Acquiring wisdom is an act of self-love. Those who acquire wisdom benefit from doing so. Of course it is not enough to acquire wisdom, one must act on that knowledge as well in order to benefit from it.
God knows what the helpless wish for, He knows their hopes and dreams. He will hear their cries as the wicked crush them and bring them comfort. Let us not be the ones against whom they are crying out because God will deliver justice to the orphan and the oppressed.
I touched on what Paul writes in today;s passage yesterday. The list of evil which people do which Paul listed yesterday is not there for us to condemn others. Rather it is there for us to measure our lives against and determine where we fall short of faithfully serving God. Every time I read yesterday’s and today’s passages I struggle with how to handle them. They are indeed, first and foremost, a guide to me about living my own life. However, we as Christians are called to help our brothers and sisters in Christ deal with the sins in their own lives. If we teach others to follow the guidelines Paul lays out here, but do not do so ourselves we are guilty of causing unbelievers to blaspheme God.
As we read what Paul wrote in these letters, let us strive to put his instructions into practice in our own lives. As we walk with and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, let us, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, advise them to the best of our ability how they can live a more faithful life, while seeking their advice of how we can do the same. Let us always remember that we are all sinners and without God’s grace we are helpless in our sin.
I struggle with Chronicles, what is contained in it that is not in Kings? Perhaps it makes the point about God never asking for a “House”(Temple) a little stronger than was made in the book of Kings. When God told David that He never asked the people of Israel to build Him a house, He was emphasizing that He would not be limited to one location. In addition, while the people of Israel are God’s chosen people, that does not mean that God is not the God of everyone. God is not limited to the land of Israel and He does not live in a House/Temple. In many ways the Tabernacle was a better metaphor for God’s relationship with people. There is no one place where God lives that we must go to in order to find Him. No, God’s Home on this earth is a tent and He will move it to where we live in order that we may worship Him. There is another side to that as well. When we worship God, we need to be prepared to pack up and move to where He goes. He does not stay in one place and He calls us to follow Him.
This proverb carries the implication that many people will do borderline unethical (and sometimes outright unethical) things in order to gain the good graces of those with authority. It is the responsibility of good leaders to demonstrate that such behavior will cause someone to be in their bad graces, no matter how much benefit accrues to the leader from those unethical actions (even if they are only borderline).
The wicked proudly refuse to seek God. They have no room in their thoughts for Him. The wicked believe that they can do as they please and no one can stop them. They are so arrogant that they crush the powerless without a second thought. However, God sees the trouble they cause and the grief they inflict on the innocent. He will stand up for the fatherless and hold the wicked to account.
Paul starts today’s passage, and his teachings in this letter, by telling us that no one has an excuse for not knowing about God. God’s invisible qualities are demonstrated through the universe which He created. All one has to do is look. Despite the evidence, people chose not to worship God and refused to thank Him for creating them. Instead, they invented their own ideas about what to worship. In an effort to appear wise, they chose foolishness; choosing to worship gods made in their own image, or in the image of aspects of the world around them.
The result of rejecting God was that God allowed their sinful desires to corrupt their sexuality. When people reject God they degrade their bodies with sexual impurity. As I read this, when we reject God one of the first steps is that we degrade our own bodies while we seek sexual pleasure in inappropriate ways. This is quickly followed by degrading others in order to serve our sexual pleasure. Paul describes a progression which happens. Once one rejects God, He allows our sinful desires to harness our sexuality to take control over us. This leads to us treating ourselves and others as objects for sexual gratification. Part of that progression is that some people reject natural sexual behavior in favor of homosexual activity (women having sex with women, men having sex with men).
When people decide that it is foolish to believe in God, He allows them to think that foolishness is wisdom. The result of this is that when we refuse to acknowledge God we do things which should never be done, homosexual activity is but the least of these things. As we descend into such foolishness, we invent new ways of sinning. As we get caught up in such things, we know they are wrong, but continue doing them anyway. Worse still, we encourage others to do the same.
I know that for the most part I have just restated what Paul wrote, but it seems that so many in the Church today refuse to acknowledge as truth what Paul says here. It is important to remember as we read this that its primary purpose is not to allow us to judge others. It is to measure our own behavior. The first question it raises is, have we allowed our sinful desires to warp our sexuality? However, we need to read verses 29 through 32 and ask ourselves how many of these have we done (and continue to do)? Do we refuse to understand others? Do we break our promises? Are we heartless? Do we lack mercy?
