Tag Archives: Bible Commentary

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.

Song of Solomon 1-4:16

The Song of Solomon represents a beautiful exchange between two people in love. The young man says that she is the most beautiful among women. The young woman says that her lover is pleasing beyond words. There is a lot of veiled sexual imagery in this passage, however, the young woman reminds other young women not to awaken love until it is time, to wait until marriage before becoming sexually active.
The young woman says of the young man that he belongs to her and she belongs to him. The young man says that she has captured his heart and is his treasure. It is wonderful to be in such a relationship. I love my wife and this passage reflects my feelings towards her. I am hers and she is mine. She has captured my heart and is my treasure.

2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Paul tells the Corinthians that when he suggested to Titus that Titus return to Corinth, Titus enthusiastically embraced the idea. In addition, Paul was sending two other believers with Titus. One was a man praised by all of the churches in Macedonia for his service to the Gospel and chosen by them to accompany Paul in taking their offerings to the believers in Jerusalem. The second man is someone whom Paul has chosen for his enthusiasm in serving the Lord. Paul tells the church in Corinth to tell those who wonder whether Titus can be trusted that he has been a partner with Paul in his ministry.

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In this passage Paul gives us a model to follow when gathering money for a charitable cause. When the money has been gathered, Paul is sending it accompanied by two men from the local churches. They have been chosen because they are known and trusted by the people who had given the money. Paul is careful to take every effort to make sure that everyone can be confident that he (and Titus) are handling the money according to the wishes of those who gave it.
In the same way, we today should manage the financial affairs of our congregations and other organizations striving to do God’s work so that everyone can have confidence that we are spending the money in the manner and for the purposes which we claim.

Psalm 50:1-23

The psalmist tells us that God will summon all of humanity before Him and at that time He will pass judgment on those who have entered into a covenant with Him. He does not need our material possessions and giving them to Him is not going to appease His anger. He wants us to be thankful to Him and to fulfill His will in all of our actions. Those who join in with thieves and adulterers will gain nothing from reciting God’s words or promising to enter into a covenant with Him. The only path to salvation from God’s judgment is to accept His free gift and to thankfully honor Him in all that we do.

Proverbs 22:22-23

Just because the law will allow you to exploit the poor and prevent the needy to have recourse to the courts to stop your taking advantage of them does not mean that you will be home free. The courts may not defend the poor and needy, but God will. We will all answer to Him for how we treat our fellow man.

Daily Bible Study

September 5, 2013 Bible Study — Give in Proportion to What You Have

September 4, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 10-12:14

Today’s passage is a series of wise sayings that everyone should read from time to time. It starts by warning us that a single foolish act can ruin a lifetime of wisdom and honor. All constructive activity has inherent dangers, prepare for them. The wise person makes sure that their tools are properly prepared before starting a task. If you start with bad (foolish) assumptions, your conclusions will be bad(foolishly wicked), no matter how logical the thoughts that lead from the assumptions to the conclusions. No one can predict the future. Spread your investments out over multiple ventures so that a single disaster will not wipe you out. Watch what you say about others because your words might reach their ears unexpectedly. We cannot understand all of what God does, it is beyond our ability.
The writer concludes all of his thoughts on wisdom and life by telling us to fear God and obey His commands. God will judge us for everything we do, including the things that we do in secret.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Paul tells the Church in Corinth that God has been working strongly in Macedonia. The members of the Macedonian churches were facing many troubles and had very little wealth. Nevertheless, they were determined to aid the believers in Jerusalem (a project which was started by the Church in Corinth). Paul tells the believers in Corinth that the believers in Macedonia were giving all they were able to afford and even more than they could afford. Their first action was to give themselves to God with all of their hearts.
Paul then asks the Church in Corinth to follow through on their commitment to aiding the believers in Jerusalem. He makes it clear that he is not asking them to sacrifice themselves the way that the believers in Macedonia had done. He reminds them that not only were they the first to give but they were the first to have the idea to give in order to aid the believers in Jerusalem. Now he is urging them to follow through and see their idea through to the finish. Paul asks them to give according to their ability and to do so eagerly. He stresses that they are to give according to what they have, not according to what they do not have. He makes it clear that he does not want them to give to the point that they will suffer hardship from it.

