A wicked ruler is a greater danger to the poor than wild animals. The second proverb reminds us that evil rulers do not truly understand how things work. Mistreating and oppressing the poor shows that a ruler lacks wisdom.
Continue to be faithful to following God’s laws even when it seems like you have waited beyond reason. There are many who will threaten and persecute us for obeying God’s commands, but if we remain faithful God will reward us. God’s rules and regulations remain as true today as they were in the past. They do not need to be changed to keep up with the times.
God has given each and every one of us various gifts. Whatever our abilities are, whether physical abilities, mental abilities, social abilities, or some other category of ability, they are a gift from God given to us to allow us to serve our fellow believers. I will strive to always remember this and look for ways to use my gifts to serve others. Let us use the strength and energy which God supplies to us to use His gifts to help and uplift others.
We will face insults and persecution for following Christ. We should not be surprised, nor should we complain about this. Instead we should be glad that we are deemed worthy of such abuse because it allows us to share in Christ’s suffering, even if in only a minor degree. However, while we should not seek to avoid such suffering. we should also not act in a manner calculated to increase the suffering which we experience. Trials will come our way if we are faithful, we do not need to seek them out. I want to be very careful how I word this because there are two errors which believers have made. Some believers have compromised their faith in order to minimize the suffering which they experience. The problem with attempting this is that it is not truly possible without giving up that which makes the faith of any value. The opposite error are those who make trouble and otherwise act in ways designed to get the authorities and the crowd to persecute them. This is also wrong. We are not called to seek out suffering and doing so brings dishonor to God’s name. If we live faithfully, always seeking to serve God, the suffering which Peter speaks of here will find us to one degree or another.
When Daniel went before the king to reveal the meaning of his dream he made it clear that he was not offering the answer from his own skill and knowledge. Daniel was careful to explain to the king that he was only able to provide the king an answer because God gave him that answer. Daniel made it clear that he was not smarter, wiser, or anyway more skilled than the king’s other advisers. This is a challenge we all face. My successes and accomplishments are not because I am better than others, they are a result of God’s choosing to give me certain gifts. Sometimes, as in this story, they will be a matter of divine revelation and/or intervention. Other times, they will be the result of carefully cultivating the gifts which God has given me. And still other times they will be a combination of the two. In all cases, let us give credit where credit is due, which is to God for giving us the gift in the first place.
People who fear the Lord avoid sin. However, the proverb writer tells us that the way to avoid sin is to fear the Lord. So, it is not just a matter of those who fear the Lord avoiding sin. Those who wish to avoid sin must learn to fear the Lord. The second proverb is similar. All too many people seek to live a life pleasing to God by being at peace with those around them. That is getting it backwards. The path to being at peace with those around you is living a life which pleases God. We cannot please God by seeking peace with those around us when that means compromising on what God asks of us. However, if we do what pleases God we will be at peace with those around us.
Even when we become exhausted waiting for God to rescue us from our distress let us remember, and keep, His commands. I will not abandon God’s instructions no matter what pressure my enemies bring to bear against me. I know that His word will sustain me with joy. God’s faithfulness will extend to each generation and His commands remain right and true, no matter what men may say to the contrary. Times may change, but God’s will does not.
I read this passage multiple times. Each time I did so it meant more to me than the last. I was hoping for something to hit me which gave me a theme. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The things that stuck out to me as I read this over and over were the following:
Jesus did not pray just for those who believed in Him then, He prayed for all of those who would ever believe in Him
Jesus prayed that those who believed in Him would have unity, as He and the Father had unity.
Jesus prayed that God would keep those who believed in Him safe from the evil one.
There were other things I saw, but those stuck out to me. It is interesting because number one struck me on the first read through (and again each subsequent read through), number two on the second read through, and number three the third time through. None of these were new to me when I read this passage today. They were just the thoughts which stood out.
This story is the beginning of what goes wrong when a father fails to discipline his sons. First, he failed to discipline Amnon for raping his step-sister. David’s failure to discipline Amnon led Absalom to plot his own vengeance. Absalom getting away with killing his brother led to his rebellion, as we will read about tomorrow. Of course the starting point for discipline should have been before Amnon raped Tamar. Then that tragedy could have been avoided as well as the tragedies which followed.
Wicked rulers are as dangerous to the poor as a wild predator. They are unpredictable and difficult to defend against. Rulers who oppress the people lack understanding and wisdom. Those rulers who hate corruption will have long and prosperous lives.
