Daily Bible Study

June 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 Kings 5-6:38

     In this passage, king Hiram of Tyre sends envoys to Solomon to discover what relationship Solomon would have with him, since he had always been friendly with David. Solomon’s response to Hiram indicates that Solomon intends to rule in a different manner than his father David. David started out as a bandit/raider (In 1 Samuel 27 we have an account of how David raided neighboring peoples while he was living among the Philistines). As he grew in power, he suppressed bandits and lived off of merchants providing him with tribute to suppress bandits. Even before he went to live among the Philistines he had done bandit suppression (see the story of David and Nabal in 1 Samuel 25). Considering that many of the peoples in that area lived by raiding merchant caravans, it is likely that bandit suppression played a significant motivational role in David’s wars of conquest. In his response to King Hiram, Solomon indicates that rather than receive payment from merchants in order to suppress bandits within the area he controls, Solomon intends to sponsor trade. The merchants passing through his lands will work for him.
     Upon making this trade deal with Hiram king of Tyre, Solomon begins building the Temple. Solomon conscripted close to two hundred thousand men to work on gathering the materials to build the Temple. This reflects some of what Samuel had warned the Israelites about when they demanded he anoint someone to be their king. The description of the Temple that Solomon built is very impressive with wood paneling on all of the interior surfaces and gold plating on much of it. It is impressive that he was able to get this built in seven years without using any modern machinery.

Acts 7:1-29

     When Stephen is brought before the Sanhedrin on charges of blasphemy, the high priest asks him if the charges are true. Stephen responds by giving an exposition on the history of the Jewish people. He starts by talking about Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. He talks about how God made promises to Abraham and gave him the covenant of circumcision. Stephen goes on to point out how God prophesied both the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt and His freeing of them. At this point the members of the Sanhedrin are probably listening with rapt attention and agreeing with everything he is saying. Then he starts talking about Moses. He points out that Moses was special from birth and was called by God to rescue the Israelites. He tells how Moses killed an Egyptian overseer for abusing an Israelite. Then he says that Moses thought that the Israelites would see that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. Stephen illustrates this rejection by telling the story of Moses’ attempt to reconcile two Israelites who were fighting. I do not think his audience perceived where he was going when he got to this point. I think it is clear that Stephen was using Moses to show how the people of Israel had repeatedly rejected God’s messenger to them. That this rejection of Moses was a precursor to the rejection of Jesus.

Psalm 127:1-5

     The psalmist tells us that no matter what we work at, if it is not the Lord’s will for it to come to fruition we are laboring in vain. No matter what we work at, we will not have success unless the Lord works with us toward that end. We should acknowledge that all of our successes are a gift from God. They are not a credit to our hard work. The psalmist goes on to say that children are a blessing from God. This goes directly counter to what is taught in our society today, which is that there are too many people on this earth and having many children is irresponsible. I do not think it is wrong for a couple to limit the number of children they have based on what they believe are their ability to properly raise them. However, the argument of those who disagree is rather compelling. If children are a blessing from God as the Bible teaches and I believe, why would you deny yourself a blessing? Is it not somewhat sacrilegious to deny yourself a blessing which God wishes to give you? I do not have an answer for that, but I do not agree with the starting point of those who say that we should limit the number of children we have because the earth is overpopulated. I do not believe that the earth is overpopulated and I do not believe that God will allow the earth to become overpopulated.

Proverbs 16:28-30

     We have today three proverbs that tell of three types of people who create trouble. The first is the troublemaker who spreads gossip in order to create conflict among others, often merely to amuse themselves watching other people fight. The second is the person who justifies using violence to resolve a dispute with someone else. Finally, is the person who conspires to make trouble for others. If you are involved with someone who is like this you should be careful because you may be their target next and, even if not, is their ends really worth the pain and suffering that they cause to others?

Daily Bible Study

June 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 Kings 3:3-4:34

     This passage starts by telling us that Solomon showed his love for the Lord by obeying the instructions that David had given him, except for the fact that he offered sacrifices at the high places. When I was younger I believed that these were sacrifices to idols. My recollection is that I was taught that, but that may be a faulty memory. In fact if one reads closely one realizes that Solomon was offering sacrifices to God on those high places. It is after Solomon offered sacrifices to God at one of these high places that God tells Solomon in a dream to ask for whatever he wants God to give him. I had never noticed before, but most translations say that God told Solomon to tell Him what Solomon wanted God to give him without actually saying that He would give it to him. This is consistent with God’s answer to Solomon’s request. After Solomon tells God that he would like God to give him wisdom, God tells Solomon that because he asked for wisdom, He will grant Solomon’s request. The implication is that if Solomon had asked for something else, God may not have granted his request.
     Next we have the story where Solomon was asked to decide which of two women was the mother of a child. Both women claimed that the child was born to them and that the child born to the other woman had died. There were no other witnesses. Solomon has a sword brought and proposes that the child be cut in half and that each woman receive half. The account tells us that the child’s real mother objected, saying that rather than kill the child give it to the other woman to raise. While the other woman was content that the child be killed. Solomon then ordered that the child not be killed but be given to the woman who was willing to give up her claim that the child might live. The biblical account tells us that the woman who wanted the child to live was the child’s real mother and I believe that it means that she was the child’s biological mother. However, in this story, even if she was not the child’s biological mother, the woman who would give up her claim in order to save the child’s life was indeed the child’s real mother.

