September 7, 2012 Bible Study

September 6, 2012 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.

Song of Solomon 5-8:14

Today the Song of Solomon continues. Elements of today’s passage indicate that these two lovers are going to be sexually active with each other. However, there are also elements which suggest that they had remained chaste until they had found the person they would share the rest of their life with. In addition, there is a passage that advises young men to guard their sister’s virtue:

We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
“If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with planks of cedar.” (NASB)
Immediately after this the bride in this song tells us that she was a wall. This passage places the human sexual drive into its proper context, between a man and a woman who have made a lifelong commitment to one another. One of the reasons that I have trouble connecting with the Song of Solomon is that, even though I see in it an echo of how I view my wife, I do not find many of the metaphors used by the young man for his lover particularly attractive. For example, I find the image that the following metaphor draws up in my mind rather unappealing: “Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.” I like my wife’s hair, but when I think of a flock of goats, I think of something that smells rather offensive. My wife’s hair smells of cleanliness. I am quite sure that the writer of the Song of Solomon had no intention to conjure up the odor of goats with that metaphor, but that is the image that is conjured up for me.

2 Corinthians 9:1-15

Paul writes to the Corinthians that he is sending Titus and a couple of others ahead of him so that the Corinthians have time to make sure that they have collected the funds that they had said they would. I think there are two things to be taken away from this part of this passage. The first is that we should be sure to follow through on ideas that we sell to the larger body of believers. It was the Corinthians who first had the idea of a collection to meet the needs of the believers in Jerusalem. The second thing is that those who find themselves leaders in the Church should gently remind people of the plans they have initiated and prod them to follow through, as Paul is doing here.
Paul tells us that if we give generously and cheerfully we will always have enough to meet our needs with enough left over to share with others. Take note however that he does not say we will have enough to meet our wants with enough to share with others. I pray that God will help me to discipline myself to match the level of giving that I have felt called to.

Psalm 51:1-19

I call out to God along with the psalmist for God to have mercy on me, for I am a sinner. If God will purify us we will be clean of our sins and there is no other manner in which this can be accomplished. I praise God that He has done so through bringing me to faith in Jesus Christ. I pray continually that He will create within me a clean heart. I am broken and frail upon this earth and I seek His healing for my brokenness. I thank God that he has done so and continues to do so. He gives me joy in His salvation. I continue to pray that He make me ever more willing to obey Him. I pray that He will give me the words to reach those who have yet to accept Him so that they might turn to Him and be saved. God does not desire sacrifice. He desires that we acknowledge how far we have fallen short of His standard and that we are powerless to keep His commands without His help.

Proverbs 22:24-25

Today’s proverb tells us that we should be careful about spending too much time with people who do not control their temper. That it is too easy to be influenced by such people to not control our own temper. Elsewhere he has laid out the dangers of failing to control one’s temper. Here he touches once again on the fact that our behavior is influenced by the behavior of those we spend time with. We should spend our time with those who behave in the manner that we desire that we should behave.

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September 6, 2012 Bible Study

September 5, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Song of Solomon 1-4:16

Today I begin reading the Song of Solomon. This is a book often recommended to young Christian couples. There is certainly some merit to that. You should feel that the Song of Solomon expresses your feelings toward the person you intend to make your spouse before you commit to such an action. Certainly this passage captures my feelings for my wife:

“You have captured my heart,
my treasure, my bride.
You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes,
with a single jewel of your necklace.
In addition this passage twice advises women not to “awaken love before the time is right.” I am pretty sure that in the context this is a reference to sexual activity. I am also pretty sure it contains within it an admonition about how sexual activity is connected to marital love. We, as human beings, are designed to develop an attachment to those we have sexual relations with. Which is why the Bible repeatedly warns against premarital sex, adultery and sexual promiscuity. Such activities will lead us into deeper relationships with inappropriate people than is healthy for us or for them.

