Daily Bible Study

July 18, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34

     Today’s passage continues describing the duties that were assigned to various groups of the Levites. We learn that David assigned the Levites tasks involving governing the Kingdom of Israel, not just tasks involving Temple worship. The passage then goes on to tell us that David divided his army into 12 units of 24,000 men which each served for one month a year. Each unit had its own commander. We are then told who the leaders of each of the tribes was while David was king. Finally we are given a list of miscellaneous officials of David’s kingdom.

Romans 4:13-5:5

     In today’s passage, Paul reiterates that Abraham received the promise of God, not because of his adherence to the law of God, but because of his righteousness that came to him through his faith in God. He tells is that if following the law makes one an heir of Abraham than faith has no value and God’s promise is worthless, because no one can fully keep the law and thus receive the promise. Paul extends his logic to show that God’s promise to Abraham applies to those who share Abraham’s faith in God, not just those who are biologically descended from Abraham.
     Paul tells us how Abraham had faith in God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations, even though he and Sarah were beyond child-bearing years. Despite his and Sarah’s age, Abraham believed in God’s power to provide him with a son. It was this belief (in God’s power to fulfill His promises) that was credited to him as righteousness. Paul tells us that the Scripture does not record the words “it was credited to him” for Abraham’s sake alone. Those words were written for us as well. Those of us who believe that Jesus died for our sins and was raised again to life may know that our faith will be credited to us as righteousness, just as Abraham’s faith was.
     Our faith allows us to have peace with God. Paul tells us that we can rejoice in our hope of the glory of God. We can also rejoice in the suffering we experience because suffering trains us to persevere, or as the King James Version puts it, to have patience. Perseverance helps us develop good, strong character. Good character inspires us to have hope. And God will not leave us to hope in vain.
     Today’s passage is a great example of what a blessing it is to have access to the Bible on line. In order for me to fully follow what Paul was saying here, I switched back and forth between different translations. I often will switch between translations when studying a passage because I want to see if some of the connotations I take from one translation can be supported by the way another translation chooses to translate a passage. But for today’s passage I found it necessary to look at various translations to fully see how to express my thoughts on what the passage meant.

Psalm 14:1-7

     The psalmist tells us that only fools declare that there is no God. He tells us that the truly wise will seek God. But he further tells us that no one really does, that we all turn away from God and do what is wrong. Despite our sinfulness and rejection of God, he will rescue us from evil and offer us the opportunity to be made right with Him. How appropriate that this psalm is part of my daily devotion while I am also reading Romans.

Proverbs 19:17

     There are several ways to look at this proverb. The first is straightforward. Helping the poor is lending to God. Surely we believe that God will repay His debts? If we believe that God will repay His debts, than we know that anything we give to the poor will come back to us with interest. There is another way to look at this proverb. Since everything we have is given to us by God, how can we even think twice when He asks us to give it to another?
     There are those who look at passages like this and see it as evidence that God will reward faithfulness with great worldly wealth, and sometimes He does. However, those who read these passages and see them as blueprints for acquiring worldly wealth miss out on an opportunity to gain gifts from God of much more value than worldly wealth.

Daily Bible Study

July 17, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 24-26:11

     This passage tells us that David, with the assistance of the political leaders of Israel and the leaders of the clans of the Levites divided the priestly families into groups. They then divided the various priestly duties among the family groups by casting lots, so that no favoritism would be shown. Then they did the same thing with the rest of the tribe of Levi, dividing the Levitical duties in the same manner. Then we are told that David and the army commanders chose certain men to proclaim God’s messages to musical accompaniment. Finally we are told the divisions of gatekeepers. What is important about this passage is that a strong effort was made to ensure that the duties relating to worshiping God were divided up in a manner that was fair and impartial. The effort was made to ensure that one group of priests could not say, “We are better than you, that is why we were assigned this task.” Nor could a group say, “You were only assigned that task because David (or some other powerful figure) likes you better.” This tells us something for how we structure our congregations today. The way that church offices are filled must not only be fair and equitable, they must be perceived to be fair and equitable.

