Daily Bible Study

July 8, 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 5:18-6:81

     Today’s passage begins with a short account of how the tribes of Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh took control of land east of the Jordan river. It then follows with an account of the line of Aaron from Levi, his ancestor, to the Babylonian captivity. Next we have an account of the clans of the tribe of Levi. It is not clear to me what the relationship of the people listed is to Levi. It appears that the passage lists Levi’s sons, followed by a listing of various prominent descendants of those sons. We then come to an account of the people that David assigned to be musicians in the Temple once it was built. This is followed by the comment that only Aaron and his descendants served as priests, which includes a list of some of his descendants. Finally the passage discusses the cities and towns that were designated as the property of the Levites throughout the lands settled by the children of Israel.

Acts 26:1-32

     Paul began his defense before King Agrippa by complimenting King Agrippa on his knowledge of Jewish customs and laws. He then mentioned his thorough training in Jewish law and his adherence to the sect of the Pharisees, referring to it as the strictest sect of Judaism. Paul said that the accusations against him were a result of his belief that God could and would raise people from the dead. Paul told how he strenuously persecuted those who believed in Jesus, until he experienced a vision while on his way to Damascus. Paul told the court that in the vision he heard a voice asking him why he persecuted Him and that “It is hard for you to kick against the oxgoads.” An oxgoad is a pointed stick used to poke an ox and goad it into moving in the desired direction, so this last sentence implies that God had been driving Paul towards serving Christ for a time before he had this vision. Paul went on to say that the voice in the vision identified itself as Jesus. It further told Paul that he was being appointed to preach to the Gentiles in order to turn them from Satan to God. Paul went on to say that he obeyed the voice in the vision and began preaching that all must repent their sins and turn to God, and that they must prove the change by doing good works. This is an interesting point Paul makes here. In his letters Paul emphasized that our works do not save us, but here he stated something similar to what James wrote about. Paul said that if we are changed by faith, our actions will reflect that change. Paul finished by saying that Jesus died and was resurrected as a way to announce to the world God’s plan for salvation.
     Festus interrupted him here and called him crazy. Paul responded that he is not crazy and that King Agrippa was familiar with the events of which he was speaking. Paul then asked King Agrippa if he believed the prophets and answered his own question by saying that he knew he did. King Agrippa interrupted Paul to ask him if he thought he could persuade him to become a Christian so quickly. Paul responded by saying that he did not care if it happened quickly or slowly, but that he wished that all present would come to the same faith the he, Paul, held to. This should be the desire of each of us, to convince those we meet to accept the Gospel, whether quickly or over time, in whatever manner the Spirit of God moves.

Psalm 6:1-10

     The psalmist begs God for forgiveness, acknowledging his weakness in keeping God’s commands. He speaks of how sorrowful he is for his sins, but also his confidence that God will answer his prayer. I understand this. This spring I was unemployed and facing financial difficulties. I prayed to God for Him to show me how to go and my prayers were becoming desperate. Yet I had faith that God would provide and He has. Just as my financial reserves were exhausted He provided me with a job that is financially and emotionally rewarding. While the schedule is not as nice as the job I lost, the work is more fulfilling and gives me a greater sense of accomplishment. In addition, it provides me with experience that makes me a more marketable employee going forward. God has rescued me in much the way that this psalm expresses faith that He will. When I was tempted to become despondent because of the trials I was facing, my faith in God, and psalms such as this one, kept me from doing so. God has shown himself to be faithful and provided for my needs.

Proverbs 18:20-21

     The first proverb tells us that the right words are as satisfying as a good meal. I do not know whether the writer is speaking of saying or hearing the right words, or perhaps he means both. That is certainly my experience. There have been times when someone has come up to me and used just the right words to make me feel good about myself at a moment when I needed it and it has been very satisfying. On the other hand, there have been times when out of nowhere exactly the right words to say to someone struggling have come to me and that also has been very satisfying. Saying the words that someone needs to hear at that moment is a feeling that cannot be surpassed.
     The second proverb tells us that saying the wrong thing at the wrong time can be every bit as destructive as saying the right thing at the right time can be uplifting. If you love to talk, you will reap both the positive and negative consequences of your words. I love to talk but I struggle to restrain that love so as to avoid saying things that might hurt others. I try to think about how others will hear my words before I utter them. I often unsuccessful.

