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. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
The beginning of the passage describes how the Israelites made two silver trumpets which were blown in different patterns to signal different actions. After this the people set out from Sinai following the marching order that God had given them. As they traveled the people began to grumble about the hardship of the journey such that a fire broke out on the outskirts of the camp, killing some of the people. The people screamed for Moses and when he prayed to the Lord the fire stopped. However, even after this the people began to complain that they were tired of only having manna to eat. They grumbled that they wanted meat to eat. Moses cried out to the Lord in frustration and exhaustion over the complaints from the people. God instructed him to gather 70 leaders of the people. God was going to share some of the Spirit that was on Moses with these 70 men and they would share his burden of leadership, thus lightening the load on Moses. Then God told Moses that since the people had complained about not having meat to eat, He was going to give them meat. They were going to have meat to eat, not just for one day, or five days, or a week, but for an entire month. They were going to eat so much meat that they would come to loathe it before the supply was exhausted. Moses questioned where that much meat would come from in the wilderness and God replied that His hand was long enough to provide.
How often are we like the people of Israel? Do we complain because God has not made our lives easy? Even after He has delivered us from suffering? Do we complain that God’s provision for our needs is not good enough, that God has not given us the luxuries we desire? Is it possible to request more from God while being thankful for what He has already given us? I think that it is. But I think it is something we have to work very hard at, making sure that we are not whining about the things we do not have. I know that there are things I would like to have that I have prayed to God about, but I strive very hard to be thankful for what God has done for me.
Two days before Passover Jesus went to a feast at Simon the Leper’s House. This man’s name is interesting since lepers were social outcasts at the time. It seems likely that he was not someone who was suffering from leprosy. While Jesus was there a woman broke open a jar of expensive perfume and poured it over Jesus’ head. Some of the guests were indignant that she had done this when the perfume could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. They rebuked her for her wasteful action. Jesus told them to leave her alone, that she had done a beautiful thing. This passage is one that tells us that the Gospel cannot be reduced to just caring for the poor and the oppressed, as some attempt to do. There is more to following Jesus than providing assistance to the needy. We should seek ways in which we can emulate this woman. I am not even sure I know what it means to emulate this woman.
It was immediately after this incident that Judas went to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciple asked Jesus where He wanted them to make the preparations for Him to eat the Passover meal. He tells them to go into the city and meet a man who will show them a room prepared for them to have the Passover meal. When I was growing up I always read this as them going to meet a stranger who would spontaneously agree to let them use his room (or maybe the man he worked tor would spontaneously let them use his room). However, the last few times I have read this it has seemed more likely that Jesus had prearranged with this man to celebrate the Passover meal in his room. That evening Jesus and the Twelve arrived and ate the meal. While they were eating, Jesus told them that one of them would betray Him. They each proclaimed their loyalty to Him and asked Him to affirm that He did not mean them. He responded by telling them that one of the Twelve, one of those dining with Him that night, would betray Him (the phrasing suggests that this was one of the ultimate forms of betrayal). He told them that what was going to happen had to happen and would happen according to God’s plan. But that it would have been better for the one who was going to betray Him if they had never been born. Jesus tells us that while His betrayal was according to God’s plan, the one who did the actual betrayal was still responsible for his actions. Just because the evil we choose to do fulfills God’s plans does not excuse us from responsibility for doing evil.
This is another great psalm. There is a song by Keith Green based on this psalm that is one of my favorites. He uses the King James Version of verses 10-12:
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
This is a psalm that has much for me to study, although I cannot agree with the psalmist that it is only against God that I have sinned. There are many people whom I have wronged at one point or another, although in doing so I have sinned against God as well. Nevertheless it is to God that I will turn to for cleansing, for only He can cleanse me from my sins. It is only God who can work the change in my innermost being that is necessary for me to overcome sin in my life.
The psalmist reminds us that once we have accepted God’s cleansing we are to teach other sinners God’s ways, so that they, also, may turn to Him for cleansing. I desire to be as the psalmist declares. That every time my mouth opens I bring praise to God. I will take to heart the psalmist’s proclamation that God desires that we have a broken and contrite spirit more than He desires our offerings and sacrifices. Oh Lord, grant me a humble spirit and make me willing to serve You in all ways that you desire.
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The godly speak words of wisdom that provide others with helpful advice, while the wicked speak perverted words which will lead others to seek to shut them up. I will strive to say things that will be helpful to others.