Tag Archives: Christianity

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.

1 Chronicles 11-12:18

The passage tells us that after the death of Saul the people of Israel came to David in Hebron and made him king over Israel. David then captured the city of Jerusalem and made it his capital. After describing David’s conquest of Jerusalem the passage lists out many of the mighty warriors who followed David. These were the men whose backing put David in a position to be made king. We are told about The Three and The Thirty, which were two groups of David’s most elite warriors. One of The Thirty was Uriah the Hittite, whose wife was Bathsheba. Knowing this puts David’s affair with Bathsheba, and subsequent arranging of the death of Uriah, in a much worse light than just reading the story itself. Uriah was one of David’s loyal followers from his days fleeing from Saul, yet David betrayed him. After telling us of these two groups the passage goes on to speak of other noteworthy warriors who joined David while he was hiding from Saul.

Acts 28:1-31

     Once they were ashore, they learned that they were on the island of Malta. The locals treated them very kindly, going so far as to build them a fire on the beach (since the weather was cold and wet). Paul gathered some brushwood and put it on the fire. As he was doing so a poisonous snake came out of the wood and bit him. The locals saw the snake hanging from his hand and decided that this must be divine judgment against Paul for some crime he had committed against the gods. However, Paul just shook the snake off into the fire and went about his business. The locals expected Paul to show signs of the poisoning and watched him for a while. When after a long time nothing happened to Paul, they decided he must be a god.
     The chief official on the island lived nearby. He invited the shipwreck survivors into his home and made them welcome. His father was sick so Paul went in, laid hands on him, and he was healed. After this all of the sick on the island were brought to Paul and were healed. The people on the island honored Paul and his traveling companions. They gave them supplies for their journey when they set sail once more.
     When Paul arrived in Rome, he was allowed to live in a private house with a soldier to guard him. Paul called together the Jewish leaders in Rome in order to explain why he was there. He told them that he had appealed to Caesar because he thought the political situation and heated tempers in Jerusalem meant that he would not receive fair treatment there. He told them that he wanted to meet with them so that they could become acquainted and that he could relate to them his belief that the Messiah had come. They responded that they had received no word from Jerusalem concerning him.
     The Jewish leaders and other members of the Jewish community met with Paul at his house. Paul preached the Gospel to them using the Law and the prophets. Some believed him, while others disagreed. After they had argued for some time and the hour was getting late, Paul told them that this was what Isaiah meant in Isaiah 6:9-10 when he said:

When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
27 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,…
This is a passage that we need to remember, God prophesied through Isaiah a long time ago that people would intentionally refuse to understand His commandments and messages. Many people are unwilling to understand the words of God, or the meaning of what He has done. There are two important lessons we need to take from this. The first is, are there any things which God is telling us that we are refusing to understand? Is there some area where I should be listening to God and turn to Him for healing? The answer to that is an obvious, “Yes”. Of course, the question is, am I understanding where God is telling me that? Or am I intentionally choosing to fail to understand what He is telling me?
The second lesson we need to take from this passage is that there comes a point where we need to do what Paul did hear and stop wasting our breath telling people things they refuse to understand. That is a challenge for me. I always try to correct people’s misunderstandings of positions, all too often I fail to consider that those misunderstandings may be on purpose.

Psalm 9:1-12

Today’s psalm is both a psalm of praise and an injunction to tell others about the wonderful things God has done. The psalmist reminds us that God will reign forever, rebuking the nations and destroying the wicked. He will rule with justice and equity. God provides shelter for the oppressed and a refuge in times of trouble. He avenges murder and listens to the cries of those who suffer. I will praise the Lord, for I have seen Him do these things with my own eyes.

Proverbs 19:1-3

These three proverbs tell us some interesting things. The first tells us that it is better to be honest, even if poor, because those who are dishonest are fools. The second tells us that an enthusiastic worker who does not know what he is doing is bad and trying to do things too fast will end up leading to problems. The final one tells us that people often make foolish decisions and then blame God for what goes wrong. I cannot count the number of times I have seen all three proven true.

