February 9, 2013 Bible Study

February 8, 2013 AttilaDimedici

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. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

Exodus 29-30:10

Today’s passage gives a detailed account of the ceremony to ordain a priest. They were to bring a young bull and two rams to the tent of meeting along with several loaves of bread made without yeast. Then the men who were about to be ordained as priests were brought there as well. The men were washed and dressed in the priestly garments. The men were then anointed with oil. Then according to specific instructions the bull and each of the rams were sacrificed. A portion of each of the sacrifices was to be reserved for the priests to eat. The process of ordination was to take seven days with detailed instructions about the sacrifices to be conducted on the days following the first. Are there benefits to going through such a ritual of consecration? Do we have such rituals? Should we?
My answer to that question is that we would be well served to develop rituals that we undertake to consecrate ourselves to God, not because such rituals have any value towards our salvation but because they can help us focus our minds upon God. A carefully designed ritual can help us to fully internalize our attempts to dedicate our lives to serving God. However, we must be careful because a ritual can replace God as the object of our worship.

Matthew 26:14-46

     Today’s passage begins with the account of Judas Iscariot going to the chief priests and agreeing to help them arrest Jesus away from the crowds. There is one question that none of these accounts can answer, why did Judas offer to betray Jesus? Did he do it for the money? Was he trying to force Jesus hand to overthrow Roman rule? Did he think that he was serving Jesus’ purposes? Whatever his motives, Judas chose to betray Jesus.
     The disciples then asked Jesus where they should eat the Passover feast. He gave them instructions which they followed. While they were eating Jesus told them that one of them was going to betray him. One after another they asked Him if they were the one that was going to betray Him until. Jesus answered that one who had dipped into the bowl with Him would betray Him. It is possible that this passage meant that Judas had dipped into the bowl at the same time as Jesus. However, it seems to my to be more likely an account of the level of Judas’ betrayal. Judas had shared a meal with Jesus. In many societies betraying someone who you had shared a meal with was considered among the lowest of possible actions.
     After this, Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks for it and breaks it, giving pieces to His disciples. He tells them to take it and eat it, it is His body. He then does the same with the wine, except that in this case he says that it is His blood which is poured out for the forgiveness of many. Looking back the significance of this act is very clear, but it seems likely that it had much less, or at least different, meaning for the disciples who were present. When we partake of this ritual do we see it as a consecration like the one that the priests under went in today’s Exodus passage?
     After this, they left there and went out to the Mount of Olives (at some point here Judas left them and went to the priests). Jesus told them that they would fall away and be scattered. Peter avows that even if everyone else abandons Jesus, he will stand by His side. Jesus replies that not only would Peter fall away like the others, but he, Peter, would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed to announce the next morning. To which Peter avowed that he would die with Jesus before he would deny Him (a statement which the other disciples quickly echoed). I am sure that Jesus’ statement cut Peter to the quick and that he was determined to prove Him wrong on this.
     Jesus then asked His disciples to keep watch with Him as He prayed. Jesus prayed that He not have to go through with the suffering He knew was coming. He returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. He awakens them and points out to Peter that despite his bravado he is unable to even stay awake. This scene is repeated two more times. I cannot find reference at this time, but I read at some point in the past that there was a rabbinical tradition that the new day did not begin until one had slept a certain amount. The article implied that the new day, the day of Jesus’ betrayal, did not begin until the disciples fell asleep the third time. I do not know if that is true, but it puts an interesting light on the situation. How often are we like the disciples, sure that we can stand against persecution for our faith, but unable to stay awake through the night?

Pink and white Amaryllis — Pink and white amaryllis

Psalm 31:19-24

The psalmist tells us that God has stored up an abundance of good things for those who fear and obey Him. If we turn to Him ,He will hide and shelter us from those who set out to destroy us. When we feel cut off and separated from God, He will still hear us when we cry out and come to our rescue. Do not allow the trials and tribulations that you face get you down, God will come and redeem you. No matter how bad it seems at the moment have faith and God will come to your rescue.

Proverbs 8:14-26

The writer tells us that wisdom is available to all who search for it. The rewards for following the path of wisdom are worth more than any amount of money. Wisdom is the foundation of everything worth doing, even the creation of the universe. Do I seek wisdom with all of my being? When I find it, do I follow the paths it lays out for me?

Daily Bible Study

February 8, 2013 Bible Study — Am I a Sheep Or a Goat?

February 7, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 28:1-43

Today’s passage describes in great detail the clothing that the priests were to wear when they came before the Lord. They were to dress with great care, down to the underwear that they wore. Reading the description of these garments I was struck by the attention to detail that was necessary each time they put them on in order to get everything right. While getting dressed the priest would have plenty of time to purify their thinking before they came before God. I was struck by how much more effort I should put into spending time with God. There can be something therapeutic about going through a ritual of preparation. There is also great benefit in spending time analyzing my life for behaviors that I should change in order to better serve God.