Acts 6:1-15

     In earlier passages we had been told that wealthy believers sold their property and brought the money to the apostles to be distributed to those in need. Now we are told that as the number of believers increased there was strife among the believers between the Greek-speaking believers and the Hebrew-speaking believers. The Greek-speaking believers felt that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution. From the remedy that the apostles chose it is clear that there complaint was not without some basis. The apostles asked the believers to choose seven well respected men to take over the distribution of food to those in need. While these men were chosen to handle the distribution of food to those in need and free up the apostles to preach and pray, it quickly becomes apparent that these men did not limit themselves to overseeing the provision to the needy.

     We are told that Stephen got into a debate with some men from the Synagogue of the Freed Slaves. I was unable to find any definitive information about this group. However, some of them were from Alexandria and Cyrene, both of which were noted centers of learning in the Roman empire. This suggests to me that these were Jews who were practiced in Greek philosophy and debate. In addition, the passage tells us that some of them were from Cilicia. Tarsus, the birth place of Saul, later Paul, was in Cilicia. All of this suggests to me that Stephen got into a debate with a group of men who were proud of their debating skills. Men who were sure they had the answers that proved that Jesus was not the Messiah. When they were unable to counter Stephen’s arguments they became angry and claimed that he had committed blasphemy. I suspect that before their encounter with Stephen they had claimed that in order to believe that Jesus was the Messiah one needed to also believe some blasphemous creed. When Stephen was unswayed by their arguments and further defeated their arguments, they concluded that he must be blaspheming because they had decided before ever engaging Stephen in discussion that anyone who believed what he did must also believe certain blasphemous things. When Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin on these charges, some kind of transformation came over him so that those who looked at him felt that they were in the presence of someone extraordinarily holy.

Psalm 126

     The psalmist tells us here that suffering is only temporary for those who love the Lord. That those who sever the Lord will experience joy and laughter.

Proverbs 16:26-27

     This proverb tells us that those who have unsatisfied desires will work harder than those whose every want has been met.

Daily Bible Study

June 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 Kings 2-3:2

     As David lay dying he instructed Solomon to follow the laws of God. In addition he asked that Solomon see that neither Joab, who had been the commander of David’s armies, nor Shimei, who had cursed David when he fled Absalom, live to die of old age. David also asked Solomon to show honor to the sons of Barzillai, who had stood by him when he fled Absalom. We know that Joab had been the commander of David’s armies and that that may have meant that David could not punish him for his acts that David did not approve of. It might not have been possible for David to have Joab executed (or otherwise punished) and still retain control over his armies. In the previous chapter it mentions that one of David’s advisers who did not support Adonijah’s attempt to claim the throne was named Shimei. Is it possible that this was the same Shimei who cursed David when he fled Absalom? Perhaps the reason that David was so forgiving of Shimei upon reclaiming his throne from Absalom was because Shimei controlled a power base that David needed in order to remain in control of the kingdom, just as Joab did.
     As soon as Solomon is established upon the throne, Adonijah goes to Bathsheba and asks her to convince Solomon to allow him to marry Abishag the Shunammite, the woman who was made David’s concubine as a bed warmer in his old age. Bathsheba agrees. Solomon upon hearing this request recognizes it as an attempt by Adonijah to gain a claim upon the throne by marrying David’s final concubine. In response to this attempt by Adonijah, Solomon has him killed. He then removes Abiathar from all claim on the priesthood, but in recognition of his service to David allows him to retire to his estate. When Joab hears of this he goes to the altar and grabs the horns of the altar and refuses to leave. Solomon orders him killed there. Finally, as the last piece of leftover business from his father, Solomon orders Shimei to build a house in Jerusalem and never leave the city again on pain of death. Shimei agrees to this condition. But three years later two of his slaves ran away to Gath and Shimei pursues them to recover them. When Solomon learns of this he has Shimei killed.
     What we can see from this is that David had gained and kept his throne by playing various power bases off against one another. He gained the support of enough of the men who controlled various power blocks so that he could crush those who acted against him openly, but he was unable to act against those who offered him support, even when they acted against his wishes. Solomon can be seen as consolidating his power by eliminating men who had a power base outside of his control whose loyalty had been shown to be suspect.

Acts 5:1-42

     Today’s passage starts with the follow up to yesterday’s passage about the believers sharing everything that they had. It contains some important things to understand what the previous passage is telling us about wealth and the Church. When Ananias brings the money to give to the Church, Peter does not say his sin was in not giving all of it to the Church. Peter asks him two rhetorical questions. The first question tells us that the land which Ananias sold was his to do with as he chose. The second question tells us that even after he sold it the money from the sale was his to do with as he chose. Ananias’ sin was in claiming that he was giving all of the money he had received for selling the land. This tells us that the land was not held in common by the Church and neither was the money. Ananias’ sin was in attempting to gain glory for being more generous than he actually was.
     After this we are told that the believers all met at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. Luke tells us that even though this was a public place, no one who was not a believer joined them there out of fear. We are not told if that fear is because of Ananias and Saphira or because of the authorities. Nevertheless we are told that many more people became believers as time went on and others brought those with infirmities to at least have Peter’s shadow fall on them as he passed.
     The Jewish leaders who were Sadducees had the apostles arrested and placed in jail. During the night an angel of the Lord released them and told them to go to the Temple courts and preach. They did so. When the Sanhedrin met they sent for the apostles in jail. The officers who went to get the apostles found the jail securely locked, but the apostles were not inside. Someone who knew that the apostles had been arrested came and told the Sanhedrin that they were preaching in the Temple. The Temple guard went and brought the apostles before the Sanhedrin. The High Priest confronts them with the fact that the Sanhedrin had ordered them not to preach in Jesus’ name. The apostles reply by saying that they must obey God rather than man.
     At this point we discover an interesting thing, the Sanhedrin is not united. It is divided into two parties, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. It was the Sadducees who had the apostles arrested. It is a Pharisee who suggests that putting the apostles to death would not be productive. Gamaliel, a Pharisee, points out that several other men had risen up in recent past and claimed to be the Messiah. Those men had gathered a following much as Jesus had. When those men were killed, their followers dispersed. Gamaliel suggests that if Jesus was merely a man, teaching things of human origins, His followers would soon disperse and fade away. If such was the case, there was no point in further persecuting the apostles. On the other hand, If Jesus’ teachings were from God, nothing the Sanhedrin could do would stop them and if they tried to stop them they would find themselves fighting God. The Sanhedrin was swayed by this argument. They had the apostles flogged and released them with instructions not to speak in the name of Jesus.
     I think we need to follow the example of the apostles. We need to be sure that we follow the dictates of God rather than the dictates of man. If we do so, those who oppose us will find themselves opposing God.

