I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     After the death of Sarah, Abraham sent his most trusted servant to find a wife for Isaac among the people of his father who still lived in Haran (or nearby). The servant followed Abraham’s instructions. What Abraham’s servant did when he arrived at his destination is a model for us to follow when we are attempting to follow God’s guidance. He asked God for a sign, but the sign was not arbitrary. The sign he asked for was one which would reflect the character of the person who carried it out.
     The servant believed that God had chosen a woman in the town he had just arrived in to be Isaac’s wife, but he did not know who she was, nor did he have any good ideas as to how to find her. He did however know a few things about her. He knew she would be a relative of Abraham, but he did not know how to find Abraham’s relatives in this town. He knew she would be courteous and hospitable to strangers, partly because he knew that was what God (and Abraham) would want in a wife for Isaac, and partly because he knew that Abraham’s relatives would raise their daughter to be that way (that was at least part of the reason Abraham wanted Isaac to marry a woman from his father’s people).
     Now, the servant had a plan that would tell him if a woman met the second criteria, but he had no way to know if she met the first. So he asked God that the first woman he met who met his test be one who met the first. Abraham’s servant laid out his “fleece” (it is kind of funny to call it that, since Gideon had not yet been born at the time of this story). And the first woman he approached did as he had hoped. She not only eagerly offered him water when he requested a drink, as he was drinking she drew more water in order to water his thirsty camels. When she did this, he acted on faith and presented her gifts, which in light of his next question, she would have interpreted, correctly, as “courting” gifts (that he was trying to convince her to marry, and her family to allow her to marry, someone he was representing). When he asked her whose daughter she was, she told him that the daughter of Bethuel and the granddaughter of Nahor.
     Abraham’s servant made a request of God for a sign. When he got the sign, he acted. He did not fail to follow up and confirm that the sign was correct, but he also did not wait until he had incontrovertible proof before he began to take action. God makes His intentions clear to us if we are paying attention.

     This passage contains two stories of Jesus healing people that have some similarities. Both stories demonstrate great faith on the part of those requesting Jesus to heal. The first man is a leper who tells Jesus, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Notice the man did not say, “you can heal me.” He said, “you can make me clean.” He recognized that he needed more than just healing, although he needed that as well. He needed to be made clean. We, also, need to be healed and made clean. Every single one of us is struggling with something of which we need to be both healed and cleaned (except for a few who have already be healed and cleaned by Christ). Jesus’ answer is quite instructive, as well. He simply said, “I am willing. Be clean.” He then instructed the man to follow God’s commands for demonstrating that he had been cleaned. If we are willing to go forward according to God’s will, Jesus is willing to heal us and cleanse us. Actually, Jesus is willing even if we are not, the problem being that if we do not go forward according to God’s will, we will not stay clean and healthy.
     The next story is that of a Roman soldier, an officer. This man came to Jesus on behalf of his servant, who was paralyzed and suffering. When the man approached Jesus, Jesus said that He would come at once. The Roman officer answered that he was unworthy to have Jesus come to his home and there was no need for Jesus to do so. He knew that if Jesus wished to heal his servant, He could do it from where He was. The Roman officer understood that Jesus had authority over disease. He knew that Jesus did not heal with potions or medicines and neither did Jesus heal by reaching out and comforting the mind of those who were suffering, although those are both fine ways of bringing about healing. Jesus healed by using the power of He who had formed the first man out of the dust of the earth. Do we have the faith to believe that God can and will heal us, or our loved ones, without needing to make use of human hands? This is not to take away from those who work to heal those who are sick in the world around us. I do believe that some of us are called to that. But we are all called to recognize that God does not need that in order to heal our broken world.

     I will call upon the Lord to have mercy upon me for I know that the wicked will be caught in the trap which they set for themselves. It may seem that the needy are being ignored and the poor crushed, but God will stand by them and bring justice to their oppressors.