A government which treats its people well will be strong and last for many years. A government which treats its people as sheep to be fleeced will soon fall.
We may be worn out from waiting for God to relieve us from our misery, yet if we continue to keep His commands He will rescue us. No matter how dire our situation may appear, let us remain faithful to God for He will remain faithful to us. His regulations are as true today as when He first spoke them. Things may seem bad today, but we can rest assured that everything serves God’s plans and He will reward our faithfulness in ways we cannot imagine.
Peter gives us a series of instructions that are related. However, before he does that, he reminds us that this world will be coming to an end in the near future. Therefore we should be planning for what comes after this world, by being earnest and disciplined in our prayers (there’s that emphasis on prayer again). The most important thing that we can do is show love for one another. We have each been given gifts from God, let us use them with all of our strength to serve one another. In this way we will bring glory to God.
We should not only be prepared to face suffering, but rejoice when we do. Because when we have such experiences we become partners with Christ in His suffering. Let us just make sure that what suffering we experience is not a result of our own wrongdoing. There is no shame in suffering for following Christ, but we should not do things which will make us deserve suffering. We will find that we can continue to do what is right in the face of suffering if we put our complete trust in God.
Peter concludes his teaching in this letter by telling the elders in the Church (in this case, I think he is referring both to those who are in official positions of authority AND those who are more mature Christians) to lead by example. They should not lord it over the rest of the Church, seeking what they can get out of it for themselves. They should care for the other members of the Church because they are eager to serve God. Those who are younger should accept the authority of their elders. Sometimes those who are older than ourselves know that something is a mistake, even if they cannot explain to us why that is the case. And all of us, older or younger, should deal with each other from a position of humility.
There are two personality traits which Peter tells us to value highly: love and humility. If we can master these two things, we will never go far wrong.
The dream which Daniel interprets for Nebuchadnezzar resembles the Greek “Ages of Man”. It starts with the Golden Age, followed by the silver, bronze, and, finally, the iron age. Each of these ages (or, in this dream and interpretation, kingdoms) is inferior to the one which preceded it. However, unlike the Greek “Ages of Man”, it is the current age, or kingdom, which is the golden age. While it is likely that this dream and its interpretation were influenced by the Greek stories and myths of the Ages of Man, it is clearly using those concepts to tell a different story. The Greek stories and myths about the Ages of Man show man’s influence over the universe increasing and that of the divine decreasing. However, this dream shows the divine completely overwhelming the power and influence of man over the universe.
We transition from Nebuchadnezzar praising God for giving Daniel the interpretation of his dream to Nebuchadnezzar setting up a golden statue which he required everyone to worship. However, Daniel’s friends, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, refuse to do so. Some of the courtiers reported them to Nebuchadnezzar for this. We do not know why Daniel is not part of this story, perhaps he was elsewhere at the time.
When the three young men are brought before Nebuchadnezzar they give a testimony that should be something we take to close heart. They tell Nebuchadnezzar that God is perfectly capable of saving them from whatever danger they may be put into, including any which the king might choose to inflict upon them. However, their affirmation of faith does not stop there. They testify that even if God does not save them, they will not be unfaithful to Him and go against His will. Are we willing to make a similar stand? When we call upon God’s miraculous power are we willing to state that even if God chooses not to give us our request we will remain faithful to Him?
There has been debate in the last few days about the young man who had “everything” yet went on a killing spree. People have been trying to figure out why he committed this act. In a way, this proverb answers that question. No one ever taught him to fear the Lord. Those who fear the Lord avoid evil. This young man, rather than avoiding evil, chose evil.
It may seem like God is long-delayed in coming to our rescue when we experience difficult times, but if we continue to obey His commands, He will rescue us. Those who hate God’s commands will dig traps for those who are faithful, but we will avoid those traps by carefully keeping God’s commands. God’s word and His love are eternal. I will remember and follow God’s commands. As I do so, He will, in His time, deliver me from all troubles.
Here John recounts a prayer which Jesus prayed for His disciples, but not just those who were with Him at the time, but also for all who would believe in Him through the testimony of those who were present. Let us seek to be in perfect unity with all who are filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is sending us into the world in the same way in which the Father sent Him into the world. Let us not flinch from the blows the world will send our way in the same manner which it sent blows toward Jesus. Let us stand up to the world in service to God and His truth because following the truth of God’s message will bring us great joy. The world will hate us because we refuse to serve it. Let us take that hate as a sign of honour.
