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. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
The part of this passage which struck me today was chapter 61, verses 1 & 2:
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
As I read that my first thought was that I believe that the Spirit of God is upon me, but has He really anointed me for anything? And the answer is, “Yes.” As a follower of Christ, I have been anointed by God’s Spirit to bring good news to the poor. The time of the Lord’s favor has come. I will proclaim that God will release the captives and free the prisoners. I am called by the Lord to serve Him. Where do you want me to go, Lord? Show me the path you wish me to follow and put your words in my mouth.
Paul tells us that no matter what happens around us, we need to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the good news about Christ. There is no reason to let those who oppose us because of our faith frighten us. If we do not allow them to intimidate us it will be a sign to them that God will save us and bring destruction on those who oppose us.
What is conduct worthy of the good news about Christ? Paul gives us a good summary in verses 3 & 4 of chapter 2:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
We are to have the same attitude as Christ had. He did not stand on His rights as the Son of God. Instead, He humbled Himself and became obedient to God. Paul then gets to the part that I have the most trouble with, “Do everything without complaining and arguing.” By looking at multiple translations it becomes clear that Paul linked not complaining or arguing with living clean, innocent lives. In order to shine like bright lights among the people of this world we need to live clean, innocent lives. If we spend our time arguing and complaining, we are not living clean, innocent lives.
This psalm makes a good model for us to use in praying for political authorities. Let us pray that the authorities judge with righteousness and justice. Pray that they help the poor and crush the oppressors. I will pray that the godly will flourish under those who rule this country and that prosperity will spread to all its citizens.
The proverb writer warns us that God will judge us if we choose not to know the evil being done around us. It says that we are to intervene to save people from unjust execution. However, when I read other translations (such as the NIV) the passage seems to suggest that we are to intervene whenever someone is following a course of action that will lead to their death. Further, the writer tells us that choosing not to know that people are on a path leading to death is not an excuse.