     The proverb writer tells us to trust in God and warns us not to rely on our own understanding. If we seek to do God’s will, He will show us the path to take. If we follow that path we will find favor with God and with people.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     We are told again and again throughout the Bible that Abraham was a man of faith and a man of God. Yet here in this passage (and in others) we see how his faith and his actions fell short of what we should admire. People often forget that just because Abraham and others are held up in the Bible as persons to be emulated, that does not mean that the Bible is telling us that everything they did was good. Rather, we are to recognize that as flawed as they were, they still strove to serve God. In this passage, Abraham deceived Abimelech about his wife Sarah, telling him that she was his sister and leaving out that she was his wife. Later in the passage, Abraham turns out Hagar and his son, Ishmael, to appease Sarah, who was angry over Ishmael’s attitude towards Isaac. In both cases, God acted to prevent Abraham’s actions from causing harm to others.
     Up until here, God has repeatedly told Abraham that His various promises to Abraham will be fulfilled through Isaac and his descendants. In this passage, Abraham feels led by God to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt sacrifice to God. Offering a son as a burnt sacrifice was a common practice among the people who lived in the area where Abraham was now dwelling. They would have thought that if Abraham was truly as devoted to his God as he claimed, he would offer up his son as a burnt offering. When Abraham arrived at the mountain where he felt such a sacrifice should be made, he built an altar and prepared the wood of the sacrifice. As he was about to sacrifice Isaac, he became aware of a ram caught by its horns in the thicket nearby. He offered that ram instead of Isaac.
     I am downplaying the moments when the account mentions God speaking directly to Abraham because I think there are lessons for us to learn from reading the passage in this manner (I am not saying that there are not lessons to be learned from paying close attention to God’s direct words to Abraham, just that another lesson can be more readily seen when we pay less attention to them). I see this passage as illustrating, for all time, that God does not desire human sacrifice. The passage also demonstrates Abraham’s willingness to surrender the thing which was most valuable to him, his son Isaac, if that was what God required of him.

     Jesus continues His sermon by warning us against false prophets, against those who claim to speak in the name of God and goodness but are really speaking for their own interests. He tells us that we can recognize them by looking at the results of their actions. We are not to judge people on the basis of what they claim is their motivation, rather we are to judge people on their results, on their fruit. You can claim that something is a grape vine, but if it does not produce grapes and makes me itch when I touch the leaves, I will know that it is poison ivy. You can claim that something is a thistle, but if it produces wine-berries (similar in appearance to raspberries), I will know that it is a good plant. In the same way, someone can claim to want to help the poor, but if their actions only enrich themselves, or their allies, while making life harder for the poor, I will know that they are not working to help the poor. Do not judge people by what they claim about themselves, nor by what others claim about them, judge them by the results of their actions.
     Jesus continues by telling us that it is not enough to claim that we are acting in His name. We must actually do the things which God directs us to do. If we want to build something which will last for eternity, it is not enough to listen to Jesus’ teaching, we need to also put it into practice. You can put up a quite beautiful appearance by parroting Jesus’ teaching and putting on a facade of righteousness, but when trouble arises, your life will collapse around you.

     I will praise the Lord with my whole heart. If you want to be filled with joy, tell others about the marvelous things which God has done. He rules the world and judges everyone with justice. He avenges murder and aids the helpless. He will take action in response to the cries of the suffering.