As I read this passage I see the problems described in this passage arising from two sources. First, David’s sons saw how their father behaved in the affair with Bathsheba. His power allowed him to have what he wanted, and while David knew the suffering he experienced as a consequence of his actions his sons were unlikely to see the connection. Second, David did not discipline his sons. He allowed them to believe that they could get away with whatever they wished. David had too many wives and too many children to be a good father to his sons. He failed to instill in his sons the same faith in God which he himself possessed.
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.
Having received both a description of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and an interpretation of it from God, Daniel approached the man under orders to kill all of Nebuchadnezzar’s advisers on wisdom. Daniel told him not to carry out his orders because Daniel was able to tell the king the meaning of his dream. When Daniel was brought into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence the first thing he did was refuse to take any credit for the interpretation. Daniel told the king that no human agency has the ability to reveal the secret which the king was keeping. However, God knows all secrets and reveals them to whom He wills. The key lesson I take away from this passage is Daniel’s statement that he did not possess some special insight, not was he wiser than others. He was merely the one whom God had chosen to reveal His meaning to King Nebuchadnezzar. Do we have the same humility when God chooses to use us for His purposes?
The second part of today’s passage from Daniel is one of my favorite stories in the Old Testament. King Nebuchadnezzar set up a gold statue and issued a proclamation that everyone was to bow down to worship it. Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego refused to do so. When King Nebuchadnezzar found out, he confronted them. Nebuchadnezzar asked them what god would be able to save them from being thrown into a fiery furnace at his orders? Their response is one that I wish to emulate in all circumstances:
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us… But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.
The God whom I serve is able to rescue me from all troubles and hardships, but even if he does not, I will not serve or worship any god but the one true God.
This passage is full of important teachings. It starts by reminding us to have disciplined prayer lives, something I struggle with. It then tells us to demonstrate hospitality to our fellow believers in an ungrudging fashion. Peter then tells us to use whatever gifts God has given us to serve others with all of the strength we have, which also comes from God. Whether that gift is one of speech, or some other means of helping others, let us seek to use it to bring glory to God’s name.
We should not be surprised when we face trials and tribulations as a result of our faith. I will rejoice when I am insulted or persecuted because of my faith in Christ. God will not fail me in my trials any more than he failed Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. Peter changes tack somewhat as he moves to his next exhortation. He tells us that elders, those with authority over others in the Church, should humbly use that authority to serve those others, while those who are younger should accept the authority of the elders. Let us serve one another with humility and humble ourselves before God, just as Daniel did. I will give all of my worries and cares to God because He desires good things for me and has the power to bring them into being. I will stand firm on the foundation which God has laid for me.
We may face troubles and trials that seem to be beyond our endurance, yet God knows our limits. His love for us knows no bounds and His faithfulness is eternal. He will rescue us when the time is ripe. Let us humbly wait for His rescue for it will arrive in a timely fashion, even if not in the time we desire.
A wicked ruler is as devastating to those he rules over as a wild predator is to someone who is helpless. A ruler who oppresses his people is a fool, a wise ruler will hate corruption. This fits in with what Peter said about leaders in the Church. Those in a position of leadership, whether it be elders in the Church, or government officials, should use their authority to serve others, not to satisfy their own desires.
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.
Today’s passage begins by telling the story of how David’s eldest son, Amnon. raped his half-sister, Tamar, who was the full sister of Absalom. Amnon desperately desired his half-sister, to the point that he became ill. His cousin, Jonadab, the son of David’s brother, came up with a plan that would get Amnon alone with Tamar. Amnon put Jonadab’s plan into practice. When Amnon grabbed Tamar and began his assault on her, she requested he let her go and then ask his father to give her to him as his wife. He rejected her plea and raped her, after which he had his servants throw her out of his quarters. Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. Absalom approached his sister and asked if Amnon had been with her. Then he told her to be quiet for now and not take it to heart. Absalom then took her into his household. Notice that Absalom did not ask her why she was upset, he asked her if her brother, and his, had been with her (by which he meant had Amnon had sex with her). He then advised her to be quiet and not make a fuss. I will come back to this later.
David, when he heard the news, was furious, but we are not told that he did anything. I have traditionally read that this is an indication of poor parenting, but based on something I read today about this passage, I am not so sure anymore. I will come back to this later. However, even if David’s response to the rape was not bad parenting, the fact that it happened in the first place seems to me to be indicative of poor parenting. Perhaps the reason that David did so little in response to Amnon’s rape of Tamar was because Tamar kept quiet and went into seclusion. Amnon was, after all, David’s eldest son and heir. As such he was likely rather popular and probably had a significant power base by this time. Without Tamar’s presence to bring witness to Amnon’s crime, perhaps David’s hands were tied.