David learned the lesson from his first attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This time he instructed that only Levites would be allowed to carry the Ark. Further he called all of the people of Israel to come and celebrate the moving of the Ark. This was to be an opportunity for all of Israel to unify and worship God. It appears to have worked.
David commemorated the event by writing a song which is recorded here. The verses which speak strongest to me today, which summarize what I see as the meaning of this song are verses 23 and 24:
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
I will strive to sing to the Lord each day. If in no other way, I will proclaim that God saves by publishing this blog, but I know that God is calling me to do more. This song calls me to work harder to publish more about God’s glorious deeds, to be more enthusiastic in telling people about the amazing things God has done.
Yesterday I read the portion of this psalm which discussed the fact that the wicked believe they will face no consequences for their actions. The portion I read today reminds us that God hears the cries of the hopeless. He will hear their cries and will comfort them. God will bring justice to the fatherless and the oppressed. If we have fully put our trust in God, mere people will no longer terrify us.
I wonder if the story of the paralyzed man in today’s passage contains part of the explanation of why we see so little healing in the Church today. Jesus recognized that the man’s first need was forgiveness of sin. It is worth noting that the passage does not say Jesus saw the man’s faith, rather He responded to the faith of those who brought the man to Him. Do we have the faith to bring our sick friends to Jesus?
It is also worth noting that the teachers of the law responded to Jesus offering the man forgiveness by questioning His authority to do so. It was then that Jesus healed the man. Jesus demonstrated that He had the power to offer forgiveness by healing the man. In the same way, the Church today needs to show that it has the power to offer God’s forgiveness by healing the people around us. I fear that I have too little faith for this, but I will continue to ask God to give me faith.
The story of the calling of Matthew, and what followed is important. First, Jesus called as one of His disciples a tax collector. That was bad enough, a rabbi not just accepting as his disciple one of the hated tax collectors, notorious sinners all, but actually calling the man to become His disciple. But Jesus than proceeded to hang out with the sinners who had been the tax collectors friends before he became His disciple. Surely, He should have called Matthew to have nothing to do with those sorts any more. At the very least, He should have shown His disdain for such people by having nothing to do with them.
Instead, Jesus went and partied with them, telling those who complained that the healthy do not need a doctor. The important lesson for us here is this, how are we going to preach the Gospel to sinners if we do not know any? We see throughout the Gospels that not only was Jesus willing to go to parties thrown by sinners, He was enough fun at those parties that sinners kept inviting Him! Yet He never stopped calling on them to repent. If the “sinners” you know think you are boring, you are not following Jesus’ example.
In this passage we see again the issue of marrying local women. First, we are told that Esau married two local women and that those women made life miserable for his parents. Then, further on, we have Rebekah tell Isaac that she would rather die than see Jacob marry a local girl. While this was partially a ruse to get Isaac to agree to send Jacob out of Esau’s reach, it seems likely there was enough truth to it for Isaac to believe it. I am still not sure what lesson we should take from this, but it is something I need to think about.
Never think that you know better than God. We may not understand why God tells us to do (or not do) some of the things He does, but if we follow those instructions we will be healthier and happier than if we do not. We may think we know better how to serve God than He does, but, if so, we are wrong.
The wicked are convinced that they do not need God, that they will never need God. They are convinced that nothing bad will happen to them, that they will never be called to account for their actions. For that matter, they are convinced that there is no one to call them to account. However, they are mistaken. God will call them, and everyone else, to account for their actions. The helpless may put their trust in Him and that trust will be rewarded. God will defend the fatherless. He will ensure that the wicked suffer the consequences of their actions.
The story about the man who said he would follow Jesus after he buried his father is directed at every single one of us. When we feel God’s calling in our life, it is wrong to put off following that call until some milestone in our life is past. Let us follow God’s call NOW.
When the storm arose on the boat, the disciples were in a panic. They were not in control of their fate. Jesus’ response tells us the correct response to such situations: turn to God. Things may seem to be spinning out of control, but regardless of how things seem, God is still in control. There are two things we need to remember. No matter how wild and woolly things seem to be, God is in complete control. Second, no matter what we think, we have never been in control, and we never will be.