     Wisdom will save you from the immoral and the promiscuous. Sexual immorality will lead to death and destruction. It will undermine any other good which you may have accomplished. Stay away from those who practice it. Instead follow the example of the godly and walk in the path of righteousness. Such a course will lead to a long and productive life.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Abraham had received three visitors, one of whom was the Lord. As they prepared to leave, the Lord chose to reveal to Abraham that He was on His way to Sodom and Gomorrah to see if they were as wicked as He had heard. If they were truly wicked, the Lord was going to destroy the cities. Abraham replies by asking the Lord if He would still destroy Sodom if He finds 50 righteous people there? God replies that, no, He would not destroy Sodom if He finds 50 righteous people there. Abraham then asks Him, “What if there are only 45?” And again God answers that He would not destroy the city if there were 45 righteous people there. Abraham continued until he got to ten righteous people and God answered that He would not destroy Sodom if He found 10 righteous people there.
     We do not know how many people lived in Sodom at the time, so we do not know what percentage of the city 10 people would have been. I am not sure that number really matters. The important point of this story is that a small number of people who live righteous lives can act to redeem a city, or nation, in which the majority live wicked lives. I look at the world around me and wonder if Sodom could have been any more wicked than what I observe. Then I ask myself, when God decides to bring judgment against the world today, will I count as one of the righteous people? I also ask myself, are there still “10” righteous people in my region? There is one more thing we need to remember about this story. We are not called to change the way in which our land is governed. We are called to live righteous lives and to act in such a way that those around us feel inspired to live righteous lives. By living righteous lives perhaps we may delay the day of God’s judgment, thus giving those around us time to repent and turn to God.

     Jesus continues His teaching about the impossibility of serving two masters, God and money by telling us not to worry. Worrying does us no good at all. God knows what our needs are. He supplies the birds that live around us with enough to eat and clothes the wild flowers more beautifully than even the richest of kings. If He cares so for those, why don’t we have the faith to believe that He will care for us? Jesus tells us not to spend our time worrying about what we will eat, or drink, or wear. God knows that we need those things. If we spend out time seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness, He will provide our needs.
     In a way the next part is a continuation on the theme of not worrying about things which are out of our control. It is not our place to judge others. Whatever standard we use to judge others is the standard by which we will be judged. Before we attempt to tell others that what they are doing is wrong, we need to address the places in our own lives where what we are doing is wrong. My first priority needs to be living my life faithful to God’s commands before I attempt to tell others what God’s will for them is. It does no one any good for me to tell people who have no desire to live according to God’s will that they are living in violation of His will. Let me live my life in accordance with His will and perhaps my example will cause them to recognize their need to do the same.
     In yesterday’s passage, Jesus told us to keep our prayers simple and short, giving us an example of how we should pray. Here He reminds us that we should not be afraid to ask. If we ask, we will receive. If we seek, we will find. If we knock, the door will be opened. God is not trying to hide from us. He loves us and wants a relationship with us. He wants us to have that which will make us happy. Jesus proves this point by giving an example from earthly fathers who give their children those things which are good for them when they ask. In the same way, we should consider that if God is not giving us something we have asked Him for, perhaps it is because that something will bring us harm and/or unhappiness.
     The final portion of today’s passage points out that the easy path, the obvious path, the one chosen by most people, leads to destruction. The path to God and eternal life is narrow and hard to find, we have to search for it in order to find it. We will not get there by doing what everybody else is doing.

     I love this psalm. I am reminded of it every time I look up at the night sky on a clear night and see the stars. I think about the majestic beauty and am reminded of how large the universe truly is. In this great and wonderful universe which God has created, I am but an insignificant person on an insignificant planet. Yet God cares for me. He has supplied my needs for food, shelter, and clothing. God is so very majestic, yet He loves me. I will praise His name.

     It is from God that we receive wisdom. Ultimately, God is the source of all knowledge and understanding. Those who are honest with themselves and with others will be blessed with common sense. If we live our lives with integrity and seek justice, God will guard and protect us. If we seek God and accept His guidance we will know what is right, just, and fair. He will show us the course of action which we ought to follow. Wisdom and knowledge will give us joy. Making wise decisions will protect us from both the actions of the wicked and from the mistake of following their example. It is wisdom from God which will guide us to the path of life (the one which Jesus told us that few ever find).