Daily Bible Study

July 10, 2013 Bible Study — This Is My Father’s World

July 9, 2013 AttilaDimedici

1 Chronicles 9-10:14

Today’s passage begins by listing some of the families which returned to Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile. It tells us that there were descendants of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Levi. It specifically lists a few of the descendants of Levi and Benjamin, while telling us that there were a larger number of them who returned. The passage then goes on to give a more detailed list of priestly and Levitical families who returned.
The passage concludes the genealogies by giving the family tree of King Saul (including some of his descendants) and then telling the story of his death. The passage repeats how Saul killed himself after he was wounded in battle against the Philistines. He did this in order to avoid being taken captive by the Philistines. Saul and three of his sons died in this battle and the Philistines took their bodies to hang on their city walls. The men of Jabesh-gilead retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and gave them a proper burial.

Acts 27:21-44

Finally, after everyone had gone a long time without eating, Paul called everyone together and told them that God had told him that, while the ship would be lost, everyone on board would survive. He finished by telling them that the ship would run aground on an island. That night the sailors started taking soundings and discovered that the ship was entering ever shallower water. They dropped some anchors in an attempt to slow the ship. Then the sailors lowered the lifeboat and pretended that they were going to drop anchors from it. Paul warned the soldiers that if the sailors left the ship everyone else would die. The soldiers responded by cutting the lifeboat loose before the sailors could get into it.
In the morning Paul urged everyone to eat. After doing so, he blessed them all and ate something himself. Thus encouraged everyone ate something, after which they threw the last of the food stuff into the sea. At daybreak the sailors saw a sandy beach and attempted to run the ship aground there. However, on the way to the beach the ship got hung up on some rocks. The soldiers were going to kill the prisoners, but their commander wanted to spare Paul’s life and so ordered them to allow the prisoners to live. The commanding officer ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and swim to shore. He then told everyone else to grab on to planks and other pieces of the ship. In this manner, everyone got to shore safely.

Psalm 8:1-9

What a wonderful psalm of praise, but it is more than that. It tells us some things about God and about our relationship with God. I like the NIV translation of verse 2:

Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
God has used the praise of children and infants, the weakest among us, to create a stronghold against His enemies. God uses weakness to overcome the strong. Then we come to the part that should humble us all. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?[c]
Yet you made them only a little lower than God[d]
and crowned them[e] with glory and honor.
You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority—
Reading that reminds me of the hymn “This Is My Father’s World. That song has much that touches my heart, but this line is the one that strikes close to my heart today. “This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.

Proverbs 18:23-24

When we read the first of these proverbs, let us always remember the line I closed out my devotions on psalms today: “God is the ruler yet.” The second proverb tells us that some friends are unreliable and will bring us to ruin. Let us strive to be the type of friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Daily Bible Study

July 9, 2013 Bible Study — Have We Listened to God’s Storm Warning?

July 8, 2013 AttilaDimedici

1 Chronicles 7-8:40

Today’s passage is a continuation of the lists of genealogies. One thing that is interesting is that at one point in today’s passage it lists three sons of Benjamin and their descendants. Later, it lists five sons of Benjamin. It then goes on to list the genealogy of King Saul. I find this genealogy hard to follow and looking at the varying translations and their notes it appears that this is a result of ambiguities in the original Hebrew.

Acts 27:1-20

     In due time Paul and several other prisoners set sail for Rome accompanied by a force of soldiers, Luke and a few others. They changed ships at Myra after which they had slow sailing and were forced by contrary winds to take a longer route than planned. They had lost a lot of time and were entering a season when sailing was dangerous. However, the ship’s crew wanted to get to a better harbor before winter set in. Paul warned the officer in charge of his guards and the ship’s officers that if they continued they would face storms which would lead to shipwreck and a loss of the ship’s cargo.
     However, the officer in charge of the prisoners followed the advice of the ship’s owner and its pilot and they set sail for a more sheltered harbor. As soon as a breeze that promised good sailing weather came up they set sail, intending to stay close to land. The ship was barely out of the harbor when stronger winds came up that blew the ship away from land. The winds were so strong that the sailors had no choice but to let the wind drive the ship where it would. The storm continued into a second day and was so strong that the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw some of the ship’s gear overboard. The storm continued for multiple days until everyone on board gave up hope of making it to shore alive.
     I usually avoid going this way, but as I read this passage today, it made me wonder how often I face “storms” in this life because I listen to secular advice rather than the advice given to me by those who have a word from God for me?