2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Paul tells the Church in Corinth that Titus was eager to fulfill Paul’s request that he return to Corinth to collect what the Church in Corinth had collected for the relief of the Christians in Jerusalem. He tells them that he is sending with Titus two fellow Christians who had been chosen by the churches to accompany Paul as he took the money to the Christians in Jerusalem. Paul points out that this was done so that there would be no question that the money that was collected was used as intended. This is an important point for those collecting donations to do ministry. Make sure to structure the way that money is handled to ensure that it you can show that the money is spent according to the standards and priorities that you collected it under. It is also a standard we should follow when considering donating to charities. Do they provide a way that you can ensure that they are spending the money in a manner that aligns with their declared reasons for raising the money?

Psalm 50:1-23

The psalmist tells us that God has already gathered the people of earth to judgement. God tells us that he has no complaint with our sacrifices and offerings to Him, but that He does not need them because everything is already His. He tells us that what He desires is for us to follow His commands and be thankful to Him for all that He has done for us. This does not mean that we should not give to worthy causes and make offerings to support God’s work. It just means that we need to remember that doing so does not obligate God to us. We can only ask for things that we desire and need. We should be thankful for everything that God gives us, even those things we don’t think we want. There are probably many other messages that can be gleamed from this psalm, but the one that comes to me today is that we can never obligate God to do anything for us. What God does for us is always out of His loving generousness and we are obligated to be thankful for what we receive.

Proverbs 22:22-23

Today’s proverb should be one that no one who claims to be a Christian should need reminding of. Just because you can do something does not make it right. If we use our power to advance ourselves at the expense of others, God will claim restitution. Sometimes people think that it is OK to abuse power they have in petty areas because the one they are so abusing has more power in other areas. God will judge us for that just as much as He will judge a Supreme Court Justice for abusing his power.

Daily Bible Study

September 5, 2012 Bible Study

September 4, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 10-12:14

The writer continues with a series of proverbs. Here he points out that many worthwhile tasks have dangers involved in them. Additionally, he advises to properly prepare the tool for the task at hand before beginning. He goes on to advise us to diversify our investments because we do not know what risks might destroy some of them. Seek to follow the Lord while you are young, so that you will not have regrets when you get old. Finally the writer concludes that we should fear God and obey His commands. God will judge all of our actions, both good and bad, both public and secret.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Paul writes to the Corinthians that the Churches in Macedonia were giving eagerly to provide help to the Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering. He tells us that they did even more than he had hoped, giving more than they could truly afford. The Churches in Macedonia begged to be allowed to share with the believers in Jerusalem, without in any way shorting the local needs. Paul is writing this reminder to the Church in Corinth to encourage them, but also to keep them from looking foolish. The idea of raising money to aid the believers in Jerusalem was first suggested by the Corinthians. He tells them to give in proportion to what they have. Give what you can and do so eagerly. Do not short your self so that others can live a life of ease. Give from your plenty to those in need and when you are in need those who then have plenty will share with you. I had never noticed this before, but there is an element in what Paul writes here that is counter to “prosperity gospel”. Prosperity theology sometimes claims that you should give according to what you want to have. If you want to earn $100,000 a year than you should be donating to charity (usually the one run by the person preaching this message) $10,000 a year. According to them, if you do that you will receive that $100,000 a year you want. However, in this passage Paul says, “And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” That seems to me to run exactly counter to what those prosperity gospel preachers are preaching.

Psalm 49:1-20

This is an interesting psalm to be reading at the same time as Ecclesiastes, because it shares a similar message. The psalmist says that he will not fear when trouble comes and enemies surround him. He does not fear because his enemies put their trust in wealth and great riches. Yet they cannot pay enough to avoid death. Death comes eventually to everyone. No one can ransom themselves from the grave. The wise and the foolish will each die in their time. In all of this he seems very pessimistic. Then he tells us the gospel. God will redeem from the grave those who rely on Him. People who boast of their wealth as if that makes them better than others will die just as animals do. Wealth does not follow us into the grave.

Proverbs 22:20-21

The writer of proverbs has written many sayings that are filled with advice and knowledge. We should study them so that we can give good answers to those who question us about how to live. This verse reminds me of something I was moved to work on shortly after I started composing this blog. That is, memorizing Scripture. I made a good start. I immediately found a website that suggested what appeared to me to be a good selection of verses to memorize after rejecting several other websites with similar lists (I rejected the others because I did not think they suited my needs, not because they were flawed in any way). I even wrote the first verse in a book I carry and began working on it. I quickly memorized it, but that was as far as it went until recently, when I entered the second passage into the book and memorized it. Over the months since I began memorizing, I should have more than two passages memorized. This passage convicts me to work harder at my project of Scripture memorization.

