Do not brag and boast about what you are going to do in the future, or about the good things which are going to come your way. None of us knows what tomorrow holds. So, it is best to qualify our plans with “if God wills” (even if only in our minds).
Rather than tell everyone how wonderful we are, let us wait for others to praise us. Such praise will carry more weight and have more meaning.
The psalmist shows us how God laid His plans and brought them to pass. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, yet rose to power in the land in order to provide a sanctuary for his family in time of need. Then after the Egyptians turned on the people of Israel God sent Moses and Aaron and used His great power to bring them out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan. Let us always remember that no matter how bad things are today, they are part of God’s plan to do great things for and through us.
Today’s passage contains a teaching which I think takes some careful thought. The writer warns us that those who have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit within themselves who later turn away from God will never turn back to him once more. He tells us that it is impossible to bring such people back to repentance once they have turned from God. I am torn about what this means for us. On the one hand, I am convinced that we should never give up on those we know who have turned away from God. On the other hand, we should not waste energy on those who will never appreciate our effort.
I have rewritten the previous sentence five time because it keeps coming out harsher than I think is appropriate. We should never forget what Jesus said, “With God all things are possible.” Yet, we must recognize that when people have chosen to walk away from God, He will let them go. God will honor our decisions, even when it breaks His heart.
The leaders in Jerusalem were telling the people that Jerusalem was safe, that it was time to invest in the future. The leaders were claiming that all was rosy despite the people who had been taken into exile. They claimed that those taken into exile were far from God and that God had given their land to those who remained. In many ways this reminds me of the leaders today who are telling us how wonderful things are, when wages have been falling, along with productivity. They keep telling us to save less and consume more. God cast judgment on the leaders in the Jerusalem of Ezekiel’s day for the injustice they performed against the people of Jerusalem. He will bring judgment against the leaders doing the same today.
This proverb reminds us that fear of the Lord leads us to act in ways which keep us safe. Those who fear the Lord avoid doing things which lead to death.
The psalmist points out that God’s plan does not always look glorious while it is unfolding. It certainly did not look glorious to Joseph when he was sold into slavery, nor later when he was thrown into prison for something he did not do. Nevertheless, God had a clear plan that worked out to Joseph’s benefit. It is worth thinking about how things might have turned out if Joseph had not remained faithful through the difficult times. I don’t know what would have happened, but I am convinced that God’s plan for the descendants of Israel still would have worked out. Joseph, however, would not have ended up in such an exalted position.
I cannot help but feel for the father in this story. His son was dying and there was nothing he could do, except ask Jesus for a miracle. I am not sure I can truly identify with how he felt, how completely powerless. It was his job to take care of and protect his child. He begged Jesus to come with him and heal his son. Jesus told him to go home, his son would live. The way Jesus said this was almost dismissive, almost, “Go away. Leave me alone.” Nevertheless, the father believed and returned home. The man had faith, and acted on that faith, even though Jesus did not give him any “warm, fuzzies”.
There is a lesson for us from the other side. Jesus was having a bad day. He was tired and frustrated. He was feeling put upon. Nevertheless, He recognized this father’s pain and gave him what he truly desired, even if He did not soothe his feelings in the process. Sometimes, it is enough to meet people’s needs, even if we are a little prickly while doing so.
This part of the Book of Ruth is a true love story. As a man it is quite clear to me that Boaz asked his foreman about Ruth because he thought she was attractive. Yet there are hints that he would have behaved similarly if he had not found her attractive, just with a less personal touch. On the other side, there are hints at the beginning of today’s passage that Naomi and Ruth could have continued to live on the assistance provided by Naomi’s friends and relatives. Yet Ruth was not willing to laze around and live on other people’s largess. She chose to work as, and where, she could.
As I said, this is a true love story. But it is not a story of starry-eyed lovers. Boaz took the time to establish that Ruth was more than just a pretty face. Ruth took the time to discover that Boaz was more than just a meal ticket. This is a love story we would do well to encourage young people to emulate.
For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have been convicted 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.
Always keep in mind that things may occur to change your plans for the future. Do not brag about what you will do because something may happen that will cause you to be unable to do what you planned, or to make it something you would regret.
Do not brag about how good are skillful you are. If you are truly as good or skilled as you think you are, others will be quick to tell people about it.