Which brings us to Absalom. Absalom was David’s third son and the grandson of the king of Geshur. One of the resources I found when I looked for information on Jonadab suggested that Jonadab was part of a conspiracy to clear the path for Absalom to become king. The author suggested that Absalom knew of Jonadab’s suggestion to Amnon on how to get alone with Tamar and approved of it. That he had his sister set up to be raped to give him an excuse to kill his half-brother, who happened to stand between Absalom and the throne. Absalom waited two years before acting. Two years later at sheep shearing time, Absalom invited all of David’s sons, his brothers, to join him for a sheep shearing celebration distant from the capital. He also invited David and his retainers. David demurred on the basis that if he came with his retainers it would put too much of a strain on Absalom’s resources. Absalom then asked David to send Amnon. David wondered why Amnon, but Absalom kept pressing. I am sure that Absalom used an argument that was something along the line of, “Well, if you the king can’t come, at least send your heir to show that I am important to you.” In the end, David allowed/encouraged his sons, including Amnon, to go to Absalom’s sheep-shearing festival.
Absalom ordered his servants to wait until Amnon was drunk and then on Absalom’s orders to kill him. Absalom promised that they could claim that they were only acting on his orders to evade punishment for their action. When Absalom’s plan went into action, the rest of his brothers fled. Word came back to the capital that Absalom had killed all of the king’s sons, causing David and his attendants to tear their cloths in distress. Jonadab assured David that Absalom had slain only Amnon, something Jonadab said that he had been planning since Amnon raped Tamar. The author I read who suggested that Jonadab had conspired with Absalom to get rid of Amnon points out that the only way Jonadab could have known that Absalom had only killed Amnon was if he knew what the plan was before Amnon and David’s other sons went to Absalom’s sheep-shearing, since he made this statement before any messengers besides rumor had reached the capital. Meanwhile Absalom fled to the land of his mother’s father where he remained for three years. During that time David became reconciled to Amnon’s death and desired to be reunited with Absalom. The idea that Absalom set up Tamar to be raped to give him an excuse to kill Amnon suggests that this episode happened as a fulfillment of the prophecy that David’s own family would rebel against him. I would argue that this is an example of David’s sons, both Amnon and Absalom, following the example set for them by David in his involvement with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah.
Today’s passage is composed of a prayer by Jesus. First Jesus prays that God will glorify Him so that He can further glorify God. Jesus then prays that God protect His disciples by the power of God’s name. They needed this protection because they are still in the world but are not of the world. As a result the world would hate them, just as the world hated Jesus. Jesus did not pray that they be taken out of the world, only that they be protected from the world. Jesus was sending them out into the world just as God had sent Him into the world. Jesus then stated that He was praying not just for those who had been His disciples while He was on this world, but also for those who believed in Him because of the message brought by His disciples. Jesus prayed that all of those who believed in Him would have complete unity, that they would all be one. When those who believe in Jesus are one, then the world will believe that God sent Jesus and loved those who believed in His name. Division in the Church is the greatest sin that we, the followers of Jesus, can commit. However, that does not mean that we should fail to confront those who do not follow the commands which Jesus gave in order to preserve an illusion of unity. If we are not all following Jesus’ teachings, pretending that we are does not actually preserve our unity.
The psalmist expresses that he is experiencing despair as he waits for God’s deliverance, but he refuses to give up hope. He is confident that if he maintains his faith and his commitment to God’s commands, God will deliver him. I share the psalmist’s confidence. There have been times when I was at the end of my rope and crying out to God for deliverance from a struggle I was dealing with. When I was entering into despair because of circumstance that I could not control. When the time was right, God delivered me from that circumstance and brought joy into my life. I have learned that God’s unfailing love will preserve me so that I may obey His commands and praise His name.
The psalmist continues in today’s second stanza by reminding us that it is by His laws that God delivers us and brings us out of despair into joy. That it is remembering and obeying God’s commandments which preserves our lives and teaches us joy.
