Tag Archives: Bible Study

February 16, 2013 Bible Study — Bring Our Friends To Jesus

February 15, 2013 AttilaDimedici 1 Comment

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.

Baron Gunnar shows that he can still fence

Leviticus 1-3:17

Today’s passage describes the procedures for making a burnt offering, a grain offering and a peace offering. The burnt offering and the peace offering were an animal, either a young bull, or a young sheep or goat of either sex. Whichever type of animal it was, it was to be an animal with no defects. It was not acceptable to give an animal that would otherwise just be destroyed as an offering. When we make a sacrifice it needs to be something that something that is actually a sacrifice.
I found it interesting that the instructions for the variations on the grain offering were all to include salt. However, no offering was to include yeast or honey, with the exception that those were allowed to be part of the first fruits of harvest offering. I am not sure what the significance of that is, but I found it interesting.

Mark 1:29-2:12

     After leaving the synagogue where He had healed a demon possessed man, Jesus went to Simon and Andrew’s home. When He got there, they told Him that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick. Jesus went to her and helped her up, whereupon her fever broke completely and she prepared a meal for them. After sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He healed them all. The people of the town gathered outside the door to watch.
     The next morning Jesus got up early and went out to an isolated place to pray. When His disciples found Him, He told them that they needed to go to other towns throughout Galilee to preach. His disciples followed Him as He traveled to various towns and taught in their synagogues. Throughout His traveling and preaching He cast out many demons. At one point a man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged Him to heal him. Jesus did so. He then told the man not to tell anyone, but to go to a priest to be certified as being cleansed of the leprosy as the law commanded. I have read many attempts to explain why Jesus told this man not to tell anyone what happened. It was only during this reading that I realized that those people are missing the point of what Jesus told the man. Jesus told the man to follow the protocol laid out in the law of Moses for someone who has been healed of leprosy. If the man had followed that procedure, the healing would have been well documented and the effect would have been the same as him going and telling everyone. Except that it would have been harder for doubters to explain the healing away.
     Today’s passage ends with the story of the paralyzed man whose friends were so determined to get him to Jesus that they dug a hole through the roof in order to lower the man down in front of Jesus. They could not get the mat they were carrying the man on through the crowds to Jesus, so they climbed up on the roof and made an opening to lower the man through. Jesus saw how much faith the man’s friends had, so He told the man that his sins were forgiven. Other teachers of religious law who were sitting there were offended by Jesus saying this, since they felt that only God could forgive sins. Jesus’ response to their thoughts was to ask them whether it was easier to tell the man that his sins were forgiven or to get up and walk? He then told the man to get up, take his mat and go home. The man did exactly that. This left everyone amazed and praising God. However, they were not quite sure what to think of Jesus since He did not quite fit neatly into any of their existing categories.
     Do we have the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends? Are we confident that if we can only bring our friends before Jesus, they will be healed? How much effort are we willing to exert to bring them before Jesus? Will we match the effort that these men made?

Psalm 35:17-28

The psalmist calls on the Lord to protect him from his enemies, from those who falsely accuse him. He is confident that the Lord will do so and promises to proclaim before the world that credit for his salvation from troubles belongs to the Lord. He acknowledges that he has no power to rescue himself from his enemies. Are we willing to come before the Lord and declare that it is only through His actions that we will succeed? How often do we call on the Lord for salvation from some trouble and then take credit for getting ourselves out of trouble? I just realized that to a degree I have been guilty of this. I have a chronic health issue. It is not something that negatively effects me on a day to day basis, but if I do not get it addressed it could have serious consequences down the road. At my last doctor’s appointment to monitor the issue, everything about it had improved remarkably, almost to the point where I could stop thinking about what I need to do to control it. This was despite the fact that in every aspect of working to control it that I was consciously aware of I had failed to behave in a disciplined manner. Yet until I was reviewing this passage, it never occurred to me to praise God in anything more than a perfunctory way. I will strive to rectify that failure going forward and give God full credit for the improvement in my health.

Proverbs 9:13-18

The foolish are brash and ignorant and generally completely unaware of their lack of knowledge. They go beyond that and entice others to follow them in their foolish behavior. Those who lack judgment follow such enticement without ever recognizing the danger.

Daily Bible Study

February 15, 2013 Bible Study — Fishers of Men

February 14, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 39-40:38

Today’s passage begins with a description of how the garments for the priests were made. Once these were completed the preparations for the Tabernacle were finished. All of these items were brought before Moses for his inspection. God then gave Moses instructions on how to set up the Tabernacle. He was to start with the Most Holy Place and work his way out, placing the furnishings for each part within it before starting to set up the next section. Once Moses had completely set up the Tabernacle and consecrated Aaron and his sons as priests the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
There is a message here on how we should align our lives with God starting in our inner being and working out to our public lives, but I cannot quite put the words together to describe how this works. If we start to present our outer life as aligned with God before we have set up our inner life in alignment with His will, we appear as self-righteous hypocrites. It is however possible to use this as an excuse to make changes to our lives that God is calling us to make, which is the part that makes it hard for me to express the lesson I see hear.

