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. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
In order to speak with wisdom it is necessary to first acquire understanding. Speaking before you understand the situation is asking for trouble and will likely incite violence against oneself. Those who are wise are constantly seeking to know more, but the foolish prefer to tell others what they think.
I can empathize with the psalmist here. I know of times when my mistakes (mostly ones I would have avoided by staying away from sin) and the troubles they had produced overwhelmed me. I cried out to God and He rescued me. All who search for God will be filled with joy. They will find gladness in His presence. God is my help and my deliverer. His rescue of me will be timely.
Some teachers of religious law came from Jerusalem to see what the fuss was about Jesus. They confronted Jesus about His disciples not keeping their rituals of washing their hands before eating. It is worth noting that they did not have a problem with it because it was unsanitary (a concept with which they would have been completely unfamiliar), but rather because it violated their idea of righteousness. Jesus fired right back at them for putting their traditions over the law of God. He pointed out that they allowed their traditions and rituals to override the clear intention of the Law. They said that someone could declare their possessions and wealth as dedicated to God, thus absolving them of the obligation to care for their elderly parents. Jesus declared that the actions we do are more important than the food we eat. It is more important to do what is good for others than it is to follow some specific religious ritual.
The passage finishes out the section of laws which regulate behavior concerning public health within the people of Israel. It contains a series of instructions whose value is clear to us today because of our knowledge of the dangers of being exposed to the bodily fluids of other persons. These bodily fluids are also breeding grounds for disease agents.
Next the passage describes the ritual sacrifice of the Day of Atonement. It is from this passage that we derive the term “scapegoat”. It is a sign of how many people today have no real knowledge of the Bible that this term is becoming “escape goat’. The concept of the scapegoat in this ritual is one of separating ourselves from our sin. The idea presented here is that the sins of the people will be laid upon the goat and it will be sent out into the wilderness. In some ways Jesus filled this role for us by carrying all of our sins on the cross.