Matthew 25:31-26:13

     Jesus describes the day of judgment when all people will stand before God to be judged. Jesus tells us that He will divide the people into two groups, one to His right and one to His left. He will invite the ones on His right into their reward because when He was suffering they provided Him with relief. Then He tells those on His left to be cursed because they could not be bothered to help Him when He was in need. Neither group will know what He is talking about. In both cases they will deny ever encountering Him in need. Jesus tells them that whenever they have done it for the least, they have done it for Him. Jesus responds that whatever we have done, or not done, for “one of the least” we did, or did not, do for Him.
     I have heard many people comment on the fact that Jesus is telling us that the difference between the “sheep” and the “goats” in this parable is what they did and didn’t do. And that is absolutely true. There are also people who talk about how important it is for us as Christians to act to help those in need, whether it is feeding the hungry, taking in strangers, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, caring for the sick, or whatever other need it is. And that is absolutely true. But what struck me about this passage today was that those who were rewarded did not know when they had done all of these things. Helping those in need was such an ingrained part of who they were that they could not remember doing the things Jesus praised them for as anything special. They never even noticed that they had done something for those in need. They just did it and went about their business. On the other hand, the other group never noticed those in need either. The first group helped those in need because they could not imagine acting any other way. They are the people who when someone praises them, or thanks them for something they have done respond, ‘I only did what anybody would have done.” Our goal should be to become people who, when someone tells us how special it was that we helped someone in need, we don’t understand why they even noticed what we did.
     After this parable Jesus once more tells His disciples that He will be arrested and crucified. This time telling them that it will happen during the upcoming Passover. The political and religious leaders of the Jewish people gathered to plan to have Jesus secretly arrested and killed, planning it carefully to avoid triggering riots.
     Today’s passage ends with the woman who anoints Jesus with oil. The disciples were indignant because they thought that it would have been better to have sold the oil and used it to help the poor. Their reaction makes perfect sense as this was probably only hours after they heard the above mentioned parable of the sheep and the goats. Jesus response suggests that they still did not understand. He tells them that the poor will always be there, but that He will not always be with them in the flesh. I think the point being made here is that we should try to meet the needs and soothe the cares of those we interact with without thinking about how to “earn points.” It should just be something that grows out of who we are. Just as this woman’s actions grew out of who she was.

Psalm 31:9-18

The psalmist expresses that despite the distress that he is in that he will trust the Lord. He is confident that God will deliver him from the hands of his enemies, even though his health is failing and even his closest friends avoid being seen with him. I will not be ashamed to call out to the Lord.

Proverbs 8:12-13

Wisdom cannot readily be separated from good judgment. Those who employ wisdom will seek out knowledge and discernment. Those with wisdom hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. It is worth noting how the writer here links pride, arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. These things all reflect the same basic lack of wisdom. The failure to control the words we use will lead us to make other unwise choices.

Daily Bible Study

February 7, 2013 Bible Study –Keep Watch, Because You Do Not Know the Day or the Hour

February 6, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 26-27:21

Today’s passage is a detailed description of the plans for building the Tabernacle. As I read this I became impressed by the attention to detail called for in this. The craftsmanship necessary to follow these directions is impressive, although what it calls for is not great artistry but rather painstaking attention to detail. This passage is definitely one of those which led me to start this blog. There are two things I saw in here to highlight. The first is that Moses was given the detailed description of how various parts of the Tabernacle should be built, the detailed description was followed at several points with instructions to make it as he was “shown on the mountain.” Indicating that the earthly Tabernacle was based on a heavenly Tabernacle which was shown to Moses. The other thing I want to highlight is that the Israelites (in particular the priests) were to maintain lights in the Tabernacle at night. There was always to be light in the Tabernacle, during the day from the sun and at night from the lamps that Moses was instructed to have made.

Matthew 25:1-30

Today’s passage contains two parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. The first parable is about 10 women waiting for their bridegroom to come. Five of them prepared for a long wait and brought extra oil for their lamps. The other five were foolish and assumed he would come before the oil in their lamps ran out. Then while all ten waited, they became drowsy and fell asleep. Suddenly they were awoken by word of the bridegroom’s coming. Those who had prepared added oil and trimmed their lamps. The unprepared asked to borrow some oil from them, but the prepared brides explained that they did not have enough for both themselves and the unprepared. They sent the unprepared out to get more oil, but by the time they returned it was too late. Jesus tells us that we should remain prepared, no matter how long the delay, because when we see Him coming it will be too late to prepare.
The second parable tells us to make the best use of the resources which God has given us. This parable has always been a challenge to me because I have been given many talents in this life, yet I have always struggled with knowing how and where to apply them. I will continue to strive to find the ways to use the gifts God has given me to please Him. All too often I feel like I am the man given the five bags of gold acting like the man given just the one bag.

Psalm 31:1-8

I desire to be as the psalmist and turn to the Lord for protection. I will not turn to idols or worship other things in the hope that they will protect me. I will not rely on the government, myself or anything else for my protection. I will trust in the Lord. God will be my rock and my fortress. If I follow the path He guides me on I will not fall into any of the traps set for me. I will commit my spirit and all that I am into God’s hands, for He will protect me.

Proverbs 8:1-11

Wisdom calls out to us. The proverb writer tells us that wisdom is there for anyone willing to listen. Anyone who does not possess wisdom has chosen not to listen to wisdom calling out to them. Not listening to the wisdom that is there for us to acquire as we experience life is like leaving precious metals or gems lying on the road as we walk along. Yet all too many people make that choice everyday, treating the wisdom they could acquire like a penny that is not worth their trouble to bend over and pick it up.