The psalmist recounts how God arranged things so that the people of Israel became a separate people who were dedicated to Him. If we look at history we can see other times where events were arranged so as to bring God’s will about. Events happened so that nations rose to power at just the right time to bring about God’s will. People made decisions so that they, or someone else, ended up at the right place at the right time. If we look at our lives, and the events that happened in them, we can see how they all were arranged so that we would end up where God wanted us. Let us praise God for what He has done for us in the past and serve Him in the place where He has put us now.
In yesterday’s passage the writer told us that as we mature in Christ we need to move on from basic, introductory spiritual teaching. In today’s passage he writes about what those are, what things we should teach to new believers. First off, in order to be believers one needs to repent of evil deeds (repent means to both feel remorse and change our behavior) and place faith in God. Additionally, we should be sure to teach new believers about baptisms (interestingly, this suggests that there is a place for baptism as more than just an initiation into the Body of Christ), laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. Today was the first time I realized that this passage gave us a guideline on what should be taught to every new believer.
The writer then goes on to more advanced spiritual teaching. He tells us that those who have once experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, then turn away from God, can never be brought back to repentance. I have always found this passage hard to fully comprehend. I know some people about whom this passage seems to apply. I know some people who were once filled with the Spirit who have since rejected God that when I look at their attitudes I can not imagine them ever seeking God again. On the other hand, I know people who are today dedicated to serving God and are bearing the fruit of the Spirit in abundance, who had accepted Christ as a teen, turned away from God in their 20s, and returned once more to Him. Sometimes I think I can see how these two groups differ, but other times I am unsure. Nevertheless, this passage is an important warning to us.
Ezekiel prophesied against a group of men who were leaders of the people of Jerusalem. I know I am bringing my own biases to this passage, but I still think there is truth in what I am about to say. The leaders whom Ezekiel prophesied against were men who were telling the people that things were going well, and everyone was safe, as disaster was about to strike. These were men who claimed to be working on behalf of the people while profiting from the suffering the people were experiencing. Those leaders who tell the people that everything will be all right, when not only will everything be all right, but those very leaders will be among the reasons it is not all right, will face God’s judgement.
Reading this psalm reminds us that God uses the hard times, the difficult times, to shape blessings for us. No matter how bad things may seem, they are part of God’s plan to shape us so that we are ready to experience the blessings He has in store for us.
This passage is a challenge to us when we pray for healing. First, there is Jesus’ response when the official asked Him to heal his son. Are we like this, where we only turn to God when we want something from Him? Do we only believe in God when we need Him to do miracles for us? There is another part to this story as well. The father begged Jesus not to let his little boy die and Jesus granted his request. When the man met his servants, they told him that his son started to get better at the time when Jesus had told him his boy would live. When we pray for healing, or anything else, do we expect it to happen right away? Do we have the faith to say to those who come to us for God’s intervention, “Go, your son will live”? ,br>
When Boaz discovered that Ruth was gathering grain behind his workers that they had missed as they harvested the crops, he told his workers to not harass her and to intentionally leave some grain for her to gather. He invited her to share the meal he provided to his workers and encouraged her to drink from the water he had drawn for them. Boaz did all of this because he had heard what she had done for Naomi. Later, when Ruth snuck in and spent the night sleeping at his feet, he did not take advantage of the situation and took care to protect her reputation. Since she had made it clear that she would welcome marrying him, Boaz went out and did what was right in order to do so.
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.
Ezekiel had a vision of the glory of God rising up out of the Temple in Jerusalem and departing from it. As the vision was unfolding, God gave Ezekiel explanatory side visions. First, God showed him a vision of twenty-five prominent leaders of Jerusalem (two of whom he identified by name). Ezekiel calls them out for planning evil and giving the people wicked counsel. He declares that they are telling people that the situation in Jerusalem is good, that now is a good time to plan for the future in Jerusalem. They were telling everyone that the city of Jerusalem would remain safe from the dangers surrounding them. Ezekiel tells them that God knows their secret thoughts and that they have used their positions to bring about death to the innocent. God will judge them and drag them out of the place where they think they are safe.