The thing I noticed today about the story of the two demon possessed men is that they approached Jesus. He did not go to them. This reminds me of many who reject Christianity. The two demon possessed men came to Jesus and began screaming at Him, asking to know why He was interfering with them. Yet, it was not He who came to them, they came to Him. In the same way some people today ask Christians what we think of their behavior, then become angry when we tell them that we believe it is self destructive. They accuse us of interfering in their lives, when it was they who approached us.
Once Abraham’s servant had found Rebekah and reached an agreement for her to marry Isaac, he wanted to return with her immediately. Her family wanted her to stay for a short while longer. Abraham’s servant insisted on leaving at once. I am not sure of the significance, but I believe it is related to the reason Abraham did not want Isaac to move back to that area.
It appears that Rebekah had similar problems conceiving, or perhaps, carrying to term, that Sarah had had (although not as severe). Isaac plead with God for her to have children. When she finally did become pregnant, it was with twins. The account tells us that the two boys struggled with each other from the very beginning, even in the womb. We quickly discover that each of the parents, Isaac and Rebekah, had a different favorite between the two boys. Perhaps as a result, perhaps for some other reason, Esau became someone who lived in the moment and had little thought for future consequences. Jacob, on the other hand, became a plotter, seeking to use momentary advantage for long term gain. We should emulate Jacob’s interest in the future, without emulating his deceptive nature.
Today’s passage ends with Isaac following the example of his father and lying about the fact that Rebekah was his wife. If nothing else this shows us that even those who are held up as loyal servants of God sometimes fail to trust in Him to protect them.
Acquiring wisdom is something that is your own interest to do. Acting wisely benefits the one who does so. If we cherish and seek understanding we will prosper in what we do.
God is sovereign over all of the earth and for all of time. Any nation or people that refuses to acknowledge God’s sovereignty will vanish off of the face of the earth. God listens to the cries of the helpless and oppressed. He will deliver justice to the fatherless and the powerless. When they understand what God is doing for them, they will no longer fear what their fellow men may do to them.
In yesterday’s passage Paul described the sinfulness of those who deny God’s existence, despite the ample evidence which God has provided. However, in today’s passage he warns us against condemning those people because we cannot truly claim to be any better. We know what God desires us to do. Yet, all too often, we fail to do it. It is not enough to know God’s will, we must act on it. When we work at teaching others to do what is right, do we do what is right ourselves? Are we able to say that we never do any of the things which Jesus warns about in the Sermon on the Mount? Let us examine ourselves and see whether or not any of our actions will give unbelievers cause to blaspheme against God. Let us find those actions and pray to God that His Holy Spirit remove those blemishes from our lives.
In this discussion Paul points out yet more evidence for God. He points out that when unbelievers instinctively do what is right, they are showing that God has imprinted His law on human hearts, even those who have never heard His word. If those who have never heard God’s word know what is right, how can those of us taught it from childhood have any excuse?
When God sent Nathan back to David with His response to David’s desire to build a Temple for God, it contained what I believe to be one of the Bible’s two-fold prophecies. These are prophecies which had a meaning and an application for the people to whom they were first spoken and a meaning and application that went far beyond that. In this case Nathan told David that God would raise up one of his descendants to build a Temple for God. That descendant would have God’s favor. God would secure his throne. To David and those around him, this prophecy would have been seen as applying to Solomon (although they probably did not realize it was Solomon until a few years later).
However, this prophecy also applies to Jesus. It is through Jesus that God’s House has been built for all eternity. For Jesus built a House for God to dwell in in the hearts of those who believe His message and follow Him. There is no God like our God. He has adopted us into His people and family. Oh Lord, do not allow me to act in a way which causes others to blaspheme your name.
It is a natural human tendency to be friends with the rich and powerful, but to avoid those in need, the poor and powerless. We should not decry people because they are that way, but we should strive to be friends and spend time with those who are otherwise ignored or outcast.
The wicked arrogantly ignore God, they believe that they have no need of Him, They imagine that God is just make-believe. They lie and curse and cheat, thinking that the good times will last forever. They are confident that nothing and no one will ever hold them to account for their actions. But they are wrong. God takes note of their actions. The helpless may safely trust in Him. He will defend the orphan and the powerless. God will call everyone to account for their actions, both the righteous and the wicked.