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     When Abram moved on from Haran, his nephew Lot accompanied him. Both Abram and Lot were successful and had large households and many flocks, to the point where the land could not support them living close to one another. Disputes broke out between Abram’s herders and Lot’s herders. So Abram went to Lot and suggested that they go their separate ways. Abram offered Lot first choice of direction. Lot chose the Jordan valley to the east and Abram moved westward into the land of Canaan. Lot lived among the cities of the plain of the Jordan, pitching his tent near Sodom, while Abram pitched his tent further west near Hebron. The people of the cities of the plain were wicked and sinned against God in many ways.
     Shortly after this war broke out in the Jordan valley and the kings of the valley were defeated. The conquering armies took many prisoners as slaves and much plunder. Among the captives was Lot. One of Lot’s servants escaped and brought word to Abram. Abram gathered the 318 trained men in his household and set out in pursuit of Lot’s captors. When he overtook the army which had captured Lot, they fled from him and his men. He continued in pursuit until he had recovered Lot, all of the captives, and all of the plunder which had been taken.
     As Abram returned from his victory he was met by the king of Sodom and the king of Salem, the latter being named Melchizedek. Melchizedek was also a priest of God. Melchizedek blessed Abram and praised God. Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe of the recovered goods. When the king of Sodom offered Abram all of the plunder, asking for only the return of his people, Abram declined. Abram asked only that his allies be given a fair share for their aid in this endeavor. Abram made it clear that he went on this raid to rescue his nephew and did not want the king of Sodom to feel either that Abram owed his wealth to him nor that he owed anything to Abram.
     Abram has an exchange with God where he asks God what good it does him for God to bless him with wealth beyond what he needs to live comfortably when it will all be inherited by his servant from Damascus. God replies that Abram will indeed have a son to inherit his wealth and God’s promises to him. Abram accepted God’s assurance that he would have a son, even though he was well past the time of life when most men who will have children have had them, and his wife was of similar age. Do we have similar faith in God’s promises to us?

     This passage includes a series of explanations where Jesus tells us that it is not enough to follow the letter of the Law, but we must obey the spirit of God’s Law. It is not enough to not commit adultery, if we even think about committing adultery it is as if we had done so. It is not enough to keep our vows, we should not even need to make vows, we should be such people who when we say something, people are confident that it is true without us needing to take a vow. It is not enough that we take only proportionate revenge, we should accept harm to ourselves rather than cause harm to others. It is not enough that we love our neighbors and friends, we should love even those who persecute us and cause us harm. Let us seek to imitate God who has shown us love and forgiveness despite our resistance to His guidance and wicked behavior.

     The psalmist offers us an example to follow. When we face difficulties let us do as he did here. Let us cry out to God for deliverance and wait for God to come to our relief. I will not spend my time with those who do evil. I will trust God to come to my rescue. I know that God will answer my prayer and my enemies will be disgraced so long as I remain faithful to God.

     Those who hate the knowledge which wisdom offers and refuse to fear God will suffer the consequences of their actions. Those who choose to live foolishly in violation of God’s instruction will be destroyed by the consequences of their actions. Those who listen to the lessons of wisdom and fear the Lord will live in peace.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     This may be a stretch and reading my own thoughts into the passage, but I believe that the story of Babel is about how there is a limit to how large of a group of people can work together to do good things. When a group becomes too large there will, inevitably, be miscommunication between different parts of the group leading to problems. It does not matter if the people all speak the same language or not. Communication for projects requires more in-depth communication than just exchanging words. It requires that those attempting to communicate actually know each other.
     We have here the story of how Terah, Abram’s father, began moving with his family from Ur towards Canaan. Meanwhile, Abram’s brother, Nahor, did not go with them. The passage implies that Nahor had a family by this time, while Abram had no children, but was raising his nephew Lot, whose father, another brother of Abram and Nahor, had died. Terah only moved as far as the city of Haran, which is the same as the name of his deceased son, Lot’s father (this seems significant to me, but I have never figured out what the significance is). Terah settled there for a period of time and there he died. After Terah’s death, Abram received a call from God to continue the journey. The passage makes it clear that Haran was occupied by Abram’s relatives, just as Ur had been. Abram was called to leave the people and culture he had known his whole life. Are we willing to do the same?

