Those who search for wisdom will find it. Wisdom is not fickle, if you love her, she will love you back. Wisdom was the first of God’s creations. It is the thing which ties everything else together.
The psalmist comes to the conclusion of this psalm. Yes, he felt isolated and alone, but he trusted in God and God came to his rescue. He reminds us that God has stored up goodness beyond measure for those who fear Him and come to Him for protection. We do not need to panic because God will protect us, yet if we do, He will come to our rescue. The Lord protects those who loyally serve Him and rely on Him. However, He will allow those who think they can stand on their own two feet to suffer the consequences of their arrogance.
I used to think that Jesus just told the disciples to go into town and when they met a person who filled certain criteria, that person would be willing to allow them to use a room he had for Jesus and the disciples to celebrate Passover. As I have read the account over and over I have come to realize that it had been prearranged with the man to celebrate Passover in a room that man had. Jesus was merely telling the disciples to go talk to the man in order to find out where the room was.
When Jesus said that one of the twelve would betray Him, they each asked, in turn, if they were the one. What has always struck me was that when Jesus answered Judas by saying, “You have said it,” none of the other disciples appears to have taken notice. Perhaps that was because they did not truly take Jesus’ prediction of His coming death seriously. I think their failure to take Jesus’ talk about His impending death explains both their braggadocio (especially Peter’s) and their later reaction to His arrest. When Jesus had told them it was going to happen, they did not really believe Him. It did not fit into their perception of what would happen with the Messiah.
This passage gives detailed instructions for the ordination of priests. I am glad that we do not follow a similar ceremony in order to ordain pastors in the Church today. As I think about it, I wonder whether our practice of ordaining pastors is a mistake. While the pastor fills a special role in the Church and has additional responsibilities, the connection between pastor and priest which ordination creates (or has the potential to create) is the wrong message to send about the role of pastors. A priest was an intermediary between the common man and God. We now have Jesus as our intermediary and are no forbidden from seeking to put greater distance between ourselves and God.
I am trying something different. Previously, I have always placed my comments on the passage in the order Old Testament passage, New Testament passage, Psalm, Proverb. For the near future I am going to post them in the order in which I prepare the comments. This is likely to be the reverse of how I was doing it, but I foresee changing it up depending on what strikes me first. Please let me know what you think of this change.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
The proverb writer lists the characteristics of wisdom in today’s passage. Common sense and sound judgment, insight and power are products of wisdom. The only thing necessary to find wisdom is the desire, and willingness, to seek for it. Everything that is good and enduring is built on a foundation of wisdom. If you desire to accomplish anything of value or that will endure, begin by seeking out wisdom.
The Lord has stored up good things for those who fear Him. He will bless those who come to Him for protection in full view of everyone. I will love the Lord with all of my heart because He will protect those who are loyal to Him. I will praise Him publicly because He has shown me the wonders of His love. When all seems lost I will cry out to Him because I know that He will answer. I will fear and obey the Lord despite the scorn of those who hate Him, because He shelter me and bless me in their sight. If we are faithful to God, He will bless us in a manner that makes His greatness, and love for us, clear to all who are watching.
As Jesus led the disciples to the Garden, where He would be betrayed, He told them that they would all desert Him. Peter insisted that he would never desert Jesus, even if everyone else did. Jesus responded that before the rooster crowed he would deny Him three times. However, a little later I realized that Jesus appreciated Peter’s braggadocio, even though Peter could not back it up. I was reading about Jesus praying and I was going to focus on a key point of His prayer, “not as I will, but as you will.” (NIV) However, then I read what He said to Peter when He woke him from falling asleep. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (NIV) This struck me as something I struggle with so much…and as sound advice on how to deal with it (even if we still fall). I struggle with temptation and I know that I fall to it so often because I do not watch and pray as much as I need to. I know that I need to find a way to spend more time in prayer, a way to overcome the obstacles which Satan throws in my way. I have long struggled with this, yet I know God will show me the path to overcoming this. I long struggled with reading the Bible enough. Now God has given me this blog which has made reading the Bible something I look forward to doing. He will do the same for prayer in my life.
