I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. 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.

     Jeroboam’s son, Nadab, succeeded Jeroboam on the throne. Nadab continued the sins of his father. Nadab was assassinated by Baasha in the second year of his reign. After assassinating Nadab, Baasha took the throne and slaughtered all of Jeroboam’s remaining family as the prophet had foretold. However, Baasha continued the practices of Jeroboam. God sent the prophet Jehu to Baasha to tell him that his family would meet the same fate as that of Jeroboam. Baasha reigned for twenty-four years and was at war with King Asa of Judah for the entire time. When Baasha died his son Elah became king.
     Elah ruled for two years. In the second year of Elah’s reign, Zimri, the commander of half of Elah’s chariot forces, assassinated Elah. Zimri then killed all of the relatives of Baasha that he could find. When the army, which was attacking a Philistine town at the time, heard that Zimri had assassinated Elah they chose Omri as their king. Omri led the army to the capital and occupied it. When Zimri saw that the Omri’s forces had taken control of the capital city, he went into the citadel and burned it down around himself. After the death of Zimri, the people of Israel were split into two camps. Half of the people supported Omri and half of the people supported Tibni. Omri’s supporters defeated Tibni’s supporters and Tibni was killed, clearing the path for Omri to become king. Omri built the city of Samaria and made it his capital. The passage tells us that Omri was even worse than his predecessors.
     When Omri died, his son Ahab became king in his place. Ahab sinned even worse than his father Omri or any of the other previous kings of Israel. Ahab married Jezebel the daughter of the king of Sidon. Ahab built a temple for Baal in Samaria and set up an Asherah pole. It was during the reign of Ahab that Elijah began his prophetic ministry. Elijah told Ahab that there would be no reign for the next several years until he, Elijah, gave the word. God told Elijah to go and hide by a brook near the Jordan River. God caused ravens to bring food to Elijah morning and evening. Eventually the brook dried up and Elijah needed to move.
     God instructed Elijah to go to a village near Sidon. When he arrived at the gates of the city, he saw a widow gathering sticks. He asked her to bring him a cup of water. When she went to get it for him, he called after her asking for a piece of bread as well. She responded that she had very little flour or oil left. She had been about to make a final meal for herself and her son and then they would die. Elijah told her to go ahead and make that meal, but first make a bit of bread for him. Elijah told her that if she did as he requested there would always be a bit of flour and a bit of oil in her containers until the rains returned. She did as Elijah had asked and there was always enough flour and oil in her containers to make another meal. Some time after this the widow’s son became sick and died. She confronted Elijah over the death of her son. Elijah took the body of her son up to his room and prayed over the boy. God answered Elijah’s prayer and returned the boy to life. Elijah returned the boy to his mother.
     There is a lot in this passage for us to think about. I will first mention the widow. She provided for Elijah out of her meager store and God blessed her for that action in a time of hardship. However, the main thing I wanted to touch on was the succession of kings of Israel. One after the other they led the people of Israel into ever greater sin and this reflects badly on those kings. However, it also reflects badly on the people of Israel because they followed those kings. If the people of Israel had been faithful to following God’s commands, God would have raised up leaders to lead them in godliness. While God will hold the leaders of a nation accountable for the direction they lead the people in, He will also hold the people accountable for following those leaders. The same is true of us today. Perhaps our political leaders are leading us ever further into godlessness, but if we as a people were to stop asking our government to take the place of God, God would raise up leaders who would lead us back to godliness. We keep looking for political leaders who will lead us back to godliness, when instead we should just be seeking to do the will of God and expecting our political leaders to follow along. Rather than seeking a political solution to our problems we should follow Jesus admonition, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”

     When Peter got to Caesarea, Cornelius was waiting for him with family and friends he had called together. As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. Peter told him to get up at once, stating that he, Peter, was merely a man. Peter went on to tell the people gathered at Cornelius’ house that even though it was against Jewish laws, as they knew, for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home, or even associate with Gentiles, God had shown Peter that he should no longer view anyone as impure or unclean. Peter then asked why they had sent for him. Cornelius responded that a man in glowing clothes had appeared before him, told him that God had heard his prayers and remembered his gifts to the poor. The man went on to tell Cornelius to send for Peter.
     Peter then started speaking to them. He told them that he now understood that God does not show favoritism, He accepts everyone from every nation who fears Him and does what is right. Notice that while we should be willing to preach the Gospel to anyone who will listen and should consider no one impure, we are still called to teach them to fear God and do what is right. Peter went on recapping Jesus’ ministry and the events which he had witnessed after Jesus’ resurrection. As Peter as speaking the Holy Spirit came upon those listening, causing them to speak in other languages. Those Jews with Peter were astonished to see the Holy Spirit descend on the Gentiles. Peter asked those with them if any of them could object to baptizing the Gentiles who had received the Holy Spirit just as the Jewish believers had? Peter then ordered that the Gentiles who had just received the Holy Spirit be baptized in the name of Jesus. Peter stayed with them a few days giving them further teaching. Here again we have the profession of faith followed immediately by baptism. I think we have lost something in the Church today with our practice of putting people through classes before baptizing them (although I understand the reasons).