Psalm 125:1-5

     The psalmist tells us that those who trust the Lord will not be shaken, the Lord will put a defensive barrier around them.

Proverbs 16:25

     This proverb tells us that, unfortunately, the wrong paths in life do not have signs like the thumbnail I am using for this section. In fact, many of the wrong paths appear to be good. We need to consider each path carefully before embarking down it.

Daily Bible Study

June 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 Kings 1:1-53

     In his old age, we once again have an example of how David was a poor father. The passage tells us that David had never disciplined his son Adonijah, even by so much as questioning his reasons for a particular action. This is the third son who shows us David’s failure as a father. Amnon raped his half-sister, Tamar. Absalom killed Amnon for raping his sister and then later attempted to usurp David’s throne. Now, Adonijah attempts to crown himself king. Unlike Absalom, Adonijah talks with David’s advisers and attempts to get them to support his ascension to the throne. In addition, while Adonijah’s attempt is technically a usurpation, it appears to be more an attempt to establish himself as David’s successor at a time when David is becoming too feeble to rule. Unfortunately for Adonijah, he failed to get enough of David’s advisers to back his bid. On the other hand, Adonijah fails to ingratiate himself with the common man the way that Absalom had done. When Adonijah begins to execute his conspiracy to appoint himself as David’s successor, Nathan, one of David’s advisers who had rejected Adonijah’s plan, started a counter-conspiracy. Nathan goes to Bathsheba and tells her to go to David and remind him that he had promised to make Solomon king as his successor and to tell him that Adonijah was proclaiming himself king. Nathan tells Bathsheba that he will come and confirm what she is telling David about Adonijah.
     Now there are a couple of things that I notice in this passage. David has become somewhat feeble in his old age and is not fully aware of what is going on in his court. David has put off naming a successor. Adonijah decides that since he is the eldest of David’s remaining sons, he is entitled to become the next king. An interesting thing is that Adonijah was apparently aware that David intended for Solomon to succeed him. That would explain why Solomon was the only one of his brothers he did not invite to attend his feast of coronation. It is also interesting to note that the advisers who did not support Adonijah’s attempt to seize the throne were those who are for the most part responsible for domestic policy.
     When David becomes aware of what Adonijah is doing, he realizes his mistake in not naming his successor and turning the throne over to him. He does so at once. He immediately summons his advisers who have not backed Adonijah and instructs them to crown Solomon king. This is where Adonijah’s failure to gain the sentiment of the common people causes him trouble. The people of Jerusalem are overjoyed that Solomon has been named king to succeed David. It is possible that they did not want Adonijah as king, but it is also possible that they were afraid there would be some kind of civil war over the succession if David were to die without naming his successor. It is likely that everyone was expecting David to die very soon and that Adonijah had no intention of outright claiming the throne until after David’s death.
     The final piece to this story is that when Adonijah receives word that David has had Solomon crowned king, his followers desert him in a panic. Adonijah himself fears that Solomon will have him killed and rushes to the tent where the Ark of the Covenant resides. When he gets there he grabs onto the horns of the altar and begs that Solomon spare his life. Solomon promises that if Adonijah behaves loyally, Solomon will not have him killed.