***
This is a great passage about being charitable. First, Paul commends the Macedonian believers for being generous beyond their means, but he does not hold them up as an example to be emulated (although neither does he discourage us from emulating them). Then he emphasized the importance of giving eagerly. We should only give as much as we are able to do without regret. If we cannot give an amount without worrying how we will pay our bills, we should not give that much. On the other hand, if we have more than we need to meet our basic needs and another believer has less than they need, we should share with them. Our goal should be equality in the body of believers, Paul does not speak of it here, but elsewhere he instructs that those who do not do all that they can to care for themselves and their loved ones should not be given aid from the body of believers (except so as to show them how they can do more).
Paul tells us that we are each to decide for ourselves how much we can and should give. Then we are to give that amount eagerly. This passage is both a challenge and a comfort to me. It is a challenge because I have not been giving as much as I feel that I should lately. On the other hand it is a comfort because I have suffered some financial hardships (a period of unemployment and unanticipated care troubles, among other things) over the last year that have made it difficult for me to cover all of my bills. This passage tells me that God does not expect me to give to the point where I experience hardship as a result of giving to others. However, it also tells me that I should eagerly give to those less fortunate than myself. I have made some poor decisions regarding my finances in the past that led the financial setbacks of the last year or so to be difficult. I have resolved to not make those mistakes going forward and this passage has strengthened my resolve to give God complete control over my finances.

Psalm 49:1-20

The psalmist tells us that we should all listen to his message, whether we are rich, or poor, politically powerful, or without power, socially influential, or not. He tells us that there is no reason to fear trouble from our enemies, no matter how wealthy or powerful they may be. Our enemies will all die in due time, no one has sufficient wealth or power to give a ransom to God to rescue themselves from death. No one can pay enough to live forever and never see the grave. There is only one way to have life eternal. That is if God redeems us from the grave and takes us to Himself. The wicked may grow rich, but they will die. And when they do, they will take none of that wealth with them.

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I much prefer the NIV translation of verse 13 and 14.

This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
They are like sheep and are destined to die;
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.

There are many people who are completely self-reliant, who think that they do not need God. They are destined to die and will end up rotting in the grave. In time they will be forgotten, no matter what they may think they accomplished in this life. I am not too proud to declare that I need God, for He can redeem me from that fate (and He has).

Proverbs 22:20-21

Once again I prefer the NIV translation. In the NIV the writer tells us that he has written sayings of counsel and wisdom which teach us to be honest and to speak the truth. There is more to being honest and speaking the truth than not saying things which you know to be untrue. Being honest and speaking the truth means that I will not say things which I expect others to interpret falsely.

***

Daily Bible Study

September 4, 2013 Bible Study — He Will Be My Guide, Even to the End

September 3, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 7-9:18

     There are a lot of bits of wisdom spread throughout today’s passage. The writer starts by telling us that it is better to have a good reputation than the finest perfume. It is better for people who have known you for a while to think well of you than to make a good first impression on everyone you meet. If you spend time with someone who is mourning you will become closer to them than to someone who is celebrating. We should value wise criticism more than foolish praise. Learning to control one’s temper is the path to wisdom, because anger leads us to do foolish things.
     The writer advises us not to be over-wise, or over-righteous. There comes a point when our efforts to act wisely, or righteously, become self-defeating and have the opposite result. The writer is making the point of moderation in all things, including wisdom and righteousness. If we try too hard to be wise, we will end up being foolish. If we try too hard to be righteous, we will end up driving people away from us and failing to serve God’s purposes.
     The writer further reminds us that death comes to everyone. The fastest runner does not necessarily win the race. The strongest warrior does not necessarily win the battle. Those who have been educated do not always know the correct answer. Chance and circumstances effect the outcome of all of these things. It is better to pay attention to the quiet words of a wise person, than to the shouts of a fool with power.