     Today’s passage is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, which is chock full of things for us to heed. It starts with the beatitudes. For me they break into three groups. The first three address how we view ourselves. They tell us that those who view themselves in a certain light will be blessed. First comes the poor in spirit. These are people who recognize that material wealth is not true wealth, that if we do not have God’s Spirit, we are truly poor, that we have nothing that was not given to us by God. Second, are those who mourn. These are people who look at the suffering in the world and feel sorrow that it exists, who desire nothing more than to see suffering relieved. Third is an attitude of meekness. Jesus tells us that those who do not put themselves forward to demand their “just due”, but rather wish to see others as being more important than themselves, will inherit everything.
     The second group of beatitudes is about what motivates us to act. Jesus tells us that those who seek righteousness the way a starving man seeks food will not only find it, but be filled with it. Let us seek to do what is right. If we recognize our need to be shown mercy, we will show mercy to others. It is only by our willingness to show mercy to others that we can receive mercy ourselves. In order to see God, we must be pure in our hearts. The pure in heart are those who see the best in others. When things go wrong, their first assumption is that it was an honest mistake, not that it was caused by someone seeking to benefit at the expense of others. They recognize that people make innocent mistakes.
     The last of this set has us working to bring about peace between those who are in conflict. We can only truly be peacemakers if we encapsulate the preceding attitudes:

• In order to make peace, we must be willing to surrender our material wealth, recognizing that true riches are not material in nature.
• In order to make peace, we must feel sorrow and mourn about the suffering experienced in the world.
• In order to make peace, we must put other’s needs ahead of our own, and other’s wants ahead of our wants.
• In order to make peace, we must seek to do what is right with our entire being.
• In order to make peace, we must be willing to show mercy.
• In order to make peace, we must see the best in others.

     Then comes the final two beatitudes, which tell us how the world will react to us if we follow the previous ones. If we follow Jesus’ teaching we will probably be persecuted, we will certainly be insulted and slandered. But even that will bring us a blessing if we do not allow the insults and persecution dissuade us from doing what is right. Throughout all of history those who chose to be God’s servants have been insulted, slandered, and persecuted. God will reward us for doing what is right. If we do what is right without reservation, we will experience joy and God’s presence in our lives, both now and in eternity.
     The passage goes on to talk about being salt and light, avoiding hypocrisy, rejecting our right to be angry over being wronged, and making right the wrongs we have done to others. All topics that could be full devotionals all by themselves.

     Am I willing to be like the psalmist and lay my requests before Him first thing each morning? I desire for God’s Spirit to transform me so that my first priority is to seek God’s guidance for even the smallest actions I may take. The psalmist tells us that God hates the wicked and cannot tolerate sin. As a result, the proud cannot stand in His presence. We have all sinned and the only way that we can come into God’s presence is to humbly acknowledge that it is only through Christ’s death and resurrection that we can overcome those sins and enter into God’s presence. It is only because God loves us that we are able to worship Him. It is only by relying on God that we can know true joy.

     Yesterday’s proverb pointed out that wisdom is there for the taking for anyone who desires it. If we reject the wise course of action, it is too late to avoid the consequences when things start to go wrong. No amount of wise advice will help us once our actions come to fruition. We will have to struggle through our troubles, seeking to take the wisest course left to us. There are no shortcuts around the problems which result from not making wise decisions.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     When the flood waters receded, Noah knew that God intended for him, and all of those with him, to get out of the boat. However, what he did is a great example for all of us. He did not immediately open up the boat and get out and he did not sit around waiting for God to tell him it was time. He sent out birds to see if they could find land. When one of the birds did not return, he realized that it was time to open up the boat, but not yet time to depart it. Having taken appropriate action, Noah was ready to hear God’s voice and leave the boat when it was finally time.

