Living Translation reads that we should not gossip, other translations say that we should not speak slander. I think that looking at those two ways of translating this passage tells us a lot about the message here. We should not pass on information, factual or not, that makes others look bad, especially when the main purpose of communicating that information is to make others look bad. The psalmist goes on to tell us that we should keep our promises, even when it will hurt us to do so. We should lend to those in need without demanding interest. Finally, we should not lie about others, no matter what reward is offered. The psalmist tells us that if we follow these principles, we will be solidly rooted and nothing will disrupt us.

Proverbs 19:18-19

     The first proverb tells us that parents who do not discipline their children will ruin their children’s lives. It is certainly true that lack of discipline ruins lives. The second of today’s proverbs tells us that those who have hot tempers will suffer consequences. It tells us that if you bail them out of the situation that their temper got them into, their temper will soon get them into another situation that may be even worse.

Daily Bible Study

July 18, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34

     Today’s passage continues describing the duties that were assigned to various groups of the Levites. We learn that David assigned the Levites tasks involving governing the Kingdom of Israel, not just tasks involving Temple worship. The passage then goes on to tell us that David divided his army into 12 units of 24,000 men which each served for one month a year. Each unit had its own commander. We are then told who the leaders of each of the tribes was while David was king. Finally we are given a list of miscellaneous officials of David’s kingdom.

Romans 4:13-5:5

     In today’s passage, Paul reiterates that Abraham received the promise of God, not because of his adherence to the law of God, but because of his righteousness that came to him through his faith in God. He tells is that if following the law makes one an heir of Abraham than faith has no value and God’s promise is worthless, because no one can fully keep the law and thus receive the promise. Paul extends his logic to show that God’s promise to Abraham applies to those who share Abraham’s faith in God, not just those who are biologically descended from Abraham.
     Paul tells us how Abraham had faith in God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations, even though he and Sarah were beyond child-bearing years. Despite his and Sarah’s age, Abraham believed in God’s power to provide him with a son. It was this belief (in God’s power to fulfill His promises) that was credited to him as righteousness. Paul tells us that the Scripture does not record the words “it was credited to him” for Abraham’s sake alone. Those words were written for us as well. Those of us who believe that Jesus died for our sins and was raised again to life may know that our faith will be credited to us as righteousness, just as Abraham’s faith was.
     Our faith allows us to have peace with God. Paul tells us that we can rejoice in our hope of the glory of God. We can also rejoice in the suffering we experience because suffering trains us to persevere, or as the King James Version puts it, to have patience. Perseverance helps us develop good, strong character. Good character inspires us to have hope. And God will not leave us to hope in vain.
     Today’s passage is a great example of what a blessing it is to have access to the Bible on line. In order for me to fully follow what Paul was saying here, I switched back and forth between different translations. I often will switch between translations when studying a passage because I want to see if some of the connotations I take from one translation can be supported by the way another translation chooses to translate a passage. But for today’s passage I found it necessary to look at various translations to fully see how to express my thoughts on what the passage meant.

Psalm 14:1-7

     The psalmist tells us that only fools declare that there is no God. He tells us that the truly wise will seek God. But he further tells us that no one really does, that we all turn away from God and do what is wrong. Despite our sinfulness and rejection of God, he will rescue us from evil and offer us the opportunity to be made right with Him. How appropriate that this psalm is part of my daily devotion while I am also reading Romans.

Proverbs 19:17

     There are several ways to look at this proverb. The first is straightforward. Helping the poor is lending to God. Surely we believe that God will repay His debts? If we believe that God will repay His debts, than we know that anything we give to the poor will come back to us with interest. There is another way to look at this proverb. Since everything we have is given to us by God, how can we even think twice when He asks us to give it to another?
     There are those who look at passages like this and see it as evidence that God will reward faithfulness with great worldly wealth, and sometimes He does. However, those who read these passages and see them as blueprints for acquiring worldly wealth miss out on an opportunity to gain gifts from God of much more value than worldly wealth.