2 Corinthians 7:8-16

Paul tells the Corinthians that he is sorry he caused them pain with his previous letter, but is not sorry that he wrote the letter. He regrets that his letter caused them pain, however, that pain led them to repentance and to change their ways. When they read Paul’s letter they became sorrowful that they had caused him such pain so as to inspire him to write that letter. Their godly sorrow caused them to change their behavior and move on without regrets. As opposed to worldly sorrow which causes us to spend our time regretting our past behavior without actually changing the behavior which gives us the regret. The godly sorrow they felt made the eager to take the actions necessary to correct what had gone wrong and earnest in their desire to do right going forward. It inspired them to eagerly see justice done. They did everything they could to make things right and showed themselves to not be in agreement with the sin that had been in their midst. Paul tells the Corinthian Church that he had not written his previous letter either for the person who had done wrong, nor for the victim. Rather he had written it for the entire congregation so that they could see for themselves how determined they were to do right.

Psalm 48:1-14

A wonderful psalm about the glory and power of God. However, it is more than that. It tells us that the rulers of this earth will join together to attack the people of God. The psalmist tells us that on that day, God will stand forth and destroy their forces in the same manner that a storm at sea destroys sailing vessels. God’s love is unfailing and He will make His people safe forever. I will make the final stanza of this psalm my prayer:

This God is my God for ever and ever;
he will be my guide even to the end.

Proverbs 22:17-19

Pay attention to the words of the wise and keep them always close. Remember those words and always be prepared to repeat them when facing any issue. How can I know who are the wise people whose words I should pay attention to, and who are those to whose words I should not pay such close attention? The teachings of the wise will lead me to trust in the Lord.

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Daily Bible Study

September 3, 2013 Bible Study — Do Not Partner With Unbelievers

September 2, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 4-6:12

     There is a focus on meaninglessness throughout the book of Ecclesiastes. I am not quite sure what to make of that focus, except to say that if we are not striving to serve God’s will then everything we do is meaningless. Nevertheless there are some good points about behaviors which are beneficial and others which are harmful to ourselves. In today’s passage the writer tells us that most people are motivated to work hard out of envy of others. He tells us that being idle leads to ruin, but that it is better to be satisfied with enough than to work even harder to get more. He points out that it is foolish to acquire more than one needs if you do not have any loved ones to pass it on to.
     The writer mentions the importance of having a companion to stand beside through thick and thin. He then goes on to say that a group of three is even stronger in the face of life’s problems. This strikes me especially since recently my wife and I have found ourselves forming a close friendship with a third person. As this friendship has become closer and we have found ourselves doing more together, our faith walk has become stronger and our lives have become more fulfilling. All three of us have attempted to include others in this group, but few of those who share our common interests share our faith and those who share our faith commitment do not share our common interests. As a result, we have become three who lend support to each other as we attempt to live our faith in our leisure activities.
     The final point which comes hits home to me out of today’s passage is the importance of spending more time listening than talking when involved in worship. But more than that, we should choose our words carefully rather than make rash promises which we may not be able to keep.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7

Today’s passage begins with Paul telling us that believers should not partner with unbelievers. I have seen this most often applied to marriage, but I believe that it applies in other areas as well. As a matter of fact, it appears to me that Paul would have been shocked that anyone would have taken it that way (not because he felt it was OK for a believer to marry an unbeliever, but because he felt that it was so obvious that they should not that he couldn’t imagine why you would need to actually say it). Paul tells us that every believer is God’s temple and every unbeliever is a temple to idols. There can be no union between a temple of God and a temple of the devil. We cannot partner with unbelievers in order to accomplish shared goals, because we do not actually have any goals which we share with unbelievers. The goal of all of our actions as Christians is to glorify God.

***
Several years ago I knew some Christians that became active in trying to bring about social change in light of their Christian convictions. On one of the issues they were working on there were secular organizations which shared their view on that very narrow issue (but not on the reasons that issue was wrong). The organization they were part of partnered with those secular organizations to form an umbrella organization specifically targeting this particular issue. However, only a few short years later, I read a news article where the umbrella organization was supporting the entire agenda of the secular organizations some aspects of which were contrary to Biblical principles.
***
Paul goes on from there to discuss how when he was in Macedonia, he was feeling down from all of the difficulties and trials he was facing. However, just at the point when he was feeling the most discouraged, Titus arrived with news of how the Corinthians reacted to his first letter. This lifted Paul’s spirit and brought him joy.

Psalm 47:1-9

The psalmist calls on everyone from every nation to praise the Lord. God is king over all of the earth. He will subdue all nations under the feet of His chosen ones. God gathers the influential from every nation together with the children of Abraham to worship Him (God’s definition of “influential” may not be the same as ours). Let us praise God because all of the rulers on the face of the earth belong to God (whether they want to or not).