Acts 4:1-37

     After the healing of the lame man and Peter preaching about the resurrection of Jesus, some of the Jewish leaders have them arrested. According to what Luke writes here, the Jewish authorities were more concerned that the apostles were teaching that there was a resurrection of the dead than that they were teaching that Jesus was resurrected. When confronted by the Council as to by what power or in what cause they had acted, Peter and John boldly declared that they had acted in Jesus’ name. They further stated that there is no other way to salvation.
     The Council is impressed by the boldness that Peter and John exhibited here, since neither Peter or John had any special training in scripture. The Council also recognized them as having been among Jesus’ close followers. The Council clearly wanted to use an “appeal to authority” argument to humiliate Peter and John, but since the man who had been lame until the day before was standing there in the crowd, they knew that would not work. The Council then orders Peter and John to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. I like the way that the New American Standard Bible translation renders Peter and John’s reply, “ Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Or as I would put it, “Listen, you can decide for yourselves whether you would do what God tells you to do or what some men tell you to do, but we’re going to do what God tells us.” The Council really wanted to punish Peter and John more severely for defying them, but, with the healed man standing there, they knew that doing so would start a riot. Not only was the fledgling Church not intimidated by the Council warnings, through the moving of the Holy Spirit they were further emboldened. The believers gathered and prayed for the boldness to ignore the threats and for healing power and other miraculous signs to show the people that God stood behind the message that they were preaching.
     The next thing we have is that the believers were unified in heart and mind. In addition, they treated their possessions as gifts from God to be used to meet the needs of others. The passage tells us that there were no needy people among them because those with wealth sold some of their possessions and gave the money to the apostles to meet the needs of those with less. Note, the wealthy did not turn their possessions over to the apostles for the apostles to sell as they saw fit. The wealthy sold their possessions as God directed them and turned the proceeds over to the apostles. I think the important thing to learn from this is something that can be summed up by something my father said. He said that there was nothing wrong with Christians being millionaires or billionaires and there was nothing wrong with Christians being on welfare. However, he said that there was something wrong when a congregation had members who were on welfare and members who were millionaires. He further said that we cannot know from outside whether the problem in such a congregation is with the millionaires, the people on welfare, or somewhere else. All we can say from outside is that something is wrong. His point was that if someone is on welfare giving them money is not the answer, although it may be part of the answer. If someone is on welfare they need help to get off of welfare and be able to be a productive member of society. What form that help needs to take is not something we can specify in advance. Perhaps the person needs to be taught skills that will allow them to have a job, perhaps they need to be taught to manage their time or their money, perhaps they need to be taught to modify other behaviors, or perhaps they just need a job. The person may be in need of welfare because of ongoing behaviors that they need to change, or they may be in need of welfare because of past behaviors that they have since corrected, or they may be on welfare because of circumstances outside of their control. On the other side, the wealthy member may or may not be sufficiently generous with the gifts that God has given them. Finally, there must be someone in the congregation who can judge what needs the person in need has and how best to address them and who can judge whether the wealthy person is doing all that they can to help those in need. If any of these three positions are not properly aligned with God’s will, there is something wrong in a particular congregation. The presence of both the wealthy and those in need in a congregation is not the problem. It is the symptom of some other problem. That other problem may or may not actually involve either the wealthy person or the one in need. It may be that someone else is failing to fulfill the role that God is calling them to. If you find yourself in such a congregation, you need to ask yourself, “What should I be doing differently? How can I minister to the person in need?” In this passage in Acts, nobody told the wealthy to sell their possessions and give the money to be distributed to those in need. They did so out of their own desire to fulfill the will of God.

Psalm 124:1-8

     The psalmist asks what would have happened if God had not been on Israel’s side. He then answers it by using images from the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan river. The psalmist talks about the disasters that the children of Israel would have experienced if not for God’s help. This is just as true of us today. Let me always remember:

“Our help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.”

Proverbs 16:24

     This proverb tells us that kind words are like honey. This is so true. The first way is that honey is sweet and when we eat it we enjoy the taste. The same is true of kind words. If nothing else, we enjoy hearing them. But honey does much more than just taste good. Just as honey can provide our bodies with needed energy to finish a difficult task, so can kind words do for our spirits. In addition, honey can be applied to an open wound to help it heal. Kind words can help us heal from spiritual wounds we have received. Never pass up an opportunity to say a kind word to someone, you never know when that may be the be the “honey” that person needs at that moment.

Daily Bible Study

June 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.

2 Samuel 23:24-24:25

     The passage tells us that David orders Joab to take a census of the people of the tribes of Israel. Joab objects asking why David wants to do this, but David insists. God is displeased with David taking the census and sends a plague on the people of Israel. When David realizes what is happening he cries out to the Lord saying that the people are innocent, the fault is all his own. When I first read this passage years ago I wondered what was wrong with David taking a census of the people of Israel. My father explained to me that David took the census so that he could know how big of an army he could muster. This showed a lack of faith in God, or at least a desire to be able to stand on his own power. David did not need to know how large of an army he could muster because God would fight on their side in any war that God called on them to fight. This makes sense to me.
     After this David builds an altar to God at the point where the plague stops spreading. When he arrives at the location intending to buy it, the owner of the property offers to give it to him. David insists on buying the land and the oxen that he sacrifices. David was unwilling to give an offering to God that did not cost him anything. This is an important lesson, when we give something that cost us nothing it is not an offering to God. The federal government allows us to deduct from our taxes the value of things we give to a thrift store. Yet, for the most part, the things we donate to a thrift store are things we would otherwise throw away. We should not take credit in our minds for having made an offering to God by donating these items. They actually cost us nothing. This does not mean that we should not donate to thrift stores. We should indeed donate to thrift stores, but, in general, such donations do not count towards satisfying the movement of the Spirit to make offerings to God.

Acts 3:1-26

     One day when Peter and John were going up to the afternoon service at the Temple, they saw a lame man being brought to the gate of the Temple so that he could beg money from those going to the Temple. As they approached the man asked them for money. This translation says that Peter and John “looked at him intently”. Other translations word it differently, but they all say in some manner that Peter and John focused their attention on the man. I believe that they were studying the man’s motivations. They were trying to determine if the man wanted to be healed. They did not give him what he was asking for, instead they gave him what he truly desired. Peter told him that he did not have money to give him, but that he would give him what he had to give. Peter then told him to stand up and walk. Peter did not stop there. Peter reached out and helped the man up. Sometimes people do not need a donation, but our help to stand up.
     There is another aspect to this story as well. Among the Church there is a debate going on about the relationship between helping those in need and preaching the gospel. There are those who say that we should help the need in order to get the opportunity to preach the gospel to them. On the other side are those that say that we should allow our actions in helping those in need speak the gospel for us. In this passage, Peter and John healed the lame beggar because that was his need. But then when that drew a crowd, Peter began to preach the gospel. Peter did not heal the beggar in order to have an opportunity to preach the gospel. But when that healing led to an opportunity to preach the gospel, he took it without hesitating.