Daily Bible Study

February 6, 2013 Bible Study — No One Knows the Day or Hour

February 5, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 23:14-25:40

     God laid out three festivals of worship for the people of Israel to keep each year. Every man of Israel was to present himself before God at least these three times a year. Three times of year they were to set aside their daily lives and come together and celebrate what God had done for them. This is certainly a model that we should consider for ourselves. Is it too much for us to set aside three times a year to set aside our daily lives and gather with our fellow believers?
     God goes on to tell the people of Israel that He will go ahead of them into the land He has promised them. He will drive those living there out of the land, but the Israelites must not worship their gods or imitate their practices. They were to make no treaties with the people living in the land or their gods. There are many who disagree with me, but I believe that this is sound advice for Christians, we should not make common cause with non-Christians to accomplish our goals. This does not mean we have to work against them when they are striving to accomplish similar goals to ours, just that we have to recognize that, even when we are working towards common goals, they have a different agenda than we do and are focused on other ends than we are. This is definitely a difficult position to clearly define, but we as Christians must be very careful about lending our support to groups who are ultimately promoting a message that opposes the message of Christianity.
      Moses went down to the people and reported the instructions that God had given him. Moses wrote carefully wrote all of these instructions down. Early one morning Moses set up an altar and some pillars. He had some young men make an offering to God. Moses then read the book that he had written of God’s instructions to the people. The people listened to these instructions, including the command to worship no other gods, and enthusiastically agreed to keep them. Moses then returned to the mountain to speak with God, accompanied by Joshua. He remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. (This is the second occurrence of forty days and forty nights as a significant time. The first being when the rains fell during the Flood.)

Another Picture of Snow In the Back Yard

Matthew 24:29-51

Jesus continues His prophecy about the destruction of the Temple and the end times. Today’s passage starts with Jesus explaining why we should not be fooled by the false prophets and false messiahs. He tells us that when He returns everyone will know and His angels will gather His chosen ones from the ends of the earth.
Jesus goes on to tell us that no one knows the day or hour of His return, except the Father. He tells us that it will be as in the days of Noah. People will be going about their business when suddenly those who have been chosen will be taken. We need to keep watch because we will not know in advance when Jesus is going to return.

Psalm 30:1-12

I will praise the Lord with the psalmist. When I cry to the Lord for help, He cares for me. He turns my mourning into gladness. I will give the Lord thanks forever.

Proverbs 7:24-27

Another passage warning against getting sexually involved with someone married to someone else. Such relationships lead to ruin and even death.

Daily Bible Study

February 5, 2013 Bible Study — Laws For a Just Society

February 4, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 21:22-23:13

     The first interesting thing I noticed in this passage was that the idea of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” is placed here in the context of people fighting and a pregnant woman getting hit and caused to give birth prematurely. The passage says that if no serious injury occurs, the one who hit the woman must pay a fine determined by the woman’s husband and allowed by the court. However, in this situation if there is serious injury, the offender is to suffer loss of life for loss of life, loss of eye for the loss of an eye, etc. This is not a command for general situations where someone causes injury to someone else, but for a case where people are fighting and one of them causes injury to a pregnant woman, and/or her child.
     Yesterday’s passage had a command that is often used to condemn Old Testament law. It said that if someone beat their slave and caused injury, but the slave recovered after a few days there should be no punishment. However, in today’s passage we have more on the treatment of slaves. In today’s passage, the command is that if a master knocks out the eye or tooth of their slave, they must set the slave free to compensate the slave for the loss. The passage goes on to suggest that people not be held accountable for the unpredictable behavior of the animals they own. However, if an animal repeatedly demonstrates a tendency to attack people or other animals and the owner allows it to do so again, then the owner shall be held responsible for the damages. Overall, this passage consists of a series of commands about taking responsibility for one’s actions.
     There are a few of the commands here that I think are worthy of emphasis. The first is one that is stated twice in this passage: Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner. The passage offers an explanation for this command. It reminds the people that they were foreigners in Egypt and know how it feels to be a foreigner. Another is a warning not to take advantage of widows or the fatherless. God promises that if this warning is not heeded He will avenge them. The final is two passages that I feel make a matched set. The first tells us not to follow the crowd when it favors doing wrong and most definitely to not show favoritism to the poor in a lawsuit. The second says that we should not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. I think these two show two problems that societies often have…as a matter of fact, I think that societies often have both of them. That is, there is often a tendency to weigh the scales of justice in favor of the poor over the rich in highly publicized cases, while in cases that are out of the limelight, the poor often have trouble receiving justice in the courts. I think there is a principle here about how we should treat people in general. We should show the same level of respect for the opinions offered by all people regardless of their economic situation.