Romans 4:1-12

     Paul turned to Abraham, the founder of Judaism. Paul pointed out that Abraham was not counted as right with God because of his good deeds. Instead the Bible tells us that Abraham was counted as righteous because of his faith in God. Or as the NIV translates it, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Once he established that Abraham’s righteousness was not a product of his actions, Paul proceeds to discuss whether circumcision is a necessary precondition. He points out that Abraham was credited as righteous before he was circumcised, that circumcision was a sign that Abraham had faith, not a precondition to that faith (and the righteousness that came from it). Paul concludes that Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have not been circumcised but have faith. That, just as with Abraham, their faith will be credited to them as righteousness. Paul further says that Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same faith that he, Abraham, had before he was circumcised. Abraham had a faith that led him to take action. If we have a similar faith, we will also take action. That action does not save us, our faith saves us, but that faith will lead us to act.

Psalm 13:1-6

     The psalmist cries out here to God, wanting to know how long he must wait for God’s providence. He wants to know how much longer will he suffer until God saves him from his trouble. But then he does something that is a model for us all. He declares that he trusts in God’s love, that he will rejoice because God has rescued him. He does this even before God rescues him because he has faith that God will indeed rescue him. This is a difficult thing to do, to praise God for rescuing us from trouble, even before we see that rescue. We should remember to sing to the Lord because he has been good to us, even in our times of trouble.

Proverbs 19:15-16

     Proverbs on laziness always trouble me, because I tend to be lazy. On the other hand, I have always worked hard enough to feed myself, so perhaps my definition of lazy is different from that of the writer of the proverb. The second of today’s proverbs reminds me of something that I have long said. God’s commands are not arbitrary. They are based on the way he designed us and this world to work. If we do not follow God’s commands, we will suffer for it, not because God punishes us, but because we will not function in our optimum manner.

Daily Bible Study

July 16, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 22-23:32

     David selected the location for the Temple to be built. He, also, began collecting materials to use in the construction of the Temple. He set aside large amounts of gold, silver, bronze, iron and cedar. David told Solomon that he had wanted to build a Temple for God, but God had told him it would not be appropriate for him to do so because of all of the men he had killed in his wars. David went on to tell Solomon that God had told him that his son, Solomon, would be a man of peace and would build God’s Temple. David instructs the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in building the Temple for God. David then assigns duties relating to the Temple that will be built to the Levites according to their family lines.

Romans 3:9-31

     In yesterday’s passage, Paul said that it is not OK to sin. In today’s passage, he wrote that even though the Jews have received God’s Law, they are no better than anyone else. The purpose of the Law is show us how guilty we are before God. We cannot be made right with God by obeying the Law. All have sinned and fall short of God’s standard. We can only be made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote that we are made right with God by believing that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His own blood.
     No one has any basis for boasting of their righteousness, because we have all failed equally before God. We can only be made right with God through faith, not by anything we have done. Does this mean we can ignore the Law and go on sinning? Paul wrote that it certainly does not mean that. He wrote that through our faith, God gives us the power to fulfill and keep the Law. Through the Holy Spirit we are given the power to overcome sin and do what is right before God. We will sin from time to time, but we should strive to allow the Holy Spirit to change us so that we do not. When we discover an area where sin is able to control us, we should not say, “There is nothing I can do. I just have to accept that I am going to commit this sin.” Instead, we should ask God for the power and guidance to avoid that sin in the future. If we acknowledge our powerlessness to overcome that sin and request God’s help in freeing us from that sin, He will grant our prayer and remove the power of that sin over us.

Psalm 12:1-8

     The psalmist tells us that even when it appears that society is abandoning all pretense of righteousness and descending into glorifying sin and evil, God will rise up and cast judgement on those who do violence to the helpless. When I read this passage from the psalmist:

They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”

I cannot help but think of all those in our society today who say that there is no God. It reminds me of the pro-abortionists argument that a woman should have control over her own body. But the psalmist tells us that God replies:
“I have seen violence done to the helpless,
…
Now I will rise up to rescue them,…”

The psalmist tells us that God’s promises are pure as silver that has been repeatedly melted and had the impurities removed. God will protect the oppressed, even in a country where the evil brag of their evil and others praise them for it.