Psalm 123:1-4

     The psalmist here says that he is looking to God and asking God for mercy. The psalmist is calling on God for mercy because he is tired of being held in contempt. Those who hold us in contempt for our faith should not cause us to turn away from God. They should instead cause to cry out even more to God.

Proverbs 16:21-23

     We are told in this proverb that if we want to be perceived as wise, we need to be both discrete and pleasant. If you want to persuade someone to a course of action you are more likely to do so if you speak to them pleasantly than if you do so with hostility.

Daily Bible Study

June 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 Samuel 22-23:23

     Today’s passage starts with a song that David’s song of victory. It is a song of praise to the Lord. David’s song of victory was a song of praise to God. He did not speak of how successful he was, or of his armies or his mighty men. He praised God and gave credit to God for the victory. This is something that we need to do, recognize that God is responsible for our successes and give Him praise for granting them to us.

“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!”

All of my successes are from God. He is my rock and my refuge. When the trials of this life start to overwhelm me, I turn to Him and He provides me succor.

Acts 2:1-47

     I am actually studying this passage on Sunday, June 3rd. This is important because the sermon in our worship service this morning was partially on this passage from Acts. The preacher this morning pointed out that the Jewish holiday that we know as Pentecost was a celebration of Moses receiving the Law on Mt. Sinai. This made it a rather important Jewish holiday. In addition, he pointed out that at the end of the Gospel of Luke, Luke told us that the disciples spent all their time in the Temple praising God. This means that on Pentecost, the disciples would have been gathered in the Temple. Finally, the description Luke gives of what preceded the disciples being filled with the Holy Spirit is very similar to the description of what happened at Mt. Sinai before Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law. With the Law, God lived first in His tent (the tabernacle) and then later in His house (the temple). With the coming of the Holy Spirit on this Pentecost that Luke describes, God is moving from the House of God to live within the people of God. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples they were not huddled off someplace by themselves. They were out among the people as a group. We, also, should await the coming of the Holy Spirit in the public square. If we as Christians today were to do that, the Holy Spirit would come upon us in a manner which would cause those around us to be cut to the heart and ask us, “Brothers, what shall we do?” When we get that answer, our answer must be that of Peter, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” We must remember that repenting means that we change the behavior of which we are repenting.

Psalm 122:1-9

     This psalm begins with the psalmist saying that he will rejoice with those who say, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Now that God lives within His people, we should rejoice whenever we spend time with our fellow believers. There are two questions we need to ask ourselves. First, do we rejoice when we spend time with our fellow believers? Second, do our fellow believers rejoice when they spend time with us? If the answer to either of those questions is no, we need to do some serious soul searching.
     Later in this psalm the psalmist instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. He tells us to do so for the sake of the House of God. So, now that God resides within His people rather than within the Temple in Jerusalem, is this instruction still valid? Should we as Christians be praying for the peace of Jerusalem? I will say that many of the conflicts in this world today are connected to the strife over Jerusalem. In order for Jerusalem to have peace, most of the world’s conflicts would need to be resolved. I do not believe that most of those conflicts can be resolved by resolving the conflict over Jerusalem, but if those other conflicts were resolved, the conflict over Jerusalem would also be resolved. So, perhaps we should be praying for the peace of Jerusalem. I will certainly add that to my prayer list.

Proverbs 16:19-20/a>

     This proverb tells us that those who strive for power and wealth face difficulties that those who are willing to live simply with those with little material possessions never experience. This does not mean that all paths to wealth lead to unhappiness, just that sometimes people are willing to pay to high of a price for material possessions. The second of these two proverbs tells us that the path to success is to accept instruction rather than being prideful as the first points out that many who seek wealth are. Finally, it tells us that the path to joy is through trusting the lord. I will certainly attest to that. I experience the most joy when I put my fears and concerns in the Lord’s hands and allow Him to deal with them. His solutions bring me greater joy than any I could come up with on my own.
Daily Bible Study

June 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 Samuel 20:14-21:22

     Sheba, the rebel against David, led his men to the town of Abel-beth-maacah. Joab pursued him there and laid siege to the town. A wise woman in the town came out to Joab and asked him why he was trying to destroy this town. She argued that the town was an important town in Israel. Joab answered that if they surrendered Sheba to him, he would withdraw. The woman returned to the town and convinced the people of the town to kill Sheba and throw his head over the wall to Joab. This was done and Joab withdrew. This episode points up an important point in negotiations. Remember what your goals are. Joab had no particular interest in conquering this town. He merely wished to end Sheba’s rebellion against David. The town had no particular interest in rebelling against David. Therefore the town killed Sheba and provided Joab with proof that he was dead. With that action the conflict ended.
     At some point there was a three year famine in Israel. David petitions the Lord to know why they are suffering the famine. The answer he receives is that the famine is because Saul and his family had attempted to wipe out the Gibeonites. The Israelites under Joshua had made an oath not to wipe out the Gibeonites. David summons the remaining Gibeonites and asks how he can make amends to them. They respond by requesting that seven of Saul’s sons for them to execute. David turns over to them Saul’s two remaining sons and five of his grandsons, specifically exempting Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. The Gibeonites executed them and the famine ended. I have no idea what the relevance of this is to us today, although I am sure at another time God will show me something in this passage.
     Then we have an account of battles against the Philistines in which the Israelites killed several giants among the Philistines. In the first battle, David becomes exhausted and is cornered by a giant. As the giant is about to kill David, Abishai came to his rescue and killed the giant. After this the men ask David to not go into battle with them anymore because they are afraid that the next time he might be killed. The account tells us that in four different battles against the Philistines David and his men faced and killed a giant.