Proverbs 22:16

Those who oppress the poor in order to increase their own wealth and those who attempt to gain influence by giving to the rich will soon find their wealth is gone.

Daily Bible Study

September 2, 2013 Bible Study –Now Is the Time of Salvation

September 1, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 1-3:22

Ecclesiastes begins with the writer telling us that everything is meaningless. In some ways, Ecclesiastes can be a depressing book. The writer speaks of how so many things are cyclical and that nothing has really changed throughout recorded history. He points out that the things that people refer to as new, happened in the past. People act as if history began when they were born.

***
     I have discussed this in my blog before, but this passage brings it up again. Years ago I was seeking proof that God existed. I really wanted something that would satisfy my reasoning mind as evidence I could use to prove both to myself and to others that the God I believed in existed. I was unable to find any such proof that would prove that anything beyond the material world existed. If you start with the assumption that the material world is all that exists, it is impossible to prove that anything beyond the material world does exist. This led me into great depression, much like that expressed in the book of Ecclesiastes, because if this world is all there is, what is the point of putting out the effort life requires?
     I finally realized that I could not accept the idea of a purposeless life. So, I decided that even though I did not have the evidence of God’s existence that I desired, I would live as if I did. I would live as if the Gospel message was true. Within a short period of time, I knew that God existed in the manner I had been seeking to know. I had learned that it is possible to know things which you cannot prove.
     The writer here talks about how nothing is really new. He is not talking about technology, but about human nature. People think that something is new because they have never seen it before in their life time. Time and again, people think they have some new insight that negates centuries old values, but it is merely the recycling of an idea that has proven to not stand the test of time.
***
     In his discussion of the meaningless of life, the writer tells us something very important. He writes it so beautifully that I will quote it here: For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
This is something we all need to remember. There is an appropriate time for everything and we need to pay attention to what it is time for.

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Paul urges the Corinthians to act on the gift of God’s grace which they have received. Now is the day of salvation.

***
This passage is often used, correctly, to remind us that when God calls us the time to act on that call is NOW, not tomorrow, or next week. This is a hard one for us to follow, partly because we are always afraid that it is not God calling us. I am working on responding any way, because I realize it is a lot easier to guide something (or someone) that is in motion than something that is standing still.
***
Paul continues by saying that he works hard to conduct his ministry in such a manner so as not to place a stumbling block in anyone’s path. He spoke truthfully and relied on the power of God. The only tools he was willing to use in his ministry were righteousness and truth. He was confident that they were more than adequate both as an offensive weapon to pierce evil and as a defense to protect himself from evil.

Psalm 46:1-11

What a lovely psalm. As I read this psalm today, there were three pieces to it that spoke to me separately. It begins:

God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
Do we believe this? I was fortunate that I was raised by parents who took this passage (and others like it) to heart. I was raised to be sure that no matter what happened God was in charge and things would work out well for me. The faith my parents did not mean that nothing bad would happen to me, merely that everything that did happen would be according to God’s will and if I lived in His will, I would find joy in whatever came my way. I am not immune to fear, but my parents instilled a trust of God in my heart that allows me, most of the time, to face life’s problems with equanimity.
The second piece tells us that it is God who brings wars to an end. When God decides that the time for war has come to an end, the war will stop. Those who attempt to take up weapons after that will find those weapons failing to function. When God says, “Be still, and know that I am God!” All will stop and learn what it means to worship Him.
Which brings me to the third piece of this psalm. That phrase, “Be still, and know that I am God!” is a command. We can choose to obey it voluntarily, or the time will come when God will force us to do so. Usually God speaks in a still, small voice, asking us to be still and listen, but have you ever known that person, who normally speaks quietly, that, on those rare occasions when they raise their voice, even the toughest, nastiest characters cringe? That is God. I do not want to be the one who causes God to raise His voice.

Proverbs 22:15

Despite what some say, children are not naturally good, or wise. They need to be disciplined so as to learn good and wise behavior.