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September 4, 2012 Bible Study

September 3, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 7-9:18

This passage starts off with a series of proverbs that are good guides for life. “A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.” “Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool.” “Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” He goes on to tell us to avoid extremes and that no one is always good and without sin. He tells us that no one can discover everything. There will always be some things that even the wisest person does not understand. The fastest and strongest do not always win. The wise and the skillful are not always wealthy. Whatever you do, do it well. And in the end, we will all die.

2 Corinthians 7:8-16

Paul writes that he is not sorry that he wrote a previous severe letter to them. He says that he was sorry at first, because he knew it would cause them pain. However, now he is glad that he sent it because it caused them to repent and change their ways. He tells them that Godly sorrow causes us to repent and change our ways. Being sorry for something that we are going to do again is worse than of no value, it results in spiritual death. Many scholars believe that the “severe letter” Paul refers to is one that has been lost. I see no reason to think this is the case. The letter we know of as 1 Corinthians is severe enough to have engendered the feelings that Paul describes.
Paul tells us that Godly sorrow leads to zeal and earnestness. When we feel Godly sorrow, we strive to do everything necessary to make things right. Paul had not written his letter to point out who was in the wrong and who was wronged. He seems to be saying two things here. First, there were some people who were in the wrong in the conflict in the Church. Second, now that the issue has been resolved and people have repented and changed their ways it does not matter who was wrong and who was wronged. Paul goes on to write how greatly encouraged he was by their reaction to his letter. Further Paul tells them he is delighted by the way they welcomed Titus and treated him with respect. The news that Titus brought Paul from Corinth has led Paul to have complete confidence in their faith and witness.

Psalm 48:1-14

The psalmist is talking about the earthly city of Jerusalem, but I believe that God is speaking through the psalmist of the Heavenly Jerusalem. Either way there is much to uplift us from this psalm. The Lord is deserving of our praise. Those who gather their forces to attack that which God defends will be utterly destroyed. We should meditate on God’s unfailing love. And finally, He is our God forever and He will guide us until we die.

Proverbs 22:17-19

Today’s proverb covers three verses. The first two tell us that we should listen to the instructions of the wise and keep wise sayings on our lips. These are things that are good to do. The third verse gives the reason to teach others. If we have been granted wisdom from God, we should teach others so that they may trust in the Lord. Of course that also tells us which teachers we should listen to; those who are teaching us to trust in the Lord.

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September 3, 2012 Bible Study

September 2, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 4-6:12

I struggle with Ecclesiastes. As I read it, I think I see something, then the writer goes off in another direction and I am not sure if he meant to say what I thought I saw, or something else. Nevertheless, there are a few things I see in this passage. It is better to work with someone who you can trust and rely on. Two people can fill in for each other’s weaknesses and help each other up when they inevitably stumble and fall. When you come before God, listen before you speak. Don’t spend a lot of time talking about what you are going to do, just do it. It is good and proper to take satisfaction in the food and drink one receives and to be satisfied with the work one does because these things are gifts from God.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7

Today’s passage starts of with Paul telling the Corinthians not to team up with unbelievers. The King James version says that we should not be unequally yoked with them. When I was growing up, and often since, this passage was referenced as an instruction against interfaith marriage. That is certainly consistent with what Paul is saying here, but it isn’t what he is saying. This is much broader than that. I believe that Paul is saying here that Christians should not go into business with non-Christians. That when Christians form groups to do good deeds, they should not form working partnerships with non-Christian organizations. Or at least be careful to ensure that if they do, the Christians are not the junior partners with little ability to influence actual policy in the project they are working on.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses division and conflict within the Church in Corinth. Now Paul writes that when he went to Macedonia, he ran into more conflict and division and he was starting to become discouraged. Then Titus arrived with word from the Church in Corinth. He told Paul how the Corinthians had taken his words to heart and resolved their conflicts in the manner which Paul had advised. Paul tells us that this encouraged him and washed away the discouragement that he was feeling. We should remember that God will provide us with the needed encouragement when we are becoming discouraged.