Fear of the Lord leads us to avoid evil. As we fear to show disrespect to God we avoid evil because to not do so is to be disrespectful of God. When we live our lives in such a way so as to please God, even those who desire us harm will find themselves unable to find cause to attack us.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me. I am striving to improve these devotionals, so from time to time I am going to take note of countries from which I have seen a significant number of visitors and ask how those from that country think I can improve my blog. Today I have chosen the Philippines. If you live in the Philippines and are visiting my site today, please tell me what you would like me to do differently with my site, and if you visit it regularly let me know why. Thank you.
Daniel described King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to him and then told him what it meant. Daniel first tells Nebuchadnezzar that no man could reveal the king’s secret. However, there is a God in heaven that can reveal any secret. This God has revealed the king’s secret to Daniel. Daniel describes the dream as of a giant statue made of mixed materials. The head was of gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze, its legs were iron and its feet were mixed iron and clay. In the dream, a rock was then cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. The rock struck the statue and crushed it into small pieces. The wind rose up and blew the bits away. The rock then grew into a mountain that filled the whole earth.
Daniel then explains the meaning of the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. The gold head was Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom. Each of the different metals represented the empires that one after another succeeded Nebuchadnezzar’s. The mixed iron and clay represents and empire that will be two kingdoms that form alliances with each other through intermarriage. The two kingdoms will not hold together just as iron and clay do not mix. The rock represents a kingdom set up by God that will crush all the other kingdoms into nothingness and endure forever. Traditional interpretation is that the silver kingdom was that of the Persians which succeeded the Babylonian Empire, the bronze was the empire of Alexander the Great and the iron was the Roman Empire (with the iron and clay feet being after Constantine established Constantinople separating the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western parts). The rock represents the rise of God’s Kingdom with the coming of Christ. After Daniel reveals the dream and its interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar appointed him to a high office. At Daniel’s request, Nebuchadnezzar also appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to high office.
Some time after this, Nebuchadnezzar built a giant statue and ordered all of the kingdom officials to gather for the dedication of the statue. Nebuchadnezzar then ordered that all of the people bow down and worship the statue when they heard the sounds of the musical instruments. Those who refused to bow down would be thrown into a blazing furnace. When the horns and other musical instruments sounded all of the people bowed down except for some of the Jews. Some of the court musicians made Nebuchadnezzar aware that Daniel’s three friends, Meshach, Sadrach and Abednego did not worship the gods of Babylon and had refused to bow down and worship the statue. Nebuchadnezzar was infuriated. He had the three brought before him and offered them one more chance to worship the statue. He asked them what god would rescue them from his power when he had them thrown into the furnace. They replied that they had no need to defend themselves to him and that the God that they served was able to rescue them from his power. They further said that even if God did not rescue them from his power, they would not serve his gods nor worship the statue he had built.
Nebuchadnezzar was so furious at this response that he ordered the furnace stoked up even hotter. He then ordered them tied up and thrown into the furnace fully dressed. The fire was so hot that it killed the soldiers who threw the three into the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar suddenly cried out that instead of three bound men lying in the furnace, he saw four men unbound walking around in the fire unharmed. Nebuchadnezzar approached the furnace as close as he could and called for Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego to come out of the furnace. When the three emerged, those nearby observed that not only was not a single hair on their heads was singed but they did not even smell of smoke.
I think that the response of Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego is a model for us today when we pray for divine intervention. They declared that they knew that God was capable of rescuing them from Nebuchadnezzar’s power, but they recognized that He might not do so. They declared that they would be faithful to God even if he did not grant their petition. We should have faith that God is capable of granting that which we are asking of Him, but that even if it is His will to not do so, we will continue to faithfully serve Him and we will NOT give our loyalty to other gods in His place.
Peter tells us that the end of the world is coming soon, so we should be disciplined in our prayers. In addition he tells us to show deep love for one another and demonstrate hospitality. Before I began this daily devotional blog I had been aware of the Bible’s instruction for us to be hospitable but I had never realized how much emphasis it placed on exhibiting hospitality. In this passage, Peter goes on to tell us that each of us has been given a spiritual gift from God. We are to use whatever gifts we have been given to serve one another. We need to use all of the energy and strength that God has supplied us with in the exercise of our spiritual gifts. By doing this we will bring glory to God in everything we do.
We should not be surprised that we suffer for being Christians. We should be joyful when we suffer and receive insults for being Christians for it is a sign that God’s Spirit is resting upon us. We should not suffer for doing wrong. However, when we suffer for being faithful to God we should praise God for the honor of suffering in His name.