Daily Bible Study

September 1, 2013 Bible Study — Anyone Who Belongs To Christ Is a New Creation

August 31, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Job 40-42:17

God asks Job to answer His questions. Job replies that he is unworthy. He has spoken, but he has no answer to God’s questions. God then asks some more questions. First, He asks Job if he wishes to discredit God’s justice and condemn God in order to prove that he is right?
God then asks Job if he has the power to match God? Can he humiliate the proud and punish the wicked? God then asks Job if he can tame Behemoth, which God made, the same as He made Job? Then God asks if he can catch Leviathan, also made by God? A description is given of both, Behemoth is an herbivore and Leviathan a carnivore. We are unable to determine if these are fanciful descriptions of real animals (my personal opinion), or descriptions of mythical beasts which the writer thought were real.
Job answers God once more and admits his fault in questioning God’s wisdom. He tells us that he had been talking about things about which he knew nothing. Job repented his anger with God. God then told Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar that He was angry with them for misrepresenting Him (it is worth noting that God does not say anything against Elihu). God tells them to offer sacrifices and ask Job to pray for them. They do as instructed and Job does pray for them. The book concludes by telling us that Job prayed for his friends and God restored his fortunes to even more than he had had before.

***
I am not sure what to make of this, but it struck me that Job, the one who was suffering, prayed for his friends. Usually when someone we know is suffering, we go to them and pray for them, for them to receive relief from their suffering. In this case, it was the one who was suffering who prayed for those who came to see him, and was then relieved from his suffering. I know that this situation is a special case, but perhaps we should give some thought to asking those who are suffering to pray for us?

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Paul told the Corinthians that since he knew what it was to fear the Lord, this knowledge inspired him to attempt to convince others. Paul goes on to say that if he is out of his mind, as some perceive him to be, it is in service to God. On the other hand, if he is in his right mind, it is in order to be of service to his fellow believers. In either case, Paul is compelled to act as he does because of Christ’s love. Because Christ died for all, therefore, in some sense, all have died. As a result, those who continue to live because of their faith in Him should no longer live for themselves, but should live for Christ.
We are no longer to regard anyone from a worldly perspective. If we belong to Christ, He will have made us into a new creation. God has reconciled us to Himself, and thereby given us the ministry of spreading the word of His reconciliation. It is our task to tell everyone we meet that God is in the act of reconciling everyone who will accept to Himself through Christ Jesus. He has made us His ambassadors from the kingdom of God to the nations of this world.

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This is a word of great hope. God has made us into something new. We do not have to remain stuck in the same old rut of falling into all of our old sins. God has transformed us and will continue to do so every day. More importantly, we need to remember that we are God’s ambassador’s in this world. We may be the only sample of what God is like that some people ever see. We are called upon in every way, every day to act as representatives of God. As ambassadors, we have two jobs. One is telling people how they can emigrate to God’s kingdom because God is seeking immigrants to His kingdom. However, all too often we forget that the other part of being God’s ambassador is convincing people that they want to emigrate to God’s kingdom. We are to live a life that makes others want to be like us.

Psalm 45:1-17

Today’s psalm is a wedding song for a king. The only part of it which touched me today was when the psalmist said that the king defended truth, humility, and justice and then a little later when he said that the king loved justice and hated evil. These are the characteristics of a ruler who will have God’s favor in all of their actions.

Proverbs 22:14

Today’s proverb tells us that the words of an immoral woman are a trap into which those who anger God fall. I am not completely clear on what the writer means, but I believe he means that the same behaviors which anger God make one susceptible to the traps in the words of an immoral woman.

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Daily Bible Study

August 31, 2013 Bible Study — >Where Were You When I Laid the Foundations of the Earth?

August 30, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Job 37-39:30

Elihu continues, telling Job that his heart pounds when he thinks of God’s voice and wondrous power. He describes some of the ways in which God speaks and some of his wondrous acts. Then he asks Job a rhetorical question. He asks Job if he understands how God does these things. Elihu concludes by saying that since Job is so wise as to understand these things, he should teach others what to say to God.
When Elihu had finished speaking, God answered Job from a whirlwind. God starts by asking Job some questions. He asks him if he was there when the earth was created? The whole of chapter 38 is a beautiful rebuttal to those who think they know how the world came to be and that they can dismiss God as unimportant. I will quote here one example I found especially poignant:

Where does light come from,
and where does darkness go?
Can you take each to its home?
Do you know how to get there?
But of course you know all this!
For you were born before it was all created,
and you are so very experienced!