Matthew 24:1-28

As Jesus was leaving the Temple area, His disciples pointed out the wonderful architecture of the various buildings. Jesus responds by telling them that these wonderful buildings will be completely destroyed. His disciples then asked Him a question that has led to many misunderstandings. They asked Him when that would happen and what would be the signs of His return and the end of the age? Jesus’ answer as recorded by the Gospel writer clearly refers to the coming Jewish revolt that culminated with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. To what extent this reads this way because the Gospel writer saw Jesus’ prophecy applying to what was going on when he wrote the gospel (I believe that the Gospel was written sometime around 60 AD and thus the writer would have been aware of the rising unrest in Judea) or because that was the focus of Jesus’ answer, I do not know. However, that being said, I do believe that a large part of what Jesus was saying was about the coming Jewish revolt against the Romans and what was going to happen in the days leading up to it (which would answer the first part of the disciples’ question).
All of that being said, there are some important points to be noticed here. One of those points is that many will come claiming to be the Messiah, the one who will save us from troubled times. They will perform great signs and wonders in order to deceive. And many will be deceived by them. In addition there will be people proclaiming that this person or that person is the Messiah. Some will proclaim someone who is preaching in the wilderness, who is an outsider, as the Messiah. Others will proclaim someone who is in the “inner rooms”, which I take to mean a religious or political insider/power broker, as the Messiah. Jesus warns us to believe none of them. Another important point is that those who remain faithful to His teachings will be hated and persecuted. He tells us that many will turn away from the faith, that many will lose their love for God because of the increase in wickedness around them. Yet despite all of the trials and troubles for those who believe, the Gospel will be preached throughout the entire world.

Psalm 29:1-11

Today we have a psalm of praise. The psalmist tells us that the voice of the Lord is powerful and can be heard over roaring waters (such as the sound of waves breaking on the beach or a mighty waterfall). The sound of the Lord’s voice is powerful, it can shatter mighty trees and cause the ground to shake. I will give praise to the Lord because His word shakes the earth to its core.

Proverbs 7:6-23

Once again the proverb writer talks about the danger of adultery. I have not kept careful track, but I am in the seventh chapter of Proverbs and the overwhelming majority of what I have read thus far in the book is a warning against committing adultery. I think this tells us something about the importance of sexual fidelity to our marriages…and avoiding sexual relationships with those married to others.

Daily Bible Study

February 4, 2013 Bible Study

February 3, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 19:16-21:21

On the third day, God descended onto the mountain top and called Moses up to Him. God then sent Moses back down to warn the people not to cross the boundaries around the mountain and to bring Aaron back up with him. Moses went down the mountain and gave the people the message God had given him. While Moses was at the base of the mountain, God gave the people the Ten Commandments (at least that is how I read the passage, there is some ambiguity in the passage). The people’s reaction to this was fear. They asked Moses to speak to God for them and pass God’s words onto them. They asked that God not speak to them directly. This is a human tendency. We are constantly trying to place someone as an intermediary between ourselves and God.
The passage goes on to describe the rules God gave the people for how they would treat their slaves and in cases of personal injury. Seen from the light of the way we treat people today, these rules often seem horrendous. Yet when seen in light of the way slaves were treated by the societies around them (and even in many societies today) one sees a very different picture. Perhaps at some point I will do a study of slavery as implemented by Old Testament law. I am sure that many have done a more thorough and comprehensive study than I would do. However, it is a subject that, every now and again, I get curious about and think about doing a detailed study (and if I write it as a blog post, I am more likely to actually do it at some point).

Matthew 23:13-39

Jesus follows up His previous teaching by expounding on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He points out how they create rules of behavior that they insist must be followed but that focus on superficial good behaviors while excusing more significant bad behaviors. Jesus condemns them for creating rules that give the appearance of righteousness without actually leading one to behave righteously. Jesus tells us that it is more important to behave righteously than to appear to behave righteously.

Psalm 28:1-9

The psalmist cries out to the Lord, requesting to be heard. However, he asks more than just to be heard, he asks for God to speak. How often do I listen when I pray? When I pray do I spend time silent waiting for God to reply? Do I expect God to reply? At the end of today’s psalm the psalmist praises God because He has heard him. How would the psalmist know that God has heard him unless he has heard God’s reply? Perhaps the reason we so often feel that God does not listen to our prayers is because we do not pause to listen to His answers.

Proverbs 7:1-5

I had never noticed before how much space the writer of Proverbs dedicates to advising against sexual immorality. Once again today’s passage is about the value of wisdom and insight in keeping one from sexually immoral behavior. If the writer of Proverbs spent so much time advising on keeping proper sexual morals, perhaps we would do well to spend more time teaching on the issue.

Daily Bible Study

February 3, 2013 Bible Study — Call No One Father, Or Teacher

February 2, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 17:8-19:15

     While they were in the desert, the Amalekites attacked them. Moses sent Joshua out with some of the men to fight them. Moses went to a hilltop with Aaron and Hur to watch the battle. While Moses, holding the staff of God in his hands, held his arms in the air, the Israelites prevailed in battle. When he let his arms down, the Amalekites prevailed. When Moses’ arms got tired, Aaron and Hur found a rock for Moses to sit on. They then stood on either side of him and held his arms up. Thus the Israelites defeated the Amalekites in the battle.
     Moses’ father-in-law heard the things which God had done for Moses and the Israelites and came to see Moses at the Israelite camp in the wilderness. Upon arriving, Moses’ father-in-law offered a sacrifice to God. That evening Moses, Aaron and the elders of Israel ate a meal before God with Moses’ father-in-law. The following morning Moses sat in court, heard the disputes of the people of Israel and passed judgment in each of them from morning until evening. Moses’ father-in-law told him that he could not keep on doing this. He advised Moses to appoint god-fearing men who could be trusted to judge the minor disputes, bringing only the most important and difficult ones to Moses. Moses followed his father-in-law’s advice. Learning to delegate is an important lesson for all leaders to learn. When a group gets above a certain size, a single leader cannot make all decisions for the group, nor can he resolve all disputes within the group.
     The Israelites moved on into the Wilderness of Sinai. They camped in front of Mount Sinai. God spoke to Moses and told him to tell the people that they had seen what God had done in bringing them out of Egypt. If the people of Israel will obey God’s voice and keep His covenant, God will make them His people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The people responded that they would do all that God commanded. God then told Moses that He would come down on the mountain so that the people could hear Him as He spoke to Moses. God instructs Moses that the people should spend the next two days consecrating themselves and washing their clothes. On the third day, God would come down onto Mount Sinai in the sight of the people. In the meantime no one was to touch the mountain until a ram’s horn sounded a long blast on the third day, at which time the people were to come up the mountain. Anyone who touched the mountain before that was to be killed without being touched directly, either by stoning or by arrows.

