For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
This proverb is so true. Only the truly stupid hate to be corrected and the only person who is truly stupid is unwilling to accept discipline when they are wrong.
This psalm expresses the faith of one suffering deep depression. Everything, and everyone, seems to be conspiring against him (and perhaps it is). Yet, no matter how bad he thinks things are, no matter how bad things actually are, he continues to have faith in God. He continues to cry out to God for rescue, believing that God will rescue him. The psalmist does this even though he is ridiculed for his faith. He acknowledges that he has foolishly sinned and prays that God does not allow his foolishness to cause others who trust in God to be shamed.
All in all, this psalm is a great expression of faith. I pray that my faith will be as strong should I ever find myself in similar circumstances.
Wow, I actually have three points to make on this passage. First, the more we perceive ourselves to have been a sinner, the more thankful we are to God for His forgiveness. Second, we should all strive to show our thankfulness as enthusiastically as this woman. Third, none of us should have the attitude of the Pharisee in this story. None of us should think of someone else as a greater sinner than ourselves, that we are somehow better than that other person.
I was going to go into more detail on this, but I think that pretty much covers it. I will finish with this question: Do we realize how much we have been forgiven? Do we express to God the love He deserves for the forgiveness we have received?
Moses tells the Israelites that when they enter into the Promised Land they must not make any treaties with the people living there. He tells them to completely consecrate those people to God. The word used here is typically translated as “destroy”, and typically the term means destroying something in order to give it to God. As I read this, I am reminded that when the Israelites left Egypt they were accompanied by a large number of non-Israelites. Those non-Israelites became part of the people of God. The Israelites were not to adopt any of the customs of the people whose land they were entering. But if those people were to dedicate themselves wholly to the service of God, well that was different. Understand, I do not think that was how those who heard Moses speak understood him. I do however think that was how God intended them to hear it.
The second part of the passage contains both a promise and a warning. The promise is that if the Israelites live in fear of the Lord and follow His commands they will prosper. This promise was not just for the Israelites. It was for all people. So was His warning. The passage warned the Israelites to remember that their wealth came from worshiping and serving God. If they were to begin to think that the wealth they acquired was a result of their merit and specialness they might stop being faithful to God and start worshiping other gods. Just as the nations which the Israelites were displacing were being destroyed because they refused to obey God, so too would the Israelites be destroyed if they refused to worship God…so, too will we be destroyed.