Proverbs 19:13-14

     These two proverbs are obviously related, but at first glance they seem to contain two unrelated ideas. The first is that a foolish child is a calamity for a parent. The second is that choosing a spouse correctly is important for future happiness. However, they are related, because the foolishness being discussed in the first part is that of choosing a spouse poorly. It is important that we turn to God and seek His guidance in selecting a spouse. I have known many men who have sought women as potential mates based on superficial characteristics, who have ended up with women who made them unhappy. I love having a beautiful wife, but am so glad that I allowed God to guide my selection.

Daily Bible Study

July 15, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 19-21:30

     Today’s passage starts by telling us about David’s war against the Ammonites. We are told that when King Nahash of the Ammonites died, David sent messengers to his son expressing his condolences. King Nahash’s son, Hanun, became convinced that David’s messengers were spies sent by David to find out the best way to conquer his land. Hanun chooses to humiliate the men he believes are spies by shaving off half of their beards and cutting their robes short. Hanun then compounded his foolishness by hiring a mercenary army from the Arameans. When David hears of the large army that King Hanun has mustered, he responds by sending Joab out with the standing army. King Hanun divided his army, attempting to trap Joab between the two parts. However, this just allows Joab to contain one part of King Hanun’s army while he defeats the other part. After driving King Hanun’s army from the field, Joab returns to Jerusalem. King Hanun hires even more mercenaries from the Arameans. David musters the full military might of Israel and attacks. After David’s victory this time, the Arameans are no longer willing to hire out to King Hanun. The following year, David conquers the Ammonites. This passage illustrates the foolishness of insulting those more powerful than yourself.
     After several battles with the Philistines, David decides to take a census of the fighting age men of Israel, against the advice of Joab. The passage tells us that this census was a sin against God. That rather than trusting in God to provide for the defense of the kingdom, David tried to determine how much military might he could muster so that he would know what he could do on his own. In judgement, God sends a plague on Israel. David built an altar and offered a sacrifice to God in order to stop the plague.

Romans 2:25-3:8

     Paul wrote here that circumcision will not save you. That if you break some other element of the Law, being circumcised will in no way protect you from judgement for that infraction. Paul further said that uncircumcised Gentiles who keep the rest of the Law, will condemn circumcised Jews who do not. Paul sums up his point by saying that being born of Jewish parents or undergoing the ceremony of circumcision does not make you a true Jew. According to Paul, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. In this context, Paul appears to use the term Jew to mean “one of God’s chosen people”. Paul went on to say that true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the Law, but being changed by the Holy Spirit. Evidence of a changed heart is that we seek God’s praise, not that of people.
     Paul began the next section by saying that even though circumcision does not save, it is of great value. Paul wrote that the first reason it is of value is that Jews received the whole revelation of God (not just the parts that could be deduced by observing nature). He never comes back and tells us what the other reasons are that circumcision is of value. Interestingly, I came across an atheist website that gives some insight into this, and into the early Church’s decision to not require Gentiles to become circumcised. It turns out that circumcision has some positive health effects, but those effects are mostly seen if the circumcision is done on an infant. Choosing to have a circumcision as an adult has less of an impact on health than choosing to alter other behaviors and the effect of circumcision on non-behavior related health issues is significantly less if the circumcision is performed on an adult.
     Paul wrote that just because some of the Jews who were entrusted with God’s complete revelation were unfaithful that does not mean that God is unfaithful. Paul pointed out that our sinfulness highlights God’s righteousness. This does not however provide a justification for our sin. Paul wrote here that those who argue that it is ok to sin because it shows how wonderful God’s grace is are to be condemned.

Psalm 11:1-7

     The psalmist here says that he will not run and hide because he trusts in God for protection. The psalmist tells us that even if law and order has collapsed in our society, God still rules from heaven and is in control. God will protect the righteous and use them to bring glory to His name. We should echo the words of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that we believe that God is able to save us, but even if He does not, we will serve Him.