Matthew 22:34-23:12

     Once again some of the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus. One of them came up to Him and asked Him which was the greatest commandment. Jesus answered that the greatest, most important commandment was the first commandment: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ Jesus followed this up by telling them that the second commandment was almost as important and was similar in content: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Jesus told them that all of the other commandments rested on these two. If we are truly following these two we will keep all of the rest. Some people thinks that this means that if you keep these two, you can break the others. I believe it means that in order to keep these two you would need to keep the others, even if they were not spelled out.
     Jesus follows this up by asking the Pharisees whose son the Messiah is? They respond that the Messiah will be the son of David. Jesus then asks them if the Messiah is David’s son, why does David call Him Lord? After that all the religious leaders were afraid to ask Jesus questions. Jesus then speaks to His disciples and the crowd. He tells them to practice and obey what they tell you to do, but do not follow their example. Jesus tells them that the Pharisees do all of their deeds to be noticed by men. They seek out the places of honor and expect respectful greetings from all. They desire to be called Rabbi (or teacher). Jesus tells His followers that they should not seek special titles, nor should they give any special titles to others for all of us are brothers. We have but one Teacher and one Father. Our Teacher is Christ and our Father is God in Heaven. Jesus then repeats a teaching He has made before. Those who wish to be the greatest must serve others. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be exalted.
     There is a definite human tendency to set some people apart. It is really a two-sided approach. Some of is want to be set above others. Some of us want to set some people up above themselves. We readily understand the first part, where someone wants to be seen as special and more important than others. However the other side is just as seductive. We get to acknowledge that God calls for a higher standard of righteousness than we wish to live up to, but that is only for the “special” people, the priests, or the clergy. Jesus was telling us here that God’s standard of righteousness is for everyone, not just some elite few. Some people think that because they use a different title than the ones Jesus specifically mentions here that this does not apply. Jesus was not giving an exhausting list of titles we should not use. We should not use any title that sets some people above others. Pastor is a role, not a title. We should refer to our pastor by his name or perhaps by Mister or Brother in front of his name, titles which can be applied to any man in the congregation. As soon as we start calling him Pastor in front of his name, we start to say that his opinion matters more than someone else’s, not because he backs it up with a better understanding of the Scripture, but because he is the pastor. We are saying that he matters more than someone else.

Psalm 27:7-14

Have you heard the Lord say, “Come and talk with me”? If you have not heard, stop and listen for He is saying it now. If you have heard have you answered, “Lord, I am coming”? And have you turned to go listen to Him? If you have not, stop whatever you are doing, including reading this blog and go to Him and listen to what He has to say to you. Then come back and finish reading because perhaps He has more to say through my writing (and even if not, I like people to read what I write ☺). Let the Lord teach you His way. Your parents may turn against you, but the Lord never will. Wait for the Lord and take courage for He will not forsake you.
I do not often enough take time to listen to the Lord, to let Him teach me His way. I will strive to do so more in the future.

Proverbs 6:27-35

The writer points out that people will accept compensation for just about any crime or sin against them, except for having sex with their spouse. There are very few people who will ever forgive someone for doing that.

Daily Bible Study

February 2, 2013 Bible Study — Give To Caesar What Is Caesar’s…And To God What Is God’s

February 1, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 15:19-17:7

     Today’s passage begins the description of the Israelites travels in the desert. After crossing the sea, they traveled for three days without finding water. When they finally found water, it was bitter and undrinkable. The people started to grumble against Moses and Aaron. Moses cried out to God and God showed him wood that when placed in the water made the water fit to drink. They traveled on from there and entered into the Desert of Sin. At this point their food supplies started to run low. Again the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron saying that they would have been better off if they had stayed in Egypt.
     God responded to their complaining by telling Moses that He would give the people bread in the morning and meat in the evening along with a test to see if they would listen to His instructions. Moses passed God’s message on to the people along with His instructions. They were to gather the food, enough for the day, but they were not to keep any until the following day. The exception to this was on the sixth day, when they were to gather twice as much as normal, because there would not be any on the seventh day. The first morning this food arrived the people asked each other what it was. When Moses told them it was the bread that the Lord was providing them they called it “manna” which sounds very similar to the Hebrew for “What is it?” Despite the instructions that Moses had given them some people tried to save some of the manna for the following day. The next morning the leftover manna was full of maggots and stank. On the sixth day, Moses repeated the instructions to gather extra and not to go out to gather on the seventh day. Nevertheless some people went out to gather on the morning of the seventh day, but they found no manna.
     This story gives us a good sense of how God’s provision works. When the people who went out and gathered manna, those who gathered a lot did not have too much. While those who gathered a little did not have too little. On the other hand those who attempted to save some to build up a surplus found that it went bad, except on the sixth day into the seventh day, when there was none to gather on the seventh day. God provided them enough for each day and only provided extra to allow them to prepare for the day when He was going to not make any available. Another key factor was that God let them know that they needed to gather extra on the sixth day. The lesson here is that God will provide us what we need to survive and carry out His will, when He provides us extra it is because there are lean days coming and we should save up for those days.
     The people of Israel traveled on from there and once again found themselves without sufficient water. They began grumbling against Moses, demanding that he supply them with water. Moses became afraid that the people would attack him and cried out to God for an answer. God instructed him to take his staff and strike the rock at Horeb. Moses followed these instructions and when he struck the rock water flowed forth from it. This is the second time that God made provisions for the people to have water in the desert.