Psalm 7:1-17

I choose to live as the psalmist declares. I will go to the Lord for protection. I will count on Him to rescue me from my enemies. God will end the evil of the wicked and defend the righteous. God will bring punishment against those who do not repent of their evil ways. Those who plot wicked and evil things against others will find that the wicked and evil they planned for others will rebound on themselves. I will praise God because He is just and will save those whose hearts are true and right.

Proverbs 18:22

THis is a proverb which I will state from personal experience to be true. It was by the favor of God that I found my wife and living my life with her brings blessings from God to me everyday.

Daily Bible Study

July 8, 2013 Bible Study — The Lord Has Heard My Plea

July 7, 2013 AttilaDimedici

1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81

The passage begins by talking about how the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh waged war against peoples east of the Jordan River and settled there. We are told that in the long run they were unfaithful to God and He caused them to be taken into exile by the Assyrians. The passage then goes on to list descendants of Levi and describe the towns they were given in the land of Israel.

Acts 26:1-32

Paul told his testimony in front of King Agrippa. He explained that he had been a zealous Pharisee, persecuting those who followed Jesus. Paul then retold the story of how God intercepted him on the road to Damascus and Paul converted to being a follower of Jesus. Paul then stated that what he taught after his conversion is no more than what Moses and the prophets said would happen. That the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead. When Paul said that he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, Festus exclaimed that he was crazy for believing that someone had risen from the dead.
Paul responded that he was most certainly not insane, that King Agrippa was aware of the events to which Paul was referring. Paul then asked King Agrippa if he believed in the prophets. King Agrippa recognized the Paul was about to launch into an attempt to convert him and interrupted him by asking if Paul thought he could get King Agrippa to convert in such a short time. Paul responded by saying that he wished and prayed that everyone in his audience that day would come to the same understanding of God that Paul held, whether it took a short time or a long time. The position that Paul took here is one I strive to emulate. I strive to pray and live my life as if my chief desire is for all of those I interact with follow Jesus whether in response to my testimony or some other stimulus.

Psalm 6:1-10

Today’s psalm is a reminder that when we are facing troubles and suffering we should turn to God and cry out to Him. The Lord will hear our pleas and answer our prayers.

Butterfly Bush flower just starting to bloom

Proverbs 18:20-21

Today’s two proverbs are closely related. I think the NIV translation is the more useful take on these proverbs. It tells us that we will eat the fruit of the words we speak, that we will experience the results of our own words. We should be careful what we say because our words can be uplifting and bring life, or they can be poisonous and bring death. If we speak poisonous words, it is we ourselves who will be poisoned. On the other hand, if we speak words that are beneficial and healthy, we will be well-fed and healthy. Let us choose to speak the latter.

Daily Bible Study

July 7, 2013 Bible Study — Be With Me In All That I Do

July 6, 2013 AttilaDimedici

1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17

Another passage that lists some of the descendants of Jacob. This passage also contains the verse that was the basis for the book, “The Prayer of Jabez”. This book was vastly popular among certain types of Christians for awhile (this is not intended as a criticism of those who liked the book). There is something to be learned from this verse. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. It is in the context of being an honorable man that Jabez prayed his prayer. If we are honorable and obedient to God, He will grant our prayers as well. The key to Jabez’ prayer was that he asked God to be with him in all that he did. The only way that God will be with us in all that we do, is if all that we do is in service to God’s will. I will pray to God that He guide me so that all that I do is His will. I know that the only way I can accomplish that is through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 25:1-27