Proverbs 19:10-12

     Controlling your temper is evidence of wisdom. People respect those who do not fly off the handle at every little perceived slight. At my current job, one of our clients is constantly calling in angry, yelling and demanding action. He believes that by doing this he will get better service. But in fact, he gets poorer service because people avoid taking his calls as much as possible. Rather than rush to get finished with something else so that they can deal take his calls, they take longer hoping that he will grow impatient or have another call and hang up. He thinks that by yelling he pushes them to give him better service, but since he always yells, even when they are doing the best they can, there is no incentive to give him good service. My co-workers are conscientious and still strive to give him good service, but human nature being what it is, they do not always succeed.

Daily Bible Study

July 14, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17

     While David had moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, where he had established his capital, he continued having sacrifices offered at Gibeon. Once David had established the Ark in Jerusalem, it occurred to him to build a Temple for God. But God sent him word through the prophet Nathan not to do so. God said that He has never asked for a house to be built for Him. His place of worship has been a tent since the Israelites left Egypt. God went on to tell David that He will establish a dynasty of David’s descendants. God’s message to David concluded that David’s son would build a Temple and that God would establish his throne forever. In some ways I think that this message to David is a foreshadowing of the way things are today. God does not live in a building where we go to Him to worship Him. God lives in the hearts of those who serve Him and we can worship Him wherever we are. He lives within us and travels with us no matter where we go.
     David responded to the message from God by praying and praising God. David acknowledged that God’s promise to him was an honor to him. David declared that he was no one special, but that God knew him in detail. David praised God and gave credit to God for all of his success.
     Today’s passage concludes by telling us that David defeated and conquered most of the surrounding kingdoms, becoming allies with those he did not conquer.

Romans 2:1-24

     After writing about the sinfulness of those who refuse to acknowledge God, Paul writes that we are just as bad. That we do the same things. If we refuse to turn from our sin, God will bring judgement upon us. On the other hand if we turn from sin and seek to do good, God will reward us. Paul tells us that those who know the Law will be judged for their failure to follow the Law. On the other hand, those who have never heard the law show that they know God’s Law by instinctively obeying it, even though they have never heard it. Paul tells us that everyone knows right from wrong, even though, as he told us in yesterday’s passage, some have chosen to cauterize that knowledge. Paul goes on to say that those who think that they are better than others because of their superior knowledge of the Law do that which violates the Law. If we present ourselves as certain that we have complete knowledge and truth, we are guilty of causing others to blaspheme when we fail to live up to God’s Law…and we will fail. This is not an instruction that we can never point out to others that they are sinning, but that we must do so with humility, acknowledging our own sinfulness.

Psalm 10:16-18

     The psalmist tells us that the Lord is king forever and that godless nations will vanish from the land. God knows the hopes of the helpless and He will come to their rescue. When the orphan and the oppressed cry out to God, He will answer their cry and bring them Justice. I read this and think of the news that comes out of Penn State. For years, there were orphans who were powerless to defend themselves from the predation of a man who was respected in the community. Now there is justice. The powers that were at Penn State covered up his actions and allowed him to continue to prey on the weak. They did it to “protect the reputation” of their school. In particular Joe Paterno had a reputation for being the rare successful college coach who had his priorities straight. Now we know that he was even worse than his contemporaries who were known to be willing to sacrifice the well-being of their athletes in order to win. We learn that Joe Paterno was willing to sacrifice the well-being, not of those who willingly put themselves under his protection, but the fatherless. And he did it not for victory, but for “reputation”. If he had used his position to bring this evil man to justice, Joe Paterno would have been seen as being even more of a hero than he had been. Instead we discover that even the positive reputation he had was undeserved. Understand, this does not make others of us better, in light of the passage from Romans, we are all guilty. But it demonstrates that God will bring Justice and the outcome will be horrible. Joe Paterno died knowing that the reputation he had spent 40+ years building would be destroyed. If we try to sweep the abuse of the helpless under the rug, we will face similar retribution from God. Joe Paterno was not the only person who failed God’s command to defend the fatherless. He is just the biggest name. The others will also pay a price before the judgement seat of God. Those of us who stand by and watch others suffer when we could do something, even if that something is to join them in their suffering, will similarly stand condemned before God’s Judgement seat one day. Only by throwing ourselves on God’s mercy can we avoid that judgement. I should add that this story breaks my heart, both for those who suffered and because I held Joe Paterno in such high regard before this.