Mark 1:1-28

The Gospel of Mark begins by telling us that John the Baptist preached as one calling on people to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. He preached repentance of sins and when his listeners confessed their sins, he baptized them. In addition John preached that one was coming after him who was so much greater than he that he did not feel worthy to untie His sandals. Mark tells us that Jesus came to John to be baptized. At the moment of His baptism, Jesus saw the heavens split apart and the Holy Spirit descend upon Himself like a dove. At the same time He heard a voice from heaven saying “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” For the longest time I thought this passage described something witnessed by many people, but there is nothing in the passage which suggests that this was witnessed by anyone other than Jesus (although the passage also does not say that no one else saw it). After His baptism, Mark tells us that Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, where angels cared for Him. The passage implies that Jesus went into Galilee and began His ministry after John was arrested. This suggests that Jesus spent some time among the disciples of John.
Once Jesus began His ministry in Galilee, He began calling disciples. The passage tells us that as He was walking along the Sea of Galilee He saw Simon and Andrew fishing and called them to follow Him. He told them that He would send them out to fish for people. Often times when we read this today, we envision fishing the way we do it today as a hobby, casting out a line and drawing in fish one at a time. That would not be the way that Simon and Andrew heard it. They were professional fisherman and they threw nets into the water and drew fish in by the hundreds or thousands at a time. Perhaps it is time that we rethink how we spread the Gospel and start throwing out nets rather than trying to bring people to Christ one at a time. I believe that there is a place for both types of fishing for people to follow Jesus, but I think that in the Church today we place to much emphasis on “catching” followers for Jesus one at a time.

Psalm 35:1-16

The psalmist calls on the Lord to fight against those who oppose him. He asks God to humiliate them and bring them down. The psalmist justifies asking for God to bring them down because when they were sick, or otherwise troubled, he had striven to ease their suffering. My take away from this psalm is that we can count on God to fight for us and defeat our enemies when we treat them, and everyone else, as our neighbors and love them as ourselves. If we behave in that way then God will act on our behalf to defend us against those who speak maliciously about us or otherwise try to cause us harm.

Proverbs 9:11-12

If we choose to follow the wise course of action, we will longer than if we do not. If I choose the wise actions, it is I who will benefit. If I choose to reject the wise actions, it is I who will suffer.

Daily Bible Study

February 14, 2013 Bible Study — Jesus Has Risen

February 13, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 37-38:31

Today’s passage describes the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and the various furnishings of the Tabernacle. At the end it describes how much gold, silver and bronze was used. The amount of gold used would be worth almost $53 million on today’s market. The silver would be worth almost $3.5 million. In addition a large amount of bronze was used (I was unable to find a price for a given weight of bronze, primarily because bronze is a mixture of copper and tin and the ratio varies). Overall, the Israelites dedicated a large amount of wealth to the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Do we dedicate a similar amount of our wealth to serving the Lord?

Matthew 28:1-20

     Early on Sunday morning the two Marys went to the tomb where Jesus was buried. As they approached the tomb there was an earthquake caused by an angel coming down from heaven. The angel rolled back the stone and sat on it. The angel’s appearance frightened the guards set by the Jewish religious leaders so much that they fell to the ground unconscious. The angel then spoke to the women, telling them that Jesus was not there because He had risen. Further the angel told them to tell the disciples to go to Galilee where Jesus would meet them. The women were frightened, yet joyful as they hurried to give the message to the disciples. Before they got far Jesus greeted them and told them not to be afraid. He repeated the angel’s instructions for His disciples.
     Meanwhile some of the guards went to report to the chief priests. Upon hearing the news, the chief priests met and devised a plan. They gave the guards a large sum of money to tell people that Jesus’ disciples had come while they slept and stole His body. The chief priests told the guards that they would intervene with the governor to keep them out of trouble. The guards took the money to spread the story.
     The eleven disciples went to Galilee as the angel and Jesus had instructed the women to tell them. Jesus met them there. When Jesus met them He gave them what we call the Great Commission: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
     One of the things that is interesting in this passage is that when the angel descended, Jesus was already out of the tomb. The angel did not roll aside the stone to allow Jesus to leave the tomb. Rather the angel rolled aside the stone so that people could see that the tomb was empty. Another thing of note is that the first witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection were women. By first appearing to women, Jesus elevated women to a status of equality that was unusual for that day and age. Women were not considered reliable witnesses, their testimony was not even considered in a court of law.
     Here is what I see in the Great Commission. First, Jesus claims the authority of God, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” This leads to what His disciples (and we as their successors) were to do. They were to go and make disciples of all the nations, of all peoples. They were to teach those new disciples to follow all of the commands that Jesus had taught them. It is not enough for us to believe in God’s grace, we are to become disciples of Jesus, doing our best to imitate Him in all aspects of our lives. We are then to teach others to do the same. The Great Commission ends with words of great comfort, Jesus will be with us always, not just some of the time, not just when times are good, or when times are bad, but always.