Daily Bible Study

July 7, 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 4:5-5:17

     Today’s passage recounts more on the descendants of Judah and lists descendants of Simeon, Reuben and Gad. The only thing in this passage that is not just a dry recounting of lineage and historical information is the prayer of Jabez. We are told that he was more honorable than his brothers and that he prayed this prayer, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” We are told that God granted his request. A book was written about this prayer suggesting that Christians pray it daily. While the interpretation given in the book is not bad, I believe a large part of its popularity was due to this prayer readily lending itself to a “prosperity gospel” interpretation. Personally, I think that the Lord’s prayer given by Jesus to His disciples as a model prayer is a much better prayer for Christians to try and say every day.

Acts 25:1-27

     This passage tells us what happened when the governor who was in charge when Paul was arrested was replaced by Festus. When Festus visits Jerusalem shortly after arriving, the Jewish leaders request that he transfer Paul to Jerusalem. Festus refuses since Paul is in Caesarea, where Festus will be returning shortly. Festus tells the Jewish leaders that they can make their accusations against Paul before him there. When the Jewish leaders make their case against Paul before Festus, they are unable to support any of their charges. Festus attempts to get Paul to agree to a transfer of his trial to Jerusalem. Paul refuses and appeals to Caesar. Before he appeals to Caesar, Paul points out that Festus has found him guilty of nothing worthy of death and that if he is sent to Jerusalem, he will be killed. When King Agrippa comes to visit with Festus, Festus discusses the case with him. Festus implies that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar, he might go free. However, this is contrary to the evidence since Paul has been in prison for over two years at this point and neither Felix nor Festus has found him guilty of anything despite both holding trials for him. It is clear that the Roman governors are not going to let Paul go free (unless, perhaps, he bribes them).
     King Agrippa expressed an interest in hearing Paul speak, so Festus agreed to arrange for it the following day. The next day, King Agrippa and his sister came to the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by an escort of military officers and important functionaries. It is not clear from the passage who was the intended audience of this pomp, whether it was Festus or Paul. I suspect it was a little bit of both.

Psalm 5:1-12

     The psalmist declares that each morning he brings his requests to the Lord in prayer and then waits expectantly for God’s reply. He asks God to make His way for him to follow. I echo that. I struggle with a tendency to take the easy path, if God does not make His way clear, I will follow the path of least resistance. If we follow the Lord’s guidance, we will find safety from those who seek to harm us and victory over the wicked.

Proverbs 18:19

     Today’s proverb tells us how damaging an argument can be to friendship. I have seen several of my friends destroy friendships of long standing because they were unwilling to apologize for hurtful things that they said. The hurtful things were true, but they could have been said more gently and perhaps would have led to a positive change in the person they were directed at if they had been said that way. As it is, friendships of long standing were destroyed and souls were hardened even further against Christ.

Daily Bible Study

July 6, 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 2:18-4:4

     Today, the passage is again a list of genealogies, who is descended from whom. Yesterday’s passage ended with the lineage leading to David. Today’s passage begins with a list of some of the other descendants of one of his ancestors. The passage goes on to list the sons David had by his wives, explicitly leaving out the sons born to his concubines. Next we have a list of descendants of Solomon, which for the most part lists only those who sat on the throne. The passage then wraps up its listing of descendants of David by listing the descendants of Jehoiachin (who was the last pre-exile king of Judah to have descendants, all of the sons of his uncle who succeeded him were killed). Finally, the passage lists other descendants of Judah.

Acts 24:1-27

     After Paul was in Caesarea for five days, the high priest and some other Jewish leaders arrived to present their case before the governor. They claimed that Paul was stirring up riots among Jews all over the world and that he was trying to desecrate the Temple when they arrested him. They also mention that he is a leader of a cult. The governor then indicates for Paul to present his defense. Paul starts off by pointing out that the Jewish leaders did not find him arguing with anyone and can point to no trouble he stirred up in Jerusalem. Paul openly admits to being a follower of the Way, but states that he firmly believes the Law and the prophets. Paul goes on to point out that this whole thing was started by some Jews from Asia who were not present to make a case against him. Paul concludes his defense by asking Felix to ask the Jewish leaders what crime the Sanhedrin had found him guilty of. At this point Governor Felix adjourned the hearing.
     A few days later, Felix summons Paul to speak with him and his wife. Paul spoke with them about righteousness, self-control and the coming day of judgement. Felix became frightened by what Paul was saying and sent Paul away. Felix kept hoping Paul would offer him a bribe, so he brought him before him frequently. After two years with Paul in a kind of house arrest, Felix is replaced as governor. In order to maintain good will with the Jewish leaders, Felix leaves Paul in prison.
     I find it interesting to note what Paul spoke about with Governor Felix. He discussed righteousness, that is he talked about what is morality and how can we know what is moral. He discussed self-control, that is he discussed the question of whether or not we can live up to a true moral code. Finally, he discussed the fact that at some point we will be held accountable for our success or failure to live up to what is moral. I think this gives us a guideline we can follow when we attempt to witness to unbelievers.