Proverbs 19:8-9

     Seeking wisdom is the ultimate form of self-love. We often think of narcissists as being too much in love with themselves, but in truth the behaviors we call “narcissism” is the product of a deep seated conviction that we are unlovable. Narcissists refuse to acknowledge that God made them as they are for a reason and loves them and attempt to set themselves up in the place of God. If they truly loved themselves they would seek the wisdom that comes from acknowledging God.

Daily Bible Study

July 13, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 15-16:36

     David prepared to move the Ark of the Covenant the rest of the way to Jerusalem. He summoned the priests and Levites and gave them the task of carrying the Ark. He asked them to purify themselves and consult the Law of Moses as to how the Ark should be moved. He appointed some Levites as musicians and escorts for the Ark. David then held a festival, offering sacrifices and holding a feast, when he moved the Ark to Jerusalem.
     In honor of this occasion David wrote a song. The song is a model for worship songs. It starts out by instructing us to give thanks to God and to tell the whole world what He has done. Then it tells us to sing to God and tell everyone of His wonderful deeds. We should rejoice as we worship God. We should search for God and continually seek Him. Our worship should include that God is a god of Justice and remind people of God’s promises. God has made promises that He has kept and will continue to keep. All other gods are mere idols, but our God created the universe. We should proclaim as part of our worship that God saves. We should continually tell all who will listen what God has done. We should call on all the earth to recognize God and give Him the glory He deserves. God’s love is faithful and endures forever. We should give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Romans 1:18-32

     Paul tells us here that there is no excuse for not knowing God because He has made His the truth about Him obvious in Creation. That in the effort to puff themselves up as wise, people have rejected wisdom. Instead of worshiping God, people have chosen to worship created things. As a result of their refusal to worship God, God has abandoned them to homosexual sex acts, women with women and men with men. Paul points out the negative health effects of homosexual acts as evidence of their sinfulness. Paul goes on to point out that sexual sins are not the only way that people who refuse to worship God sin. Paul tells us that these people know that their sins are deserving of death, but they commit them anyway. And worse yet, they encourage others to commit them.
     There is much packed into this passage. The first is that the nature of God is obvious to anyone who is willing to see it. Next people have chosen to reject God and as a result their thinking has become dark and confused. When people choose to act in ways that they know to be wrong, their thinking becomes progressively murkier and they have a harder time making good decisions, even in unrelated areas, as more and more of their thinking becomes tied up in developing justifications for behavior they know to be wrong. People who sin encourage others to sin because it helps them to justify behaviors they know to be wrong. Even when they know the behaviors are harmful to their well-being, they will encourage others to follow the same self-destructive behaviors because they can then use those others behaviors to justify their own actions. Sin feeds on itself.

Psalm 10:1-15

     The psalmist tells us that the wicked are like a lion stalking its prey. They wait in hiding to pounce on their victims. But beyond that he tells us that the wicked believe that they will never be held to account for their wicked behavior. This psalm echoes the passage from Romans, telling us that the wicked brag about their evil actions. He goes on to tell us that even though it sometimes seems the wicked will get away with their evil, God does take note and He will bring judgement against the wicked. God will defend the helpless and weak.

Proverbs 19:6-7

     Today’s proverbs tell us that people seek to be close to those who can do good things for them, the rich and the powerful. But want little to do with those who have not the resources to give them things. We as Christians are called to not be like that.

