The NIV translation of this proverb struck me differently than I have read this proverb in the past. In the past, I have always viewed this proverb as saying that if your wife is quarrelsome she will annoy you continuously. Today as I read it, it occurred to me that a quarrelsome wife will get you into conflicts you might otherwise have avoided. Whichever way you read this, this is about relationships. A quarrelsome husband can be a similar problem.
There are two lessons here. First, don’t be the sort of person who never lets a disagreement go, who pushes it until the other person proves you wrong or acknowledges you are right. Second, if you are dating that sort of person, break it off and move on. You do not want to be in a marriage with someone who will keep every disagreement alive forever.
I will praise the Lord every day, but especially on those days when I can meet together with those who serve Him. I will thank Him for that opportunity. Yes, I will praise Him because fear of the Lord is where one starts to find wisdom. Following God’s commands will teach us ever more wisdom.
The writer continues his exposition about what our ancestors in faith did in response to their faith. They did things which seemed counter intuitive. They took risks, they were willing to suffer. They trusted God to make it all work out. We are also called to act as a result of our faith. Let us trust God and do what he calls us to do, never fearing what the future will hold.
In his prophesies against the nations surrounding Israel, Ezekiel singles out Tyre and Sidon. Those two city-states were confident in their mercantile power. The people and leaders of Tyre especially considered themselves impregnable. They were sure that no one could overcome their defenses. They had hired mercenaries from every land to provide defense and had trade relations with every nation. They were confident that no one could afford to make war against them, but, even if they did, the people of Tyre were confident that their defenses would hold. They did not need God because they were themselves gods. It was their pride which brought about their ruin. They felt they could cheat and steal, murder and oppress. No one could do anything to make them pay for their misdeeds. The result was that God brought destruction upon them.
The proverb writer reminds us that the places where no explorer has ever returned to tell us about, the kingdoms of death and destruction, hide no mysteries from God. Since even the kingdom of death holds no secrets from God, what chance is there that God does not thoroughly understand our hearts?
This psalm makes a great meditation. Pick a verse and meditate on it throughout the day…or come back to this psalm every hour or so and meditate on a different verse each time. I will start the day with verse 2:
How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
All who delight in him should ponder them.
Perhaps I will return to the psalm later in the day and pick a different verse. Or perhaps I will spend the day pondering God’s deeds. It will depend on how my day goes.
Jesus told the people that He would be going away and they would be unable to go to where He was going. When the people wondered what He meant by that He told them that they would die in their sins if they did not believe that He was who He said He was (the way the NLT translates it). Other translations say that Jesus said that they (that we) would die in their sins if they did not believe that “I AM he.” I had to read several different translations until I came to understand what Jesus was saying by that. The first part of understanding is the realization that Jesus used “I AM” in a way that His listeners would have understood to be a reference to Exodus 3:14 when God told Moses to tell the Israelites, “I AM who I AM.” From there I came to understand that when Jesus said, “I am he,” He was saying that He was the Messiah. Together this phrase is a claim to divinity.
From there Jesus goes on to speak about being lifted up, by which He meant His crucifixion. As He continued He made His claim to divinity even more explicit. As we read this, Jesus is making it plain that those who do not believe that He is God will die in their sins. And when He says that He means a belief that causes us to act in ways which reflect that belief.
When David’s older brother, Eliab, got angry with him, I think that Eliab was worried about his young brother. He knew how cocky and confident David was. He had probably seen David get into dangerous situations before. Eliab certainly knew what David was up to. David was not going to put himself forward as the champion to take on Goliath…Buuut if someone were to ask him about it, he would certainly declare his willingness to do so. When Saul heard that David was asking questions about Goliath and the reward for defeating him, Saul sent for him. However, when Saul met David, he did not believe that David could possibly take on Goliath.
When I read about David’s actions leading up to facing Goliath, I am tempted to think that David was arrogant. And David’s behavior has a lot in common with someone who is arrogant and thinks they are better than others. However, I realized the key tell that David is merely confident. An arrogant man would have wanted to go out to face Goliath wearing Saul’s armor and carrying Saul’s sword. An arrogant man would have been confident that he could go into battle successfully with unfamiliar equipment. David knew better. He tried on the armor and picked up the sword, but realized that he did not know how to use such equipment.
David chose to rely on what he knew…and the fact that Goliath, in defying the armies of Israel, had defied God. Let us remember David’s response to Goliath’s insult, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…” When we face those who defy God’s will we do not need to fear their weapons, nor do we need to match their weapons. Instead, let us face them confident in the skills which God has caused us to develop and in the gifts which God has given us. If we are serving God, let us remember David’s final word before the battle began, “This is the Lord’s battle, and He will give you to us!”