Psalm 4:1-8

     The psalmist here calls on us to trust God and declares that God gives him more joy than that possessed by those who have all of the worldly possessions they could desire. We are told to not let anger control us, that we should sleep on it before we act after someone angers us. Further we are told to present ourselves to God with the right spirit, not one of selfishness. Finally, the psalmist tells us that he can sleep peacefully because God, and God alone, will keep him safe.

Proverbs 18:16-18

     The first of today’s proverbs tells us that by being generous we will have more opportunities. The second one tells us that the first person to present their case will sound reasonable and right, at least until we hear the other side. We should not take sides in a dispute until both sides have had a chance to present their side of things. The final proverb tells us that sometimes the best way to resolve a dispute is to select some random method (such as flipping a coin) to decide whose wish gets followed.

Daily Bible Study

July 5, 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 1-2:17

     This passage is part of why I started this blog. I really have trouble reading passages like this and getting anything out of them. Yet, from time to time, I will hear a sermon preached where the speaker draws some important lesson out of a passage like this. The passage starts by giving the lineage from Adam to Noah, with no side branches, which makes sense since only descendants of Noah are alive today. Then the passage lists descendants of each of Noah’s sons. Interestingly, there is very little detail on the descendants of Japheth. There is significantly more detail on the descendants of Ham and what peoples descended from Ham. Finally there is Shem. Here there is little more detail than for the descendants of Japheth, except for the branch that leads to Abraham. Here it gives a straight line to Abraham except for three side lines. We are given all of the sons of Shem. We are told the descendants of one of the sons of Shem who was not an ancestor of Abraham. And we are told the descendants of Joktan who is midway between Noah and Abraham, but not an ancestor of Abraham.
     Next we are told of Abraham’s sons, with a little detail given on his sons other than Isaac. This is followed by some detail on the descendants of Esau, who were the Edomites. Finally the passage closes with information on the descendants of Judah leading to David.

Acts 23:11-35

     The passage starts by telling us about the vision Paul had the night after he spoke to the Sanhedrin. In the vision, Paul is told that he will preach the Gospel in Rome. The day after Paul appeared before the Sanhedrin a group of forty men took an oath to kill Paul. They conspired with the leaders of the Sanhedrin to get the Roman commander to bring Paul out of the fortress to appear before the Sanhedrin again. However, Paul’s nephew overheard their plans and went to tell Paul. When Paul heard of the plot, he sent his nephew to the commander. When the commander heard of the plot, he immediately sent Paul to Governor Felix (I’ve always liked that name, probably because of the Felix the Cat cartoon) in Caesarea with a strong escort. The commander writes a letter to the governor laying out the circumstances of Paul’s imprisonment.

Psalm 3:1-8

     This psalm is written about David’s thoughts when he fled from his son Absalom. The vast majority was sure that he would suffer defeat. He tells us that even when defeat seems sure, if we turn to God, He will rescue us. We need not fear any number of enemies when we put our faith in God.

Proverbs 18:14-15

     The first proverb tells us that when the body is sick, one can soldier on, but when the spirit is crushed, people become overwhelmed. No one commits suicide because they are sick, they commit suicide because their spirit is broken.
     The key to intelligence is being willing to learn. There are many who believe that intelligence is an inborn characteristic and there may be something to that. But more important than any inborn gifts is the desire and willingness to learn. I have known people who during their school years were always in the advanced classes, but in adulthood gradually seemed to become progressively more stupid. On the other hand, I have known people who were in the slow classes in school, for good reason, who as they got older seemed to get smarter and smarter. The former were those who, as they got older, became convinced that they had learned everything they needed to know. The latter were people who, despite how much effort it took them to learn anything new, were always seeking to master new knowledge. The proverb tells us that the intelligent are always listening for new knowledge.

Daily Bible Study

July 4, 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.