Chapter 39 continues with more examples of things which exceed human understanding and demonstrate the limits of human wisdom.

***
When God begins speaking to Job He asks the question which Ken Ham paraphrases so brilliantly when people tell him that this earth was created in some way that contradicts the Genesis account. God’s words here:

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Ken Ham asks:

How do you know? Were you there?

There are many who challenge this as an easy question to answer, but that is because they do not listen to the whole follow up. That question is directed at those who dogmatically insist that there is no God because the whole universe came into being by random chance. It is a question about how do you know what you know and, more importantly, how do you know what you do not know? It is only when we recognize the limits to what we know that we can start to accept that God is beyond our ability to fully understand, that we have to take something on faith and it may as well be God.

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10

Paul quotes the psalmist as saying, “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Paul tells us that because he knows that the God who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise him and those who listen to his message, he cannot help but tell people about the Gospel. As God’s grace reaches ever more people will cause those who believe to give thanks for the greater glory to God. Paul never gave up because his spirit was being renewed every day, even though his body was wasting away. Paul was able to accomplish this because he did not look at the troubles he faced in this life, rather he looked at the things of God which cannot be seen.
Paul expresses his full confidence in God. Telling us that he would rather die and leave this earthly, corrupted body to be with Christ, but willing to stay within his earthly body for as long as God had use for him here. This whole passage gives us a model which we should strive to follow. Paul regards this life as something to be endured in service to God, but longed for the day when he would join Jesus in heaven, whether through death and resurrection or through transformation upon the Lord’s return. This made any trials or pains which he faced eminently endurable because the worse they were from a human perspective the more they demonstrated that God was honoring him by allowing him to share in Christ’s suffering.

Psalm 44:9-26

In today’s psalm, the psalmist tells us that God has allowed his enemies to triumph over him and made him experience suffering. All of this has happened despite the fact that he has remained faithful to God. Despite being in this situation the psalmist trusts in God to rescue him from his troubles.

***
There will be times when our life goes through something like this. But let us remember the message of Job, that God will answer our cries in His time. And let us remember Paul’s expression of faith and keep our focus on the unseen glory of God. God will use our suffering to bring glory to His name and will reward us for our faithfulness according to His plan.

Proverbs 22:13

The lazy person will take any excuse to avoid working.

Daily Bible Study

August 30, 2013 Bible Study

August 29, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Job 34-36:33

     Elihu challenges Job for claiming to be innocent and for saying that it is a waste of time trying to please God. He tells us that God does not sin and cannot do wrong. Elihu tells us that God watches how people live, there is no way to hide anything from Him. It is God who determines when we will come before Him for judgment. When the poor and needy cry out, God hears them, but if he chooses to remain quiet, who are we to criticize Him? God is a god of justice, but He will not tailor His justice to our standards. It is up to us to meet His standards. Elihu tells Job that he was in the wrong for failing to show respect to God and for speaking angrily against Him.
     Elihu tells us that Job asked what was in it for him to behave righteously. However, Elihu points out that God gains nothing when we live righteously and loses nothing when we sin. Whether we live righteously or sinfully has no impact on God. There is nothing that we can give God that He does not already have. Nevertheless, when we cry out to God, He hears and will bring justice in His time. God makes an effort to get our attention and to show us when we do wrong. If we listen and turn from our sins, God will reward us. The godless are full of resentment towards God and refuse to cry out to Him when they are in trouble.
     Elihu condemns Job for being obsessed with whether or not God will judge the wicked. He tells Job, and us, that we should not concern ourselves with that. Instead, we should seek to do right and avoid being seduced into doing evil. God is greater than we can understand. Rather than blame Him for not doing things as we think He should, we are to praise His mighty works and sing of His glory.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

Paul tells the Corinthians that since God, in His mercy, has given Paul this ministry to this new covenant, he does not and will not lose heart, no matter what difficulties he may face. Paul further says that he has renounced using any sort of trickery to spread the Gospel. The Gospel is only veiled to those who refuse to believe and have allowed Satan to blind them to glorious light of the Good News. Paul emphasized that the message he preached was not about himself, rather he preached that Christ was Lord. The God who said, “Let there be light,” and thus caused the entire universe to explode into being, has made the light of the Gospel shine in our hearts so that we can see the glory of God as displayed on the face of Christ.
Yet despite all of this, we are fragile like clay jars. It is not our power that allows us to witness to others about the greatness of God. Anything we accomplish is from the all-surpassing power of God. We carry in our bodies the death of Jesus so that His life can be revealed through us.