Acts 1:1-26

     Luke begins the Book of Acts by telling us that Jesus was with the apostles from time to time for forty days after the resurrection (the translation I am using says after the crucifixion, but the traditional understanding is that it was after the resurrection and other translations suggest that the original Greek is slightly ambiguous). During this time the apostles kept asking Jesus if He was going to restore the kingdom of Israel now. Jesus replies that it is not for them to know. Then He tells them that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they will be witnesses to the ends of the earth telling people about Him. The attempt to determine the date when Jesus will return is futile. God has not revealed that information to anyone and according to this, and several other passages, will not do so.
     After this when the about 120 believers were gathered, Peter stood up and said that they should choose someone to replace Judas. They all considered the qualifications such a person should have and then nominated two men: Justus and Matthias. They prayed for the Lord’s guidance and then cast lots. The lot fell to Matthias and so he was chosen. I remember several people who taught that the disciples made a mistake in replacing Judas at this time, that God intended Paul to be Judas’ replacement. This is the result of faulty thinking. There is nothing in this passage or any other that says that this was a mistake. The basis for this thinking is the idea that there were only ever supposed to be twelve apostles. Paul’s writings suggest that the role of apostle is one that God will fill according to His will and desires.

Psalm 121:1-8

     This psalm is so appropriate today. I was feeling a little depressed and starting to worry about the future earlier today. As I was doing my daily devotions, just before I got to this psalm. I received a phone call telling me that the reason I had not received a phone call about a job I had interviewed for was because the hiring manager had been out of town unexpectedly. He was just getting back and called to let me know that he would review the information on Monday when he got into the office and call me on Tuesday with their answer. I got off of the phone and read:

“My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!”
…
“The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.”

How very true I know that to be. God’s timing is wonderful in all things and this psalm reminds me to praise God in all things. As Paul says in 1 Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I am learning to do this.

Proverbs 16:18

Lord help me to remain humble when I experience good fortune. Remind me that all good things come from you and are not the result of my good works or talent.

Daily Bible Study

June 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 Samuel 19:11-20:13

     In order to consolidate his backing from the leaders of Judah, David offers Amasa, whom Absalom had appointed commander over the army, the role of commander over David’s army, in place of Joab. As David is returning to Jerusalem, Shimei, who had cursed David when he fled Jerusalem, comes out to greet David and beg his forgiveness. Even though Abishai argues that Shimei should be executed for cursing David, David chooses to spare Shimei’s life. Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth also came down to meet David as he returned. David asked why Mephibosheth had not accompanied him when he fled. Mephibosheth answered that Ziba had not saddled his donkey, so he, being a cripple, was unable to do so.
     An argument broke out between the men of Judah and the men of the rest of Israel over escorting David back to Jerusalem. It is not at all clear to me what the argument was about. However, the argument escalated until Sheba son of Bicri raised a cry of rebellion and the men of Israel started to follow him. David sends out Amasa to mobilize the army of Judah, giving him three days. Amasa takes longer than that to do so. David becomes concerned that Sheba will be able to consolidate his position and set himself up in a fortified town. So he orders Joab and Abishai to take his personal troops out after Sheba immediately. As Joab and Abishai are leading David’s personal troops out to battle Amasa meets them. Joab greets Amasa in a friendly fashion but as he gets close Joab stabs and kills him. Joab then leads the combined force to defeat Sheba son of Bicri.

John 21:1-25

     At some point after Jesus appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem they returned to Galilee. Peter decides to go fishing and some of the other disciples join him. They are out all night and fail to catch anything. At dawn, the disciples see Jesus on the shore, but they cannot tell who it is. Jesus asks them if they have caught anything and they reply that they have not. Jesus tells them to throw their nets over the right hand side of the boat, when they do so they catch enough to fill the net so full they cannot pull it in. One of the disciples, probably John, realizes that it is Jesus and tells Peter. Peter jumps into the water and heads to shore. The other disciples followed in the boat. When they get to shore they discover that Jesus has some fish cooking over a fire and some bread. After breakfast, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. Peter answers in the affirmative each time.
     There are several elements of this story that I find interesting. Here we have a group of experienced fishermen who spend the night fishing and fail to catch anything. As they return to shore Jesus tells them to put the net in the water one more time and they catch so many fish they cannot pull the net back into the boat. In addition, when they get to shore, Jesus already has some fish cooked up and ready to eat. I could come up with a naturalistic explanation for this, but it is, at best, improbable. I am not sure what point the writer is making with this story but I will tell you what it means to me. Jesus was demonstrating His ability to provide for His disciples needs in abundance. There is no need for us to be concerned about our needs, as long as we are following God’s will for our lives, He will provide. Another element that always strikes me is that Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times the night of His trial. Each time after Peter avows his love for Jesus, Jesus tells him to feed and care for His sheep. The final element is when, after Jesus has told Peter about his death, Peter asks Jesus about another disciple. Jesus’ response is to tell Peter that it is none of his business what Jesus intends for another, He is calling Peter to follow Him. We should not compare our lives to those of others. Jesus calls us each to follow Him in the way that He intends for us. It is not our concern what He has in store for others, we are called to serve Him in the way He has for us.

Psalm 120:1-7

     These psalms so clearly say things of importance that it is hard for me to comment further on them. This phrase so sums up my life experience:

“I took my troubles to the Lord;
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.”