     When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested, He left Judea and returned to Galilee. He then began preaching a message that was basically the same as that preached by the prophets, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” From time to time I come across some writer who claims to have this “shocking discovery” that Jesus’ message was not original. Every time I read this I have the same reaction, “Has this guy never read the Bible?” Jesus’ teaching was not novel and new. It was the culmination of the message God had been speaking through the prophets throughout history.
     We have here Matthew’s account of the calling of the first disciples. When Jesus called out to Peter and Andrew, and then a short time later to James and John, they replied by dropping what they were doing and following Him. When Jesus calls out to us, are we willing to drop everything and follow Him? Will we change our plans because Jesus has called us to something different?

     I really like the NIV take on the first two verses of this psalm. The psalmist asks how long will people turn his glory into shame? How long will they love delusions and seek lies? What is the psalmist’s glory? It is the worship of God and following His commands. Look around, how often do we hear people attempting to turn the desire to follow God’s will for your life into something to be ashamed of? How often do they attempt to delude themselves by substituting delusion and lies for the word of God?
     In verse four the psalmist warns us against allowing anger to lead us into sin. Rather than act out of anger, we should take the time to sleep on it and keep our peace until God has revealed His will to us. When we are angered, we are to take our time and take our anger before God. Once we have considered all that God has for us, the kindness He has done to us despite what we have done, can we really justify venting our wrath on others?
     Finally the psalmist gives us an example to live by, whether you go with the NIV or the NLT. Both tell us that many are looking to God to receive material wealth, but the psalmist is looking to God for peace and joy. The NLT interpretation tells us that God can give us greater joy than any material possession others may desire. The NIV tells us that God will make us able to experience joy at witnessing others receive great wealth. In either case, we can lie down in peace because it is God who makes us safe.

     Wisdom is not hard to find, she is out on the street calling out to any who will listen. If we are only willing to listen, wisdom is there for the taking. All too often we prefer to remain foolish.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     The passage gives an account of the line of descent from Adam to Noah. Then it tells us that the people of the earth had become consistently evil. However, it tells us that out of everyone on the face of the earth, Noah had found favor with God. Noah walked faithfully with God. It repeats that the people of the earth were corrupt in God’s eyes and condemns them for violence. God instructs Noah to build a large boat and to bring mating pairs of every kind of animal on to the boat, because He is going to cause the earth to flood, killing every living thing on the face of the earth. In addition, God instructs Noah to bring on board sufficient food for his family and all of the animals.
     When all was ready, God told Noah to get everything on to the boat he had built. As soon as Noah had done so the rain began. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights, until the entire planet was covered in water. The only people who survived were Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives. In this story, Noah walked with God. He faithfully served God and sought to do what was righteous, even when everyone around him was doing wrong. He did not use the “everyone else is doing it” excuse. He did what was right anyway. Another thing that is worth noting is that when God told him to build a boat and gather the animals, he did so. He did not hem and haw and wait for the rain to start. He did what God told him to do.

     John was baptizing at the Jordan. The religious and political leaders of the day came to where he was baptizing. These were the leaders of both sides of the political spectrum, the equivalent of the Republicans and the Democrats (you can argue about which is which, it doesn’t really matter). John condemns them as vipers attempting to flee the coming wrath. John tells them that it is not enough to come and listen to his preaching, pretending to agree with him. They need to change their behavior. He confronts them for their self-righteousness, for their confidence in their credentials. God is perfectly capable of turning the very stones into people with exactly the same credentials they have. It does not matter who we are, or what our intentions are, what matters is the results of our actions. Do we make the world a better, or worse, place by what we do?
     When Jesus approached John the Baptist requesting baptism, John told Him that John needed to be baptized Jesus, not the other way around. However, Jesus replied that John should baptize Him because that was what was proper. I think this is the refutation of those who argue that they do not need to be baptized (for the purposes of this, I will state that I do not consider infant baptism to be baptism). Perhaps not, but if Jesus found it necessary to be baptized, how can any one of us think that we do not need to be?
     The passage then tells us about Jesus being led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, where He was tempted by Satan. The interesting thing about all three of these temptations is that they were temptations to acquire power to force change on the world. Jesus rejected them all as not being God’s plan. I went into greater detail last year on my thoughts on this.