Psalm 34:11-22

If you want to live a life that is long and prosperous, learn to fear the Lord. The psalmist tells us that the first step in doing right is controlling what we say. From there we should turn from all evil action and rather perform those actions which are good. Being good is active. It is not a matter of not doing evil but of actively doing that which brings benefit to others. God will watch out for and protect those who strive to do His will, while their own evil will strike down those who ignore His commands.

Proverbs 9:9-10

Those who are wise are receptive to learning more and to advice. The righteous are always open to receiving instruction on how to live in better alignment with God’s will. The first step to acquiring wisdom is to fear God. Until we understand that God is frightening and scary, we will not learn to follow His will. It is only after we learn to follow His will that we truly learn that God is loving and caring. It is our knowledge of His love and care which relieves us of our fear of His might and power. We learn good judgment by learning to obey the will of God.

Daily Bible Study

February 13, 2013 Bible Study — Abandoned By God?

February 12, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Dazed and confused (mostly just lack of sleep)

Exodus 35:10-36:38

When Moses finished telling the people what God required for building the Tabernacle, God moved many of them to donate what was needed for the construction. They donated gold, silver and bronze objects to be melted down to be used in the construction. They donated thread, yarn and fabric. They brought so much that when the craftsmen began work they had to come to Moses and ask him to tell the people to stop bringing such goods as they had all they needed. Do I respond to the needs of the Church with as much enthusiasm?

Matthew 27:32-66

     As they took Jesus out to be crucified, they forced Simon the Cyrene to carry His cross. This suggests that Jesus has been so weakened by His flogging that He was unable to carry the cross Himself. When they got to the place of crucifixion, Jesus was offered wine mixed with “gall”, which Jesus refused to drink once He had tasted it. I did a bit of internet searching to learn something about this drink Jesus was offered. According to several sources, the drink Jesus was offered here was either an analgesic (something to reduce the pain and suffering of the crucifixion experience) or poison (in order to end His life sooner and thus reduce the pain and suffering). In either case, the drink was designed to ease the suffering He would experience on the cross, Jesus refused to drink it. He refused to take the easy way out.
     As Jesus hung on the cross, many people mocked Him. They expressed that if He was truly the Son of God, He should demonstrate it by coming down off of the cross. Even the religious leaders of the day gathered around to mock Him. They proclaimed that if He came down off of the cross, they would believe in Him. Even those crucified alongside Him insulted Him. When I write this, it reminds me of today’s passage from Proverbs (you can go ahead and skip down and read that now if you like), which talks about how if you rebuke a mocker they will insult you. The other thing I thought of when I read this was the people I have met who reject Christianity. Many of them will say, “If such and such would happen, I would believe.” However, if what they asked for happens, they always have an excuse for why it doesn’t really show that God exists.
     Matthew tells us that from noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the land. At three, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is a direct quote from the beginning of Psalm 22. According to several sources I have read, it was first century rabbinical tradition that quoting the first phrase of a passage was equivalent to quoting the entire passage. That would mean that when Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was referencing the entirety of Psalm 22. Psalm 22 is a psalm both of despair at abandonment and of confidence that God will save. The next line of the psalm is “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” Which sounds as absolutely forlorn as this cry from Jesus is traditionally interpreted. However, further down the psalmist says,

“For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.”
Which expresses a confidence that God will be with Him, even in this time of trial when God seems so far away. It is my belief that even when He felt completely abandoned by the Father, Jesus was proclaiming His faith that He was following God’s will and that God would not abandon Him. No matter how alone and abandoned we may feel, is it possible that we are feeling more alone and abandoned than Jesus did at that moment? Yet Jesus knew, even at that moment, at the lowest moment of His life, that God would not abandon Him. We can know the same thing. God will listen to our cry for help and will deliver us.
At the moment of Jesus’ death there was a massive earthquake, such that the Roman soldiers guarding the crucifixion were terrified. They recognized that such signs suggested that Jesus was someone special and were frightened as the repercussions from being complicit in His death. After His death, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for permission to bury Jesus’ body. Pilate granted that permission.
The final part of today’s passage shows that the religious leaders had been listening to Jesus (perhaps in some ways more closely than His disciples). They knew He had said that He would rise again after three days. So they went to Pilate and requested a guard be placed upon Jesus’ tomb to ensure that Jesus’ disciples could not steal the body and falsely claim that He had risen. Yet we discover later that Jesus’ disciples did not remember, or perhaps it was just a lack of belief, that Jesus had said that He would die and rise after three days until after His Resurrection. How often do we encounter non-believers who understand what Jesus taught better than we do?