Every day I try to remember to take my troubles to the Lord, to cry out to Him and wait for His answer to my prayers.

Proverbs 16:16-17

     I don’t know if you have ever met someone with more money than sense, but I have and it certainly testifies to the truth of this proverb. The second half of this proverb also tells something of value. While it is true that there are many men in prison for crimes they did not commit, if you look at the lives they were leading before they were arrested you will discover that it is the rare person in prison who was leading a virtuous life. This does not justify people being punished for crimes they did not commit. It just tells us that if you lead a virtuous life, you are unlikely to be punished for crimes you did not commit.

Daily Bible Study

June 1, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

2 Samuel 18-19:10

     David organized the men with him into three groups. One each under Joab and Abishai, his cousins, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. David’s initial plan was to go out with these three groups and command them from the field. His men objected, since the whole object of Absalom’s army would be to kill David. If David’s men were victorious on the battlefield but David was killed, they would lose the war. On the other hand, no matter how badly they were defeated on the battlefield, as long as David was alive, they had not lost the war. David accedes to their request that he remain in the city. When the battle begins, it is scattered throughout a forested area where more men died from the terrain than from enemy action. Absalom himself becomes a victim of the terrain. At one point Absalom comes upon some of David’s men. He attempts to flee on his mule but his hair, which an earlier passage noted as one of his sources of pride, gets caught in a tree and he gets hung up from it. One of David’s men sees this and takes word to Joab. Joab asks him why he did not kill Absalom and tells him that he, Joab, would have rewarded him for it. The soldier replies that he would not have killed Absalom for 100 times the reward that Joab said he would have given because he heard David request that the leaders spare Absalom and if he had killed Absalom David would have found out. The soldier is clearly familiar with what David had done to the messenger who reported that he had killed King Saul and the men who killed Ishbosheth. Joab then goes and kills Absalom himself.
     After the death of Absalom ends the battle, Ahimaaz, one of the spies who brought news of Absalom’s plans to David, asks Joab for the honor of bringing news of the victory to David. Joab tells him that David will not honor the one who brings this news and sends an Ethiopian with the message. Ahimaaz continues to beg Joab for the privilege of taking the news to David. Joab finally consents. Ahimaaz takes a less direct, but also less arduous, route to where David is waiting and arrives minutes ahead of the Ethiopian. Ahimaaz tells David that the battle is won. When David asks about Absalom, Ahimaaz tells him that there was a commotion when he set out, but he did not know what it was about. When the Ehtiopian arrives, he tells David that Absalom is dead. Upon hearing this news, David goes into mourning. When word gets out that David is mourning, the returning soldiers stopped celebrating their victory and started behaving as if they had deserted the battlefield. Joab goes in and rebukes David warning him that if he continues like this his troops will desert him in truth. David heeds Joabs rebuke and goes out and takes up a position in the town gate.
     Absalom dies because of his pride and his vanity. The first issue is his pride. Absalom was leading his forces against David’s forces, despite having no previous combat experience, in part because of his pride. When Ahithphel advised him to send out troops immediately after David, part of what convinced Absalom to follow Hushai’s advice to wait for more troops was that Hushai also advised Absalom to lead the troops himself. So, here we have Absalom out on the battlefield. The second issue is his vanity. In an earlier passage we are told that he only cut his hair once a year when it became too heavy. In the same passage it tells us that Absalom was a handsome man. It is clear from that passage that Absalom took a lot of pride in his appearance, in particular his long hair. On this occasion, his pride in his long hair causes him trouble because his hair gets tangled in a tree and he cannot flee from David’s men.

John 20:1-31

     John records that the first person to witness Jesus’ resurrection is a woman and that Jesus sends her with a message to the disciples. This is in a culture where women are considered unreliable witnesses. You would think that if the disciples were making up the story about Jesus’ resurrection, they would have chosen to make the first witnesses more credible. In addition, even after receiving the news, Jesus finds the disciples cowering in fear of the Jewish leaders behind closed doors.
     When Jesus does appear to the disciples, He shows them the wounds in his hands and in his side. John recounts an interesting teaching here. Jesus tells the disciples that if they forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven, but if they do not forgive anyone’s sins, they are not forgiven. I am not quite sure what He meant by that. What if Peter forgave someone’s sins, but Andrew did not? I think that it emphasizes the importance of us forgiving others. I, also, think that Jesus was telling the disciples, and us, that we had the authority to do as He had done during His ministry where He had told someone that their sins were forgiven. We, also, have the authority to tell someone that their sins are forgiven. This is also in the context of John’s relating of the Great Commissioning where Jesus is sending the disciples, and, by proxy, us, into the world to preach the Gospel. Jesus sends them into the world in the same manner that He was sent.
     Then we have the story of Thomas who was not there when Jesus appeared to the disciples the first time. He expresses that seeing is not enough, he needs to be able to touch the wounds to believe they are real. Thomas represents those who stoutly aver that they will only believe that which they can experience with their five senses. I have heard it said that when someone asks you for proof that God exists the first thing you need to do is ask them what they will accept as proof. Here Thomas says what he will accept as proof of Jesus’ resurrection. When Jesus appears to Thomas, He immediately offers him that proof. It is interesting to note that in the end, Thomas did not require the proof that he had said was necessary before he would believe. When Jesus appeared to Thomas and offered the proof, Thomas cries out, “My Lord and my God,” without actually putting his finger in the nail wounds or his hand in the spear wound. I think this is important, once someone has acknowledged that there is something that could prove to them that God exists, the exposure to the Divine is often enough to convince them, even if it is less than what they had said before hand would be necessary. Of course, if Thomas had still required that proof, it was available to him. I believe that once we are willing to accept something as proof of God’s existence, God will provide us with that proof. Sometimes He will do so even when we are not really willing to accept that proof. I heard a story some time back that illustrates this:

A philosophy professor was talking to his class about his belief that there was no God. He said that he would illustrate his point. He got up on his desk and called out to the ceiling, “God, if you exist, knock me off of this desk.” (Now take note that he did not specify how God should knock him off the desk). After a few moments, he start to say, “See, there is no God.” But before he can finish, one of his students gets up and knocks him off the desk. The professor asks the student, “Why did you do that?”