Matthew 22:1-33

     Jesus told a parable comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding feast prepared by a king for his son. He prepared a guest list and sent out invitations. When the feast was ready, he sent his servants to notify the invited guests, but they refused to come. So, he followed up by sending other servants. But his invited guests ignored these servants, going about their business, whether that was being a farmer or a merchant. Some of the invited guests actually seized the servants sent to tell them the feast was ready and killed them. The king was furious and ordered his army to kill the guests he had invited. However, he still had a wedding feast prepared, so he sent his servants out to invite whoever they could find who would come to the feast. The wedding hall was filled with guests. However, when the king came in to see the guests, one of the men was not wearing wedding clothes. The king asked him why he was not properly dressed and the man had not answer. The king had him thrown out into the darkness.
     I saw two points when I read this. The first was that no matter how long we have been preparing to serve God, we need to respond when God gives us the call. The other is that when we respond to God’s call we need to make ourselves ready to serve the call He has given us.
     After this the Pharisees approached Jesus and attempted to trap Him by asking Him a question about paying taxes to Caesar. The trap was a cunning one. They asked Jesus if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? This was a cunning trap because the people had a strong resentment of the Roman occupation and there was a strong religious case that Jews should not pay taxes to foreigners. If Jesus came out in favor of paying the tax to Caesar it would seriously damage His reputation as a righteous teacher who was willing to take on the powers that be if they went against God’s will. On the other hand, if Jesus said that it was not right to pay the tax to Caesar, He was a revolutionary and the Pharisees could get the Romans to arrest Him. The Pharisees were cunning, but Jesus was clever. He called them out on the question by calling them hypocrites. Then He asked them to show Him the coin used to pay the tax. They promptly produce such a coin. Jesus asks them whose image is on it and whose inscription? These two questions sum up the point of Jesus’ answer and the fact that the Pharisees had such a coin in the Temple precinct indicates that they are indeed hypocrites. Jesus’ question about whose image and inscription are on the coin references two central elements of Judaism. The reference to whose image is on it is a reference to the command not to bow down to any graven image. The question about whose inscription is on it is a reference to the phrase “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” By calling attention to the fact that the coin has Caesar’s image and inscription on it, Jesus points out that possessing such a coin is idolatry…and the people who asked Him the question were carrying just such a coin. It goes even further than that, by producing such a coin the Pharisees demonstrated that they profited from the Roman occupation of Palestine and oppression of their fellow citizens. Ultimately Jesus answers their question by saying that we have to choose whether we are loyal to God or to the government. Jesus finally answers their question by telling them to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. However, He gives this answer after pointing out that everything is God’s even though Caesar claims everything as his own. There is a lot more to be said from this exchange. Perhaps I will do a blog on it someday.
     Later that same day, the Sadducees attempted to trap Him with another trick question. They asked Him about a widow who was successively married to and widowed by seven brothers without having any children. They asked Him whose wife she would be at the resurrection? Now the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, so they thought they had come up with the perfect logical conundrum for Jesus. There is an interesting assumption underlying their question. They assume that a woman would need to have a husband in the resurrection. This is a much simpler question for Jesus to answer than the one about taxes to Caesar. Nevertheless in answering the question, Jesus attacks the faulty logic underlying the question rather than just answering the surface question. First Jesus points out that at the resurrection women will not need a husband to enter in. He then attacks the assumption that the Sadducees started from that there was no resurrection by pointing out that God refers to Himself in the present tense as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God is the God of these men, He is not the God who was the God of these men. In answering both this question and the question about taxes to Caesar, Jesus refuses to allow His opponents to frame the debate (or to put it another way, He refuses to have the debate on the basis of their assumptions). Before answering the questions that have been asked of Him, Jesus puts the questions into a context that eliminates the trap they thought they had set for Him. It is a lesson that we as Christians need to learn. We should not argue with non-believers in the terms they use.

Psalm 27:1-6

If we make God’s will all we desire, why should we fear anyone? Who can endanger us if God is our protector? No matter what is thrown against us we can have confidence because none can stand against God and be victorious. God will be our light and our salvation.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

Proverbs 6:20-26

The proverb writer reminds us to listen to what our parents taught us, that by doing so we will have light for our paths and guidance to keep us out of trouble. He reiterates his advice to stay away from immoral women (although I do not think it is a stretch to say that the gender of the sexually immoral person is irrelevant to this advice).