I often here people say that times were different when Paul wrote his letters and that as a result this or that which he writes is no longer applicable. Yet every time I read this passage I think of the arguments made by people in our society today (and of the actions which they justify by those arguments). Paul describes those very arguments and actions in this passage. As part of that process he rebuts those very arguments.
Proof that God exists is there for anyone who wishes to look for it. It is there in the world around us. God created the universe and its very existence testifies about Him. No one has any excuse for not knowing about God. However, many people, full-well knowing what God was truly like, made up foolish ideas about Him that are not supported by the evidence. They then rejected God on the basis of the foolish ideas they made up about Him. They foolishly reject God and call it wisdom.
The people Paul is referring to rejected the truth about God and in its place accepted a lie. The result of believing that it is foolish to acknowledge that God exists is to lose the ability to distinguish foolish ideas from wise. They turned from normal sexual relations to sexual perversions, including same-sex relationships. They did this despite the fact that sexual relations between men result in significant health problems (something recognized in Paul’s day and known by modern medical science). As we look around at those who have rejected God we can see that they, sooner or later, justify all sorts of sins in their lives. Some sin because they see no reason to not do so. Others justify their sins in order to accomplish some goal which they proclaim as noble. Both groups not only commit theses sins, but they encourage others to do the same.
Two thousand years later and the words Paul wrote here read as if he is writing them about what is happening today.
In yesterday’s passage David became angry with God because of the death of one of those who were transporting the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. David believed that he was doing God’s will by moving the Ark. Yet, something terrible happened. David got angry and blamed God. This was a natural reaction. However, today’s passage shows us why David, despite his sins, can be an example to us. As David thought about what had happened, he realized that the mistake was his (and his advisers). They had failed to consult with God about how to transport the Ark and had just done it in the way that seemed best to them.
We can learn from David that it is not enough that we are striving for the goal which God desires. We must also work towards that goal in the manner which God desires. We can only accomplish God’s goals by using God’s methods.
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. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
At the end of yesterday’s passage, Abimelech asked Isaac to move away from his lands because was becoming wealthy and powerful enough to be a threat. Isaac did not fight or complain that this was not fair. He trusted God and moved away. When Abimelech’s shepherds contested for control of the area he had moved too, even though they had abandoned that territory. Isaac just moved further. Isaac moved away from them until they no longer contested his use of the lands. When Abimelech came to him in his new home, Isaac made a peace treaty with him, even though the hostility between them had originated with Abimelech.
Usually when we read this passage we skip over the account of Esau’s wives with just a passing thought. However, I think it is part and parcel of the whole thing. Esau married some local girls, but the fact that they were local is not the problem. They have a different idea about what is proper behavior than Isaac and Rebekah. That is the problem. There is a connection between the attitudes of Esau’s wives towards Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing. It seems to me that Rebekah convinced Jacob to steal Esau’s blessing so that Esau would be mad at Jacob, giving Jacob motivation to leave and go to her brother’s house to find a wife.
This passage tells us how Jesus interacted with sinners. He did not condemn them, but neither did He tell them that they were not sinners. Rather Jesus told them that they were worthwhile people whom God had forgiven. This passage also tells us that the first step to healing is forgiveness. In order to offer healing to our fellow man, we must first offer forgiveness. There are different ways we can look at the story about the call of Matthew the tax collector. However, it has always struck me that we cannot evangelize the lost unless we spend time among them. Too many Christians only socialize with their fellow Christians. We are not called to spread the Gospel to those who know the Gospel. So, how are we supposed to spread the Gospel to sinners if we do not know any sinners?
I do not want to say much about the last part of this passage, except to say that in it we are reminded that there is a time and place for Christians to fast. I know that I do not do so as often as I should.
God is king over all and those nations which despise Him and attempt to escape from His rule will vanish from the face of the earth. God hears the cries of those who suffer. He will listen to them and answer them. He defends the fatherless and the oppressed, teaching them that mere mortals cannot harm them in any way that matters.
This proverb reminds us that if we honor God with our wealth, if we put God’s interests ahead of our material comfort, He will bless us so that we have all that we need and enough to bless others.
