Those who fear to do wrong will be blessed, but those who stubbornly refuse to do what is right will end up with more trouble than they know what to do with.
If we follow God’s commands they will teach us what we need to know and how to make good decisions. If we wish to do good, we must learn from God because He is the only source from which we may learn goodness. If we are willing, He will discipline us until we learn to stay true to His path. God created us, surely He knows what we should do to fulfill our potential. I will do as He says because He knows what will bring me joy.
Rather than repay evil with evil and insult with insult, seek how you can bless those who insult you or do evil to you. This is harder than it seems (as I am sure you are aware), but God will bless us if we do so. If you are always seeking to do good for those around you there are few who will desire to bring you harm. Even if someone does desire to bring you harm because of doing good, God will bless you. Therefore we do not need to fear when others threaten us for doing good.
When others ask why we do what we do and have the hope let us be prepared to explain our actions. There is no reason to do so in a defensive or accusatory manner. Instead, let us explain our actions in a humble and gentle manner. To bring that home, when I explain why I am faithful to my wife to a philanderer I should be careful not to draw a contrast to his actions. I do not wish to condemn others through my example. I wish to show them the joy they can have by choosing to also follow God’s commands. If we are gentle and respectful in our actions and statements, God’s Spirit will use us to convict others to turn from their sins. If we live as we ought, those who speak against us because of our faith will be ashamed of themselves when they witness the type of lives we live.
When Daniel and his friends rejected the food which the Babylonians offered them they did not do so because they knew the diet they preferred would make them healthier and more able to master their studies. They chose to take a stand because they believed that doing so was God’s will for them. On the other hand, they also believed that God would not have commanded such a diet if it was less healthy than the one they were rejecting. We can be confident that obeying God will be in our best interest, just as it was here for Daniel and his friends.
The translation notes say that it could also be translated as “Blessed are those who fear the Lord” and that the Hebrew just reads as “Blessed are those who fear.” When I contrast this with the second portion of this proverb, I really needed this proverb right now. I just made the decision to buy another car and I was dissatisfied with the decision I made (not with the car, but with the decision making process). In some ways this proverb relieves my worries. I had a lot of fear going into making this decision and I did not stubbornly stick to my guns, but when I was done, I thought I should have decided differently.
If we can make a major decision without fearing that we are making a mistake, we are stubbornly fooling ourselves on to the path to serious trouble.
It is by following God’s commands that we acquire knowledge and good judgement. The arrogant may slander us, but if we obey God’s commands He will vindicate us. Let us take joy in our suffering because it will help us learn God’s instructions. God has made us, He will give us the sense to follow His commands, if we will accept it. I will focus on God’s instructions and leave those who malign me with lies for God to handle.
Today’s passage begins by telling us not to repay evil with evil. Rather, we are to repay evil and insult with blessing. There are few who will wish to harm us if we do good, and God will reward us if we do suffer for doing good. Therefore we need not fear those who threaten us in attempt to convince us to stop doing good.
When someone asks us why we are not afraid to continue in the face of threats, Peter tells us to be prepared with an answer. When we give them our answer, let us do so gently and with respect. This last bit is a challenge for me. Nevertheless we are called to live such lives that when people see how we live they are embarrassed that they said whatever terrible things they have said against Christians and us in the past.
Since Christ suffered bodily harm, we should prepare ourselves for the same. This will help us keep from spending our lives chasing our own desires and instead make us anxious to do God’s will. We should no longer join with our non-believing friends in wild and destructive behavior. Everyone will have to give account to God for how they live. Let us choose to live in a way that gives others an example of how they should live to please God.
When Daniel and his three friends were entered into Nebuchadnezzar’s training program, they strove to remain faithful to God, despite the pressures to conform to a pagan lifestyle. As I read this today it struck me that in a way the situation Daniel and his friends found themselves in was very similar to the college experience today. They chose not to join in the debauchery of their fellow students. More interesting to me is the fact that Daniel and his friends chose a diet and lifestyle that was healthier and more favorable for learning.
It is possible Daniel was aware that this was the case, but I think he was just acting on faith. He believed that God wished him to live in this manner. Therefore, he was confident that God would cause him to thrive in this environment if he lived that way. We know from studies which have been done in modern times that the outcome was to be expected. Of course, Daniel and his three friends were healthier, better nourished than their contemporaries who drank and ate too much. Not only that but it was a natural result that at the end of the training they were wiser and more knowledgeable than the rest of their cohort.
As I said, this is obvious to us today. Daniel and his friends spent their time in the training program learning and studying (both the program provided by the Babylonians and God’s word). They did not spend their time drinking and partying like the other young men in the program. However, I don’t think they knew this was the case. I think they believed that they would be rewarded for being faithful to God and thus made their choice. They did not choose to behave as they did because it would help them learn and be healthy (although it had that effect). In the same way, I believe that when we choose to live a godly life, we will almost always obtain better results than when we choose to live a worldly lifestyle.
