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.

     Today’s passage from Zechariah confuses me. It has two parts but I do not see how the two parts fit together. In the first part the prophet starts by condemning the political and spiritual leaders for their failure to lead the people in a godly manner. He then goes on to say that God will make Judah strong and restore Israel. God will bring them back from the lands to which He has scattered them and will destroy those who oppose them.
     Then the prophet begins the second part. In the second part God tells the prophet to care for the flock intended for slaughter. The prophet says that he cared for the flock intended for slaughter and got rid of three evil shepherds. The prophet became impatient with the sheep and tells us that they hated him. He resigned his post and requested his wages. He received his wages which were thirty pieces of silver. At God’s instruction he took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the Temple. God tells the prophet that this reflects how He will give the nation a shepherd that will not care for them, a shepherd that will get fat off the flock without doing anything to benefit it. God promises that sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd.
     Reading this entire passage, I see very little in it aside from the foreshadowing of Judas. The only other thing I see in this passage is that God promises that those leaders who take advantage of their position in order to benefit themselves and do not look out for those they are leading will suffer for their actions.

     Today’s passage begins with an angel coming down from heaven declaring that Babylon is fallen. Yesterday’s passage told us that the prostitute who sat on the scarlet beast was Babylon. Another voice called out from heaven for God’s people to come away from her and not take part in her sins. The voice tells us that she did evil to others and sent terror upon them, now these deeds would be returned onto her. She was arrogant and proud and thought that nothing bad could ever come to her. As a result of her arrogance, her collapse will come swiftly. All the rulers and merchants of the world will mourn Babylon’s fall because they benefited from her self-indulgence. Finally another angel throws a large boulder into the sea and declares that the fall of Babylon will be final and permanent. It will never rise again.
     When I read this passage, I can see how the United States could easily fit into the role of Babylon in this passage. For certainly many of the rulers throughout the world owe their power and position to the patronage of the United Sates. In addition, the economies (and thus the merchants) of the world will suffer greatly if the U.S. were to fall. This is a frightening prospect since I live within the United States. On the other hand, I know from reading commentaries on the Book of Revelation and studying the book from time to time that the writer of Revelation believed that the Babylon he was writing about was Rome. So, I will not pretend that I have a greater understanding of this passage than the man who wrote it. I believe that the message to be taken from it is not that the United States will be destroyed as part of the end times (although that may indeed be part of what this passage is prophesying), rather the message (at least for me today) is that we should separate ourselves from the sins of the nations and societies that we live in. We should not get caught up in identifying ourselves with our country and its interests. Rather we must pursue doing the Lord’s will and preaching the Gospel to all of those that we can reach. We must seek to help the suffering and those in need. I know that I have a problem here. I read many forums and sites that discuss political issues. All too often, I present arguments about what is best for the nation, rather than arguments about what God desires us to do. I do this because I am more confident in judging the pragmatic course for the country than I am in judging what God’s will for our actions (and I am less afraid of ridicule when I argue the former than when I present the latter–I need to lose my fear of ridicule for speaking what I believe is God’s will>

     Let all that is in me praise the Lord. This psalm is a great follow on to the message I found today in Revelation. It tells me not to put my confidence in powerful people. The NIV says do not put your trust in prince (in other words, government officials). The psalm tells us that people will die and when they do all of their plans and power will come to nothing. Rather than trusting in men we are to rely on God. He keeps His promises for eternity. He gives justice to the oppressed and fees the poor. I will strive to follow this instruction and neither trust in men, nor fear them. Rather I will strive to place all of my trust in God and the knowledge that He can care for me no matter what men may do or say.

     Today’s proverb seems obvious, if you stir up anger in people they will fight and quarrel. Yet all too many times people attempt to further their positions by stirring up anger against others, then cannot understand why they are unable to reach a compromise among the quarreling parties.