Psalm 34:1-10

I will strive to praise the Lord all of the time, not just when I am around those I think agree with my faith. I will boast of no skill and no success. I will boast only of what the Lord has done. I can take no credit for my good fortune, all belongs to God who could readily choose to take that good fortune from me and give it to another. However, I know that if I continue to place my trust in the Lord, He will care for me. I encourage everyone to “test drive” faith in God. They will see that it makes their life better. If you live as if the Bible is true, you will quickly learn that it is.

Proverbs 9:7-8

Mockers and the wicked react with scorn and hostility to those who rebuke their misbehavior and/or attempt to correct their poor choices. The wise on the other hand appreciate being corrected when they make poor choices or hurt other’s feelings.

Daily Bible Study

February 12, 2013 Bible Study — What Sins Do We Attempt to Wash Our Hands Of?

February 11, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Jen debating the least embarrassing way to lose to Baron Colin (I've been there and don't do nearly as well). — Jen debating the least embarrassing way to lose to Baron Colin (I’ve been there and don’t do nearly as well).

Exodus 34-35:9

God has Moses chisel out a second set of stone tablets and bring them up the mountain, where God wrote His instructions on them, just as He had on the set which Moses had smashed in anger. When Moses returned to the mountain top, the Lord passed in front of him. Moses immediately fell on his face and worshiped the Lord, begging Him to travel with the Israelites. God once more made a covenant with the people of Israel and reiterated the instructions He had given Moses. God emphasized to Moses that they were not to enter into a treaty with any of the people in the land they were entering. They were not to enter into a treaty with them because if they did, sooner or later they would start worshiping their gods rather than remaining loyal to God Himself.
This is, in my mind, an important lesson. If we make common cause with those who do not worship God sooner or later we will find ourselves entering into their worship. One of the most pernicious forms of this is the temptation to make common cause with those who claim to worship the same God as I do, yet whose worship is, by my understanding of Scripture, idolatrous. There is also the challenge of when can we work with those who do not worship our God in doing good deeds. All too often, Christians enter into agreements with others in order to feed the hungry and care for the needy only to discover those others (usually government) putting conditions on the work that make it less a ministry to those in need and more an effort to gather worshipers to those others. Many government programs are designed to lead people to put the government in the place of God. I don’t believe that this was something done consciously, not even as consciously as Aaron designed the golden calf, but it is something that people tend to do.

Matthew 27:15-31

Pilate had a tradition of releasing a prisoner chosen by the crowd at the Passover festival. When Jesus was brought before him, he attempted to convince the crowd to choose Jesus. However, the priests had worked the crowd to get them to demand Jesus death. Pilate’s wife sent him a message warning him to have nothing to do with Jesus’ case because she had had terrible dreams concerning Him. When the crowd called on him to crucify Jesus, Pilate asked them what crime He had committed. The crowd merely cried even louder for Jesus’ crucifixion. When Pilate realized that the crowd was not going to respond to his entreaties, and was starting to get out of hand, he washed his hands in front of them and disclaimed responsibility for Jesus’ death. The crowd responded by accepting responsibility for Jesus’ death. Pilate then had Jesus flogged and handed Him over to be crucified.
How often do I do as Pilate did and attempt to deflect responsibility for my actions to others? Pilate may have “washed his hands” of responsibility for Jesus’ crucifixion, but it was still at his orders that the soldiers carried out the crucifixion. We often feel pressured by others, especially in numbers, to take actions that we believe are wrong. All too often I have succumbed to such pressure (although I have never been in fear for my life).

Psalm 33:12-22

Might and power will not save a nation. A nation and/or a people will only continue to exist by the will of God. God will deliver those who trust in Him. I will not rely on my power or strength, nor will I rely on the power of government. I will trust in God to protect me.

Preparing for the after worship fellowship meal

Proverbs 9:1-6

The writer tells us that wisdom with all of its benefits and blessings is there for anyone who desires to acquire it. There is more than enough for everyone. There is enough of wisdom and its blessings for everyone. No one needs to have less wisdom because someone else has more. Not only that, but the blessings from following the wise course are abundant enough that all can experience them.

Daily Bible Study

February 11, 2013 Bible Study — Have I Made My Own Golden Calf?