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 Book of Daniel begins with two accounts of Daniel’s faith (the first one included his three friends). In the first story, Daniel and his friends request that they be provided food which complies with Jewish dietary laws. The king’s chief of staff, Ahspenaz, was initially afraid to feed them anything other than the foods which the king had provided for the young men he was training. Daniel suggested a ten-day trial. After ten days, Daniel and his friends, who had eaten the kosher diet, looked healthier and better nourished than those who had eaten the king’s diet. Daniel and his friends did not choose their diet because they thought it was healthier for them. They chose their diet because they believed it was God’s command for them to do so. They had faith and they acted on that faith, despite the doubts of those around them. Am I willing to act in a similar fashion on my faith?
In the second story, King Nebuchadnezzar asks of his counselors something that is impossible for any human to accomplish. He asked them to explain to him the meaning of his dream, without telling them what the dream was. King Nebuchadnezzar was resolute that if his advisers had the powers they claimed, they should be able to tell him his dream and its interpretation. When they insisted that it was not possible for any man to do what he had asked, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered that all of the wise men in the kingdom be put to death. Daniel and his friends had not been present when the king made his demand. When the commander of the king’s bodyguard came to kill Daniel and his friends, Daniel asked why the king had made such an order. Upon hearing the reason, Daniel requested of the king more time. Daniel and his friends then petitioned God for an answer to the king’s riddle. When God revealed the answer to Daniel, he did not immediately rush off to the king claiming what a puissant and wise man that he, Daniel, was. No, Daniel’s first response was to praise and thank God for revealing the secret to him. Once more, do I give credit to God when others honor me for merely being faithful to Him?
Peter instructs all believers to be of one mind in service to Christ, loving one another with compassion and humility. Rather than respond in kind when people insult us or commit evil acts against us, we should strive to bless them and bring about good to them. Peter points out that there will be few people who will desire to harm us if we are always eager to do good. If we do suffer for doing good, God will reward us. Let us not fear what those who do not know Christ fear. It is because of Christ that we do not fear what they fear and we should always be ready to explain this, but with humility and gentleness. It is our goal to provide an avenue for the Holy Spirit to convict them and convince them to also put their faith in Christ. I will strive to have the same attitude which Christ had. Being ready to suffer if that is what results from doing God’s will. Our friends who do not yet know Jesus will be constantly surprised that we do not join them in their self-destructive behaviors and may slander us as a result. Yet I have had enough of chasing after my own selfish desires and anxiously wish to seek and desire the doing of God’s will.
If we truly believe God’s commands He will teach us good judgment and knowledge. Any suffering we experience will be good for us because it will teach us to obey God’s commands. I truly believe that God’s instructions are more valuable than any material wealth that I can possibly imagine. Doing God’s will brings greater happiness and contentment than any amount of wealth. God created me and put me where I am, I pray that He gives me the wisdom to do His will in this place and time. I pray that God will bring companions who will encourage me to fear Him and obey His word for it is only by obeying His word that I may avoid shaming myself before others.
Those who fear to do wrong because they fear God will be blessed, while trouble will abound to those who stubbornly refuse to consider, and thus fear, the consequences of their actions. What a great truth, when I was young, many of my friends thought I was wise because I often withdrew from bad actions before things went wrong and others got into trouble. However, the truth was that I feared getting caught more than I desired the anticipated joy of the action in question. Over time I learned that the reason that those in authority attempted to stop my fellows from doing many of those things was because doing them could all too easily lead to harm for those who did it (or for others).
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.
Today I begin reading the book of Daniel. The book starts with the story of how Daniel and his three friends ended up in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar. As young men they were brought into exile in Babylon and chosen to serve in the court along with other young men in exile. From other sources, I have come to the belief that part of the reason that the young men in this program were chosen was because they were not Chaldeans (the name of the ethnic group that ruled Babylon) and thus were not threats to attempt to usurp the throne. The mental image I always have of these young men is of 18-20 year-olds. However, it is likely that they were actually probably just entering puberty and thus were about 10-12 years old.
