Tag Archives: Proverbs 25:28

Daily Bible Study

October 21, 2015 Bible Study — Greed Leads To Other Sins

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 25:28

    A person without self-control is vulnerable to their enemies. They will be unable to defend themselves against attack, whether that attack is physical, emotional, or spiritual. The first step to defending oneself against assault is to develop self-control.

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Psalm 89:38-52

    No matter how wealthy and powerful you may be, if God no longer favors you, you will not stand. It is only through God’s grace that we may live lives of comfort and ease.

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1 Timothy 6

    Paul warns against those who believe and teach that godliness is a path to wealth. Those who follow such teaching put on a show of godliness but do not exhibit the real thing. Those who are truly godly are content with what God has given them. We will leave our material wealth behind when we leave this world. Therefore, if we have what we need to survive, we should be content. Here Paul writes something outright which he has alluded to in many of his other letters. Greed (the love of money) is the root of most other sins. Those who seek after material wealth all too easily fall into the trap of justifying their sins in the pursuit of wealth. I want to point out that Paul makes it clear that it is not a sin to be wealthy. Some people do acquire great wealth while living godly lives. However, those who gain material riches must be careful not to put their faith in their wealth. They must be generous and use their material wealth to do good works. Most important, they must remember, and so must the rest of us, that their wealth does not make them better than others.

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Jeremiah 37-38

    We see here that Zedekiah was a weak king. When some of his officials came to him demanding that he condemn Jeremiah, he told them to do as they liked because he could not stop them. Later, when another of his officials came to him and told him that what was being done to Jeremiah was wrong, he lent that official some of his guards to rescue Jeremiah. He consulted with Jeremiah, but was afraid to follow Jeremiah’s advice. It is clear to me from this passage that Zedekiah knew what was right, but was afraid to take a stand. He ultimately paid a price for that timidity.

Daily Bible Study

October 21, 2014 Bible Study — The Love of Money Is the Root of Much Evil

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 25:28

    A person with no self-control is like a country with no defenses. They will be overrun by trouble.

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Psalm 89:38-52

    The psalmist appears to be writing at a time when David is facing troubles, perhaps when he fled Jerusalem from his son Absalom. He asks how long God will be angry with David? How long will he allow David to be mocked? Yet despite the troubles which he sees for the king God has promised to love faithfully, the psalmist ends the psalm by praising the Lord. Can I do the same? Can I praise the Lord even when my troubles seem to go on without end?

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1 Timothy 6:1-21

    Paul warns against those who contradict his teachings. He tells us that such people are arrogant and lack understanding. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and arguments about words. Their approach to issues causes strife, malicious talk, slander, and friction among believers. They lead people to question the truth and whether their actually is such a thing as truth. They encourage people to believe that appearing godly is a way to become wealthy.
    In various controversies in the Church today, who is causing the controversy? Those who are arguing for the traditional understanding of Biblical teaching, or those who are arguing to change it? Who is arguing for a new way of understanding the words used by the various writers of the Bible? It is my belief that the Bible is written so that it does not require a scholar to understand what is meant. If someone is teaching a doctrine that requires a scholar’s knowledge of the Bible, I question the validity of that doctrine.
    Paul goes on to tell us that godliness in and of itself is of great value. Let us seek to be godly for the sake of being godly, not as a means of acquiring wealth. Those who desire wealth easily fall into temptation. The love of money, the desire to acquire ever more money, results in people doing all sorts of evil things. People often justify doing that which they know is wrong in the pursuit of wealth. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy, but making acquiring wealth one of our goals can easily lead us into sin.

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Jeremiah 37-38:28

    I mentioned yesterday the apparent divide among the government of Judah. When Zedekiah became king, he appears to have been sympathetic to Jeremiah. However, he was afraid to stand up to the members of his government who opposed Jeremiah. These were men who did not want to listen to the message God was sending through Jeremiah. When a group of men came to Zedekiah and demanded that Jeremiah be killed, Zedekiah did not tell them to kill him. Rather, Zedekiah told them that he could not stop them. Later, when another man came to Zedekiah to plead for Jeremiah, Zedekiah ordered him to gather some men and rescue Jeremiah. Elsewhere we are told that Zedekiah did what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord. It appears that his sin was that he failed to stand in opposition to evil men.

Daily Bible Study

October 21, 2013 Bible Study — If We Lack Self Control, We Will Be Defeated

     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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Jeremiah 37-38:28

     The king, his attendants, and the majority of the people refused to listen to what God had instructed Jeremiah to say. Yet, when Nebuchadnezzar invaded once more, the king sent to Jeremiah and asked him to pray to the Lord for them. Shortly after this, Nebuchadnezzar turned aside to face the Egyptian army which had marched out to relieve the siege of Jerusalem. Jeremiah told the king that the Egyptian army would turn back and the Babylonian army would return and sack Jerusalem.
     While the Babylonian army was off engaging the Egyptians, Jeremiah attempted to leave the city in order to claim some family property elsewhere. However, as he left the city, a relative of one of the king’s courtiers arrested him, accusing him of attempting to defect to the Babylonians. There were two factions in the court. One faction wanted to kill Jeremiah, although they wanted to do so in an indirect manner. The second faction wanted to protect him. The king seemed to favor the latter group, but lacked the power to stand up to the former group.
     At one point the king asked Jeremiah for his advice on what he should do. Jeremiah advised the king to surrender, telling him that he and his family would live if he did so and that Jerusalem would be burned, the king would not escape, and his wives turned over to the officers of the Babylonian army if he did not. The king was afraid to take Jeremiah’s advice, even though Jeremiah assured him that God had promised his fears would not be fulfilled.