     When the new governor, Festus, arrived the Jewish leaders asked him to transfer Paul to Jerusalem. Luke tells us that this was so that they could have him killed en route. Festus, however, tells them that Paul is in Caesarea and since he, Festus, will be returning there shortly, they should come to Caesarea to make their case against Paul. When Festus returned to Caesarea he brought Paul before him to face the charges made by the Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders were unable to prove their charges and Paul proclaimed that he had broken no Jewish or Roman law. When Festus asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial before Festus, Paul appealed to the Emperor as a Roman citizen.
     When King Agrippa came to visit Festus a few days later, Festus discussed the case with him. Festus said that the charges against Paul were not what he expected, but rather were about minutia of the Jewish religion and Paul’s claim that Jesus was alive. He said that he asked Paul to go to Jerusalem for trial because he could think of no other way to investigate the charges. However, since Paul appealed to Caesar, Festus ordered him held in custody until he could arrange to send him to Rome.
     King Agrippa expressed a desire to hear Paul speak, so Festus arranged for Paul to come before both of them the following day. Festus told those assembled with himself and King Agrippa that the Jewish leaders had demanded Paul’s death, but that he had found none of the charges deserving of death. Festus went on to imply that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar, he would have released him (although the evidence of everything that had transpired up to this point suggests that such was not the case). Festus continues by saying that while he is going to send Paul to Rome and Caesar, he does not what to write by way of explaining what Paul is charged with. He asks that those present examine the case with him so that they, especially King Agrippa, can help him compose a letter for Caesar’s court explaining the charges against Paul.

Psalm 5:1-12

This psalm is one among many where the psalmist requests that God listen to his prayers. Today, this appears to be a request made because the psalmist recognizes that God is under no obligation to listen to his prayers, let alone answer them. Nevertheless, the psalmist expresses no doubt but that the Lord will listen to and answer his prayers. He proclaims that each morning he brings his requests before the Lord and waits patiently for God to answer. The psalmist tells us that God detests the sins of the wicked, but that we can worship God because of His love.
In the heart of the psalm is the prayer that I strive to pray every day:

Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
…
Make your way plain for me to follow.
I cry out to the Lord that He make His way plain for me to follow. Show me, oh God, what you want me to do. Make plain to me the actions you wish me to take. Take me by the hand and lead me.

Proverbs 18:19

Today’s proverb is a timeless truth to which I can add nothing. I strive to avoid offending my friends, but I find it difficult when they fail to return the favor.

Daily Bible Study

July 6, 2013 Bible Study — Do Not Let Anger Control You

July 5, 2013 AttilaDimedici

1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4

Today’s passage includes more genealogy, something that I always struggle to read. The passage includes a list of David’s sons and a list of those who succeeded him on the throne. It also lists some of David’s descendants who were born during the Babylonian Exile. As I read this, I realized that while I was not seeing anything in it today this passage may shed new light on the interactions told elsewhere. Some of the people listed are mentioned in other accounts in the Old Testament and knowing how they are related will help understand why they did what they did.

Acts 24:1-27

     Five days after Paul arrived in Caesarea, the high priest came down with other Jewish elders and a lawyer named Tertullus to present the case against Paul. Tertullus started by buttering up Felix. He then declared that the Sanhedrin had found Paul to be a troublemaker who stirred up riots among Jews all over the world. Further he claimed that Paul was a leader of the Nazarene sect and was trying to desecrate the Temple when they arrested him. Tertullus concluded by saying that Felix could confirm their story by questioning Paul.
     Felix indicated that Paul should speak at this point. Paul started out by acknowledging that Tertullus was in essence correct in what he said when he buttered up Felix. However, he claimed that the Jewish leaders could not prove any of the accusations they were making against him. He told Felix that he had arrived in Jerusalem a mere twelve days before the current date. His accusers had not found him, at any point since his arrival, arguing in the Temple or stirring up a riot in the city.
     Paul goes on to say that he was indeed a follower of the Way, which the Jewish leaders called a sect. He went on to say that he believed everything that was in accordance with the Law and the prophets and that he shared with those accusing him a belief in the resurrection of the dead. Paul then tells Felix that he was in the Temple completing purification rites when the incident began. He was not surrounded by a crowd, nor was there any disturbance. There were however some Jews from Asia there at the time who should be present to bring charges, if they had any which would stand up in court. Paul then stated that his accusers who were present should state what crime they had found him guilty of when he was before the Sanhedrin.
     At this point, Felix adjourned the hearing, saying that he would issue a ruling when the Roman commander from Jerusalem came and testified. In the meantime he kept Paul under a sort of house arrest. A few days later, Felix summoned Paul to speak with him and his wife, who was Jewish. As Paul spoke with them about righteousness, self-control, and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened and ended the audience. Felix hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent often to speak with Paul. After two years of this, Felix was replaced as governor. In order to gain some favor with the Jewish leaders, Felix left Paul in prison (actually a kind of house arrest).