As I read today’s passage about the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests, the first thought that went through my mind was my comment the other day about all of us being part of the priesthood of believers today. Then when I read the instruction to wash them in water at the entrance to the Tabernacle, I saw a parallel to baptism. The rest of the instructions for their dedication does not fit so well with baptism. However, as I read on I saw that the ceremony was to be carried out over seven days. This seemed to be to convey to both those witnessing it and to those being dedicated a sense of the solemnity of the occasion. We need to same sort of solemness as part of our baptism ceremony. Note: I am not talking about the sort of solemness that is appropriate for a funeral. There should be joy as part of a baptism as well as solemnity. After all, we are celebrating the new life which the celebrant is experiencing as well as their dedication to serving God.
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 gives a detailed account of the ceremony to ordain a priest. They were to bring a young bull and two rams to the tent of meeting along with several loaves of bread made without yeast. Then the men who were about to be ordained as priests were brought there as well. The men were washed and dressed in the priestly garments. The men were then anointed with oil. Then according to specific instructions the bull and each of the rams were sacrificed. A portion of each of the sacrifices was to be reserved for the priests to eat. The process of ordination was to take seven days with detailed instructions about the sacrifices to be conducted on the days following the first. Are there benefits to going through such a ritual of consecration? Do we have such rituals? Should we?
My answer to that question is that we would be well served to develop rituals that we undertake to consecrate ourselves to God, not because such rituals have any value towards our salvation but because they can help us focus our minds upon God. A carefully designed ritual can help us to fully internalize our attempts to dedicate our lives to serving God. However, we must be careful because a ritual can replace God as the object of our worship.
Today’s passage begins with the account of Judas Iscariot going to the chief priests and agreeing to help them arrest Jesus away from the crowds. There is one question that none of these accounts can answer, why did Judas offer to betray Jesus? Did he do it for the money? Was he trying to force Jesus hand to overthrow Roman rule? Did he think that he was serving Jesus’ purposes? Whatever his motives, Judas chose to betray Jesus.
The disciples then asked Jesus where they should eat the Passover feast. He gave them instructions which they followed. While they were eating Jesus told them that one of them was going to betray him. One after another they asked Him if they were the one that was going to betray Him until. Jesus answered that one who had dipped into the bowl with Him would betray Him. It is possible that this passage meant that Judas had dipped into the bowl at the same time as Jesus. However, it seems to my to be more likely an account of the level of Judas’ betrayal. Judas had shared a meal with Jesus. In many societies betraying someone who you had shared a meal with was considered among the lowest of possible actions.
After this, Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks for it and breaks it, giving pieces to His disciples. He tells them to take it and eat it, it is His body. He then does the same with the wine, except that in this case he says that it is His blood which is poured out for the forgiveness of many. Looking back the significance of this act is very clear, but it seems likely that it had much less, or at least different, meaning for the disciples who were present. When we partake of this ritual do we see it as a consecration like the one that the priests under went in today’s Exodus passage?
After this, they left there and went out to the Mount of Olives (at some point here Judas left them and went to the priests). Jesus told them that they would fall away and be scattered. Peter avows that even if everyone else abandons Jesus, he will stand by His side. Jesus replies that not only would Peter fall away like the others, but he, Peter, would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed to announce the next morning. To which Peter avowed that he would die with Jesus before he would deny Him (a statement which the other disciples quickly echoed). I am sure that Jesus’ statement cut Peter to the quick and that he was determined to prove Him wrong on this.
Jesus then asked His disciples to keep watch with Him as He prayed. Jesus prayed that He not have to go through with the suffering He knew was coming. He returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. He awakens them and points out to Peter that despite his bravado he is unable to even stay awake. This scene is repeated two more times. I cannot find reference at this time, but I read at some point in the past that there was a rabbinical tradition that the new day did not begin until one had slept a certain amount. The article implied that the new day, the day of Jesus’ betrayal, did not begin until the disciples fell asleep the third time. I do not know if that is true, but it puts an interesting light on the situation. How often are we like the disciples, sure that we can stand against persecution for our faith, but unable to stay awake through the night?
The psalmist tells us that God has stored up an abundance of good things for those who fear and obey Him. If we turn to Him ,He will hide and shelter us from those who set out to destroy us. When we feel cut off and separated from God, He will still hear us when we cry out and come to our rescue. Do not allow the trials and tribulations that you face get you down, God will come and redeem you. No matter how bad it seems at the moment have faith and God will come to your rescue.
The writer tells us that wisdom is available to all who search for it. The rewards for following the path of wisdom are worth more than any amount of money. Wisdom is the foundation of everything worth doing, even the creation of the universe. Do I seek wisdom with all of my being? When I find it, do I follow the paths it lays out for me?
