We know scientifically how these things work, but just think about them from the viewpoint of your experience. Even though I know how an eagle flies, a snake slithers, and a ship sails, I do not really understand how they work. I cannot really convert them into how I move my own body. In a similar fashion I have trouble explaining how I love my wife. Yes, sex plays a role in that love, but there is something else to it as well. My love for my wife is different from my love for others in a way that is not fully explained by our sexual relationship.
This psalm will indeed be my prayer. It is only if God will take control of my words and guard what I say that I will be able to truly serve Him. I know that when I control what I say I will say the wrong thing at the wrong time. It is all too easy to drift into evil. I pray that God prevent me from that drift.
It is noteworthy that the first beast will have authority for the same length of time as the two witnesses from Revelation 11. Are the two beasts in authority at the same time that the two witnesses are prophesying? Or do they come later? I am not sure what meaning to ascribe to the two beasts in this passage and I wonder about their relationship to the two witnesses from Revelation 11. The two beasts and the two witnesses are clearly meant to be seen as parallels to each other. The two witnesses are servants of God and the two beasts are in opposition to God.
I am not sure what the meaning of most of the metaphors** in this passage. However, it is important to read this passage and to be familiar with its imagery. What do the seven heads and ten horns of the first beast mean? Is the beast a person? Or an organization? Or a government? What does the wound which appears to be fatal mean? Does it represent a leader who survives an apparently fatal injury? Or does it represent that an organization appeared to be destroyed and comes back from that destruction? Personally, I lean towards the former, but it could be the latter. What is meant by the mark of the beast? Is it some kind of tattoo? Is it some kind of technological device which is implanted in people? Or is it some kind of figurative mark that is not literally visible? My inclination is the second of the three options. Is there a relationship between this mark and the seal which was put on the foreheads of God’s people earlier in Revelation? As I said, there are a lot of questions about the meanings of the things talked about in this passage. It is important to read this passage and be familiar with the imagery which John uses here. When we see things happening which fit the imagery presented here, we need to sit up and take notice.
**Please note that I use the word “metaphors” to describe the imagery here not because I do not believe that these things will happen literally as described but because there is meaning behind the imagery. I do believe that when these things happen it will not be immediately obvious that they are the things described in this passage, even though those who are faithful to God will recognize them as wrong.
I truly believe that this prophecy is a prophecy about the coming of Christ, but it is also a prophecy about the restoration of the nation of Israel. In it Zechariah speaks of a day when people of many nations will join themselves to the Lord and God will count them as His people as well. The prophet continues by speaking of God living among His people. I am convinced that this is a prophecy about the those who follow Christ. Further on the prophet speaks of the high priest of his day being a symbol of things to come. This is a prophecy of the coming of Christ Himself.
Beyond that the prophet also prophesies that the day will come when the people of Jerusalem will number so many that they will live outside of the walls of the city. But they will not need the walls because God will be their protector. Look at the city of Jerusalem today. Large numbers of the people live outside of what once were the walls of Jerusalem. And none of them feel any fear because of living outside of the walls.
For today, One Year Bible Online links here. For those of you who do not read this every day, I was very sick last week and it affected my writing (I do not know if for the better or worse). While I am still taking antibiotics, I am otherwise feeling better. I thank those of you have been praying for me.
This proverb reminds us that those who take bribes are wicked and the result of bribes is the perversion of justice. There is no getting around these facts.
The first thing that struck me as I read this psalm was the reference to prayer as an incense offering we make to God. I suppose in part because I have been convicted lately that I need to pray more. Of course the next line is one that I have been praying for the last few years. I do indeed desire that God take control of what I say and guard every utterance that comes out of my mouth. It is to God whom I will look for help. I pray that He keep me from the traps which the wicked have set for the godly.
A dispute about doctrine arose between Paul and Barnabas and some unnamed believers from Jerusalem. The congregation of Antioch in Syria sent a delegation to Jerusalem to get the apostles opinion on the issue. The delegation included Paul and Barnabas, which suggests where the bulk of the congregation stood on the issue. When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were welcomed by the entire Church there, including the apostles and the elders of the Church. Paul and Barnabas gave an account of their mission trip and what God had done through them. Some of the believers present stood up and said that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised.
So, we have a dispute over Church doctrine. The key factor was over how they resolved the issue. The Church elders and the apostles met together and discussed the issue. However this was not a small, exclusive group. The account tells us that there was much discussion, then Peter got up and recounted the vision he had before visiting Cornelius. The n Paul and Barnabas told about the signs and miracles they had witnessed among the Gentiles. At that point, the NIV translates the description of the group as “the whole assembly”.
So, what do we learn about how we should resolve such issues? The elders and leadership of the entire Church gathered and discussed the issue. Everyone got a hearing. And while the passage not specify this, I believe that they prayed and sought the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Gradually, the respected leaders presented their thoughts directing towards a consensus, which the larger group accepted. Having made a decision, the group appointed delegates to convey their thoughts to the Church in Antioch.