2 Kings 23:31-25:30

     After the death of Josiah, his son Jehoahaz took the throne, but he only ruled for three months before Pharaoh Neco took him captive and put his brother on the throne. Pharaoh Neco put Eliakim on the throne and changed his name to Jehoiakim. When the Babylonians first attacked Judah, Jehoiakim surrendered and agreed to pay tribute. After three years Jehoiakim rebelled, shortly after this he died and was succeeded by his son, Jehoiachin. King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem and Jehoiachin surrendered to him. King Nebuchadnezzar took 10,000 of the people of Jerusalem captive back to Babylon along with Jehoiachin. Nebuchadnezzar put Jehoichin’s uncle on the throne and changed his name to Zedekiah. In the ninth year of his reign, Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon. The Babylonians returned and laid siege to Jerusalem for a little over two years. King Zedekiah then attempts to escape the siege, but is captured. The Babylonians kill his sons and gouge out his eyes before taking him away to Babylon in chains. The Babylonians then destroyed the Temple and most of Jerusalem, including tearing down its walls.
     After destroying Jerusalem, King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah governor of Judah. Gedaliah assured the remaining people that if they served the king of Babylon all would be well for them. A few months later a member of the royal house of Judah killed Gedaliah and those with him. The rest of the people of Judah fled to Egypt to escape the expected retaliation of the Babylonians.

Acts 22:17-23:10

     Paul continued his speech to the crowd. He told them that God told him that the people of Jerusalem would not accept his testimony concerning Jesus. Paul further said that he argued with God by saying that the people of Jerusalem knew of how he persecuted the Church before his conversion. Paul then told them that God said He was sending him to the Gentiles. When the crowd heard this they began shouting again and demanding his death.
     The Roman commander took Paul into the garrison and ordered him lashed to make him confess his crimes. As they tied him down to lash him, Paul asked if it was legal to whip a Roman citizen without a trial. When the commander was told of this, he asked Paul if it was true that he was a Roman citizen. When Paul replied that he was, the Roman commander said that he had paid a lot to become a Roman citizen. Paul answered that he was one by birth. Paul did not seek Roman citizenship, but he took advantage of the fact that he had it in order to further his ministry.
     The following day, the commander called the Sanhedrin into session and had Paul stand before them. Paul began his defense by saying that he had a clear conscience before God. The high priest ordered those near to Paul to slap him or saying that. Paul responded by calling him a white-washed wall, which is a reference to the Jewish practice of white-washing the outside walls of tombs and is a vary offensive way of calling him a hypocrite. When those near him questioned him insulting the high priest, Paul apologized and said that he had not realized that he was the high priest. Paul further says that one should not speak badly of one’s rulers. This is something that Paul also says in his letters. This is really a challenge for me. I need to remember that those in positions of authority are there because God has chosen to put them there. They will remain in those positions of authority only so long as they serve God’s purpose by being there. We are called to offer them respect and honor, if only because of the authority that God has delegated to them.
     When Paul realized that the council before him was divided between Pharisees, who believed in resurrection, and Sadducees, who did not, he declared that he was on trial because his hope in the resurrection of the dead. This started an argument between the two factions, which got so heated that the Roman commander feared that Paul would be injured. He then ordered his men to remove Paul from the chamber and take him back to the fortress.

Psalm 2:1-12

     The psalmist tells us that the rulers of the nations of the earth go to war against God and attempt to free themselves from His will. The psalmist further tells us that they will fail. They have no choice but to serve God’s will and God will smash them for their rebellion. This is an interesting passage in light of Paul’s comments about respecting rulers in the passage in Acts. Paul tells us that we should respect our rulers. The psalmist tells us that those rulers will rebel against God. The psalmist further tells us that despite their rebellion, the rulers will serve God. Those who rule this earth may rebel against God, but they will serve His will nevertheless.

Proverbs 18:13

     Today’s proverb is one that I try very hard to remember. I am very opinionated on many subjects. This means that I must struggle to hold my tongue until I am sure I know the facts of a case. I work very hard to see where a story I am told conceals facts that might change my perception of what happened. I then try to point out to others that perhaps judgement should be reserved until those facts are known. I often fail and, much to my chagrin, discover that I have come out in favor of a position which is contrary to the facts.

Daily Bible Study

July 3, 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.