There was more to the story as I first heard it because the person telling it was making another point. My point here is that the professor in this story laid out what he would accept as proof that God existed. That proof was that he be knocked off of his desk. But when he was knocked off of his desk, he did not accept it as proof of God’s existence. He wanted to know why the student acted as he did. This is all too often how we see things in this life. We ask God for something. Then when it happens by means of something that can be explained by natural causes we dismiss it as not being the hand of God.

Psalm 119:153-176

     Today we come to the final three stanzas of this psalm. The psalmist continues to speak of the joy and satisfaction in following God’s laws and commands. The psalmist again and again says things like:

“I have obeyed your laws,
for I love them very much.”

Yet in the end he admits that for all of his love for God’s commands he has fallen short and needs God’s help to fulfill them:
“I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
come and find me,…”

That is also my prayer for I know that much as I try to follow God’s commands I fall short. As Paul says in Romans 7, “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Come and find me Lord, for I am a lost sheep. I know that only through Your power can I be freed from my slavery to sin.

Proverbs 16:14-15

     Today’s proverb relates the importance of staying on the good side of those with political authority. We, as Christians, may answer to a Higher Authority than those with political power, yet they still have the ability to make our lives miserable or more pleasant. We should respect political authorities and obey their instructions, unless those instructions go against the will of God.

Daily Bible Study

May 31, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

2 Samuel 17:1-29

     After Absalom occupies Jerusalem and has sex with the concubines which David, his father, had left behind, Ahithophel urges him to immediately send troops out after David and his men under the command of Ahithophel. However, Hushai, whom David had encouraged to stay behind and give Absalom bad advice, convinces Absalom to delay until he had gathered more troops and for Absalom to lead them himself. Hushai uses two time honored techniques to get Absalom to follow his advice. He plays on Absalom’s fears of David and his men and he plays to his vanity of being seen as a great war leader. Absalom decides to follow Hushai’s advice. This allows Hushai time to warn David and allows David and his men time to get to a defensive location among supporters. Interestingly, David chooses as his base the same city that Abner had chosen to base the kingship of Saul’s son Ishbosheth. Ahithophel recognizes how disastrous following Hushai’s advice will be for Absalom, and thus for himself, and goes home,sets his affairs in order and kills himself.

John 19:23-42

     In this crucifixion account John references Psalm 22:18 when he says that the soldiers that crucified Jesus divided His clothes and diced over His robe. Matthew and Mark reference Psalm 22:1 when they write that Jesus last words were “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” In both cases the writers are applying the whole of Psalm 22 to this situation. In Psalm 22 the psalmist is crying out in despair, yet nevertheless praising God and declaring His righteousness. Later in this account John references Psalm 34:20 when he says that the soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs to fulfill the scripture that “Not one of His bones will be broken.” The verse before that in the psalm says, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” That is very similar to the theme of Psalm 22. I think it is significant that three of the four Gospel writers reference this. I believe that they are each saying that despite appearances God was with Jesus to the very end and came to His rescue. In a way they are foreshadowing the resurrection and they are saying that Jesus knew that the resurrection was coming to follow passing through this time of torment. Even in the despair and torment of His crucifixion and death Jesus continued to praise God. We should do the same in whatever hardships and troubles we face.

Psalm 119:129-152

     Throughout this psalm the psalmist has expressed his joy in following God’s commands and the judgement that will fall on those who do not do so. In today’s reading, he expresses his sadness for those who do not follow God’s commands:

“Rivers of tears gush from my eyes
because people disobey your instructions.”

This should be our feeling as well for those who do not choose to serve God, deep sadness. This passage emphasizes the burden on my heart to pray for my friends who have not yet come to know the Lord. As has been true since I started reading Psalm 119, today this psalm truly touches me.
“Your laws are wonderful.
No wonder I obey them!”

I definitely see this as true. The more I obey God’s will for my life, the more joy I have and the more I want to find more of His will to follow.
“Your laws are always right;
help me to understand them so I may live.”

There are those who wish to throw away those of God’s laws that they do not like, thinking that they understand how humans work better than our Maker. I once thought there was something to their arguments, until I experienced the pain (and inflicted pain on others) of not following those rules. I learned that biblical instructions are not just for those who lived many years ago. God’s laws are always right.
“I have known from my earliest days
that your laws will last forever.”

I have no excuse for the mistakes I made, my parents taught me this from a young age. I wanted it to be true, so I allowed those I should not have trusted to convince me that it was. I have learned that what I learned as a child is more reliable than the “more mature” perspective I came to later.

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Proverbs 16:12-13

     When those with political authority follow these proverbs a country will be blessed. The further those with political authority are from the standard of these proverbs, the more oppression and suffering will be found in the country. In addition the further those with political authority are from the standard of these proverbs the less stable will be their authority.