     I desire to have the confidence the psalmist expresses in this psalm. Despite having many enemies who are convinced that God will not defend him, the psalmist continued to trust in the Lord. He did not worry, he did not fret, rather he went to sleep as he needed and awoke in the morning untouched by his enemies. I will not be afraid, no matter what enemies, no matter what troubles, I face. I know that victory comes from the Lord, He will protect me.

     The writer warns us against giving in to peer pressure to sin. When we find those we call friends suggesting that we do wicked things in order to prosper from others losses, we need to find ourselves new friends. Stay away from those who want to ambush the innocent for fun. They may do well for a short time, but before long they will end up the victims of the violence they thought to inflict on others.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     This passage contains the account of original sin. A casual reading of the passage makes it easy to blame the woman, Eve, for this sin and give Adam a pass because “he only ate it because she gave it to him.” However, if we read the passage closely we discover that Adam was at her side while the serpent made the case for eating fruit from the tree which God had told him he must not eat. In the part of this account which we covered yesterday, we learned that Eve was not yet present when God told Adam that he must not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So, it was Adam who should have told the serpent that they must not eat that fruit. Instead, Adam allowed the woman to be convinced and then followed her into committing the sin. Rather than help his wife resist temptation, by not contradicting the serpent’s arguments Adam subtly encouraged her to accept them.
     This passage also includes the story of Cain and Abel. In this story, we are told that God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s (or looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but did not look with favor on Cain and his offering). The passage does not make clear why God looked differently on their two offerings. One possibility is that while Cain offered “some” of his crops as a gift, Abel offered from the firstborn lambs of his flock. Nevertheless, we do not know what Cain did wrong, but the passages says that God told him that if he did what was right, he would be accepted. God warned Cain that he must not let sin control him. However, Cain did not listen. In his anger and jealousy, he asked his brother to join him out in the fields where he killed him. Rather than mend his ways and do what was right, Cain instead chose to murder his brother for “making him look bad.” How often do we blame others for our own shortcomings? I will take responsibility for my own actions and seek to change my ways when I discover that I have done wrong.

     After the wise men left, an angel appeared to Joseph warning him to take Mary and the baby and flee to Egypt. Joseph left Bethlehem with Mary and the baby at once. Herod on the other hand proved that his words about worshiping the baby was a lie by ordering his troops to kill all of the baby boys in Bethlehem who were two years old or younger. I just realized that these two men, Joseph and Herod, demonstrate that believing is not enough. What is important is what actions our belief inspires us to take. Both Herod and Joseph believed that a new king of the Jews had been born in Bethlehem. Herod did everything in his power to make sure that king did not grow up to take His throne. Joseph did everything in his power, what little power he had, to give the baby a chance to grow up. It also tells us about doing as God instructs us, even when our chances seem to be nonexistent. Herod had a lot of power, and the ability to call on the Roman Empire for support. Joseph had only one thing going for him, he was doing God’s will. Yet in the end, it was Joseph who was successful and Herod who failed.

     The psalmist asks why the people of the world rage against God and plot together against Him. The kings and rulers of this world join together in an attempt to overthrow God’s rules for living. Yet they rage in vain, the Lord will rebuke them and place His Chosen One on the throne over the earth. Those rulers who are wise will serve God and fear Him. They will see that freedom comes from listening to God, not from rebelling against Him.

     The starting place to obtain knowledge and wisdom is fear of the Lord. Sinful fools reject wisdom and discipline. They believe that they can go against God’s instructions with no unpleasant consequences. Those who fear the Lord obey His instructions and learn how doing so makes things better than they could have imagined. If you want to do well in life, listen to your parent’s instructions. No matter how foolish they are, they have much more experience than you do.