Daily Bible Study

February 1, 2013 Bible Study

January 31, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 13:17-15:18

     When Pharaoh let the Israelites go God did not lead them by the shortest route to the promised land because He did not think they were ready to face war. Instead He led them by a more roundabout route. As a matter of fact, God instructed Moses to turn back at one point and camp between the desert and the sea. God explained to Moses that by doing this He would entice Pharaoh to pursue the Israelites giving God an opportunity to display His power for the entire world to see.
     Pharaoh did indeed change his mind about letting the Israelites go. He mustered his chariot forces and set off in pursuit. When the Israelites saw the Egyptian forces approaching they panicked. Moses told them not to be afraid and to stand firm. God instructed Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea to divide the sea so that the Israelites can pass through on dry ground. Moses did as God commanded and the Israelites crossed the sea on dry ground. When the Egyptian forces attempted to follow their chariot wheels got caught in the mud. When I read this passage I imagine the Israelites on foot or with carts with big thick wheels. The Egyptian chariots on the other hand would have had narrow wheels in order to allow them to move faster. I don’t know if you have ever seen the muddy bed of a river or lake shortly after the water has dried up off of it. The mud on the bottom tends to dry out and develop a hard, brittle crust on the surface, especially if a strong wind is blowing as is described in the passage. So, as the Israelites crossed over it would have been hard and would have supported their weight since it was well distributed by their feet and even by the thick wheels of any carts they may have had. The other thing about the dried mud on a river or lake bed that has recently dried out is that underneath it is still wet. When you intermittently apply pressure to the dry, hard surface of the mud (such as, say when a large number of people and animals walk across it) the moisture works its way to the surface and the surface becomes soft. When I read this passage, I imagine a scene which appears as if someone intentionally planned a trap for a more mobile, superior military force pursuing one which they completely overlooked as a potential threat…oh, yeah, Someone did.
     Once the Israelites had crossed and the waters had returned to trap and drown most of Pharaoh’s chariot forces, they sang a song of praise. The song covers so many aspects of God. Our enemies may boast of their prowess and power, but God will stand by our side. God reigns over all and our success is due to Him, not our own power or worthiness.

Matthew 21:23-46

     Jesus returned to the Temple the day after driving out the merchants. The chief priests and other religious leaders demanded to know by what authority He did these things. Jesus answered them by saying that He would answer their question if they would answer His question. He then asks them whether John’s baptism was from heaven or merely of human origin. The religious leaders view the question as a trap. On the one hand, if they said that it was from heaven, Jesus could then ask them why they did not believe and follow John. On the other hand they were afraid of the people’s reaction if they said it was merely human, since the people all thought John was a prophet. As a result they chose to tell Jesus that they did not know. Jesus then tells them that since they did not answer His question He would not answer theirs. I have heard several commenters on this passage say that Jesus was very clever here. He knew that the religious leaders asked their question as a trap for Jesus. Any way He answered the question the religious leaders could use it as an excuse to have Him arrested. So, He asked them a question that He knew they would not answer.
     I am sure there is some truth to that. However, I see another element at work as well. If the religious leaders had been willing to answer Jesus’ question about John, it would have given Him a basis to start making His case for His authority to chase the merchants out of the Temple. By refusing to answer His question, the religious leaders revealed that they were playing a game of “Gotcha”, rather than entering into an honest debate about righteousness. Jesus then tells two parables directed at the religious leaders, but with much more applicability than just them.
     The first parable is about two sons. A father goes to one son and tells him to go work in the vineyard. The son rebelliously tells his father that he will not. However, later he changes his mind and goes and does as his father asked. The father goes to the other son and gives him the same instructions. The second son quickly and respectfully agrees to do as his father asked, but he did not actually do it. Jesus asks the religious leaders which of the two sons did what his father wanted. They answered with the obvious answer, the first son did as his father wanted. Jesus then points out to the religious leaders that tax collectors and prostitutes were more responsive to John’s calls to behave righteously than were those who claimed to be religious.
     Jesus then tells a parable about a landowner who leased a vineyard out to to some farmers. When harvest time approached the landowner sent servants to collect his share of the harvest. The farmers mistreated the servants and failed to send to the landowner his share of the harvest. Finally the landowner sends his own son, figuring that the farmers would respect him. When the farmers saw the son, rather than respect him, they killed him. Jesus asked them what the landowner would do to those farmers. the religious leaders replied that he would bring them to a wretched end and find new tenants who would give him his share at harvest time. Both of these parables have a common theme that just because we pay lip service to righteous living does not mean that we are actually doing so.

Psalm 26:1-12

I see today’s psalm as a challenge for me, that I should strive to live up to its call. I know that God will test me and try me. I know that I do not meet His standard. I will strive to not lend my support to those who deceive others (or deceive them myself). I will do my best to hold myself to a higher standard than I hold others. I will resist the urge to plot evil with those who gather to do so. I will seek to always be mindful of God’s unfailing love and to express that love to those around me.

Proverbs 6:16-19

Today’s passage from proverbs lists seven things that God detests and that destroy all whom they touch. Those seven things all tie together. Arrogance, lying, the killing of innocents, contriving schemes to bring harm to others, hurrying to take advantage of other’s misfortune, telling lies about others in order to cause them trouble and doing things to get others to be in conflict. These are all things that lead one to another. Doing any one of them increases the likelihood that one will do the others and all are reprehensible.