February 10, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 32-33:23

While Moses was up on the mountain receiving instruction from God, the people became convinced that he was not coming back. So, they approached Aaron asking him to make them an idol to follow. Aaron instructed them to bring their earrings to him. Aaron took the gold jewelry they brought him and fashioned it into a statue of a calf. The Israelites declared that this calf was the god which had brought them out of Egypt. Aaron built an altar and declared the next day a festival to worship this calf. God was furious and sent Moses back down the mountain to confront the people. When Moses confronted Aaron about his role in building the calf, Aaron attempted to deflect any blame from himself. First he blames the people and how evil they are. Then he attempts to minimize his own role by saying that he threw the jewelry into the fire and the calf just emerged, as if no further effort was required to make the calf.
I see a few things in this passage that apply today. The first is an unwillingness to wait for God. We get impatient and start looking for some other source of guidance. Closely related to that is our tendency to worship material things. We need to constantly evaluate our lives to look for things which we have made more important to ourselves than God. Is it television? the Internet? my job? It could even be some aspect of church. Then there are Aaron’s excuses. “The people made me do it.” “It just happened.” Aaron tried to lay the blame for what happened other than where it belonged, on himself. How often do I do that? How often do I attempt to blame others for my sins? Or try to say that my sin “just happened”. There is some truth to both of those, but if we stand up to those who pressure us to sin, often times they will see the wrongness of the path they are about to go down and join us in resisting sin. As to sins that “just happen”, they only occur if we have already started down the path toward sinning.

White and pink Amaryllis — White and pink amaryllis

Matthew 26:69-27:14

We come to what must have been the worst period in Peter’s life. He followed along after Jesus’ arrest. While he was in the courtyard a servant girl said that he had been with Jesus. Peter denied the charge. He then moved to another location, where another servant girl repeated the allegation. Peter once more denied it in even stronger terms. After a short interval a few people approached Peter and said that his accent gave him away, he must be a follower of Jesus. Peter even more strenuously denied this allegation, calling down curses on those who made the claim. At that moment, he heard the rooster crow and remembered what Jesus had said. Peter was heartbroken at his failure to remain faithful, not only had he not stood by Jesus side, he had denied even knowing Him. How often have I denied my faith to avoid being belittled because of it? The answer is too often. Peter at least had the excuse of fearing for his life. When I have denied my faith, it has been to avoid ridicule. When Peter realized what he had done, he withdrew and wept bitterly. Do I take my denials of Christ as seriously as Peter did his?
In the initial phases of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, Jesus made no response to the charges against Him. When Pilate asked Him if He was the king of the Jews, Jesus replied that those were Pilate’s words. It seems to me that there is some significant theology behind Jesus’ response here, but I am not sure what it is. Jesus neither affirms nor denies that He is the king of the Jews. He tells Pilate that it is Pilate (and others) who use that term. To me this seems to suggest that Jesus is saying that it depends on what you mean by the term “king of the Jews”. That perhaps explains why Jesus does not answer any of the other charges against Him, the specifics behind the charges are true, but the way that they are presented gives them meaning which is false. He refused to engage in discussion in the terms chosen by His opponents.

The fencers gather round to hear war stories

Psalm 33:1-11

Let us sing praises unto God, using whatever devices come to our hands. God loves what is just and good. His love fills the whole earth. God’s plans will come to fruition no matter what anyone may attempt to thwart them. I will praise God for He is good to me.

Proverbs 8:33-36

Those who listen to wise instruction and follow it find joy and a bountiful life. They will live a life pleasing to the Lord. Those who despise wisdom cause harm to themselves and are courting death.

Daily Bible Study

February 10, 2013 Bible Study

February 10, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 30:11-31:18

     God instructed Moses that whenever a census of the people was taken each man who was counted was to pay a ransom to God for himself. The ransom was to be a fixed amount with no difference if the person was rich or if the person was poor. The money was to be an atonement for the people and it was to be used for the service of the tent of meeting. It is worth noting that all were worth the same to God.
     God then gave instructions for the priests to wash their hands and feet before they brought a food offering to the altar. It is worth noting that the priests ate a portion of the food offerings, so the comment that they were to do this so they would not die makes perfectly good sense. The passage then goes on to give the recipe for the anointing oil they were to use and the recipe for the incense they were to burn. Both of these formulas were to be used only by the priests in the service of God. The passage goes on to tell us that God had chosen two men to oversee the craftsmen building the Tabernacle. God had given these two men the skills to oversee the skilled workers who would construct the various elements of the Tabernacle. These workers had been gifted by God with the skills necessary to make the various elements of the Tabernacle.
     Today’s passage concludes with a strict command that the people of Israel are to abstain from all forms of work on one day out of seven. They are to keep that day holy to God. That seventh day is to be a day of rest.