     Happy New Year one and all. I hope that you are looking forward to this New Year as much as I am and that you will experience God’s blessings on your life as we travel through yet another year in which we may serve the Lord. I want to praise the Lord for all He has done for me in the previous year and dedicate myself to seeking how I may serve Him in the coming year. I ask God to place His Spirit upon me to direct me in the path He has chosen for me.
     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     I start the year with the Genesis account of creation. Actually we have two separate accounts here. However, they are not contradictory accounts, they merely have different foci. The first is about the creation of the universe and the creatures which live within it. The focus of this story is that God created the universe and all of the beings within it. It has as a secondary point establishing the position of mankind in relation to God and to all other living creatures. Mankind was created in God’s image to be God’s friend, although subordinate to God. However, mankind was placed in charge of all other living creatures so that he could manage them for God’s glory. God looked at all He had created and it was very good.
     The second creation story focuses on how mankind relates to one another, in particular how men relate to women. When God placed man in the Garden of Eden to tend it and watch over it, He gave man a helper. So God took a rib from man and created woman to be similar to man, but not the same. Woman was created to complete man. While this story could be interpreted that woman is secondary to man, I do not believe that is what is meant at all. Woman complements man and makes him complete, just as man complements woman and makes her complete. The two are united into one and are made complete by this union. Men and women are designed to be partners who work together to serve God and tend to this world which He created.

     Matthew here gives his account of Jesus’ birth. He tells us that Mary and Joseph were pledged to be married, something that was in that day more binding than engagements are today. Before they came together to consummate the marriage, Mary became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, while still a virgin. Joseph initially assumed that some other man was the father, but did not desire to publicly shame Mary. As a result, he decided to quietly divorce her. The implication is that he wished to leave her free to marry the man he believed she must prefer to himself (this is my understanding of Joseph’s thinking and is not supported by anything in either the Bible or other literature, nor is it contradicted, as far as I am aware). We are told that Joseph was a good man.
     Having made his decision, Joseph fell asleep. In a dream an angel appeared to him and told him that he should not fear that Mary desired another man. Rather she had become pregnant at the working of the Holy Spirit. Joseph was to marry her and name the son she would bear, Jesus (which means “the Lord saves”). Joseph did as the angel instructed him, but did not consummate the marriage until after the child was born. Matthew tells us that this occurred to fulfill the prophecy given in Isaiah 7:14.
     Matthew tells us that shortly after Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem some dignitaries, or wise men, from the east arrived in Jerusalem. They began asking after the newborn king of the Jews, telling people that they had seen his star rise in the east. Matthew tells us that their questions disturbed King Herod, and consequently disturbed everyone in Jerusalem. Herod recognized that such a star could indicate the birth of no one other than the expected Anointed One (Messiah) of God. So he gathered the chief priests and religious leaders to ask them where the prophets said that the Messiah would be born. They informed him that it would be in Bethlehem of Judea. Herod called the wise men to him and told them to go to Bethlehem and search for the child. He requested that when they had found the child they return and tell him where it was, so that he could go and worship it as well.
     As we read this, we realize that there were many in Jerusalem who understood that the portents pointed to the long promised Messiah being born in Bethlehem and that the appearance of the star in the east could only mean one thing. Yet, here we have Herod planning, not to accede to God’s will and acknowledge the One whom He had sent, but rather attempting to prevent it from coming to pass. We have in this passage a contrast between two men: Joseph, who did as God desired, and Herod, who attempted to circumvent God’s will. I pray to God the His Spirit rest upon me so that I may follow Joseph’s example and not that of Herod. The latter can only lead to heartache and pain.

     If we delight in God’s commands and meditate on His word, we will prosper and bear fruit like a tree planted on a river bank. We will neither take advice from the wicked, nor hang out with sinners, nor join in mocking others. Those who follow those latter practices will be scattered by the wind and never amount to anything of worth. God will watch over our path if we strive to be godly, but the path followed by the wicked leads to destruction.

     Studying the proverbs will teach us wisdom and discipline. Listening to the wisdom they contain and following the discipline they advise will help us to do what is right, just, and fair. Listening to proverbs will help the wise become wiser and give guidance to those who possess understanding. I will explore the meanings of the proverbs throughout the year so that I may better serve God.