***
From time to time a group of Christians will attempt to come up with a program that will attract people to their events without people realizing that the event is being sponsored by Christians. I think that part of Paul’s message here is that this is a mistake. We should be upfront about who we are and the message we are preaching. We are not going to bring anyone to the Lord by our own cleverness, or power. It is only through the action of the Holy Spirit that individuals come to Christ.

Psalm 44:1-8

It is not by the might of our arms, or the brilliance of our strategies, that we will gain victory that lasts. It is only through the might of God as we serve His will that we will be victorious as we face this life’s struggles and as we strive to bring others to know Him.

Proverbs 22:10-12

If you have a group that is beset by strife, get rid of those who mock others and the strife will go with them. God watches over those who act openly and above board, but frustrates the plans of those who lie and cheat.

***

Daily Bible Study

August 29, 2013 Bible Study — Why Am I Discouraged?

August 28, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Job 31-33:33

Job once more declares his innocence. A look at the sins which he tells us he has never committed remind me of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. He starts by saying that he has never looked with lust at a young woman. He continues by saying that he has not lied nor deceived anyone. Notice here that it is not enough to tell the truth, you must not tell it in such a manner so as to deceive your listener. Job continues by declaring that he was never unfair to his servants, nor did he ever refuse to help the poor. This passage is a great one to read if we want to know how we are called by God to behave.
When Job had finished, Elihu speaks up. We do not know when Elihu arrived, but he is the only one of Job’s friends who is not called upon by God to apologize to Job. Elihu begins by telling Job’s other friends that he waited for them to speak because he was younger than they and he recognized that with age comes wisdom. However, they have failed to refute Job’s arguments and Elihu thinks they have used faulty logic. Elihu begins by saying that Job has declared that he is without sin and that God is persecuting him unjustly. He tells Job that he is wrong to accuse God of not speaking to those who seek Him. Elihu declares that God speaks to people over and over, but people fail to recognize His voice.

***
Today’s passage is fabulous, both in Job’s statement laying out how someone who truly following God will behave. It gives places righteous behavior in a positive light rather than a negative light. Righteousness is not about not doing certain things. Rather it is about doing things that are righteous, treating people right, helping the poor and oppressed, etc..
Then Elihu speaks and challenges Job’s claims that God does not answer his cries. Elihu begins by telling us that the young should give their elders respect and wait to hear their wisdom, but that that does not mean that only those who are older have wisdom to share. Elihu then tells us that if we do not hear God’s voice, it is because we have refused to recognize when God speaks to us. I can not count the number of times I have cried out to God, “Please tell me what to do!” only to finally realize that He had been giving me an answer and I was not listening.

2 Corinthians 3:1-18

Paul realizes that what he has been saying in the last section could be taken as bragging and denies that he is doing so. He points out that he needs no letter of recommendation. The only letter of recommendation he is interested in is the lives lived by the Corinthian Christians. Then Paul makes a great assertion of faith:

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

We can have great confidence in what we do, as long as we remember that any competence we have to address the problems in front of us comes from God. This is a reminder that just because we can confidently undertake the tasks which God has set before us, it does not mean that we are better than others.
Paul continues by saying that the competence he has been given is as a minister of God’s new covenant, a covenant, not of laws, but of the Spirit. The old covenant of laws etched into stone brought death, yet it came with such glory that the people could not look directly on Moses face because it shone so brightly with God’s glory. How much more brightly, Paul asks, will the new covenant which brings life glow in God’s glory? We do not need to be either like Moses, who put a veil over his face to protect the people from seeing the glory of God, or like the people who could not stand to look directly on God’s face. Something like the veil which Moses wore over his face comes over everybody’s heart when the words of Scripture are read, UNLESS it is removed by faith in Christ. When someone today reads Moses’ writings there is a veil over their heart. But if someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away and they can fully understand the message in God’s Word. Those of us who have turned to the Lord can thus reflect God’s glory for everyone to see.