Psalm 4:1-8

The psalmist calls on God to hear him and free him from his troubles. He tells us that God declares him innocent. God does declare us innocent, not because we have committed no sins, but because God has forgiven us for those sins. If God has declared us innocent, who is there with the authority to hold us guilty?
I prefer the way that the New American Standard Version starts the next stanza:

O sons of men, how long will my [d]honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?
There are those who think I should be ashamed to believe in God and Christ and to hold to Christian principles. I find that those who think this wish me to give up these beliefs in favor of beliefs which I have found through experience to be worthless.
     For the next verse, I like the NLT: You can be sure of this:
…
The Lord will answer when I call to him.
Yes indeed, the Lord will answer when I call Him. And He will answer when you call Him as well.
     The psalmist then gives us a sound piece of advice: Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
We will get angry from time to time, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, we should not let anger control our actions. When we are tempted to act in anger, we should pause and then let some time pass before we take action. We should sleep on it and plan our actions with a cooler head.
     The final phrase from this psalm I want to emphasize comes from the NIV translation:Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
Yes, Lord help me to be happy when others prosper. I want to always feel joy over the good fortune of others and never jealousy or anger.
     This psalm is why I so love being able to study the Bible online. I got so much more out of it by looking at the different ways that the different translations chose to render the different phrases in this psalm. Comparing different translations is much harder without the ability to just call them up side-by-side on the screen.

Proverbs 18:16-18

Being generous can lead one to be honored by the great and powerful.
Do not render judgment on an issue until you have heard both sides of the story, no matter how convincing the first argument you hear sounds.
Sometimes the best way to settle a dispute is to choose between the sides by flipping a coin or some other method that leaves the outcome to Divine intervention.

Daily Bible Study

July 5, 2013 Bible Study — Victory Comes From the Lord

July 4, 2013 AttilaDimedici

1 Chronicles 1-2:17

     Today’s Old Testament passage is a perfect example of why I started this blog. It is an account of the descent from Adam to David. It gives a straight line descent from Adam to Noah, with no mention of any of the other descendants of anyone before Noah. It then lists Noah’s three sons and gives the important (at least to the author) descendants of each of Noah’s grandsons. The passage then follows the genealogy to Abram/Abraham (telling us that he was born Abram and later known as Abraham). We are told the sons and at least some of the grandsons of Abram.
     The passage next takes up with Isaac and gives us first the descendants of Esau. It goes on to list the kings of Edom from before Edom was conquered by the Israelites. After giving us this, the passage then tracks the genealogy from Jacob to David. When it gets to David it goes on to tell us that certain key figures were David’s nephews (Joab and his two brothers, and Amasa, who Joab killed to prevent him taking over as general of David’s armies).
     All in all I found nothing to comment on here today, but there was still value in reading it. If I was not writing this blog, I would have read this once and moved on. However, because I was looking for something to write for the blog, I read it three times. I did not see anything significant at the moment, but I noticed a couple of things that may effect the way I read other passages.

Acts 23:11-35

That night Paul had a vision where God told him that he was going to preach the Good News in Rome. The following morning a group of 40 Jewish men entered into a conspiracy to kill Paul. They asked the chief priests and elders to request that the Roman commander bring Paul before them again in order for them to gather more information about the case against him. While Paul was in route to meet with the elders, this group of conspirators would kill him. However, Paul’s nephew (his sister’s son) overheard their plans and immediately went to tell Paul. Paul sent his nephew to the commander. Paul’s nephew told the Roman commander of the plot.
The Roman commander immediately ordered a large force of soldiers to escort Paul to Felix, the Roman governor, in Caesarea. The Roman commander sent a letter with the soldiers explaining why he was sending Paul to him. The commander told Felix that he had rescued Paul from the mob because he had learned that Paul was a Roman citizen (a slight distortion of events to put himself in a better light). He went on to say that he had met with the Jewish leaders to learn what the charges were against Paul. After hearing the charges, he considered them to be insignificant matters that did not justify death or imprisonment. However, when he learned of a plot to kill Paul, he sent him to Felix for Felix to pass judgement on the situation. When Paul arrived in Caesarea Felix read the letter and told him that he would hear the case when Paul’s accusers arrived.