For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I am out-of-town on business for a few days. I believe that I will still be able to get these published each day, but it may be a little later than usual when I do so. Please pray for me that I may serve God on this trip and that He keeps me safe. Also, pray for my wife, that God’s Spirit comforts her in my absence.
The proverb writer says that a quarrelsome wife is like a dripping roof on a rainy day. The fact of the matter is that that is true of anyone you spend a large amount of time with, if they are quarrelsome they will become more annoying the longer you are with them. So, the question this proverb should lead you to ask is this, “Am I quarrelsome?”
This psalm reminds us once again to praise the Lord and thank Him for all He has done. His righteousness never fails. The key part of this psalm is the reminder that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. It is when we have a proper fear of God that we obey His commands, and when we obey God’s commands we will gain wisdom every day.
The writer gives example after example of people acting on faith, and of improbable things happening to them or for them. We have examples of people willingly sacrificing their worldly desires in order to serve God (Abraham was willing to sacrifice his heir and Moses sacrificed the pleasures and comforts of being a member of Pharaoh’s family). We have examples of people being willing to take risks (the people of Israel marching into the Red Sea and Rahab helping the spies). Examples of people willing to look foolish (the people of Israel marching around Jericho). Are we willing to do the same? Are we willing to sacrifice our worldly desires, to take risks, to look like fools, in order to serve God? Do we have the faith to believe that the sacrifices and risks are worth it?
Ezekiel gives warning against hubris, excessive pride. The rulers and people of Tyre and Sidon did not believe that they could suffer the destruction which was visited upon Israel and Judah. They thought they were wise enough that they did not need God. They thought that their natural defenses made them unconquerable (well, at least Tyre did). There is no nation or kingdom which will last. When the day of God’s judgement arrives, they will all fall.
God can see into the depths of death and destruction so that they hold no secrets from Him; they can hide nothing from Him. In the same way, He can see into our hearts, we can hide nothing from Him and He knows all of our secrets.
I will praise God for all that He has done for me. I will thank Him when I meet with those who serve Him. I will spend time thinking about the meaning of the many great things He has done. I will strive to obey His commands. Oh God, transform me into someone who obeys your commands with joy and ease.
Jesus clearly declares here that those who refuse to accept His teachings will die in their sins. Jesus did not preach a message which He had come up with on His own. He preached the message which He had received from the Father. This passage gives us the clearest model of how we are to follow Jesus. He did nothing on His own, but spoke only that message which the Father had taught Him. In the same way, we should speak only the message which we have been taught by God.
When David first heard Goliath’s challenge to the Israelite army, he asked several different groups of men in Saul’s army about the reward Saul was offering for killing Goliath. It seems to me that David was trying to encourage them to go out to fight Goliath. He was trying to find someone in Saul’s army to take on Goliath. This was not out of a desire to see battle. Rather this was because David believed that God would strike down Goliath for defying His army. David perceived Goliath’s challenge as a challenge against God. David did not go out against Goliath because he was so confident in his own ability that he was sure he could defeat Goliath. David went out against Goliath because he was confident that God would defeat Goliath.
David sought for more experienced warriors to take up Goliath’s challenge against God, but when none did, he took up God’s call himself. In the same way, when we see God calling for someone to champion His cause, we should be willing to answer the call. There may be those with more skills to the task than we possess who choose not to take it up. We should not let that stop us. When God calls us to a task, He will give us the ability to accomplish it. When we fight these battles, let us remember that we will not win from our own greatness. Rather the battle is the Lord’s and He will be victorious.
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 prophesies the fall of Tyre. He warns the king of Tyre that his doom is coming. Ezekiel tells the king of Tyre that he will suffer defeat and destruction because in his arrogance he thought himself a god, wiser than the wise and more knowledgeable than any other. The king of Tyre had used his knowledge and wisdom to acquire great wealth and power, but failed to recognize his limits. His failure to recognize his limits would bring about his downfall. This warning should stand for all who acquire power and wealth. If you become proud and begin to think that you need listen to no one, the day of your destruction will be near.
The writer gives us a list of people from the Old Testament who acted on faith. They took risks, they did things that the world around them said made no sense, some of them did things that they could not see how it could possibly come out right. But they all had faith that doing what God called them to do, that doing the right thing was the right thing to do. And as a result God blessed them. They were willing to face hardship and suffering. They were willing to take risks with no sign of reward. All because they had faith that the course of action they had chosen was the right one. Will the day come when people will say of me, “It was by faith…”?
I will speak of the wonderful things which God has done for me, things which I do not deserve. The psalmist reminds us that those who delight in the Lord will reflect on His great works. I will do so because His acts are just and good, by reflecting on them I can learn how to live my life as a just and good man. Fear of God is the first step in learning to be wise and following His commands is the way to grow wiser.