Daily Bible Study

July 12, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 11-12:18

     Today’s passage begins by listing a group of warriors from the tribe of Manasseh who abandoned the Israelite army and joined David when he fled from King Saul to the Philistines. The passage then continues with the warriors from various tribes who joined David after Saul’s death while he was still basing himself at Hebron and fighting Saul’s son Ish-bosheth. The passage tells us that after this second group arrived there was four days of feasting.
     The passage does not tell us how the transition happened from David’s capital being in Hebron to being in Jerusalem, but the next thing we are told is that David called an assembly to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the capital (which is now Jerusalem), something that was not done during Saul’s reign. David has the Ark placed on an oxcart and people from all over Israel escorted it with songs and celebration. When the Ark got close to Jerusalem the oxen stumbled and one of the men guiding the cart reached out to steady the Ark and was struck dead. David was angry, and frightened, by this turn of events, so he left the Ark at that location in the care of a man who lived near there. We are told that for the three months that David left the Ark there the man and his family prospered. The passage does not go into detail as to what went wrong here. However, in Exodus God instructed Moses that when the Ark was moved it should be carried by priests using poles that would extend through the carrying rings mounted on it for that purpose. Here the Ark was being transported by oxcart.
     Today’s passage concludes with an account of the Philistines mustering their army to defeat David before he is able to consolidate his power. David mustered his army to oppose them. When the Philistines launched an attack in one area, David consulted God as to what he should do and followed God’s instruction to meet the Philistines in a frontal assault. David defeated them in this battle. After a while the Philistines again attacked that area. On this occasion, David outflanked them and attacked them from behind. After this second battle, David conquered most, if not all, of the Philistine territory.

Romans 1:1-17

     Paul begins his letter to the believers in Rome with a short summary of who he is and the Gospel that he preaches. He tells them that he was appointed by God as God’s messenger to preach His Good News (or Gospel). This Good News is that Jesus is God’s son who died and was raised from the dead. Paul goes on to tell them that their faith is a subject of talk throughout the Roman Empire and that he prays for them regularly. One of the things that Paul has been praying for is the opportunity to come to Rome to visit them. He tells them that he hopes to bring them some spiritual gift and encouragement, but that he does not expect this to be a one way street. Paul says that he expects to be encouraged by their faith, and I think he is implying that he expects them to help him come to a greater understanding of God’s will for him.
     Paul tells them that he has planned to visit them before, but has been prevented from doing so. He tells them that he hopes to come and preach among them because he feels an obligation to preach to the civilized and the uncivilized, to the educated and the uneducated. I think this is an important point. The Gospel is for all people in whatever state they come to it. There is a tendency of Christians to think that somehow the Gospel isn’t really for the educated, or the uneducated. Or it isn’t for those who are cultured, or those who are not cultured. But Paul is telling us here that the Gospel is for all, and that all fall equally short of God’s glory. The educated are no closer to God than the uneducated, and vice versa. The the cultured are no closer to God than the uncultured and vice versa. All are the same distance from God.
     Paul tells us that the Good News he preaches tells us how God makes us right in His sight. God accomplishes this through faith. God makes us right with Him through faith. We must have faith in Him and we have no extra inside track by being educated, or by being uneducated. It is the same for all of us. No matter who we are, we must live our life through faith in God.

Psalm 9:13-20

     The psalmist calls out to the Lord for salvation so that he can praise the Lord publicly. Do we praise the Lord publicly for the ways that he has saved us? I know that I do not do so enough. The psalmist goes on to say that the seeds of the destruction of the wicked is sown by the wicked themselves. That they will fall into the traps that they set for others. God will provide for the needy. He will fulfill the hopes of the poor. Those who defy God will discover how inadequate they are to the task they have set themselves. Those who puff themselves up as able to stand on their own and defy God will discover that they are mere mortal humans after all.

Proverbs 19:4-5

     The first of today’s proverbs tells us that there are many people who wish to be friends with the wealthy, but those people will go away as soon as the money does. The second tells us that those who lie and falsely accuse others will not escape punishment. That sooner or later those who falsely accuse others will pay a price that they would rather not.

Daily Bible Study

July 11, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 11-12:18

     Today’s passage begins with an account of David becoming king of all Israel. It then speaks of his conquest of Jerusalem. This account tells us that David made Joab the commander of his armies because Joab led the attack to take Jerusalem. We then have a list of the elite groups of fighting men who followed David. There is the Three and the Thirty. It is interesting that there were more than thirty members of the Thirty. Whether this is because some were promoted to fill ranks left by the deaths of others or because for some reason David added men to the ranks of the Thirty without changing the name of the group we do not know. I find it noteworthy that Uriah, who David later has killed over his wife Bathsheba, was one of the Thirty.
     One thing I had never noticed before is that while David was on the run from King Saul, a force of warriors from the tribe of Benjamin, who were related to Saul, joined him. The passage also mentions some warriors from the tribe of Gad who joined him. Something I found noteworthy in this passage is that when it starts introducing David’s mighty men it says that they decided to make David their king, along with all of Israel. The phrasing suggests that the decision of these mighty men to make David king is to some degree more important than that of the other people of Israel.