Matthew 26:47-68

Yesterday’s passage ended with Jesus telling His disciples that the hour had come. As He said this, Judas arrived leading a crowd armed with clubs and swords. Judas immediately approached Jesus greeted Him as Rabbi and kissed him, thus identifying Jesus for the armed crowd sent with him by the chief priests. These men seized Jesus and arrested Him. One of the disciples drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest. Jesus told him to put away his sword, telling them all that He could call on God to provide Him with an army of angels. In particular, Jesus said that he could call upon twelve legions of angels. I am not sure of the significance of that number, but I believe that it was based on the number of tribes of Israel and would have been perceived to be sufficient to take on Rome. Jesus tells His disciples that if He summoned those angels, the Scriptures which said it must happen as it was about to would not be fulfilled. Jesus then confronted the crown arresting Him, asking why they were coming out at night to arrest Him when He was in the Temple courts each day? At this point all of Jesus’ disciples fled.
Jesus was brought before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin for trial. The Sanhedrin called for witnesses against Jesus and many came forward. However, they were unable to get any two to agree on the charges they made against Him. The best they could manage was two who testified that Jesus has said that He would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. At this point the high priest turned to Jesus and demanded that He answer the charges. Jesus remained silent. The high priest then demanded that Jesus answer as to whether He was the Messiah. When Jesus answered the high priest interpreted His answer as blasphemy and demanded that the Sanhedrin call for Jesus’ death. The Sanhedrin agreed and passed out a sentence calling for Jesus’ death.

Psalm 32:1-11

How wonderful it is to know that God will forgive our sins. All that we need to do is admit to them. I marvel at how often I have experienced what the psalmist talks about, how I struggle when I try to hide my sins. What an amazing relief it is when I admit that I have sinned and done wrong. I will strive to admit when I do wrong and change my behavior so that I do not repeat those failings. I will seek out those things in my life which I try to justify that God has said are sin. I will not try to pretend that they are not sin…OK, I will strive to not pretend that they are not sin. I know that there are things in my life that I still deny are sin that God is waiting to convict me on (generally waiting until I yield to Him on other things that He has already called me to address). I will strive to no longer require God to use the bit and bridle to direct me in His paths. All too often I have not responded to God’s prompting until I feel the pain.

Proverbs 8:27-32

The proverb writer tells us that wisdom was there when God created the universe. There are many ways to interpret what this passage means. I take it to mean that wisdom is inherent in the design of the universe and that if we wish to lead a fulfilling and happy life we need to follow the path of wisdom. I remember role playing with a young man who, when the rest of us told him to think after he did something especially foolish in game terms told us that he did not want to think, he just wanted to have fun. Eventually we were able to show him that, at least when it came to role playing games, one had more fun when one thought things through before acting. Unfortunately at least one of the men who helped impart that lesson never learned to apply it to his life outside of the game and, last I heard, is in jail.

Daily Bible Study

February 9, 2013 Bible Study

February 8, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 29-30:10

Today’s passage gives a detailed account of the ceremony to ordain a priest. They were to bring a young bull and two rams to the tent of meeting along with several loaves of bread made without yeast. Then the men who were about to be ordained as priests were brought there as well. The men were washed and dressed in the priestly garments. The men were then anointed with oil. Then according to specific instructions the bull and each of the rams were sacrificed. A portion of each of the sacrifices was to be reserved for the priests to eat. The process of ordination was to take seven days with detailed instructions about the sacrifices to be conducted on the days following the first. Are there benefits to going through such a ritual of consecration? Do we have such rituals? Should we?
My answer to that question is that we would be well served to develop rituals that we undertake to consecrate ourselves to God, not because such rituals have any value towards our salvation but because they can help us focus our minds upon God. A carefully designed ritual can help us to fully internalize our attempts to dedicate our lives to serving God. However, we must be careful because a ritual can replace God as the object of our worship.