The king directed that they be fed the same type of food which he ate. This food was not kosher, but relative to the story, it was also probably very fatty. Daniel and his three friends (an interesting side note at this point. We know Daniel by his Hebrew name, Daniel, but his three friends by their Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach,and Abednego) did not want to eat this food because it was not kosher (and possibly because they did not like the way it looked/tasted. They were after all at an age when children are often particular about what they will eat). Nevertheless it is notable that Daniel was willing to stand up to those who had been put into authority over them and request different food. The chief of staff was hesitant to feed them differently because he believed that the food the king was providing was what would provide for the young men to grow and develop into strong and intelligent men. Daniel shows his wisdom. Rather than throw a tantrum and refuse to eat, he suggests a trial. The chief of staff will feed them only kosher food (and since there was no kosher meats available at that time and place, that meant all vegetables) for ten days. In addition, they would drink only water. Daniel suggested that at the end of ten days the chief of staff could compare what they looked like to the other boys and make his decision based on that. This suggests that Daniel had some understanding of good nutrition. At the end of the ten days, the four boys looked much healthier than their contemporaries. The story then tells us that these four young men demonstrated an unusual aptitude for learning. If we think about it, it makes perfect sense. Their contemporaries were feasting and drinking every day on the food and wine provided by the king, while Daniel and his three friends were eating healthily and drinking water. Even if the four of them did not study more than their contemporaries, they would have been mentally prepared to get more out of their studies because their minds would not have been fogged by alcohol. The difference was so profound that they clearly stood out when they were brought before the king.
Shortly after the four had “graduated” and entered into service of the king, the king began suffering nightmares. He gathered his court soothsayers. I note two interesting points about this. The first is that the list of those the king called are variations of those who claim magical powers as the basis for their wisdom. The second is that Daniel and his friends were not among those called. The king asked the magicians (I will use this term to separate them from the group of wise men that included both them and those who did not claim magical powers) he had gathered to tell him what his dreams meant, without revealing what those dreams were. The magicians responded that such a thing was impossible, that there was no way for them to know what the king’s dreams were. That only a god would know that and none of them were gods. The king was furious that they could not tell him what his dreams were and ordered that all of his court wise men be executed. The king had correctly concluded that the magicians were primarily a bunch of con artists who used tricks and subterfuge to make it seem as if they had magical powers. The thing he overlooked was that he had at least four advisers who did not claim magical powers. When the commander of the kings guard came to arrest Daniel and his friends they were unaware of what had happened (not having responded to the first summons since they did not claim any magical powers). When they found out what this was all about Daniel went to the king and requested some time to interpret the dream. The king granted him his request. Daniel went home and held a prayer meeting with his three roommates (OK, I am guessing the part about them being roommates and the prayer meeting part is just my interpretation). That night Daniel received a vision answering the king’s question about his dreams. Daniel’s response was to praise God and give all credit for the answer to God. Refusing in any way to take credit for the answer himself, not even to the point of implying that getting the answer was a result of his special relationship with God. Daniel’s prayer of praise contains within it the idea that anyone who was willing to subject themselves to God could have asked and received the answer. Do we have the faith to ask God for these sorts of answers? And as importantly, do we have the humility to acknowledge that when we get these answers it is not because we are somehow special?
Peter tells us to be of one mind with our fellow believers. We are to love each other with tender hearts and a humble attitude. We should not respond in like fashion to those who treat us badly and/or insult us. Instead we should bless those who mistreat us and talk about the good things we see in them. Peter points out that few will desire to harm us if we are always eager to do good. And even if we are persecuted for doing good, that is better than to be punished for doing wrong. God will reward us for doing good, even if those of the world mock and mistreat us for it. We need to be prepared to explain our faith when people question us as to how we can live our lives as we do (and hopefully we are living our lives in a way that glorifies God). But when we give that explanation, we are to be gentle and respectful (I believe that for many of us–definitely myself included–this is the hardest part). If we follow Peter’s instructions when people speak against us they will be shamed as others compare their slanders with our actual behavior (and perhaps those slandering us will be ashamed of saying such malicious things and come to know the Lord).
Peter tells us that we should be prepared to suffer for our faith because Christ Himself suffered even though He was sinless. He tells us that when we experience physical suffering for our faith, it will make us even more determined to be faithful to God. As we choose to avoid drunkenness and wild parties, immorality and lust, and other self-destructive behavior, those around us who seek fulfillment in such things will be surprised and slander us. They will call us prudes and killjoys (and worse). Let us remember the joy that comes from serving the Lord. Restored Deep Creek Riparian Zone[/caption]
The Lord has indeed done many good things for me. I believe that His commands (even though I often fail to keep them) are the path to happiness and fulfillment. I request that He give me good judgement and knowledge of what He desires me to do. I value God’s commands more than I value any amount of wealth. I was created by God, it makes sense that following His instructions is the path to the greatest happiness and health. I know that the difficult times (and truth be told, they have not really been that difficult) I have experienced are necessary discipline to teach me to follow God’s commands more closely. Let me form more close friendships with those who are striving to serve God, so that they may strengthen me and I them. Let me follow God’s commands in all that I do, so that I never need be ashamed.
Those who fear to do wrong will be blessed, but those who stubbornly refuse to accept admonishment will soon find more trouble than they bargained for.
Restored Deep Creek Riparian Zone[/caption]