In addition, Ezekiel addresses those who remain in Judea who think that they it is OK to profit from the misfortune of those who have been taken into exile. He tells them that God will bring the exiles back and when He does, they will reject vile images and detestable idols. God promises to transform those who are willing into His faithful servants, but judgment will fall on those who embrace the worship of idols and images.
The writer summarizes the teachings which he considers to be basic spiritual milk for new believers. The basic things which every believer needs to understand before they can begin to mature are: the need to turn from sin, have faith in God, be baptized, the value of laying on of hands, the facts of resurrection of the dead and God’s eternal judgment. The author then goes on to talk about some of the things which he considers important for more mature believers to consider.
He points out that those who have embraced and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit who then turn away from God and reject Him, will never turn back to God once more. This is different from those who have fallen into sin through temptation. I believe the writer is talking about those who turn away from God’s plan because they want to avoid ridicule or persecution. This does not encompass those who gradually fall into sin by giving into temptation, but rather those who justify their sin by proclaiming that God’s law does not apply to them. The writer tells us that instead of attempting to take the easy way out, we are to follow those who, with faith and endurance, show their love for God by caring for their fellow believers.
The psalm recounts how all works according to God’s plans. Joseph suffered enslavement and imprisonment so that God could elevate him to the highest levels in Egypt. The people of Israel suffered enslavement in Egypt so that God could mold them into a nation and bring them out of Egypt to give them the Promised Land. In the same way, God uses the hardships and difficulties in our lives to mold and prepare us for the blessings He will bring us.
There are two important points made in this proverb. The first is that we should not boast about what we are going to do in the future because we do not know what circumstances may come up. This also applies to actions of others. The classic example is fans who boast about how their team is going to defeat another, only to be embarrassed because some key player gets injured.
The second proverb warns us against singing our own praises. If we have done something worthy of praise, let others tell of it.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. 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.
After Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, Ruth asked Naomi permission to gather grain behind the harvesters of anyone who would allow her to do so. Naomi granted her permission. By chance one day, Ruth was gathering behind Boaz’s harvesters. Boaz was a relative of Naomi’s dead husband. While she was there, Boaz came out to his field to monitor his harvesters. He asked his overseer who the young woman following his harvesters was. When he was told she was Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law, he instructed his people to treat her with respect. He then approached Ruth and told her to stay with his workers and to feel free to drink from the water jars filled by his men for his workers. Ruth asked him why he was being so kind to her, to which Boaz replied that he had heard of all she had done for Naomi.
At mealtime during the harvest day, Boaz invited Ruth to eat with him (or possible just to share in the meal he provided to his harvesters). When she returned to gathering, Boaz instructed his men to allow her to gather among the sheaves and to intentionally leave some stalks behind for her. Ruth gleaned a rather large amount for someone collecting what the “official” harvesters missed. In addition to the grain she gathered, Ruth brought home to Naomi some of the food leftover from the meal Boaz had given her during the day. Naomi immediately wanted to know whose field she had worked that day. When Ruth told her that it was Boaz’s field, Naomi told her to continue in his fields because Boaz was one of those related to her dead husband with the responsibility to watch out for them (and the corresponding right to the ancestral fields which had passed to her husband). So Ruth stayed close to the women who worked the harvest for Boaz while living with Naomi.
When the harvest was finished, Naomi told Ruth to put on some perfume and her best outfit and go down to the threshing floor where Boaz would be threshing his grain. However, she should avoid letting him know she was there. At the end of the day when he had finished eating and drinking, Ruth was to not where he lay down. Once he fell asleep, Naomi told Ruth to uncover his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night, Boaz woke up and as startled to discover a woman lying at his feet. He immediately asked who she was. She told him who she was and asked that he take on the role of guardian-redeemer, offering herself to him. Boaz is flattered by her attention, but tells her that there is another more closely related to her father-in-law. Boaz tells her to stay the night and in the morning he will see if the other man wants to fulfill the role of guardian-redeemer. Boaz tells Ruth that if that other man does not wish to fulfill that role, than he, Boaz, will do so. In the morning Boaz had Ruth leave the threshing floor before anyone knew she was there and gave her a large amount of grain to take to Naomi.