Matthew 26:14-46

     Today’s passage begins with the account of Judas Iscariot going to the chief priests and agreeing to help them arrest Jesus away from the crowds. There is one question that none of these accounts can answer, why did Judas offer to betray Jesus? Did he do it for the money? Was he trying to force Jesus hand to overthrow Roman rule? Did he think that he was serving Jesus’ purposes? Whatever his motives, Judas chose to betray Jesus.
     The disciples then asked Jesus where they should eat the Passover feast. He gave them instructions which they followed. While they were eating Jesus told them that one of them was going to betray him. One after another they asked Him if they were the one that was going to betray Him until. Jesus answered that one who had dipped into the bowl with Him would betray Him. It is possible that this passage meant that Judas had dipped into the bowl at the same time as Jesus. However, it seems to my to be more likely an account of the level of Judas’ betrayal. Judas had shared a meal with Jesus. In many societies betraying someone who you had shared a meal with was considered among the lowest of possible actions.
     After this, Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks for it and breaks it, giving pieces to His disciples. He tells them to take it and eat it, it is His body. He then does the same with the wine, except that in this case he says that it is His blood which is poured out for the forgiveness of many. Looking back the significance of this act is very clear, but it seems likely that it had much less, or at least different, meaning for the disciples who were present. When we partake of this ritual do we see it as a consecration like the one that the priests under went in today’s Exodus passage?
     After this, they left there and went out to the Mount of Olives (at some point here Judas left them and went to the priests). Jesus told them that they would fall away and be scattered. Peter avows that even if everyone else abandons Jesus, he will stand by His side. Jesus replies that not only would Peter fall away like the others, but he, Peter, would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed to announce the next morning. To which Peter avowed that he would die with Jesus before he would deny Him (a statement which the other disciples quickly echoed). I am sure that Jesus’ statement cut Peter to the quick and that he was determined to prove Him wrong on this.
     Jesus then asked His disciples to keep watch with Him as He prayed. Jesus prayed that He not have to go through with the suffering He knew was coming. He returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. He awakens them and points out to Peter that despite his bravado he is unable to even stay awake. This scene is repeated two more times. I cannot find reference at this time, but I read at some point in the past that there was a rabbinical tradition that the new day did not begin until one had slept a certain amount. The article implied that the new day, the day of Jesus’ betrayal, did not begin until the disciples fell asleep the third time. I do not know if that is true, but it puts an interesting light on the situation. How often are we like the disciples, sure that we can stand against persecution for our faith, but unable to stay awake through the night?

Pink and white Amaryllis — Pink and white amaryllis

Psalm 31:19-24

The psalmist tells us that God has stored up an abundance of good things for those who fear and obey Him. If we turn to Him ,He will hide and shelter us from those who set out to destroy us. When we feel cut off and separated from God, He will still hear us when we cry out and come to our rescue. Do not allow the trials and tribulations that you face get you down, God will come and redeem you. No matter how bad it seems at the moment have faith and God will come to your rescue.

Proverbs 8:14-26

The writer tells us that wisdom is available to all who search for it. The rewards for following the path of wisdom are worth more than any amount of money. Wisdom is the foundation of everything worth doing, even the creation of the universe. Do I seek wisdom with all of my being? When I find it, do I follow the paths it lays out for me?

Daily Bible Study

February 8, 2013 Bible Study — Am I a Sheep Or a Goat?

February 7, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 28:1-43

Today’s passage describes in great detail the clothing that the priests were to wear when they came before the Lord. They were to dress with great care, down to the underwear that they wore. Reading the description of these garments I was struck by the attention to detail that was necessary each time they put them on in order to get everything right. While getting dressed the priest would have plenty of time to purify their thinking before they came before God. I was struck by how much more effort I should put into spending time with God. There can be something therapeutic about going through a ritual of preparation. There is also great benefit in spending time analyzing my life for behaviors that I should change in order to better serve God.

Matthew 25:31-26:13

     Jesus describes the day of judgment when all people will stand before God to be judged. Jesus tells us that He will divide the people into two groups, one to His right and one to His left. He will invite the ones on His right into their reward because when He was suffering they provided Him with relief. Then He tells those on His left to be cursed because they could not be bothered to help Him when He was in need. Neither group will know what He is talking about. In both cases they will deny ever encountering Him in need. Jesus tells them that whenever they have done it for the least, they have done it for Him. Jesus responds that whatever we have done, or not done, for “one of the least” we did, or did not, do for Him.
     I have heard many people comment on the fact that Jesus is telling us that the difference between the “sheep” and the “goats” in this parable is what they did and didn’t do. And that is absolutely true. There are also people who talk about how important it is for us as Christians to act to help those in need, whether it is feeding the hungry, taking in strangers, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, caring for the sick, or whatever other need it is. And that is absolutely true. But what struck me about this passage today was that those who were rewarded did not know when they had done all of these things. Helping those in need was such an ingrained part of who they were that they could not remember doing the things Jesus praised them for as anything special. They never even noticed that they had done something for those in need. They just did it and went about their business. On the other hand, the other group never noticed those in need either. The first group helped those in need because they could not imagine acting any other way. They are the people who when someone praises them, or thanks them for something they have done respond, ‘I only did what anybody would have done.” Our goal should be to become people who, when someone tells us how special it was that we helped someone in need, we don’t understand why they even noticed what we did.
     After this parable Jesus once more tells His disciples that He will be arrested and crucified. This time telling them that it will happen during the upcoming Passover. The political and religious leaders of the Jewish people gathered to plan to have Jesus secretly arrested and killed, planning it carefully to avoid triggering riots.
     Today’s passage ends with the woman who anoints Jesus with oil. The disciples were indignant because they thought that it would have been better to have sold the oil and used it to help the poor. Their reaction makes perfect sense as this was probably only hours after they heard the above mentioned parable of the sheep and the goats. Jesus response suggests that they still did not understand. He tells them that the poor will always be there, but that He will not always be with them in the flesh. I think the point being made here is that we should try to meet the needs and soothe the cares of those we interact with without thinking about how to “earn points.” It should just be something that grows out of who we are. Just as this woman’s actions grew out of who she was.