Psalm 3:1-8

The psalmist tells us that many were against him, so many that said that God would never deliver him. The psalmist tells us that they were wrong. That when he cried out to the Lord, the Lord answered him from His Holy mountain. He did not fear even though thousands of enemies surrounded him.
No matter what troubles we face, we need not fear because God will deliver us. When we face enemies and troubles, we do not need to worry and fret as to how we will emerge to safety because victory come from the Lord. God knows the challenges and enemies we face and He knows the path to see us through to safety. We need to remember that we will not be victorious by our own efforts. The only path for us to victory is to trust in God and have faith that He will prevail. Whether or not we have faith, God will prevail.

Proverbs 18:14-15

It is not illness of the body which makes us depressed, it is when our spirits are crushed that depression sets in. Those who are wise are constantly seeking to acquire both more knowledge and more wisdom.

Daily Bible Study

July 4, 2013 Bible Study — Do Not Speak Evil of Your Rulers

July 3, 2013 AttilaDimedici

2 Kings 23:31-25:30

When Josiah died he was succeeded by his son, Jehoahaz. Pharaoh Neco replaced Jehoahaz with his brother Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim was succeeded by his son, Jehoiachin. King Nebuchadnezzar replaced Jehoiachin with his uncle, Zedekiah. All of these kings failed to follow the example of Josiah. Instead, they did evil in the sight of God. When Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. At that time, Nebuchadnezzar transported a large number of the people of Judah to Babylon as prisoners. He appointed Gedaliah as governor over those he left.
The remaining army officers approached Gedaliah and he swore an oath that the king of Babylon meant them no harm as long as they served him. However, one of the officers returned a few months later and killed Gedaliah and all of those with him. The remaining people of Judah fled to Egypt out of fear of how the king of Babylon would respond to this attack.

Acts 22:17-23:10

     Paul continued his testimony about how God convicted him to become a follower of Christ, continuing to talk about how God led him to preach to the Gentiles. When Paul mentioned the Gentiles the crowd erupted in anger to the point that the commander ordered Paul taken into the barracks and flogged. As they were about to flog him, Paul asked the officer overseeing his flogging if it was lawful to flog a Roman citizen without a trial. The officer told the commander, who then questioned Paul as to his citizenship.
     The commander was frightened because he had ordered a Roman citizen flogged without a trial. He ordered the Sanhedrin to convene the next day and brought Paul before them. Paul opened by telling the Sanhedrin that he had fulfilled his duty to God in all good conscience up to that day. The high priest ordered someone standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Paul responded by calling the high priest a hypocrite for ordering him struck in violation of the law. When those standing near him reprimanded him for insulting God’s high priest Paul apologized, saying that he had not realized he was the high priest. Paul continued by saying that it was wrong to speak evil of one’s rulers.
     Paul says something similar in his letters and such passages are a struggle for me. I find it difficult to not speak badly of those who do things which I think are dishonest or otherwise wrong. I have attempted to limit my comments on political issues to pointing out logic flaws in the reasoning of individuals discussing those topics while avoiding comments on actual political issues, but I find that a difficult discipline to maintain. All too often, as time goes on I find myself openly calling into question the character of political figures who repeatedly take positions on issues that I find offensive. It is passages like this one that form the basis of my understanding that Christians are called to stay out of politics (although there are many other passages that go into that understanding).
     After this incident, Paul realized that the Sanhedrin was composed of a mixed group of Sadducees, who held in contempt those who believed in the resurrection of the dead, and Pharisees, who vehemently believed that God would resurrect the righteous. Therefore, Paul loudly proclaimed that he was on trial for holding on to the hope of the resurrection of the dead. This led to violent argument among the members of the Sanhedrin. The argument became so heated and violent that the Roman commander was afraid that the two parties would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his men to go in and take Paul out by force back to the fortress.