Acts 28:1-31

     Once ashore after the shipwreck they discovered that they were on the island of Malta. The locals welcomed them and treated them well. The locals built them a fire on the beach. While Paul was feeding some sticks to the fire a snake bit him. At first the locals were convinced that this indicated that he was some kind of horrible criminal whom the gods were punishing. When he was not harmed, they decided he must be a god. Shortly after this Paul healed the father of a local official and this led the people to bring all of the sick to him, Paul healed them as well. After three months they boarded another ship and continued their journey to Rome.
     When Paul arrived in Rome he was greeted by the believers there. Paul was allowed to take up a private residence in Rome although a soldier was stationed there to guard him. As soon as Paul was settled he called together the local Jewish leaders to explain to them why he was in Rome awaiting trial. They informed him that they had heard nothing from Jerusalem about him. They said that they were interested in hearing what he believed because they knew nothing about it except that it was denounced everywhere. Paul arranged a time for them to come and hear his testimony. Paul spent a day arguing from the Law and the prophets that Jesus was the Messiah. Some were persuaded by Paul and became believers, but many did not. Paul concluded the day by quoting from Isaiah a passage where the prophet said that the people’s hearts were hardened against God so that they would not turn to Him to be healed. I think that even today we need to be careful not to become like them and fail to see the ways that God is working in the world around us and to hear the word of God that is being spoken to us.

Psalm 9:1-12

     The psalmist proclaims that he will tell of the marvelous things that God has done. The psalmist tells us that the cities of the wicked will lie in ruins. God cares for the helpless and listens to the cries of those who suffer. I will praise the name of the Lord because He brings me joy and judges all on this earth with justice.

Proverbs 19:1-3

     We have three proverbs today. The first tells us that honesty is better than dishonesty, even if it means being poor. The second tells us that being enthusiastic about a task when you do not know what you are doing will lead to mistakes. That it is better to take your time and understand what you are doing than to rush in a hurry the project to completion before you know what it is you should be doing. The final one tells us that people often blame others, including God, for problems that they themselves created.

Daily Bible Study

July 10, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 9-10:14

     Today’s passage begins with an account of various people and what tribes they were descended from who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. This passage mentions priests and Levites and descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It describes what duties the ancestors of the returning Levites had had in the pre-Exile Temple. The passage then repeats the family tree of King Saul.
     At this point, the writer begins his narrative with King Saul’s final battle against the Philistines. The account tells us that the battle grew thick around Saul and three of his sons were killed. Saul himself was wounded by Philistine archers. Saul begs his armor bearer to kill him before the Philistines could take him captive. His armor bearer was afraid to do so. King Saul then took his own sword and fell on it. The passage tells us that when the Israelites of that area realized that Saul and his three sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. We are told that when the Philistines found the bodies of Saul and his sons they displayed them on their city wall. The warriors from Jabesh-gilead recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons and buried them, holding a week long funeral fast for their deaths. The passage concludes by telling us that King Saul died because he was unfaithful to God. That because he did not obey God’s commands, God killed him and turned the kingdom over to David.