Peter wrote that the elders should care for the congregation willingly, not for what they can get out of it, but because they are eager to serve God. The elders should not lord it over those who have been entrusted to their care. Instead they should lead them by setting a good example. Younger men should accept the authority of the elders and all in the Church should serve one another with humility. We must stand firm against the devil and be alert against his attempts to lead us astray. Our fellow Christians throughout the world are experiencing trials for their faith just as we are.
Even when my life is filled troubles and strains and I am being persecuted for following the Lord I will look to the Lord for rescue. I know that in His time He will provide me relief. I will not abandon His commands because I know that He loves me with unfailing love. The Lord’s commands are eternal and will withstand the test of time. I will not forget the Lord’s commands because they are the path by which He gives me life and joy. Even though my enemies may lay in wait and plot against me, I will not be distracted from following God’s commands.
I have just written to above in positive affirmation as if I do these things as a matter of course, when these are merely my statements of what I wish to do as God gives me the strength to do so.
A wicked ruler is as much of a danger to the poor as any wild predator. A ruler who oppresses those over whom he rules is demonstrating a lack of wisdom, while a ruler who fights corruption will lead a long life.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
There are two examples here of David failing to discipline his sons, more importantly, both of these situations arose because David had failed to discipline his sons previously. The first part is where David’s son Amnon rapes his half-sister, Tamar. The account records that David was very angry when he heard of this, but it does not recount him disciplining Amnon in any way. Moreover, if David had taught his sons that they would suffer the consequences of their misbehavior it is unlikely that Amnon would have committed this horrible act. This first story leads to the second. Absalom was Tamar’s full brother and was infuriated at Amnon’s treatment of his sister. Because David failed to adequately discipline Amnon (and had previously failed to properly discipline Absalom, by my reading), Absalom felt that it was up to him to obtain justice for his sister. Absalom plots and arranges to have his half-brother Amnon killed. David further compounds the problem by failing to punish Absalom by forcing him to remain in exile after killing his brother. We can understand a father wishing to be reconciled with his son, even after that son had killed one of the father’s other sons, but nevertheless some sort of long term consequences were in order and David failed to levy them on his son. We will discover in later passages that this leads to further heartache. David failed to discipline his sons and to raise them to be godly men. He literally let them get away with murder.
Here Jesus prays for the disciples, but not just for the disciples. He says that His prayer is for those who will believe in Him because of the message that the disciples will preach. In this prayer Jesus asks God to grant those who believe in His name unity. Certainly the factions that we Christians often divide into goes against God’s will. Unfortunately, too many of those who strive to avoid conflict among Christians, also, fail to hold their brothers and sisters accountable for sin. There is a fine line we are called to tread. On the one hand, we are to be united in our faith and love of God. On the other hand, we are called to confront our brothers and sisters when they sin. There is no easy resolution to this dilemma since both are things which Jesus Himself taught. Too many Christians choose between Church discipline and Church unity. When we practice Church discipline we must remember to, also, work for Church unity. But when we strive for Church unity, we must remember to maintain Church discipline. There is no easy way to point out how to do this in practice, but if we each remember that first and foremost we are to love one another and strive for God’s guidance in our actions we can find our way through this.
Today’s reading contains two more stanzas of Psalm 119. Previously when I have read Psalm 119 (either the whole thing or parts) I have been overwhelmed by the length of this psalm and missed the beauty of it. I have never before noticed its emphasis on the importance and benefits of following God’s commands, although I am sure that it has been pointed out to me. Once again, the psalm in today’s reading fills me with joy.
“Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures.”
The God who was faithful to those who believed His word in New Testament times and was faithful to my father’s generation, is faithful to my generation and will be faithful to the generations which will follow me.
The first proverb today has a pair of double meanings to me. It says that sin is atoned for through love and faithfulness. Primarily, my sin has been atoned for through the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ, but there is a responsive element where God calls on us to love and be faithful to Him in order to claim that atonement. This is one of those things where it is difficult for me to express what this means to me without it sounding like somehow my actions lead to the atonement of my sin. That is not at all what I believe. I believe that my love and faithfulness comes as my response to God’s action in providing atonement for my sin. And as for my faithfulness, it is only possible for me to be faithful in as much as God provides me with the strength and grace to achieve that goal. The second half of the first proverb, like the first half, has a kind of double meaning. If we have appropriate fear of the Lord, we will avoid taking evil actions. But, in addition, if we live our lives with fear of the Lord, we will avoid entering into situations where we will experience evil.