When Ruth told Naomi the results of her night, Naomi assured Ruth that Boaz would resolve the issue before the end of the day. Boaz brought the city elders and the guardian-redeemer to the city gates. In front of the city elders, he told the guardian-redeemer that Naomi was going to sell fields which belonged to their relative, her dead husband, and suggested that the guardian-redeemer buy them. The guardian-redeemer said that he would until Boaz told him that in order to do so he would need to marry Ruth. The guardian-redeemer told Boaz that in that case, he could not do it and Boaz should do so. Boaz made sure that the city elders took notice that he had followed the correct forms. So Boaz took Ruth as his wife and after a short time she bore him a son named Obed.
After spending two days in the Samaritan town, Jesus continued to Galilee. As He traveled through Galilee, Jesus came to Cana. There a government official from Capernaum approached Him and requested that He come and heal his son, who was desperately ill. Jesus expressed what appears to be frustration at the constant requests for healing. The man responds to this apparent rebuke by begging Jesus to come before his child dies. Jesus told the man to go, his son would live.
The man took Jesus at His word and headed home. While he was still on the way, his servants came to him and told him that his son was better. The man asked them what time the recovery began. When they told him the time, he realized it was at exactly the time Jesus had told him his son would get better. As a result of this the man, and his entire household, believed in Jesus. Do we take God at His word and go? Or do we want Him to give us more substantial signs?
Today’s psalm recounts how God worked with the Israelite people to mold them into His people. Are we willing to allow God to mold us into His people? Even if it means going through the sorts of trials and tribulations that the Israelites did? The thought frightens me, but I am unwilling to accept the alternative.
How wonderful that these proverbs come up today while the revelation of something I’ve been working on is fresh in my mind. I have often said that we as Christians do not truly fear God enough. I have long felt that to be true, but there was always something missing in my explanation of what I was getting at, the idea was incomplete. Then this weekend we had the Light of Hope Ministries team lead a series of meetings at our congregation. At one point I brought up my thoughts about how we should have fear of God and in his response Steve Lapp mentioned fearing to disrespect the Lord. I am not sure to what degree what I heard was the thought he was expressing and to what degree it was God speaking solely to me and me hearing something beyond what Steve himself was saying. But what came to me was that when the Scripture talks about fearing the Lord, it is talking about being afraid to disrespect the Lord. We should be afraid, in a hide under the table kind of way, of doing anything that might be perceived as disrespectful by God.
Which brings us to today’s proverbs. The first tells us that those who fear the Lord will be secure. Those who are careful to honor the Lord in what they do, who are careful to never show disrespect to Him, will be secure in all of their ways. The second tells us that fear of being disrespectful towards God, leads us to behave in a manner that is like a fountain of life, both for ourselves and for 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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I am sorry if my posts are not posted in a timely fashion for the next little while. Well, I have my power back, but I am still not able to get online in my normal routine because my Internet service has not been restored. I am able to post by using either the Internet at a friend’s house or by going to someplace that has free Wifi access. I am going to try to get something closer to my normal routine by writing down the passages for the next day and writing the blog offline. In addition, I usually compose these on my desktop PC and typing them on my laptop is a different experience. Please bear with me until I get back into my usual routine.
Ezekiel’s vision continued with the man in linen, who had marked those people selected for salvation, given coals from the presence of the Lord. The man in linen was instructed to spread the coals over the city of Jerusalem. Then Ezekiel saw the presence of the Lord depart from the Temple.
The Spirit of the Lord than carried Ezekiel to the east gate of the Temple and showed him 25 leaders of the people of Jerusalem, two of whom Ezekiel names. Ezekiel tells them that they have been guilty of sins against the people of Jerusalem and of speaking false prophecies. Ezekiel tells them that they will be driven from Jerusalem and killed. While Ezekiel is prophesying against these men, one of them dies. Ezekiel then cries out to God, asking if Him if He will destroy even the remnant remaining of Israel.
God replies that those who have been already been sent into exile are also Israel. God tells Ezekiel that He will gather the exiles back to His land. God will put a new spirit in them and they will remove the vile images and detestable idols from the land. God says that He will replace their hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. Have we allowed God to replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh? Do we look at those around us still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and desire to help them in whatever way we can? Or are we content that we have power and seek after the pleasures that are available to us?
The writer tells us that now he will move on from basic teachings to meatier ones. He then goes on to tell us that those who have tasted of God’s glory who turn away from God can never be brought back to repentance. I am not sure what he means here, but I will interpret it in light of my experience. I do not believe he is talking about those who profess faith and then for one reason or another drift away from the faith. Rather I think he is talking about those who profess faith and then consciously reject it.