Psalm 31:9-18

The psalmist expresses that despite the distress that he is in that he will trust the Lord. He is confident that God will deliver him from the hands of his enemies, even though his health is failing and even his closest friends avoid being seen with him. I will not be ashamed to call out to the Lord.

Proverbs 8:12-13

Wisdom cannot readily be separated from good judgment. Those who employ wisdom will seek out knowledge and discernment. Those with wisdom hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. It is worth noting how the writer here links pride, arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. These things all reflect the same basic lack of wisdom. The failure to control the words we use will lead us to make other unwise choices.

Daily Bible Study

February 7, 2013 Bible Study –Keep Watch, Because You Do Not Know the Day or the Hour

February 6, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Exodus 26-27:21

Today’s passage is a detailed description of the plans for building the Tabernacle. As I read this I became impressed by the attention to detail called for in this. The craftsmanship necessary to follow these directions is impressive, although what it calls for is not great artistry but rather painstaking attention to detail. This passage is definitely one of those which led me to start this blog. There are two things I saw in here to highlight. The first is that Moses was given the detailed description of how various parts of the Tabernacle should be built, the detailed description was followed at several points with instructions to make it as he was “shown on the mountain.” Indicating that the earthly Tabernacle was based on a heavenly Tabernacle which was shown to Moses. The other thing I want to highlight is that the Israelites (in particular the priests) were to maintain lights in the Tabernacle at night. There was always to be light in the Tabernacle, during the day from the sun and at night from the lamps that Moses was instructed to have made.

Matthew 25:1-30

Today’s passage contains two parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. The first parable is about 10 women waiting for their bridegroom to come. Five of them prepared for a long wait and brought extra oil for their lamps. The other five were foolish and assumed he would come before the oil in their lamps ran out. Then while all ten waited, they became drowsy and fell asleep. Suddenly they were awoken by word of the bridegroom’s coming. Those who had prepared added oil and trimmed their lamps. The unprepared asked to borrow some oil from them, but the prepared brides explained that they did not have enough for both themselves and the unprepared. They sent the unprepared out to get more oil, but by the time they returned it was too late. Jesus tells us that we should remain prepared, no matter how long the delay, because when we see Him coming it will be too late to prepare.
The second parable tells us to make the best use of the resources which God has given us. This parable has always been a challenge to me because I have been given many talents in this life, yet I have always struggled with knowing how and where to apply them. I will continue to strive to find the ways to use the gifts God has given me to please Him. All too often I feel like I am the man given the five bags of gold acting like the man given just the one bag.

Psalm 31:1-8

I desire to be as the psalmist and turn to the Lord for protection. I will not turn to idols or worship other things in the hope that they will protect me. I will not rely on the government, myself or anything else for my protection. I will trust in the Lord. God will be my rock and my fortress. If I follow the path He guides me on I will not fall into any of the traps set for me. I will commit my spirit and all that I am into God’s hands, for He will protect me.

Proverbs 8:1-11

Wisdom calls out to us. The proverb writer tells us that wisdom is there for anyone willing to listen. Anyone who does not possess wisdom has chosen not to listen to wisdom calling out to them. Not listening to the wisdom that is there for us to acquire as we experience life is like leaving precious metals or gems lying on the road as we walk along. Yet all too many people make that choice everyday, treating the wisdom they could acquire like a penny that is not worth their trouble to bend over and pick it up.

Fact and Fantasy

Tag Archives: Bible Study

February 16, 2013 Bible Study — Bring Our Friends To Jesus

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February 15, 2013 Bible Study — Fishers of Men

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February 14, 2013 Bible Study — Jesus Has Risen

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February 13, 2013 Bible Study — Abandoned By God?

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February 12, 2013 Bible Study — What Sins Do We Attempt to Wash Our Hands Of?

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February 11, 2013 Bible Study — Have I Made My Own Golden Calf?

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February 10, 2013 Bible Study

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February 9, 2013 Bible Study

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February 8, 2013 Bible Study — Am I a Sheep Or a Goat?

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February 7, 2013 Bible Study –Keep Watch, Because You Do Not Know the Day or the Hour

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