Psalm 2:1-12

Today’s psalm tells us of the futility of governments which attempt to free themselves from following God’s commands. It reminds me of what I have seen in the news over the last week or so. In so many places I have seen governments declare that they are not bound to follow God’s law. It can be frightening when one sees how the government is rebelling against God and then read what this psalm says about such governments. However, this psalm ends with a statement of hope, even in that situation: “But what joy for all who take refuge in him!”
While God will bring judgment on all who rebel against Him, He will provide protection and blessing for those who take refuge in Him!

Proverbs 18:13

Speaking about an issue before you know the facts is foolish and will often lead to shame.

Daily Bible Study

July 3, 2013 Bible Study — Do Not Follow the Advice of the Wicked

July 2, 2013 AttilaDimedici

2 Kings 22:3-23:30

     Josiah ordered repair work on the Temple. While the Temple was being repaired, Hilkiah, the high priest, found a copy of the
Book of the Law in the Temple. He sent it to King Josiah. When Josiah heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he sent to inquire of the Lord what they should do. He recognized that the people of Judah had failed to keep the Covenant with God. The prophetess whom they consulted told them that God was angry with the people of Judah and was going to bring disaster upon Jerusalem because of the sins of the people. However, because Josiah had humbled himself and sought God’s will, God was going to delay that destruction until after Josiah’s death.
     Josiah held a convocation of the people at the Temple of the Lord where the Book of the Law was read to them. Josiah pledged to obey the Lord and keep His laws and decrees with all of his heart and soul. The people joined Josiah in dedicating themselves to obeying the Lord. Josiah then began a campaign of cleansing the land of idolatry. He started by removing all of the implements of idol worship from the Temple and having them destroyed. He then systematically began destroying and desecrating the pagan shrines throughout the city and then the land. He went so far as to destroy the pagan shrines in what had been the Northern Kingdom, including the idols and shrines built by Jeroboam.
     Josiah called on the people to celebrate the Passover and the Passover was celebrated in all of its fullness for the first time since the time of the judges. Josiah went on to get rid of the mediums and psychics in the land as well as all of the detestable practices which people had adopted from the pagan peoples surrounding them, even those practiced in the privacy of people’s own homes. As I read the detailed description of the cleansing which Josiah performed, I realized how thoroughly ingrained in the lives of the people idolatry had become. It makes me wonder how much idolatry goes on in supposedly Christian America? Even among those who proclaim themselves “the Church”?

Acts 21:37-22:16

As he was about to be taken into the barracks, Paul asked the commander for permission to speak to him. The commander was surprised that Paul could speak Greek and expressed the thought that Paul was an Egyptian revolutionary. Paul corrected his misunderstanding and requested permission to address the crowd. Paul motioned for the crowd to be quiet and they quieted down. When he could be heard, Paul began speaking in Aramaic (or Hebrew, the Greek is unclear, but it was the local language). When they crowd heard him speaking in the language of the Jews, they became very quiet (suggesting that the crowd was under a similar misunderstanding to the Roman commander).
Paul started by telling the crowd about his credentials as a student of Jewish law, referring to his time as a student of the prominent rabbi Gamaliel. Paul told them of his fanatical opposition to the early followers of Jesus. He then told them of his trip to Damascus to continue persecuting the Christians and how God struck him on the road with a bright light. Paul told them how this experience led to his conversion to being a follower of Jesus.

Psalm 1:1-6

This psalm gives us wonderful advice. It tells us that the route to great joy is to not follow the advice of the wicked, nor hang out with sinners, nor join in mocking others. No, the path to joy is to take delight in God’s commands and to study His instructions both day and night. Following this advice will make us like a tree planted on a riverbank, firmly rooted and prospering in all we do.