Psalm 47:1-9

This psalm rebuts those who think that Christians should always worship with quiet decorum. Our worship should be loud and boisterous so that people can tell that we are having a good time. This does not contradict Paul telling the Corinthians that the worship service should be orderly. The worship service should be orderly, but people should also be able to tell that we are enjoying ourselves.

Proverbs 22:16

Those who use their position to gain wealth by oppressing the poor will end in poverty, as will those who seek to show their stature by giving gifts to those richer than themselves.

Daily Bible Study

September 2, 2012 Bible Study

September 1, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 1-3:22

Today I begin Ecclesiastes, which are the words of “the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.” The Teacher concludes that everything is meaningless. He tried pursuing pleasure and found it meaningless. He describes the various ways that he tried to pursue pleasure. He got drunk repeatedly and embraced the lifestyle of a Sybarite. He gathered everything a man could desire. He tried hard work and the pleasure that came from that. He found it all to be meaningless. He declares that there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and find satisfaction in hard work. These pleasures come from God. He asks, “Can we truly have pleasure apart from God?” I think that the answer to that is, “No.”
I am going to take a slight detour here because what comes next is a passage that has special meaning to me:

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
I have always liked this passage as long as I can remember. However, my wife and I put this on bookmarks that we gave out as wedding favors. The reason we did that was because the year we got married had been a tough one for her family. It started that spring. Her father was diagnosed with cancer right about the same time that I had decided that she was the one God wished me to marry (she had made up her mind about me several years earlier, but I always have been a little slow on the uptake). The prognosis did not look good. I asked her to marry me on Mothers’ Day because I wanted to make sure that he knew I would be there for his daughter and her mother. Shortly after that, he entered hospice and he died that summer. Later that same year, my wife’s maternal grandmother died. These two occasions brought her family together. We wondered if it was appropriate to go forward with our wedding in the fall. Everyone assured us that not only was it appropriate, but the family would appreciate an opportunity to gather for a joyous occasion after so much grief. We both felt that this made the lines “A time to cry and a time to laugh, A time to grieve and a time to dance,” the perfect summation about the feelings at our wedding.
I always struggle with Ecclesiastes. So much of it is spent on discussing the futility of life. Yet, I notice there is one thing that the author of this passage did not pursue in his search for meaning (or, at least, that he does not speak of in this section). He does not speak of seeking to find meaning through serving God and helping his fellow-man. The futility that he speaks of here is why I am not an atheist. The thought that this finite world that will come to an end some day is all that there is was more than I could bear.

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Paul expresses his desire that we not only accept God’s grace, but allow it to change us. Paul speaks of how God said that at the right time He would extend His salvation to us. That time is now. I beg of you, if you are reading this and have not accepted God’s love for you through Jesus Christ, do so now. And if at some point in the past, you have done so, but have not felt the transformational power of the Holy Spirit, today is the day to seek it out. Further, I ask those of you who may be reading this who, like me, have felt the transformation of the Holy Spirit to once more seek out those aspects of your life that need to be further transformed into the likeness if Christ and ask the Spirit for that transformation. I have many such areas and I ask God to send His Spirit with power to transform them. So that I may say with Paul that I live in such a way that no one will stumble because of me. I know that I have not always lived in such a manner and I ask God’s forgiveness for those whom I have proved a stumbling block in the past.

Psalm 46:1-11

This psalm is such a powerful song. There have been many songs written based on it and several of them are quite powerful. One of those songs was set to the same music that “America the Beautiful” was later set to. One of my favorites has the following lyrics:

Be still and know that I am God,
be still and know that I am God,
be still and know that I am God.

I am the Lord that healeth thee,
I am the Lord that healeth thee,
I am the Lord that healeth thee.

In thee, O Lord, I put my trust,
In thee, O Lord, I put my trust,
In thee, O Lord, I put my trust.