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. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Abraham’s servant offers us yet another model to follow in today’s passage, as does Rebekah. Once he had determined the women whom God had chosen for Isaac, he wanted to continue moving toward their marriage without delay. Rebekah’s brother and mother attempted to convince him to delay leaving with Rebekah, but he insisted on going at once. They left the decision up to Rebekah. This is where Rebekah showed us the same model. She also was eager to be about following the path which God had laid out for her. Are we prepared to move as swiftly when God shows us the path He wishes us to take?
In today’s passage we have three different reactions to Jesus. In the first vignette, we have a religious leader who is initially eager to follow Jesus, but when he discovers that he would need to endure hardship to do so, he makes excuses. The second vignette shows us the disciples frantically waking Jesus from sleep in great fear from a storm. Jesus questions their faith then calms the storm. The disciples are in awe of Jesus and do not know what to make of Him, but they continue to be eager to learn more. Finally, Jesus arrives on the other side of the lake and sends demons out of two demon possessed men into a herd of pigs. The pigs promptly ran into the lake and drowned. The people of the town, hearing what Jesus had done for the demon possessed men and to the pigs, immediately asked Jesus to leave them alone.
So, one reaction is to want to follow Jesus because it will make us feel good about ourselves, but making excuses not to when we discover the difficulties which doing so would entail. Another reaction is to be overwhelmed by His power and, despite our weak faith, choosing to stick around to learn more. The third reaction is to want nothing to do with Jesus because it might mean economic troubles for us. What is your reaction to Jesus?
It may seem like God is far away when we face trouble. We may see the wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor and brag about their evil plans. The wicked are too proud to seek God, they think belief in God is for the weak. They believe that God is dead and unable to bring them to account for their actions. But God does see what they are doing. He observes their evil and the harm they bring to those weaker than themselves. He will come to the defense of the helpless, He will protect the orphan. God will turn the evil of the wicked back upon them and punish them for the harm they have caused to others.
If you become convinced of your own wisdom to the point that you think you know better than God what is the right and wrong thing for you to do, you are making a grave mistake. Rather than trust in your own wisdom, fear God and follow His instructions about what is right and wrong.
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.
Once David had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem he commissioned to perform worship services and conduct sacrifices to God before it on a daily basis. He then settled into his palace and began making plans to build a temple for God. He summoned the prophet Nathan and spoke of his plans. Nathan initially told David to go ahead with his plans. However, God spoke with Nathan and instructed him to tell David that he was not to build a temple for God, that one of his sons would do so.
Nathan returned to David and told him the vision he had received from God. Through Nathan, God told David that He had taken David from being a shepherd to being the leader of His people. God had destroyed all of David’s enemies and would make David’s name as famous as that of anyone who had ever lived. Further God told David that He would raise up one of David’s descendants to succeed him. This descendant would build God’s house and God would establish his throne forever. God said that he would set this descendant over His house and His kingdom forever.
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This is an example of a prophecy that I believe has a double meaning. In the context of the passage it is clear that those who heard it at the time this book was written would have seen it as applying to Solomon. And God was certainly referring to Solomon in this passage, but God was telling His people more than that. He was telling them that He would raise up a Messiah who would reign forever. In addition to being about Solomon, this prophecy was about Jesus. In that context, Jesus has built God’s house, which is the Church and now reigns over both it and God’s kingdom.
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In response to God’s message, David praised God in humility. David admits that his success is entirely due to God, not of his own making. God has done great things and there is no one like our God. No other god worshiped by anyone is like to the God of the universe. God has promised good things to His servants and He will keep His promises.
Magrat gets distracted
Having given a list of the offenses committed by those who have refused to acknowledge God in yesterday’s passage, Paul today addresses those who do acknowledge the Creator of the Universe as God. He tells us that we are in no position to condemn others for their wickedness, because we are just as bad. On top of that, we have no excuse because we are fully aware of God and what He expects of us. Paul continues by telling us that God is kind, tolerant and patient. God is kind to us in order to turn us from our sin. However, God’s patience will not last forever and if we continue sinning we will face His wrath. It is not enough to know God’s laws and to listen to them, we must obey them. It is not enough to know the right thing to do, we must actually do it. If we are teaching others to keep God’s law, why aren’t we keeping it ourselves?