Daily Bible Study

January 31, 2013 Bible Study — Jesus Clears the Sports Arena, I Mean, Temple

January 30, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 12:14-13:16

     Moses established several traditions for the people of Israel related to this event. The first one was the Festival of the Unleavened Bread. They were to celebrate it that night in Egypt so that when God sent the destroyer to kill the first born in Egypt, the destroyer would pass over the households which were prepared in this manner. They were to celebrate this Festival every year as a lasting ordinance. There is an interesting phrase in this passage. According to the NIV it says that when their children ask them “What does this ceremony mean to you?” they are to answer that it is to commemorate when God spared the Israelites while He struck the Egyptians. Reading this reminds me about a discussion we had in my small group a few months back about rituals and their importance. A ritual is only of value when it means something to the person who is taking part in it.
     On the night they first celebrated this festival, the firstborn of all the Egyptians and of their livestock died. In the middle of the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and told them to leave Egypt with all of their people and all of their livestock. Many of the Egyptian people also encouraged the Israelites to leave out of fear for their lives. When the Israelites asked their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver or gold and for clothing the Egyptians readily gave them those things. The passage tells us that the number of Israelite men who left Egypt was about 600,000 men plus women and children. In addition we are told that many other people went with them, all of them driving large herds and flocks of livestock.
     The second tradition that God had Moses establish for the Israelites out of this event was the consecration of the first born male of both people and animals to God. The firstborn of all of their livestock was to be sacrificed to God, although they could redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb. They were required to redeem their firstborn sons. Once again this was a tradition and ceremony that they were to use to explain what God had done for them. Do we have traditions and ceremonies that we use to convey the message that God has done great things for us? Things that might be inconvenient and uncomfortable, but that somehow give us comfort by grounding us in a tradition of following God and acknowledging His power?

The Reason the Salt truck Was By Earlier

Matthew 20:29-21:22

     This passage begins with Jesus beginning His journey from Jericho to Jerusalem, where He knows that He will die. As He leaves Jericho, two blind men cry out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”. The crowd around Jesus tells them to be quiet and not disturb the great man, but they only become more persistent and louder. Jesus hears their cries and has compassion on them. He asks them what they want Him to do for them and they reply that they want to see. Jesus touched their eyes and immediately they were able to see. In response to this gift, they followed Him.
     When they got near to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two disciples into Bethpage to get a donkey’s colt for Him to ride. Jesus then rode the donkey’s colt into Jerusalem in order to call to mind the prophecy of Zechariah. This was a declaration the He was not coming to start a war, but rather in peace.
The king in Zechariah’s prophecy was not bringing war, rather He was going to destroy weapons. The people viewed Jesus entry as the triumphal entry of a king and sang His praises as He entered the city. People all throughout the city heard the commotion and asked what was going on.
     The writer does not say, but I have always imagined that Jesus led this procession all the way up to the Temple. Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive the merchants out of the Temple, overturning their benches and tables. Jesus tells them that they have turned what is supposed to be a House of Prayer into a den of thieves. Whenever I read this I am reminded of our modern sporting arenas and how all of the vendors there pay a fee to the team for the privilege of selling to the captive market attending events in the arena. Once He had driven the merchants out of the Temple, the blind and the lame came to Him there and He healed them. Meanwhile the children continued to cry out “Hosanna to the son of David.” I imagine what would happen if someone did this in our sports arenas today and then I read how the priests and religious teachers reacted much the way that I imagine that those responsible for our sports arenas would react. They were indignant. While I am sure that today’s sports owners (and the others in charge of our big arenas) would call out the police immediately to get Him removed, they also do not pretend that the arenas are a place designed specifically for the worship of God. On the other hand, don’t many people around us treat sports as more important than God?
     The next morning on His way back into the city, Jesus approached a fig tree to see if it had any fruit. When He discovered that it did not, He cursed it and it immediately withered. The disciples were amazed at how quickly the fig tree withered. Jesus told them that if they had faith, they would be able to do even more than make a fig tree wither. They would be able to tell a mountain to move into the sea and it would do so. Whatever they asked for in prayer, they would receive if they believed. Why don’t we have the faith to tell mountains to throw themselves into the sea?

Psalm 25:16-22

The psalmist calls on God when he is all alone and facing troubles that seem insurmountable. He trusts that God will rescue him and puts all of His hope in God. If we follow the psalmists example we will not be disappointed. God will rescue us from our troubles.

Proverbs 6:12-15

Wicked people lie constantly and are always stirring up trouble. Those who follow such a life will seem to be successful until sudden disaster overcomes them and leaves them wondering what went wrong.

Fact and Fantasy

February 9, 2013 Bible Study

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February 8, 2013 Bible Study — Am I a Sheep Or a Goat?

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February 7, 2013 Bible Study –Keep Watch, Because You Do Not Know the Day or the Hour

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February 6, 2013 Bible Study — No One Knows the Day or Hour

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February 5, 2013 Bible Study — Laws For a Just Society

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February 4, 2013 Bible Study

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February 3, 2013 Bible Study — Call No One Father, Or Teacher

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February 2, 2013 Bible Study — Give To Caesar What Is Caesar’s…And To God What Is God’s

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February 1, 2013 Bible Study

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January 31, 2013 Bible Study — Jesus Clears the Sports Arena, I Mean, Temple

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