I have found the advice of this psalm to be of great value. When all around me seems to be coming apart, it really helps me to just be still and remember that He is God. He is always ready to help in times of trouble, even when it seems that the mountains are crumbling into the sea around me.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

…
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
I will not fear when disaster strikes because God is my refuge. Many times my calmness in the face of troubles is taken as confidence in my ability to solve the problems, but such is not the case. My calmness in the face of troubles is because I know that God is in control and things will work out according to His plans.

Proverbs 22:15

This proverb reminds us that children have a tendency to do foolish things. Sometimes the only way to teach them to not do foolish and dangerous things is by imposing physical discipline.

Daily Bible Study

September 1, 2012 Bible Study

August 31, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Job 40-42:17

God asks Job if he can answer His questions and Job replies that he has no answers, that he has said too much already. God further asks Job if he is willing to discredit God’s justice merely to justify himself. God then describes two creatures that are too powerful for humans to hunt. There is debate as to whether these were real creatures or mythological ones. On the one hand, the writer certainly seems to be describing creatures that he thought were real beasts. It makes no sense in this context to use creatures that are made up. On the other hand, the descriptions match up with no creatures that we are aware of living in that area in that era. I am of the mind that Behemoth and Leviathan describe real creatures that modern science believes were extinct by this time, although I do not know specifically what.
Job responds that he was wrong to challenge God. Job takes back everything he said and repents. God then turns His attention to Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. God tells them that they had not spoken accurately about Him as Job had done. Interestingly, Elihu is not among those at whom God expresses anger. I am glad that I am done the Book of Job for now because it is a difficult book to study in the manner I am doing this. On the other hand, I can see how it is a book that calls for regular reading in order to put everything in perspective and I am looking forward to when I get to it again next year.

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

     If we know what it is to fear God, we should work to persuade others. It is better to focus on what is in the heart than what is seen, but sometimes we need to point out accomplishments for the edification of those who only respect that. Since Christ died for everyone, those of us who still live should live, not for ourselves, but for Him. If we are in Christ, we have been recreated into a new being.
     God reconciled us to Himself through Christ. The other day I read a blog that talked about the atonement of Christ. It mentioned that a standard theory as to the nature of that atonement was that Christ received the punishment that was due to us. That is not wrong. But there is another important way to look at it. Our broken relationship with God is a result of our sin, but it is we who turn from God, not God who turns from us. God does not reject a relationship with us because of our sin. We reject a relationship with God because of our sin. Part of the reason that Christ died for us was to convince us that God still loves us despite our sin. There is much more to this than that and perhaps I will do a blog on it if the Spirit continues to move me on this subject.
     We are God’s messengers to deliver this message to people. God wishes to be reconciled with us to the point that He was willing to suffer and die, even though we were the ones who did the wrong that broke the relationship. We should be reconciled to God and spread the word to other sinners that God wants to repair the relationship with them as well.
      As I was reading this passage and looking at what it says to me, it was all over the place, jumping from one idea to another. Yet it flows smoothly and all of these ideas fit together nicely in this passage, even though as I tried to highlight them I felt like I was jumping around.

Psalm 45:1-17

Today’s psalm reads like a royal wedding song to me. First it praises the king for his might and for his faithfulness is defending truth, humility and justice. Then it encourages the queen to put aside her homesickness for her family and friends who are now far away and take comfort in the love of her husband, the king. The lands of rulers who love justice and hate evil will thrive.

Proverbs 22:14

Today’s proverb has an interesting construction. It tells us that the mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap that those who anger the Lord will fall into. It does not say that those who fall into the trap of an immoral woman’s words (or mouth) will anger the Lord. It says that those who anger the Lord will fall into the trap. Angering God makes one susceptible to the trap of immorality.

Daily Bible Study

August 31, 2012 Bible Study

August 30, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Job 37-39:30

Elihu concludes by telling Job that God is more powerful than we can even imagine. He controls the thunder and the snow and the rain. God causes large bodies of water to freeze over. Elihu than challenges Job, asking him if he understands how God controls the weather. If Job can do that, then, and only then, is he competent to question God’s judgement. Elihu tells us that we cannot look at the brightness of the sun in the sky let alone the brightness of God’s glory.
After Elihu concludes, God answers Job. God asks Job if he was there when the Earth was created. God asks Job if he can cause morning to happen? Has he explored the depths of the sea? God goes on to ask Job a long series of rhetorical questions about his knowledge and his power. I read this list of questions that God asks of Job and realize that mankind has answered some of them, but not all. And even most of those we have answered our answers are incomplete. Mankind has spent centuries studying how different aspects of the weather work and our understanding is still incomplete. And what understanding we have comes from many people combining their knowledge over all that time. Ultimately, we were not there when the Earth was created, we can only guess at what happened by extrapolating from things that we see happening today. How often do scientists go back and re-examine their assumptions about how the Earth was formed on the basis of new discoveries?

