Tag Archives: Lamentations 4-5:22

Daily Bible Study

October 31, 2014 Bible Study — Jesus Understands What It Means To Be Human

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have been convicted over the last few weeks to seek to develop a disciplined prayer life. It is still a work in progress. Please pray for me, that the Holy Spirit may show me how to pray in a disciplined manner.

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Proverbs 26:23

    The translation notes say that the Hebrew word translated as “smooth” (based on the Greek in the Septuagint) is “burning”. The NIV translates that word as “fervent”. I think that being aware of these different possible translations helps us understand this proverb. Often times a person will fervently protest their innocence to cover up their guilt. Some of the most intense protestations for judgement against those who do wrong are brought by those who do the very wrong they demand be judged harshly.

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Psalm 103:1-22

    The opening praise sums up this psalm and should be my prayer every day. “Let all that I am praise the Lord.” Yes, let all that I am and all that I do praise Him. May He receive glory and praise because of my thoughts, words, and actions. I desire that everything about me brings praise to God.

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Hebrews 2:1-18

    In yesterday’s passage the author of Hebrews made it clear that Jesus was God, that as God He created the Universe. He makes clear that Jesus is not just a superior angel, but is God Himself. In today’s passage the author presents the other part of orthodox Christology. Jesus was/is a man. He is fully and completely human. Jesus became fully human so that He could experience temptation just as we do. It is because He went through the temptations which we experience that He is able to help us deal with those temptations. He was faced all of the struggles we face in this life, and more. Only as someone who was fully and completely human could He experience everything that we experience. From time to time, someone will say, “You don’t understand. You have never gone through this.” Jesus does understand. He did go through this.

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Lamentations 4-5:22

    The land of Judah suffered terribly because those who should have pointed them towards God, the priests and the prophets, instead sinned. Those who the people looked on for guidance towards righteousness used their position to satisfy their own desires. They were defiled by sin and shed the blood of the innocents. If God would allow Jerusalem to be sacked for the sins of its people, how much more will He bring judgement against our country today? God’s judgement is coming. If people do not turn from their sins, turn towards God, and live upright lives, the devastation that is coming will be complete.

Daily Bible Study

October 31, 2013 Bible Study — Let All That I Am Praise the Lord

     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.

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Lamentations 4-5:22

     The prophet laments the terrible times which have befallen the people of Jerusalem, but he points out that there troubles have come upon them because they had chosen to follow sinful leaders. It was not just their political leaders who were sinful, but even worse, they had chosen to follow sinful religious leaders. Those who were supposed to guide them towards righteousness instead committed heinous crimes and shed innocent blood. Time and again, a people become prosperous through following God’s commands then turn from God to follow those who tell them they can remain prosperous while indulging their sinful desires. Every time this happens, tragedy strikes these once prosperous nations.
     Once trouble begins, the only hope for that people is to turn to God. God does not change and when people turn back to Him, He will restore them. As bad as things may look, God will restore us if we turn to Him and follow His commands.

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Hebrews 2:1-18

     We must pay careful attention to the Gospel message which brought our salvation. It is all too easy to drift away from God if we stop listening to His word. In the first chapter the writer made the point that Jesus was God’s Son and on an equal footing with God, an actual part of God. Today the writer makes the point that Jesus was a man, that He was fully human. It was as a human that He was able to experience the suffering, trials, and temptation that are common to all humans. It is because of this experience that He is able to test us as we go through those same things. More than that, it is because of our experiences dealing with suffering, trials, and temptation that we are able to help our brothers and sisters who are dealing with those things now.
     Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters. He suffered and died to free us from death and fear of death. We need to be willing to suffer and die to show to those around us that they too need not fear suffering and death.

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Psalm 103:1-22

     This psalm reaches out to me. It calls on me to praise God with all my ability and with every aspect of my being.

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.

It goes on from there to itemize some of the good God has done for all who trust in Him, but that sums up what the psalm is about. Yes, I will praise the Lord with all that I am.

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Proverbs 26:23

     Fiery speeches are often made to cover up the evil intentions of the speaker. We should give extra scrutiny to the motives and actions of those whose speech rouses us to anger against others.

Daily Bible Study

October 31, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

“Just a few more minutes and I’ll have it fixed.”

Lamentations 4-5:22

     The Prophet talks of how gold and precious gems lost their value in Jerusalem because there was no food to buy. People allowed their children to starve because they had no food to feed them. Even the wealthiest begged for food in the streets. All of this happened because the people’s sin was even greater than that of Sodom. As I read this I think of the sins of our nation and wonder how long the judgement will be held off? The judgement on Jerusalem came because the priests and the prophets shed the blood of the innocent.
     But with all of this, the prophet says that God will restore them if they turn back to Him. God does not change and He will not abandon those who turn from their sins and worship Him.

“Have you fixed it yet?”

Hebrews 2:1-18

     The author tells us that we must listen carefully to the truth we have heard so that we do not drift away from that truth. Every disobedience of the law was punished. How much more will we suffer if we ignore the message of grace through Jesus? The message of salvation by grace was confirmed by signs, wonders and miracles and by gifts of the Spirit.
     The world to come will not be subject to angels. It will be subject to those humans who choose to follow Jesus. Mankind is nothing, yet God has made them but a little lower than the angels and will give them authority over the world to come. Jesus was made a little lower than the angels and through His suffering He has been given authority over all things. Jesus became human because only as a human could He die. It was only by dying that He could break the power of the devil and of death. By dying He freed us who had been slaves to sin and fear of death. In order to do this, He had to become in all ways like us, fully human in all aspects. He was able to make atonement for our sins because He was like us. He can help us when we face temptation because He experienced the same temptations that we do.
     Jesus understands what we experience because He has experienced it. We cannot say to Him, “You don’t understand. You never experienced this!” Because He did indeed experience it. We can know that whatever we experience, He has suffered as much or more.

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Psalm 103:1-22

     Let all that is in me praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord with all of my being. Oh Lord, do not let me ever forget what you have done for me. You have forgiven my sins and filled my life with good things. Let everything that God has created praise the Lord. How true this is, I am sitting here in the warmth well fed at no cost, after I spent the day worrying about having to spend money that I do not have for dinner tonight and then spending the night in a dark house with no power. Instead I am sitting in my church’s building after my pastor called me to invite me and my wife to dinner here for those who were without power. In addition, he invited us to spend the night. God is good and gracious.

God’s Paint-By-Numbers Collection across Green Lane Lake

Proverbs 26:23

     Just because someone is well-spoken does not mean they are not evil. Many people use smooth words to cover evil intent.