What more is there to say? Except, perhaps, “Praise the Lord!”

     The first proverb tells us that the surest way to build a relationship is to overlook the other’s failures (especially when they are offenses against ourselves), on the other hand the surest way to destroy a relationship is to constantly bring up the ways the other person has done us wrong.
     The second proverb tells us that those who are wise feel worse, and learn more, from a single rebuke than those who are foolish experience from severe punishment. The final proverb tells us that evil people promote rebellion, but will suffer for it.

     I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. 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.

     One of Jeroboam’s sons became very sick. Jeroboam convinced his wife to disguise herself and approach the prophet Ahijah, the man who had prophesied that Jeroboam would become king over the ten northern tribes. Jeroboam’s wife did as he asked. However, as she approached the prophet’s door, he called out to her by name because God had told him she was coming. Ahijah then told her that God was angry with Jeroboam because of his failure to follow God’s commands and the evil Jeroboam had done. He told her that God was going to destroy Jeroboam and his entire house because of his evil. Ahijah finished by telling her that she should go home and her son would die when she got there. God was going to raise up a king over Israel who would destroy Jeroboam’s family. She returned home and as she entered her house, her son died. Jeroboam reigned for 22 years and when he died his son, Nadab, became king.
     In the meantime, Rehoboam was ruling over Judah. The people of Judah also did evil in God’s sight. They set up shrines and Asherah poles in the high places and under “spreading trees”. They went so far as to have shrine prostitutes throughout the land. They chose to follow the practices of the people whom God had driven out of the land to make room for them. As a result of their sin, the king of Egypt came up, attacked and sacked Jerusalem. Rehoboam ruled from Jerusalem for seventeen years and was succeeded by his son, Abijam.
     Abijam ruled for three years and committed the same sins as his father. He was at war with Jeroboam for his entire reign. The passage makes note that Abijam’s mother was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom. When he died, he was succeeded by his son, Asa. Asa ruled for forty-one years and did what was pleasing to the Lord. Asa banished the shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of the idols which his ancestors had made. He even deposed his grandmother from the role of queen mother because she had made an Asherah pole. He cut down his grandmother’s Asherah pole and burned it. Although he failed to destroy the shrines at the high places, Asa’s heart was dedicated to the Lord.
     Throughout Asa’s reign he was at war with King Baasha of Israel. King Baasha had the upper hand in their conflicts, conquered Ramah and began fortifying it. So, Asa sent the gold and silver remaining in his treasuries to Ben-hadad who was ruling Aram from Damascus asking him to break his treaty with King Baasha. Ben-hadad did as Asa requested and attacked the towns of Israel. King Baasha withdrew from Ramah in order to meet the attack from Ben-hadad. King Asa had his workers remove the materials which King Baasha was using to fortify Ramah and used them to fortify other towns. Asa was succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat.

     While Peter was staying in Joppa, an angel of God appeared to Cornelius, a Roman centurion stationed at Caesarea. Cornelius was terrified. However, the angel quickly reassured him and told him that his gifts to the poor and devotion to God had been noted. The angel instructed Cornelius to send for Peter who was staying in Joppa. Cornelius did so at once.
     The next day, as Cornelius’ messengers were approaching Joppa, Peter went up onto the roof to pray. It was approaching lunch time and Peter was hungry. While the meal was being prepared, Peter fell into a trance. While in the trance Peter had a vision of a large sheet being lowered out of heaven. On the sheet were all kinds of animals, including many that were not kosher. A voice came out of heaven telling Peter to get up and eat. Peter replied that he had never eaten anything unclean or impure. The voice then told Peter not to call anything unclean which God had made clean. This was repeated three times. Peter was still pondering what this vision might mean (if anything) when the men from Cornelius arrived outside of the gate.
     They called out asking if Simon Peter was staying at this house. The Holy Spirit told Peter that some men were looking for him. Peter was to go with them without worrying because God had sent them (the passage makes it clear that Peter received this message in the context of thinking about the vision he had just had). Peter went down and told the men that he was the man they were looking for. They told Peter that Cornelius had sent them. They went on to tell Peter that Cornelius was a God-fearing man. They further told Peter that an angel had told Cornelius to summon Peter so that Cornelius might hear Peter’s message. Peter invited the men to stay the night. In the morning, Peter accompanied the men back to Cornelius’ house. Several other believers went with Peter.

     Today’s psalm talks about how wonderful it is when God’s people live together in peace and harmony. This is a goal that Christians find harder to attain than we should.