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     How often have I suffered because I was afraid to follow the advice I received from God? I always struggle to know whether what I am hearing is God’s word for me or my own desires. I need to learn to pray more faithfully so that I can learn to distinguish God’s voice when He speaks to me.

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1 Timothy 6:1-21

     I believe that what Paul wrote here concerning slaves and masters applies to employees and employers as well. I need to show respect for my employer so that I do not bring shame on God, and it is even more important to do so if my employer is a fellow believer. The passage goes on to emphasize that we should not quibble over the meaning of words. This is a challenge for me because I have known people who have used words with subtly different meaning in order to lay the groundwork for a false teaching. On the other hand, Paul continues by telling us that those who are doing this are doing so because they are seeking to appear godly in order to acquire wealth. Paul tells us that godliness with contentment is more valuable than material wealth. I will be content with sufficient funds to provide for food, shelter, and clothing. Those who love money, sooner or later, stray from the faith in pursuit of more of it.
     Paul concludes by giving Timothy some final instructions which will benefit us all if we follow them. I will seek to live a life filled with righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. It is by these tactics that I can fight the good fight and cling to the eternal life which God has promised me through Christ Jesus. I will not be proud nor trust in money. Rather I will use my money in order to do good. I will strive to avoid foolish discussions and arguments. This is a challenge to me because not all arguments and discussions are foolish, but I struggle with keeping quiet when someone says something I view as foolish.

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Psalm 89:38-52

     Reading this psalm is a reminder that life is short. The time to serve the Lord is NOW. We may not have a later in which to do it.

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Proverbs 25:28

     Those who lack self-control will be defeated in everything they attempt.

Daily Bible Study

October 21, 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.

Boulder Field at Hickory Run State Park

Jeremiah 37-38:28

     After Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king of Judah, Zedekiah did not listen to Jeremiah’s prophecies any more than his predecessors. However, when Nebuchadnezzar again attacked Jerusalem he asked Jeremiah to pray to God for himself and the people of Jerusalem. At this time, Nebuchadnezzar withdrew his armies to face the Egyptian armies which had come forth to relieve the siege of Jerusalem. Jeremiah sent word to Zedekiah that the Egyptians would return to Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar would return and destroy Jerusalem.
     While the siege was lifted Jeremiah attempted to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin and complete the purchase of the land from his relative. One of the gate guards, believing that Jeremiah was defecting to the Babylonians, arrested him. After Jeremiah had been in prison for some time, King Zedekiah sent for him to ask him what message he had from the Lord for the king. Jeremiah told the king that God said that he would be defeated by the Babylonians. One faction of the king’s court wanted Jeremiah killed because of the message he had been giving to the people about the outcome of fighting the Babylonians. They went to the king and requested that he kill Jeremiah. The king told them to do as they pleased because he could not stop them. They took Jeremiah and placed him in a cistern with thick mud at the bottom of it, leaving him there to starve to death. Another faction of the court went to the king and requested the king’s permission to remove Jeremiah from the cistern. The king granted their request and told them to take a small force and do so.
     Later, King Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him for a private audience. The king promised Jeremiah that he would neither kill him nor allow him to be killed for what Jeremiah told the king. Jeremiah told King Zedekiah that if he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar all would go well with him and his family and Jerusalem would not be burned down. On the other hand if he refused to surrender, he would not escape and the city would be destroyed.

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1 Timothy 6:1-21

     Paul tells Timothy that some people like to quibble over the meaning of words. Such people cause trouble and see putting on a show of godliness as a way to become wealthy. True godliness with contentment is in itself great wealth. We came into this world with no possessions and we will take none with us when we leave, so we should be content with enough to feed and clothe ourselves. We should avoid arguments with those who want to quibble over words and pursue teachings that promote godliness. If we pursue wealth, we can easily fall into temptation. This does not mean that wealth is evil, just that we should not seek it as a first goal. We should pursue righteousness and a godly life. The disciplines which lead to a godly life are faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. If and when we acquire wealth we should not be proud nor come to rely on that wealth because it is unreliable. Instead we should use that wealth to do good. We should use whatever wealth we acquire to share with those in need.

Fall in the Forest

Psalm 89:38-52

     The psalmist writes that he feels abandoned by God, that God has allowed him to be disgraced. Yet despite feeling this way He praises the Lord and calls on us to praise the Lord forever. Let this be a model to us that even when we feel far from God we will lift up praises to Him.

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Proverbs 25:28

      Lack of self-control leaves us completely defenseless, both against our human enemies and our spiritual enemies.