For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
Wisdom, good judgment, knowledge, and discernment are all found close to each other. Wisdom will always lead to knowledge, but knowledge does not lead to wisdom.
In yesterday’s portion of this psalm the psalmist declared that God had set him in a safe place. In today’s portion he emphasizes his continued distress and isolation. Yet despite that distress and isolation, he continues to trust in God. Even though his friends and neighbors are unwilling to stand by his side, he knows that God will not forsake him. Are we willing to trust God and call on Him, even if it means that we stand alone?
The parable of the sheep and the goats in today’s passage is one of the most powerful lessons on what it means to be a follower of Christ. I have looked and thought about this parable many times. My view of this parable is heavily influenced by the Keith Green song about it. The difference between the sheep and the goats is what they did, and didn’t, do. This is very important and something we should bear in mind as we live our lives.
However, there is another important point in this parable. Neither group recognized Jesus in those whose suffering they encountered. The “sheep” did not care for the poor and the suffering because they recognized Jesus in them. They cared for the poor and the suffering because they were poor and/or suffering. The “goats” on the other hand, did not care for the poor and the suffering because they did not see Jesus in them. This implies that perhaps there were times they cared for the poor or the suffering in whom they saw Jesus. It is not enough to care for the poor or the suffering in whom we see Jesus. We are called to care for the poor and suffering, even if we see no sign of Jesus in them.
This passage describes in detail the clothes which are to be worn by the priests when they conduct services in the Tabernacle. The design for these clothes contained a lot of symbolism to remind both the priests and the people of Israel about the role of the priests. The priests were to be reminded that they represented all of the people of Israel when they were in God’s presence and the people were to be reminded that the priests were holy before God.