2 Kings 22:3-23:30

     Like King Jehoash several generations earlier, King Josiah orders Temple repairs. During the repairs, the priests discover the Book of the Law. They gave it to the king’s court secretary, who in turn read it to King Josiah. King Josiah is horrified to learn how far they have fallen short of keeping the Law. Josiah at once sends someone to inquire of the Lord what they should do and to beg forgiveness of God. God sends word that He is indeed angry and that disaster is going to come to Jerusalem because the people had failed to keep His law, but that because Josiah had repented in sorrow and turned to God, it would be delayed until after his death.
     King Josiah gathered the elders of Judah and read them the book which had been found in the Temple. He renewed the Covenant between the descendants of Jacob and God. Josiah then began the most thorough cleansing of pagan practices from among the people of Judah that had occurred under any king of Israel or Judah. He thoroughly desecrated all of the pagan shrines throughout the land, including the high places where Yahweh had been worshiped alongside of pagan gods. He extended this cleansing through most of what had been the Northern Kingdom. He brought all of the priests living throughout Judah to Jerusalem. He did not allow the priests who had served at the high places to serve in the Temple, but he allowed them to eat from the same offerings that supported the priests of the Temple. King Josiah then ordered the people to celebrate the Passover. The passage tells us that the Passover had not been completely celebrated under any of the previous kings, including David. Finally the passage tells us that King Josiah was killed when he went to battle to prevent the King of Egypt from marching through his land.
     A common opinion among biblical scholars is that the “Book of the Law” this passage says was found in the Temple was actually written at this time and is the starting point for the book we now know as Deuteronomy. I understand why they take this position, but I do not agree. I believe that there are two things that call this conclusion into question. One of the things that they base this on is the fact that evidence suggests that the people of Israel and Judah had practiced a kind of polytheism up until this time, treating Yahweh as the chief god of the pantheon (it is much more complicated than that and I would debate this conclusion, but that is for another time). During the time of Josiah and forward, Judaism was much more militantly monotheistic. Even if one accepts this understanding there is a flaw in the reasoning. Modern Christians consider slavery to be wrong and sinful, yet until the eighteenth century Christians accepted it. No new scripture was needed to make the change, just a different understanding of existing scripture…and of a Christian’s relationship to his fellow man. Another reason that some biblical scholars reject the Mosaic origins of Deuteronomy and place its origins here is that they do not believe in God’s supernatural intervention into history. I believe that it is logically consistent to accept the Bible as an authoritative document and yet reject the idea that God intervenes into history. My experience with those who do that is that they pick and chose what parts of the Bible they will believe and what parts of modern archeology they will believe based on how well either supports their preconceived understanding. I know that when I read the Bible, I tend to understand it based on preconceived notions. However, I try very hard to question those preconceptions when I come across scripture which conflicts with them.

Acts 21:37-22:16

     As the Roman commander is taking Paul into the garrison, Paul asks for a word with him. The Roman commander is surprised that Paul speaks Greek because he thought that Paul was an Egyptian rebel (there is no explanation in the passage as to where the commander got that idea). Paul tells the Roman commander that not only is he not, but that he is a citizen of Tarsus (I believe that Paul was telling the commander that he was a Roman citizen from the city of Tarsus, rather than that he was just a citizen of the city of Tarsus). Paul requests permission to address the crowd, which the commander grants. When Paul starts speaking in Aramaic, the crowd quiets down (apparently taken by surprise that Paul can speak that language). Paul begins by telling the crowd his background as a Jew born in Tarsus and raised in Jerusalem. He lays out his credentials as a student of Gamaliel and as a persecutor of the Church. He then tells of his conversion experience. I think that this is an important model for us as Christians when we are testifying to others. We need to lay out our background so that people can understand what a change our conversion represents. God will use us to witness to those to whom our life story connects. We should not be ashamed of either a “goody-two-shoes” background or a “steeped in sin” background, or anything in between. It is the path that God has given us to use to reach those we meet.

Christian Images

Psalm 1:1-6

     The psalmist tells us not to take the advice of the wicked or hang out with sinners or join in with those who mock others. There are three levels here. The first is that you should consider the source when you receive advice, if the person giving the advice does not share your values their advice is not likely to yield results that will please you. The second is that what you find to be acceptable behavior for yourself will be influenced by those you spend time around, make sure that a majority of your free time is spent with those who are trying to live righteous lives. Finally, do not join in with those who mock others for whatever perceived flaws they have, mocking others is hurtful both to them and ourselves. If instead of listening to the advice of the wicked, hanging out with sinners and mocking others we study the scripture and attempt to apply it to our lives we will be rock solid and successful in what we do.

Proverbs 18:11-12

     This proverb tells us that the rich think that their wealth will protect them from danger. While this is often true, there are situations where wealth will bring increased danger rather than security. Being puffed up and proud of yourself will often lead you to put yourself onto a path where your skills will be inadequate to get yourself out of trouble. On the other hand, those who are humble and recognize their limits will often be praised for their successes.

Daily Bible Study

July 2, 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.