The psalmist recounts how God sent Joseph into Egypt as a slave, shackled and beaten. But Joseph was faithful and God raised him up to become ruler over all of Egypt, second only to Pharoah. Then Jacob and Joseph’s brothers and their children came to Egypt and lived there. Until they became numerous and the people of Egypt felt threatened by them. Then the Egyptians enslaved the people of Israel. God sent Moses and Aaron to free them, bringing judgment on the Egyptians in the form of the plagues.
Are we faithful in our sufferings as Joseph was? Are we willing to be God’s messengers as Moses and Aaron were?
Do not boast of the great things you are going to do in the future, because things may happen to change your plans. Recognize that all of our plans for the future will only come to pass insofar as they are God’s will. In addition, do not tell others how wonderful you are, let them see for themselves and let them tell others what they think of you. How many times have you heard someone who is constantly telling you all the good things they do for others, people who you never see doing any of these good things? When someone tells you of the wonderful things they have done, don’t you have a tendency to wonder if they are like those people? Let our actions speak for us, if we receive no recognition from people, we will still receive recognition from God.
The story tells us that Ruth “found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz.” This is how God often works in our lives. We find ourselves in a situation where, if we behave according to God’s laws, good things will happen to us. Ruth comes into this field and works hard gathering from the grain missed by the harvesters. Boaz takes note of her and offers her kindness over and above that required by law. When Ruth asks after the reason for his kindness, he tells her that he has heard how she has looked after her mother-in-law. This story works out because Ruth was faithful in the small things and worked hard at the things that came her way. Boaz, also, had good things happen for him because he was faithful in small things, being kind and generous, doing more than the letter of the law called for.
King David, and through him Jesus, is a descendant of this union. It is interesting to note that Boaz is a descendant of Rahab and going further back, Tamar. Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho who helped the Israelite spies escape that city before its conquest. Tamar was the daughter-in-law to Judah, who played the prostitute with Judah after her husband dies and Judah failed to marry another of his sons to her. The importance of these women in the narrative of God’s plan to bring the Messiah is indicative of how God works in ways other than what man would do. If humans were making up a mythology about the ancestry of King David (and through him of the Messiah), they might have included one of these women (Ruth being the most likely candidate), but not all three. A human made up story would have made these women more virtuous and more heroic.
Jesus returns to Galilee and is welcomed because many had seen what He did in Jerusalem. A government official comes to Jesus because his son was sick. Jesus expresses frustration with the people constantly seeking signs and wonders. The official responds with the plea of every parent, “Please don’t let my child die.” Jesus takes pity on him and sends him home telling him his son is healed. The man believes Jesus, but when he discovers that his son started showing signs immediately after Jesus said that he would live, he, and his entire household, believed in Jesus. It was one thing to believe Jesus when he said that the boy would live. It is yet another to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Do we today as Americans believe in God’s miraculous power? Why do we not see more miracles? Certainly part of it is that our society does not believe in miracles, so there are very few non-believers who would come to believe because of miracles. But part of it is, also, that many of us as Christians do not really believe in miracles and we are afraid to ask for miracles from God because we are afraid that they won’t happen. I am as guilty of this as most. I pray that God will overcome my fear to ask for miracles.
This psalm tells of how God sent hardship on His people, yet made provision for them to weather the hardship. But it does more than merely tell of the hardship and God’s provision. It tells us that God used the hardship to guide and shape His people so that they would learn to be faithful and follow His commands. We must learn to recognize how God is guiding and shaping us through the hardships He sends our way.
When we have appropriate fear of God, nothing else can inspire fear. I don’t know if you have ever experienced it, but when you are afraid of a major threat, you will easily ignore lesser fears. If you think you are being chased by a bear, you are not going to go out of your way to avoid a stinging insect. The same thing applies here. If we truly understand God’s magnitude and thus have an appropriate fear of Him, nothing else can frighten us because we will perceive them as being a lesser threat than failing God. Beyond that if we have an appropriate fear of God, we will follow His commands, which will result in our being secure. By fearing the Lord and obeying His commands, we will avoid those actions which bring us harm.