     Today’s first proverb tells us that a fool (godless fool according to the NIV) who is eloquent is a bad thing, but a lying ruler is even worse. I realized as I was reading this that this proverb was telling us that someone who eloquently makes the argument for foolish action will lead many people to destruction, but however bad that is, when those who have government authority lie to the people it is much worse.
     The second proverb has greater depth than is at first apparent. I prefer the NIV translation for this because it makes clear the point of the proverb in ways that the other translations obscure. A bribe is like a lucky charm. Those who give them are convinced that they make their life better, but just as the effectiveness of lucky charms are dubious, so too are the effectiveness of bribes.

     I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. 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’s passage censures Solomon for his many wives. Not only did Solomon marry many wives against God’s instructions, they were from nations with which God had told the Israelites they were not to intermarry. Solomon did as God had warned would happen if the Israelites married women from those nations, he began to worship gods other than God. Solomon began to worship Ashtoreth, Molech and Chemosh. He even built places for worship at the high places for these foreign gods. I believe that, as worship of God gradually became more centralized at the Temple which Solomon had built, Solomon and others among the people of Israel replaced His worship at the high places with worship of idols. As a result of Solomon’s idolatry, God caused two kings to rise up in opposition to Solomon in nations which had formerly been pacified by his father David.
     In addition, God sent the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam, a man whom Solomon had put in charge of the labor force from the descendants of Joseph. Ahijah told Jeroboam that God was going to tear ten of the tribes from Solomon’s son because of Solomon’s failure to faithfully follow God’s commands and decrees. God told Jeroboam that he was going to punish David’s descendants, but not forever, because of Solomon’s sins and that if Jeroboam followed God faithfully, God would establish his descendants on the throne of the ten tribes. Solomon made an attempt to have Jeroboam killed, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt until after Solomon’s death.
     When Solomon died and his son Rehoboam took the throne, Jeroboam returned to Israel. Rehoboam went to Shechem to be crowned king of all Israel. The leaders of Israel asked Jeroboam to be their spokesman as they approached Rehoboam with a petition about his reign. They asked Rehoboam to reduce the labor demands and taxes which Solomon had imposed. If he was willing to do this, the people of Israel would agree to making him king. Rehoboam requested three days to formulate an answer. Rehoboam first consulted with his father’s advisers. They told him that he should agree to the request of the people of Israel, that if he did so, the people would become his devoted followers. Rehoboam did not like this answer, so he asked the advice of the young men he had grown up with. They advised him to answer with arrogance and braggadocio, to tell the people of Israel that, not only would he not reduce the burden his father Solomon had placed on them, he would increase it. As a result of his answer, the people of the northern tribes rejected Rehoboam as their king. When Rehoboam, still at Shechem, sent his official in charge of forced labor out the people of Israel stoned him to death. Rehoboam immediately fled back to Jerusalem, just barely escaping the enraged people.

     After the stoning of Stephen, Saul started seeking believers and dragging them out for persecution, eager to kill those who professed belief in Jesus. He obtained letters from the high priest to the synagogues in Damascus requesting their aid in arresting believers in order to bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners. As he approached Damascus on this mission a bright light shown down on and around him. Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice asking him why he was persecuting the speaker. Saul asked who the speaker was. The voice said, “I am Jesus…” and told Saul to get up and go into the city, where he would be told what to do. The men traveling with Saul heard a voice speaking to him, but saw no one. When Saul opened his eyes, he was blind. The men with him led him into the city. Saul fasted for the next three days.
     Meanwhile God spoke to a believer named Ananias (not the one who died for lying to the Holy Spirit). God told Ananias to go to the house where Saul was staying and lay hands on him so that he could see again. Ananias replied that he had heard about Saul and the terrible things he had done to believers. He had even heard that Saul had come to Damascus to arrest believers. God answered that Saul was his chosen instrument to take His name to Gentiles and their rulers. Ananias did as God had commanded.
     Saul’s sight was restored and he ate some food. He stayed with the believers in Damascus and began preaching in the synagogue. He began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. Everyone who heard him preach was amazed because they knew that up until a few days prior he had been persecuting those who preached in Jesus’ name. Saul’s preaching became ever more powerful and none of the Jews in Damascus could refute his arguments that Jesus was the Messiah. Some of the Jews decided to kill Saul, but the believers in Damascus caught wind of this and lowered Saul over the wall in a basket.
     This story gives us a reason to never give up hope for the salvation of those we know who have not accepted Christ. No matter how strongly someone opposes the message of the Gospel, if there is a chance that they will listen, the Holy Spirit will strike them in a way they will find impossible to ignore.

     This psalm is one which we would do well to strive to live by. First it gives us this guidance:

     The first proverb tells us that it is the wicked and liars who pay attention to gossip and slander. Do I pay attention to gossip and slander? If so, perhaps I am not the person I claim to be. I need to keep this in mind when I find myself listening to gossip and slander.
     The second proverb tells us that mocking those who are poor is an insult to God who made them. If we rejoice at the misfortune of others, we will suffer for it eventually. I strive to sympathize with those who suffer misfortune, no matter how much I might have wanted to see them taken down a peg.