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10

Paul starts off with saying that he speaks because he believes. Do we speak what we believe? If we are afraid to speak out what we believe about Jesus and the resurrection of the dead, does that suggest that perhaps we do not really believe it? I think that Paul is indeed suggesting that if we believe we will speak, those around us will know our beliefs. Paul goes on to say that he is not discouraged by the infirmities of his earthly body. He tells us that the pains and dysfunctions that he suffers and which are steadily getting worse, either as a result of aging or of the hardships he endured, are of no consequence next to the spiritual renewal he is receiving. He does not focus on what can be seen and experienced but instead focuses on the unseen which is yet to come.
Paul tells us that our earthly bodies are a tent which will be replaced by an eternal house, our heavenly bodies. Paul makes an important point here. One which we often overlook when we speak of heaven. He tells us that we will indeed have bodies in eternity. We will not just be disembodied spirits. There is some kind of physical reality to heaven, although it is one that is beyond our ability to comprehend. Paul expresses his desire to to enter heaven not as a desire to leave his body, but as a desire to enter his heavenly body. I had never noticed that this passage is a partial defense against gnosticism, which tends to view our physical bodies as evil to be suppressed. But he, also, defends against those who fear death, pointing out that as long as we remain in our earthly bodies we are physically apart from God. When we leave these earthly bodies we will enter into heavenly bodies in the presence of God. He concludes this section by proclaiming that whether he remains in this body or enters into his heavenly body his goal is to serve God.

What is this? — Does anybody know the name of this plant?

Psalm 44:9-26

In yesterday’s psalm, the psalmist told us how God won victories for those who were faithful. He gave full credit to God for his successes. Today, he speaks of the trials he now faces. This psalm tells us that sometimes those who trust and follow God will experience hardships and trials they do not understand. Yet even in those times we must call on the Lord. God’s love is unfailing and He will not try us beyond our ability to endure.

Proverbs 22:13

This proverb is fairly simple. The lazy person can always find an excuse to avoid hard work. We need to examine, I need to examine whether my reasons for not doing something are legitimate. or just an excuse not to work. I know that I excel at coming up with excuses not to do things, or to put things off. I must strive to be more faithful in carrying through on those things I choose to do.

Daily Bible Study

August 30, 2012 Bible Study

August 29, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Job 34-36:33

Elihu accuses Job of arrogance. He explains that God made everyone and they all are equally important to him. We have no ability to decide when God will bring judgement against us. God will bring us before judgement when He chooses. Elihu asks who has the knowledge or power to justly criticize God’s judgement? Elihu suggests that people need to come before God with one of two declarations, “I have sinned, but I will sin no more.” Or, “I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once.”
Elihu goes on to point out that when we sin it brings no harm to God and when we do good it brings no benefit to God. Our sins and our righteousness effect only ourselves and other people. We may not see God, but He hears the cries of those in distress and brings judgement in His time. Elihu points out that God is both mighty and wise, yet He holds no one in contempt. Elihu warns us to be careful to not let wealth seduce us into sin. God is all-powerful and wise, no one is has the power, wisdom or knowledge to condemn His actions as wrong. Instead we should praise Him for His wondrous acts.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

Paul declares that his ministry is from God. Because of that he refuses to use deceptive or underhanded tactics to attempt to spread the Word. He will not distort God’s Word to make it more palatable to those he preaches to. I think this is an important point. We should not attempt to disguise the fact that we are preaching the Gospel. That does not mean that it is wrong to try to make our presentations entertaining, but we should not attempt to hide the fact that we are presenting the Gospel. When the Gospel is veiled and hidden from sight it is because Satan has blinded people so that they will not see the truth.
Paul tells us that we must always make clear that we are frail servants of God’s perfection. Jesus was the only perfect man. We are imperfect sinners whose only goodness is from the Spirit working within us. The God who said, “Let there be light” is shining His light through us. We must continually give over our sinful bodies to death so that Jesus’ resurrection can be revealed through us.