The proverb tells us that a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as the drip from a leaky roof during a rain storm. The steady drip reminds you of a problem, but there is nothing you can do to fix it. The fact of the matter is that being quarrelsome is just as tedious if it is the husband. For that matter, people who are quarrelsome are tedious no matter your relationship to them if you need to spend any length of time with them. I will strive to not be such a person.
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.
Here we have the story of Goliath. Goliath challenged the Israelite army. He called them servants of Saul and dared one of them to step forth and face him, a Philistine. The passage tells us that Saul and the Israelite army were shaken and terrified by Goliath and his taunts. I think this passage shows the failing of Saul’s political philosophy. As I discussed yesterday, Saul was constantly looking to do what bolstered his power and authority. He had not led his men to believe in and rely on God. He had led his men to believe in and rely on him.
The passage tells us that David went back and forth between tending his father’s sheep and the encampment. Why he made the other trips is unclear, but on one occasion he was sent by his father to bring supplies to his brothers who were serving in Saul’s army. On this occasion, he arrived just as the armies were drawing up to face each other. David rushed out to the battle lines to greet his brothers (and perhaps get a chance to join the battle?). As David was talking to his brothers, Goliath came forth and made his challenge. David overheard some members of the Israelite army discussing the reward that Saul had offered to the man who killed Goliath. David then asked some other men about the reward which Saul had offered. They told him the same thing. David’s oldest brother, Eliab, got angry with David. Since I am the youngest of six, I suspect that Eliab’s anger was partly justified and partly protective. Eliab thought that David was trying to stir someone up to go fight Goliath (I think that is likely) because he wanted to see a battle. But Eliab was also afraid of what might happen to his baby brother if battle broke out while David was there.
David continued to ask questions about the reward for fighting Goliath. When word was brought to Saul, Saul sent for David. When David appeared before Saul, he told Saul not to worry about Goliath, he, David, would go fight him. Saul told David that he would not have a chance against such an experienced warrior as Goliath. David responded that when a lion or bear went after the sheep he guarded, he would go after it and strike it and rescue the lamb it had taken. If it responded by attacking him, he would kill it. In David’s mind Goliath was no more than a lion or bear going after his sheep, if God would protect him from the lion and bear, than God would surely protect him from Goliath. I never noticed before, but this statement by David was a subtle dig at Saul. David went after the lions and bears which threatened the sheep he was responsible to guard, with no thought to his own safety. He relied on God to protect him from danger. He further said that he would rely on God to protect him when he went out after Goliath. Yet, Saul, who as king was the shepherd of the people of Israel, had himself failed to go after Goliath who was threatening those people.
Seeing that David was determined to go out after Goliath, Saul offered David his armor (or perhaps to dissuade him). David tried it on, but after just a moment in it he realized that he could not fight in Saul’s armor. So David went out to face Goliath with just a staff and a sling. When Goliath saw David coming toward him, he was contemptuous. David’s answer to Goliath’s contempt was not to make the claim that his peasant weapons were all he needed because he was such a great warrior. Rather David responded that while Goliath was bringing the full force of his might against David, David was fully relying on God as he came against Goliath. As Goliath moved in to attack David, David took his sling and struck Goliath down. When the Philistine army saw that Goliath had been defeated, their morale was completely broken and they fled in panic. Meanwhile the Israelite army was encouraged and pursued the Philistines, wreaking great destruction on them.
Jesus once more told the crowds that He was going away. The people would look for Him, but be unable to find Him and die in their sins. Where He was going, they could not follow. The people began to question whether He was talking about killing Himself. Jesus answered them by saying that they would die in their sins if they did not believe that “I am who I claim that I am.” By phrasing it in that manner Jesus was very definitely making a reference to the way in which God identified Himself to Moses at the burning bush.
When Jesus recognized that the people did not understand what He was saying, He told them that when He was lifted up, they would begin to understand. The word that the writer used for lifted up also means exalted. I believe that the writer was intentionally juxtaposing a veiled reference to Jesus’ crucifixion and to Jesus being glorified. This connection between suffering and glory is something we should bear in mind. Tribulations and suffering will come, we should not just bear up under them but embrace them as opportunities to glorify God (this is not a lesson I have mastered).
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
as I meet with His godly people.
That is a sentiment that I strive to live up to, thanking the Lord with all of my heart. Of course, when we meet with those who actively seek to serve God it will make us more desirous of praising God and thanking Him.
All He does is just and good,
and all His commandments are trustworthy.
Something that I definitely believe is true. And of course towards the end this psalm has a phrase that I used for the title of the blog today. The starting place for wisdom is being afraid of being disrespectful of God. We should be afraid of doing that which will make God unhappy, not because of what He will do to us but because His unhappiness stems from the suffering we will experience from doing those things.
Another purple wildflower