2 Kings 20-22:2

     King Hezekiah became very sick. Isaiah the prophet came to him and told him that the Lord said for him to put his affairs in order, he was not going to recover from this illness. Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed to the Lord desperately. As Isaiah was leaving the palace, God sent him a message that He would heal Hezekiah and allow Hezekiah to live fifteen more years. Isaiah had Hezekiah’s servants make an ointment from figs and spread it on Hezekiah’s boils. While the fig ointment was being prepared, Hezekiah asked Isaiah for a sign that he will get better. Isaiah offered for the shadow of the sundial to move forward or backward ten steps. Hezekiah asked for it to move back ten steps and it does.
     Soon after Hezekiah gets better, the king of Babylon sent Hezekiah messengers with letters and a gift, having heard of Hezekiah’s illness. Hezekiah showed the messengers all of his treasuries and armories. Shortly after they left Isaiah asked Hezekiah who they were and what they saw. Hezekiah told him they were from Babylon and that they saw everything. Isaiah told Hezekiah that the Babylonians would come and take all of the treasures from Jerusalem and carry some of his sons into captivity. Hezekiah thought that Isaiah’s prophecy was good, since it meant that there would be peace and security for his lifetime. This always truck me as being a little bit selfish on Hezekiah’s part.
     After Hezekiah’s death, his son Manasseh took the throne. Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. The passage tells us that Manasseh did much that was evil in God’s sight. The passage goes into detail as to what Manasseh did. He rebuilt the shrines in the high places that Hezekiah had destroyed. He set up altars to Baal and an Asherah pole. He worshiped “all the powers of heaven” and built altars to them in the Temple itself. The passage tells us that he sacrificed his own son in the fires and practiced sorcery and divination. Finally the passage tells us that Manasseh killed so many innocent people that Jerusalem was filled from one end to the other with the blood of the innocent.
     Manasseh was succeeded by his son Amon, who followed his evil behavior. Amon only ruled two years before he was assassinated by his own officials. The people rose up and killed those who had conspired to assassinate Amon and put his son, Josiah, on the throne. Josiah was eight years old when he was put on the throne. We are told that he followed the example of David and did what was right in the sight of the Lord.

Acts 21:18-36

     On his second day in Jerusalem, Paul met with James and the elders of the Jerusalem church and gave a detailed account of what had happened in his ministry. The elders of the church told Paul that there are many Jewish believers in Jerusalem who follow the Law of Moses seriously. Those believers had heard that Paul is teaching Jews who live among the Gentiles not to follow the Law. They asked Paul to accompany four men who have completed a vow to the Temple for their purification ceremony. This would show everyone that Paul followed Jewish law. Paul took this advice.
     Paul accompanies the men each day, but one day when the seven days were almost completed some Jews from Asia saw Paul in the Temple. They grabbed Paul and stirred up the crowd against him by claiming that Paul had brought Gentiles into the Temple (they had seen Paul with a Gentile in the city earlier in the day and assumed that he had brought him with him). These accusations started a riot and the crowd tried to kill Paul. When the commander of the Roman troops in Jerusalem became aware of the riot, he called out the Roman troops and rushed to where the crowd was gathered. When the crowd saw the Roman soldiers coming, they stopped beating Paul and turned him over to the Romans.

Psalm 150:1-6

     When I was very young, the Mennonite Church categorically rejected the use of instruments in worship services. There were reasons for this. It was partly because “high church” denominations used the organ to cover the fact that few of the congregants sang. It was partly because most musical instruments were associated with places and activities which were sinful (the activities were sinful, the places were where those activities often took place). This psalm shows that they were wrong. Just because people use something in sinful activities does not mean that it is sinful to use that something. As a matter of fact, it is important that we reclaim these things to glorify God. I will make the psalmist’s closing thought my own:

“Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!”

Proverbs 18:9-10

     The first of today’s two proverbs is one that I struggle with. I am lazy and this proverb, and other verses, tell us that laziness is sinful. My wife, and a couple of other friends, always tell me that I am not really lazy, that I “work smarter, not harder” and this is partially true. I learned as a child that if I did a task halfway, I would just have to do it over. Unfortunately, I also learned that sometimes if I put off a task long enough I could avoid doing it altogether. I still struggle with putting things off that I should do immediately.
     The second proverb tells us that if we trust in the name of the Lord, we will be safe. That running to the Lord when danger threatens is a sure-fire way to be secure. God will take care of those who trust Him.

Daily Bible Study

July 1, 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.