Psalm 44:1-8

It is not through our strength and power that we enjoy success, but through the grace of God. The good life I lead is not because I am such a wonderful person, or because I have skills that make me better than others. It is because God has chosen to grant me these blessings. I will continue to rely on God, trusting that He will provide for me.

Proverbs 22:10-12

There is a certain type of person who mocks those with whom they disagree. Even when they are right in the positions they take, their approach to disagreement leads to quarrels and conflict. It is better to speak graciously to those with whom you disagree. In that manner you are more likely to convince a third-party of your position. If your plans rely on treachery they are likely to be disrupted.

Daily Bible Study

August 29, 2012 Bible Study

August 28, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Job 31-33:33

Job concludes by once again declaring his innocence. His list of sins that he has not committed include sins of omission as well as sins of commission. He declares that he has not lusted after women, nor has he refused to help the poor. He has not used his power against the weak, nor worshiped false gods. He did not gloat about his wealth, nor rejoice in the misfortune of others. Job then asks for someone to point out what sin he has committed. He says that if they do, he will happily confess the sin.
At this point Job’s fourth friend, Elihu, speaks out. He was angry with Job because he refused to admit that his suffering was a result of his sin and he was angry with Job’s other friends because they had failed to refute Job’s arguments. He had waited for the others to answer Job because he was younger, but when he saw that they had no more to say, he spoke out. Elihu tells Job that he is wrong to declare that he is without sin and that God is punishing him without cause. He continues to say that Job is wrong to accuse God of not responding to people’s complaints. God does indeed speak, but people do not recognize His words. God gives people warnings in many various ways, including dreams and nightmares. He disciplines them with sickness and other misfortune. Elihu then offers Job the opportunity to say more before he goes on.

2 Corinthians 3:1-18

Paul asks if he needs a letter of recommendation to the Corinthians or from the Corinthians. He answers this question by declaring that the Corinthian believers are his letter of recommendation. Written not with ink, but by the Spirit of God. This letter is not written on stone tablets but on human hearts. And thus Paul begins to segue into his next point. Before he does that he declares that his confidence is in God through Christ, just as ours should be. Not that he is capable of doing anything on his own, what competence he has to carry out his ministry comes entirely from God. His ministry is to declare God’s new covenant that is not of written laws but of the Spirit.
The old covenant of written laws, which came written on stone tablets, began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look on Moses’ face. Moses’ put a veil over his face to prevent the people of Israel from seeing the glory of God that they could not bear to face under the old covenant. Paul tells us that even today those who seek justification through Moses’ law have a veil over their hearts when they read it such that they do not fully understand the words. That veil can only be removed through belief in Christ. When we turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away so that we can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. Then God makes us more and more like Him by gradually changing us into His image. We were created in the image of God, but sin damaged that image. Now God offers us the opportunity to have that image repaired, bit by bit, as we strive to follow Christ and acknowledge that, just as God created us to begin with, we must allow Him to recreate us in His image.

Psalm 43:1-5

The psalmist declares that the cure for depression is to look for God’s light and His truth and to follow them. If you are depressed, put your hope in God and praise His name. I will look to God’s light for guidance and follow it to where He wants me to go. My prayer to God today is that He shine His light on the path He wishes me to follow and place His Spirit in my heart to direct me on to that path.

Proverbs 22:8-9

The first of today’s proverbs tells us that those who “plant” injustice will harvest disaster. Sometimes people justify committing injustices against others by claiming that others have committed injustices against them. This proverb tells us that doing that is like putting poison in the food I eat today because someone put poison in my food yesterday.
The second proverb tells us that those who share their wealth with the poor will be blessed. In part that blessing is the knowledge that one has fed the poor. This proverb convicts me once again that I must reduce my debt so that I will have more to give to those in need. I must strive to work harder so that I have more resources to help those less fortunate than myself.

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