For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    If you call out the mockers for their disrespect or rebuke the wicked for their evil behavior, they will not change their behavior. They will merely insult you or attack you in turn. However, when you point out to the wise where they have done wrong, they will change their behavior and love you for the concern you have shown. I have observed this time and again. The question I need to ask myself, do I take correction to heart and change my behavior? Or am I sure that those who tell me I did wrong are mistaken?

    This psalm gives a wonderful template for sharing the Gospel:

• Praise God, all of the time,
• Boast only about what Him.
• Talk about the wonderful, amazing things God has done
• Tell those around you how God has answered your prayers
• Invite them to try it for themselves

That last is so important. All too often I have found myself trying to convince someone of the truth of the Gospel by rational arguments when what I should have done was invite them to check out God’s promises for themselves. I myself spent many years trying to find proof that God existed. It was only when I finally decided that I would assume He was real and see how things worked from there that I discovered the proof of His existence.
    When you want to introduce someone to a good food they have never tasted the only way to truly convince them is to have them actually taste it. In the same way, the only way to truly know the joy of following the Lord is to try it for yourself.



Matthew 27:32-66

    Throughout this passage we see references to Psalm 22. In verse 35 there is a reference to the soldiers dicing for his clothes, which matches up to Psalm 22:18. In verse 39-44 Jesus is mocked by various people. This matches up to Psalm 22:6-8. Then in verse 46 Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” This is a direct quote of Psalm 22:1.
    A key element to understanding this passage, and what Jesus meant by crying out that final line, is to be aware that it was a tradition that quoting the first line from Scripture was considered the same as quoting the entire passage. So, when Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”, He was not saying that God had abandoned Him. Rather, He was expressing both the despair and hope which He felt at that moment.


Despair:
My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.

Hope:
For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.
I am convinced that reading Psalm 22 shows us what Jesus was feeling as He hung upon the cross. He felt deep despair, yet He had a hope which was almost joyous. When we face trials in this life we should share Jesus’ confidence in God’s final victory.



Exodus 35:10-36:38

    After Moses had given out the very specific instructions for the building of the Tabernacle, he invited those who were gifted craftsmen to contribute the pieces that were needed to complete the construction. As the materials began to come in, Moses appointed two men to be in charge of putting it all together, men who had been given skills by God which made them qualified for this position. As these men, and those they recruited to help them, began their work the people continued to donate materials. Finally, the men had to go to Moses and ask him to tell the people to stop bringing them more materials. Isn’t this where we should be in the Church today? Where the leaders need to tell us to slow down on our donations to help the poor because they cannot distribute it as fast as we are donating it?

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     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.

     If you attempt to correct the mistakes of mockers or the wicked, you will be insulted and possibly even injured. On the other hand when you offer correction to the mistakes of the wise, you will make a friend. How do you react when people correct your mistakes? Are you grateful for the correction, or do you revile them?

     This psalm is wonderful, and a challenge. I strive to praise the Lord all of the time. I wish to be constantly telling others of the wonders He has done for me, but I do not always do so. The psalm tells me how to get better at it, get together with others who have experienced the wonders of God and want to talk about it. The Lord listened to my prayers and rescued me from my troubles. The psalmist writes, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” I will echo that idea. If you are facing problems and troubles (or even if you aren’t), try believing in God, or at least, live as if you believe in Him. You will see a wonderful difference in your life. It will not be long until you really do believe, and not just believe, you will know.

     Usually when I read this passage, I am struck by the fact that, in the throes of the agony of crucifixion, Jesus praised God by quoting Psalm 22. Matthew makes a very strong effort to make sure that his intended target, who would have been intimately familiar with Jewish Scripture, cannot miss it. He points out the soldiers dicing for Jesus garments(Psalm 22:18). He points out the religious leaders saying, “He trusted God, let God rescue Him.”(Psalm 22:8) And of course, Jesus Himself crying out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Psalm 22:1) However, that is not the part that speaks to me today.
     What speaks to me today is the reaction of the Roman soldiers who oversaw the crucifixion. When they saw how Jesus faced death, a terrible, horrible death, and the events which followed His death, they could not help but exclaim, “This man truly was the Son of God.” Matthew points out all the fulfillment of signs from Scripture that were fulfilled at Jesus’ crucifixion, yet it was not the people who knew the Scripture forward and backward who saw the hand of God. No, it was the pagan oppressors, the Roman soldiers who saw God’s wondrous power in Jesus’ death. Do we see God’s power in the world around us? Do we see how God is working His wondrous plan in the suffering of those who love Him? Are we willing to suffer in order for others to experience God’s wondrous love?

     Moses told the people what materials were needed to build the Tabernacle. The people responded by gathering their gold and jewels, their silver and bronze objects. They gave it all to the Lord. Those who had the skill spun thread and prepared fine linen. They gathered all of the fine materials that were needed to build the Tent of Meeting. The passage tells us that “all whose hearts were willing” came and presented goods for the Tabernacle. Moses appointed the craftsmen God had selected to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle and they began to work. But the gifts from the people did not stop. They continued to give gold, silver, bronze, jewels, thread, fine linen, fine wood. Until finally, the craftsmen came to Moses and told him that they had all of the materials they could use. Are we like that? Are our hearts willing to give to God’s cause to the extent that the workers have to tell us to stop?