Acts 27:21-44

     We take up the story after the ship carrying Paul had been driven by the storm for many days. No one on board had eaten for some time. Paul called the crew together and told them the even though the ship is going to go down, none of them will lose their lives. The sailors sensed that they were getting close to shore, so they dropped a sounding rope to determine how deep the water was where they were. Shortly after that, they tested the depth again and discovered that the water was significantly more shallow. The sailors put out four anchors from the back of the ship to slow its progress towards shore. They then lowered the lifeboat and pretended that they were going to put out anchors from the front of the boat. However, Paul warned the soldiers to not let the sailors abandon the ship. The soldiers followed Paul’s warning and cut the ropes to the lifeboat before the sailors could get into it. As the next day dawned, Paul urged everyone to eat for their own good and told them that they would all survive. They took his advice and ate. When it became light, they saw a coastline they did not recognize. They saw a bay with a beach that they hoped to run the ship aground on. They cut the anchors and steered the ship for the beach. Unfortunately, they hit a shoal and ran aground further out than they desired. The ship began to break apart under the force of the waves smashing into it. The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to prevent their escape, but the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul’s life, so he would not let them kill any of the prisoners. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first. The rest clung to planks or other floating debris from the ship. The passage concludes by telling us that everyone made it to shore safely.

Psalm 8:1-9

     The psalmist marvels at the care that God shows for humans when you consider humans in the scale of the universe. When you look at the night sky and see the size of the universe, how can anyone not be impressed by the majesty of God? There are those who wonder why God would make the universe so large if humans on this earth are the only intelligent beings in it. But I think in part, God did this to give us some sense of the scale between our finite selves and His infinite being. This does not mean that I am convinced that there are no beings elsewhere in the universe that were created to worship God, just that I can see a purpose for the universe being so big even if there are not. I think of this psalm often when I view the vastness of nature and/or the night sky and it makes me hold God in awe.

Proverbs 18:23-24

     This proverb tells us that some people are willing to throw those they claim as friends “under the bus” to advance their own interests, but a real friend will stand by their friends no matter what the cost. I try to be tend toward the latter, even with people who I do not yet count as friends. I do not want anyone I know to think there is no one they can turn to in times of trouble. I know that I do not always succeed in being that person that they can turn to, but I strive for that end.

Daily Bible Study

July 9, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 7-8:40

     Today’s passage lists out the descendants of the remaining sons of Jacob, completing the listing of the tribes of Israel. Interestingly, we have two lists of the descendants of Benjamin. The first list, says gives three sons for Benjamin. The second list gives five. The first list implies that there might be more than three sons for Benjamin. The second list has ambiguous wording in the original Hebrew that makes determining the relationship (father-son, ancestor-descendant) between people listed hard to determine. My suspicion is that the author of this book had more than one source for these lineages and was not himself quite sure of the meanings of some of the relationships listed in those sources. The passage ends with a genealogy of King Saul’s family including his descendants by Jonathan’s son, Merib-baal.

Acts 27:1-20

     This passage begins by telling us that Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman centurion to be taken to Rome. Luke, and possibly others, sailed with them. Luke gives a detailed account of their ports of call. We are told that in Lycia, a province of what is now Turkey, they changed ships. After this change of ships, they faced difficult weather which resulted in them traveling slower than usual for such a journey. When they reached the town of Fair Havens, the season at which it was no longer safe to sail was upon them. Paul told the crew that if they went on they would face shipwreck, loss of cargo and danger to life. However, the captain and crew did not want to winter in Fair Havens as it was a poor port to winter in since its harbor was exposed to the weather. They chose to try to make it to the harbor at Phoenix, which was a well-sheltered harbor.
     As soon as they got a good wind from the right direction, they set out, with the intention of staying close to the shore. Unfortunately, as soon as they were out of the harbor the weather changed and a strong wind blew them out to sea. The crew did everything they could to save the ship, but they were forced to throw the ship’s cargo overboard as well as some of the ship’s gear. Thus Paul’s warning is proven true. The storm continues to batter the ship for many days until everyone has given up hope.

Psalm 7:1-17

     The psalmist here proclaims that he will trust God to be his judge, that if he is guilty of evil, he will accept God’s judgement against him. But, he also says that he trusts that God will protect him and save him from those who seek to harm him because he has served God. The psalmist tells us that God will go to war against those who do not repent of their sins. Finally, the psalmist warns that wicked plans will backfire on those who make them. He concludes by saying that he will thank and praise God because He is just.

Proverbs 18:22

     How true this proverb is. My wife is a wonderful treasure and the Lord has shown great favor to me by bringing her into my life. My life has been so enriched since I married her and my walk with God improved.