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The main thrust of today’s passage is that it is more important that we keep God’s laws than that we tell others what they are. There is a fine balance between telling others that their behaviors are causing them harm and avoiding being judgmental. The most important thing to realize is that we are not better than others. Our first emphasis when studying God’s word should be on applying it to our own lives. When we speak to those who have no desire to do God’s will, we should not focus on what they are doing wrong, rather we should focus on what God is offering them and what they need to do to become right with God. The most important lesson to be taken out of today’s passage is that we are not better than anyone else, no matter how bad of a sinner they are. Anything about our lives that might make us seem better is to God’s credit, not our own.
Growing vegetables in pots
Today has the conclusion of yesterday’s psalm. God will hear the cries of the helpless. He knows their hopes and will bring them comfort. God will bring justice to the fatherless and the oppressed. If they rely on God, mere humans will lose the ability to frighten them. I know that God is control of everything that happens, why should I be afraid of what people can do to me? They have no ability to act against God’s will and He has promised good things to His servants, of which I strive to be one.
If you love yourself you will seek to acquire more wisdom and understanding. I would rather learn that I am wrong than continue to be wrong. Of course, I would rather be right, but the only way to be right is to seek to learn where I am wrong and change my belief to that which is right. I did not originally see the connection between these two proverbs, but I realized that there is one. Some people are so determined to be “right” in every debate that they will use arguments which they know to be false if they think it will “win” the debate for them. Such people will pay the price for doing so. I strive to never follow that approach.
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.
David realized why things had gone wrong when he first tried to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. He summoned the Levites to Jerusalem and told them to purify themselves. He then instructed that the Ark would be carried by Levites (rather than transported on a cart). He prepared a place for the Ark in Jerusalem and then summoned all of Israel for a celebration of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. David organized singers and musicians. Once the preparations were complete, they all went to the house of Obed-edom and brought the Ark to Jerusalem with much singing and dancing. David himself led the parade dancing and jumping for joy. He made such a spectacle of himself that his wife, Saul’s daughter, Michal, held him in contempt.
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We should take a lesson from David here. We should worship the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind, having no concern about what others think of us while we are doing so. When we worship the Lord, we should become completely immersed in the experience.
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David wrote a song of thanksgiving that he gave to the Levites to sing for this celebration. In it he reminds us to give thanks to the Lord. Let us tell all of the earth what He has done. Every day I will proclaim the good news that God saves and tell people about the wonderful things He does.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Paul starts by telling us that God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against wickedness. This wrath is not against those who are wicked through ignorance because the nature of God is evident by looking at the world around us. There is no excuse for not knowing God. There are several authors who have gone into detail on what all we can know about God by looking at the world around us. C.S. Lewis is one such author.
Paul tells us that people intentionally chose to ignore what they could know about God from nature and refused to worship Him. To support their refusal to worship God they proclaimed foolish ideas as the height of wisdom, ignoring what could be known from observing the world around them. People refused to worship the true, eternal God and instead began worshiping created objects.
The result of willfully refusing to acknowledge God was that they became inflamed with sexual impurity, degrading themselves with one another. Rather than accept the truth about God, they embraced lies. And rather than worship God, who deserved it, they began to elevate things that were designed to serve man as things to be worshiped. The product of this refusal to worship God was women embracing unnatural sexual acts as opposed to those which are natural and men choosing to have sex with other men. Paul tells us that this sinful behavior results in health problems.
The more people reject the knowledge of God and His commands, the more they accept evil behavior. As people reject God’s clear instruction about how to live they become more accepting, both in themselves and in others, of evil behavior. They know that their behaviors are deserving of death yet they practice them anyway. Beyond that they encourage others to practice these self-destructive behaviors.
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I see what Paul is talking about in the world around me every day. This passage speaks directly to our society. I read where Paul says that those who have rejected God are “gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.”(NIV) It describes so closely many of those who have managed to set themselves up as opinion leaders in our society. This sort of behavior is the inevitable result of rejecting God. We can move closer to God by doing our best to stop doing these behaviors. On the other hand, we can successfully overcome these behaviors by actively seeking to do the good things that God commands.
Break it up and eat it
This psalm is a great follow up to the passage I just read from Romans. The psalmist tells us that it seems as if the wicked will never be held accountable for their wickedness. They believe that God does not see their sins and that they will not be held accountable. But the psalmist tells us that God does see the trouble and grief which they cause and will call them to account. God defends the orphans and the helpless are not mistaken to put their trust in God.