2 Kings 18:13-19:37

     In the year of King Hezekiah’s reign, the Assyrians under Sennacherib invaded Judah. King Hezekiah sent them a large tribute in an attempt to get them to withdraw. Despite this the Assyrians marched on Jerusalem. The Assyrian representative called out to the people on the walls of Jerusalem telling them that God will not rescue them from the king of Assyria. He further said that God cannot rescue them from the king of Assyria. King Hezekiah and his court officials despaired. King Hezekiah sent some of his court officials to talk to Isaiah. Isaiah responded by telling them that God would act against the King of Assyria and cause him to leave Jerusalem. Further Isaiah told them that Sennacherib would be killed with the sword. Soon afterword King Sennacherib received word that the king of Ethiopia (Cush) is leading an army against him. Before he marched to confront the king of Ethiopia, Sennacherib sent a letter to Hezekiah telling him that the gods of no other country were able to save them from the Assyrians and that God would be no different. Hezekiah goes to the Temple and spreads the letter from Sennacherib out before the Lord. Isaiah gave Hezekiah an answer from God. God’s answer was that all of Sennacherib’s success was part of God’s plan, but now that Sennacherib had defied God Himself, God would put a hook in his nose and a bit in his mouth and lead him back the way he had come. God further told Hezekiah that the Assyrians would not attack Jerusalem, that he would not even lay siege to it. That night 185,000 Assyrian soldiers died in the night and the Assyrians broke camp and marched home. After he returned home, one day when he was worshiping in his pagan temple, two of his sons killed him with their swords.

Acts 21:1-17

     In this passage Luke tells us of Paul’s return to Jerusalem. At several stops along the way, believers prophesied that Paul should not go to Jerusalem, that if he did he would be bound and turned over to the Romans. The believers repeatedly tried to convince Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but Paul remained determined. Paul told them that he was prepared not only to be jailed for his faith in Jesus, but to die for his name. This is an example that we should follow. We should be willing, perhaps even eager, to suffer for Jesus’ name.

Psalm 149:1-9

     The psalmist calls on us to sing praises to the Lord, to praise his name in the assembly of His people. This is another scripture teaching us to gather regularly with our fellow believers to worship and praise the Lord.

Proverbs 18:8

     Most of the proverbs I have been reading over the last while have been somewhat familiar to me, but this one is new to me. It is such a beautiful summation of the nature of rumors. Rumors are hard to resist, but they often lead us to judge people and situations on the basis of things that we do not know to be true. We all want to know “insider” details, so we are more ready to believe rumors that might make us seem to be in the know.

Daily Bible Study

June 30, 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.

2 Kings 17-18:12

     King Hoshea becomes the last king of Israel. The passage tells us that he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as badly as his predecessors. Hoshea’s reign ended when King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded and took the people of Israel into exile. King Shalmaneser then settled the peoples of other lands in the land of Israel. The passage tells us that the people of Israel were taken into exile because time and again they chose not to follow God’s commands. The Bible is clear that when a people follow God’s commands they prosper, when they do not, they suffer. This is not about what the laws are, but about the actions that the people choose to take. The more the people of a nation follow the path of righteousness the more that nation will do well. Even if the people just pay lip service to righteous behavior the nation will do better than if the people hold up immorality and dishonesty as their aspirations. We get a little of this idea in the passage’s description of what happened to the people who the Assyrians settled in the land. We are told that God sent lions among them to kill them because they did not worship Him. This led the king of Assyria to have a priest of God sent back to the land of Israel to teach the foreigners now living there how to worship God.
     Meanwhile, we are told that Hezekiah succeeded his father Ahaz on the throne of Judah. The author has high praise for Hezekiah. Hezekiah did what was pleasing to God, living up to the standard of King David. We are told that Hezekiah trusted the Lord and remained faithful in everything. He destroyed all elements of idol worship in the land of Judah. He smashed the sacred pillars dedicated to Baal and cut down the Asherah poles. He got rid of the shrines on the high places where the people worshiped God alongside pagan gods. He even destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made because the people had begun worshiping it.

Acts 20:1-38

     As Paul prepares to return to Syria, he learns of a plot by some Jews to kill him so he chooses to return by a different route. He travels to Troas, where he speaks to the believers through the night. About midnight, a young man who was sitting on the window sill fell asleep and fell out of the window onto the street below, a three story fall. Luke tells us that he fell to his death. Paul is the first one to get to him and and he tells everyone that the young man is alive. The young man was taken home unhurt. They return upstairs and Paul continues talking until dawn.
     Paul continues on his journey to Jerusalem. He decides not to stop in Ephesus, or any place else in Asia Minor, and sends for the elders of the Church in Ephesus to meet him on the island of Miletus. Luke records Paul’s farewell speech to the elders of Ephesus. Paul summarizes the Gospel as repenting from sin and turning to God and having faith in Jesus. He goes on to describe his motivation in preaching the Gospel, that if anyone suffers eternal death, it will not be his fault, he has done his best to convey the salvation message to everyone he can reach. We should all be so motivated to reach the lost. Paul concludes by telling them that they should follow his example of working hard so as to be able to help those in need.