***
Do people see God’s glory when they look at me? I’m afraid the answer, all to often, is “No”. I will continue to strive to better allow the Spirit to shine through me and I will pray that the Spirit shine through me despite my attempts to dim that light to avoid embarrassment.

Psalm 43:1-5

When I am discouraged, I need to ask myself why. There is no reason to be sad and discouraged when we put our hope in God. Which tells me that when I am sad and discouraged it is because I am relying on myself rather than God.

Proverbs 22:8-9

Those who spread injustice will reap calamity. Injustice inevitably results in disaster which will come back to those who committed the injustice. Those who are generous are blessed by their very generosity (although not ONLY by their generosity).

***

Daily Bible Study

August 28, 2013 Bible Study — The Fear of the Lord Is True Wisdom

August 27, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Job 28-30:31

Job speaks of how humans have learned to find precious stones and valuable metals by digging mines into the earth. These are treasures that no wild animal would have any idea were there, yet mankind knows to delve into the earth to retrieve them. Despite this skill at finding valuable things, mankind has trouble finding wisdom. Wisdom cannot be bought for any amount of money, yet is more valuable than all other wealth combined. The only place to find wisdom is from God. The fear of the Lord is true wisdom, and those with understanding will shun evil.
Job recounts how respected he was before tragedy befell him. He tells how he used his wealth to help those less fortunate and advised those planning life changes. Then tragedy struck and now he is mocked by those whose fathers were not worthy to watch his flocks in previous times. Now, in his time of trouble, he receives no aid, despite the fact that when times were good for him he aided those in need.

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

Paul tells the Corinthians that when he was in Troas the Lord opened an opportunity for him. However, he did not have peace of mind because he had not yet heard back from Titus with word of how the Corinthian Church received Paul’s first letter. As a result, Paul traveled from Troas to Macedonia in an attempt to track down Titus.
Paul then thanks God for taking him captive and leading him in a victory procession. The image Paul is using here is of the parades which Roman Emperors had where they led the captives from their victorious military campaigns through the streets of Rome. Paul then changes to yet another metaphor, that of the incense used by priests to worship various gods. He tells the Corinthians that God has been using him to spread the knowledge of God the way that the smell of incense penetrates all of the area around where it is burned. This scent is perceived by everybody, but not everybody perceives it in the same way. To those who are being saved the smell of that which Paul preaches is a wonderful scent to be greatly desired, but to those who reject God’s salvation the smell is that of death and destruction.

***
This is a very short passage here today, but it highlights something we need to keep in mind. The very things about the Gospel that we, as Christians, find sweet and joyful are a source of discomfort and opprobrium to those who reject the Gospel. People who we as Christians find pleasant to be around will be viewed by non-Christians people to be despised and avoided in the same way that the smell of rotting meat is despised and avoided.

Psalm 42:1-11

The psalmist is experiencing a time of depression, but he tells us the answer to breaking out of depression. It is to seek after God the way that a deer seeks out water. When times are difficult and our enemies ask us, “Where is your God now?” we need to still put our hopes in God. He will not disappoint us. Even when we are discouraged we should seek after God, doing His will to the best of our ability. The psalmist is feeling discouraged, but nevertheless he acknowledges:

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.
This is the way in which we can overcome depression when it comes upon us. Praising God and seeking to follow His commands will lead us out from our depression and into the joy of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:7

Borrowing money results in a loss of liberty. The more in debt one is, the less freedom of action one has.

***

Fact and Fantasy

Tag Archives: Bible Commentary

September 6, 2013 Bible Study — Accountability in Handling Church Funds

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September 5, 2013 Bible Study — Give in Proportion to What You Have

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September 4, 2013 Bible Study — He Will Be My Guide, Even to the End

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September 3, 2013 Bible Study — Do Not Partner With Unbelievers

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September 2, 2013 Bible Study –Now Is the Time of Salvation

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September 1, 2013 Bible Study — Anyone Who Belongs To Christ Is a New Creation

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August 31, 2013 Bible Study — >Where Were You When I Laid the Foundations of the Earth?

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August 30, 2013 Bible Study

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August 29, 2013 Bible Study — Why Am I Discouraged?

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August 28, 2013 Bible Study — The Fear of the Lord Is True Wisdom

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