Proverbs 18:11-12

The wealthy think that their riches will protect them from the troubles of life. They are not always wrong, but even the wealthy will experience the consequences of their actions.
Those who are arrogant are on their way to their own destruction, while a necessary prerequisite to receiving honor is humility.

Daily Bible Study

July 2, 2013 Bible Study — Let Everything That Has Breath Praise The Lord

July 1, 2013 AttilaDimedici

2 Kings 20-22:2

     Hezekiah became very sick and Isaiah told him to set his affairs in order because God has said he was going to die. Hezekiah cried out to God for healing. Before Isaiah had left the palace, God told him to return to the king and tell him that he would recover. Shortly after Hezekiah’s recovery the king of Babylon sent emissaries to him with a letter and gifts. Isaiah came to Hezekiah and asked him who the emissaries were and what they had seen. Hezekiah told Isaiah that they were from Babylon and had seen all of the treasures of Jerusalem. Isaiah told Hezekiah that the day would come when all of those treasures would be carried off to Babylon and that Hezekiah’s descendants would be taken there as captives. Hezekiah greeted this prophecy as good news, since it meant that there would be peace and prosperity for the rest of his lifetime.
     Unfortunately, Hezekiah’s son turned to idolatry when he became king in Hezekiah’s place. Manasseh rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah had destroyed. He built altars to Baal and an Asherah pole. Manasseh built altars to “the starry hosts”(probably a reference to worshiping various astronomical phenomena) in God’s Temple. He practiced sorcery and divination. He even went so far as to sacrifice his own son in the fire. In addition to his idolatry, Manasseh was an oppressive, unjust ruler. He murdered many innocent people, filling Jerusalem with the blood of the innocent. It was during Manasseh’s reign that the prophets began predicting that destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Judah.
     Manasseh’s son, Amon, was as evil as his father. His own officials conspired against him and assassinated him. However, the people rose up against the conspirators and killed them, placing Amon’s son Josiah on the throne. We are told that Josiah served God and did what was pleasing in His sight. Josiah did not turn from doing what was right.

Acts 21:18-36

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem he met with James and the other elders of the Jerusalem Church. Paul recounted his ministry among the Gentiles and the Church leaders were overjoyed. However, they were concerned about the rumors among Jewish believers in Jerusalem that Paul taught Jews living among Gentiles to abandon Jewish law. They asked Paul to join four men who had just taken a vow and pay for their purification rites. This would demonstrate that Paul still followed Jewish law. Paul agreed to this and went to the Temple the next day.
The next day, Paul showed one of his Gentile traveling companions around the city before joining the four men at the Temple. A group of Jews from Asia who had seen Paul in the city earlier accused him of defiling the Temple by bringing a Gentile into it. By doing so, they started a riot. The rioters grabbed Paul, drug him out of the Temple and attempted to kill him. The commander of the Roman garrison received news that the city was in an uproar and brought his troops out to quell the disturbance. When the mob saw the Roman soldiers they stopped beating Paul. The commander arrested Paul and asked the crowd what he had done. The crowd gave conflicting answers. As a result, the commander ordered that Paul be taken back to the fortress. As they started up the stairs to the fortress the crowd became so violent that the soldiers had to lift Paul to their shoulders to protect him.

Psalm 150:1-6

This is a short psalm and a reminder that we should praise the Lord and call on everyone to do so as well. Read the psalm. Let us praise the Lord with every means at our disposal.

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Proverbs 18:9-10

The first of today’s proverbs was a bit of a challenge for me until I read the NIV translation. The NLT says that a lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things. I have always thought of myself as lazy. However, the NIV says something very similar, but slightly different. The NIV says “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.” While I think of myself as lazy–I never work any harder than I need to, I also think of myself as one who, if the job needs doing, puts out the effort to do it right. There is a fine line between my self-perception and the laziness referred to in this passage and I do not always remain on the godly side of it, but there is nothing inherently wrong with making a job as easy as possible.
The second proverb tells us that if we are in doubt about the dangers we face in this life, turn to the name of God and He will guard us.

Fact and Fantasy

Tag Archives: Christianity

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July 2, 2013 Bible Study — Let Everything That Has Breath Praise The Lord

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