Psalm 148:1-14

     The psalmist calls on every created thing to praise the Lord. This psalm calls us all to praise the Lord for all that is. Let us praise the Lord while we have breath. Let us praise the Lord for the time He has given us with our loved ones.

Proverbs 18:6-7

     If you often find yourself in trouble with others, perhaps you should give more thought to what you say. A repeating theme of these proverbs is that foolishness is often revealed through what we say. A first step to becoming wise is to not say everything that comes to your mind.

Daily Bible Study

June 29, 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.

2 Kings 15-16:20

     King Uzziah succeeded his father Amaziah on the throne of Judah. The passage tells us that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, even as his father had done. However, he allowed the people to continue to worship at the high places. It is never quite clear what the problem with the people worshiping at the high places is. This translation refers to them as pagan shrines, but in earlier parts of the Old Testament they are sometimes referred to as places where people worshiped God. My belief is that as time went on, they became places where people combined worship of God with pagan religious practices. We are told that later in Uzziah’s reign, he is struck with leprosy and lives out his life in isolation with his son, and successor, governing in his place.
     Next we are told of a series of kings of Israel who did evil in the sight of the Lord. Several of these kings gained the throne by assassinating their predecessor. During this time, Assyria began to invade the area. One of the kings, King Menahem, bought off the Assyrians and used their support to consolidate his hold on the throne. This only kept the Assyrians out for a few years and under one of his successors the Assyrians again invaded.
     Uzziah’s son, Jotham succeeded his father on the throne of Judah and we are told that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. King Jotham was succeeded on the throne by his son Ahaz. We are told that Ahaz did evil in the sight of the Lord, going so far as to sacrifice his own son to the fires. While Ahaz was king, the kings of Israel and Aram allied to invade Judah. King Ahaz sent a bribe to the king of Assyria to get his help against Aram and Israel. The king of Assyria, Tiglath-pileser, conquers Aram. While Tiglath-pileser is in Damascus, King Ahaz visits him there. King Ahaz had the Temple redone to reflect the design of the Assyrian temple in Damascus.

Acts 19:13-41

     While Paul was in Ephesus a group of Jewish exorcists who were traveling in the region began using the name of Jesus to cast out demons. This group was composed of seven sons of a priest. On one occasion when they tried this, the man with the evil spirit acknowledged the power of Jesus and Paul, but rejected their power. The man attacked them and drove them from the house naked and battered. When word of this spread, many who practiced various types of sorcery became believers and gathered their spell books and burned them. Note that they did not burn books that just talked about sorcery, but one’s that contained spells and incantations. Whether the spells and incantations worked or not, the sole purpose of the books was the practice of magic.
     About the time Paul began making plans to leave Ephesus and travel to Macedonia, a silversmith named Demetrius who made his living from the worship of Artemis stirred up other merchants who made their living from this worship against Paul and the believers. Demetrius got them so riled up that a riot began. The crowd rushed to the amphitheater and dragged two of Paul’s traveling companions along. Paul wanted to address the crown, but he was talked out of it. There was confusion among the crowd as to what the cause of the riot was. The Jews in the crowd put forward a spokesman to explain things to people, but he was shouted down. Finally, the mayor of the city was able to get the people to quiet down some. At that point, he tells them that everyone knows about the connection of Artemus with the city and that the men that have been forcibly brought there have committed no offenses against Artemus’ temple. He goes on to say that if Demetrius, or anybody else, has a legitimate complaint against these men, the courts are perfectly willing to here the case. He finishes by telling them that if they continue to riot, the Roman governor is likely to send the legions to restore order. This leads the crowd to disperse.

Psalm 147:1-20

     The psalmist tells us to praise the Lord for He is great. God is so great and mighty that he can count the stars and name each and every one. The psalmist goes on to tell us that God does not favor the powerful and mighty, but instead favors those who fear Him and trust in His love.

Proverbs 18:4-5

     The wise are a source of wisdom to those around them in the same manner that a bubbling brook is a source of refreshing water to any who approach it. When the guilty are let go and the innocent punished a society will suffer.