I have heard and read many commentaries on the story of Naaman’s healing. Today the point that came to me is one I have heard before, but not the way it struck me. When Naaman came to Elisha he was upset by two things. First, he was upset that Elisha had not come out to meet him. How could Elisha not come out to meet the great general? Second, he was upset that Elisha had set him a task to complete in order to be healed, but not a heroic task, just washing himself in the Jordan. Anybody could wash themselves in the Jordan, that was no task to set a great man like Naaman. And if he had to wash himself in a river, why not one more convenient to home?
The point of all this is that when God calls me to a task, that task is the one He wants me to complete. Fulfilling the tasks God sets me are demonstrations of but one thing, my willingness to do as God instructs me. If I am seeking to do some great work for God, I am focusing on the wrong thing. God gives me the tasks which it serves His purpose for me to complete. They are not designed to bring glory to me. They are not designed to show the world what a great servant of God I am. They are designed to further God’s purpose in this world. As long as I faithfully execute the tasks which God lays before me, I have served His purpose. It is not my job to change the world. I will leave that up to God.
For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Christmas is coming soon. Let us remember what it is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us strive to not be caught up in the commercialism which is what this season is about for many in our society today.
Despite the way modern science has learned to explain three of the things mentioned in the article (eagle’s flight, snake slithering, ship’s on water) they are still amazing to watch and hard to understand. When I see a bird in flight, I know the science of how it does it, but I can not say that I truly understand it. The writer says that he does not understand a man’s love for a woman. I cannot completely agree, what I find hard to understand is why my wife loves me.
Verses three and four make statements that we should follow. I ask God to take control of my lips and control what I say. We are reminded that it is easy to drift towards wickedness little by little. First we justify some small wrong on the basis of a greater good, but if we follow that path, soon we justify ever greater wrong. If we share in the spoils of wicked behavior with the wicked, we are complicit in their evil. In addition, if we do so, we are likely to soon take an active part in their wickedness. Let us not fall into that trap. Rather let us pray constantly that the wicked will repent of their ways and turn to God.
John’s vision continues with two beasts, one out of the sea and one out of the land. The first beast was given power by the dragon, Satan. He rose to rule over all of the earth and everyone whose name is not written in the book of life worshiped him. As a result, God’s people will endure persecution and must remain faithful in the face of such persecution. The second beast rose up and exercised the authority of the first beast. The second beast forced all people to worship the first beast. In addition, the second beast performed wonders to promote the worship of the first beast and to punish those who refused to do so.
Over the years I have seen these two beasts interpreted as being either individual men or as particular nations. I think that this prophecy is a little of both. I think it likely that these “beasts” will manifest as the governments of nations, but that they will reach their fulfillment with particular men who come to rule those governments. In some ways one of the important points to remember is that all governments seek, over time, to become objects of worship. We must reject such worship and remain faithful to God.
Zechariah prophesied that some day such a large number of people would live in Jerusalem that many of them would live outside the city walls. Is that not the situation which exists today? Israel’s enemies should take note of the rest of this prophesy. Zechariah also prophesied that God Himself would defend the people of Jerusalem. God promised that He would crush those who brought harm against His people.
This proverb needs little explanation, except to note that the wicked accept the bribes in secret in order to pretend that they act from noble motives.
I will call out to the Lord, relying on Him to save me. Verse three struck me: yes, my prayer is that God will take control of what I say and guard my lips so that nothing comes from between them which might fail to glorify Him. The psalmist reminds us that we must be on guard against drifting towards evil. It is so easy to gradually drift into evil, telling ourselves, “It is only a small lie. What harm can it do?” Or something similar. Let us pray constantly that God does not allow us to fall into such a trap. I will look to God for the help I need to avoid such pitfalls. It is by His power that I will be saved.
While Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch of Syria, some men arrived from Judea and began teaching that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them strongly. Things became so heated that the church in Antioch decided to send a delegation to Jerusalem to ask for a ruling from the Apostles and the elders of the church there. The debate continued in Jerusalem. However, here the Apostles and the elders of the church met together and discussed the issue. After much discussion, Peter stood and addressed the meeting, siding with Paul and Barnabas. Then Barnabas and Paul gave their account of the Spirit’s working among the Gentiles. Finally, James stood and summarized the sense of the council.
I have long felt that the Jerusalem Council recounted here is a model we should follow in Church governance. They met together and everyone got an opportunity to have their say. When the discussion had gone on long enough and a consensus began to emerge, the leaders spoke up to put the emerging consensus into words.
In the story of Elisha curing Naaman of leprosy, Naaman was insulted that Elisha did not come out to meet him. After all, he was a great general. He expected Elisha to come out and wave his hands over him so that he was cured. Or, perhaps, Elisha would set him some epic task to prove that he was worthy of being cured. Instead, Elisha instructed him to do something simple and mundane, a little strange, but otherwise of no particular note. Naaman’s reacted by getting angry that Elisha did not show him more respect. It was only when his officers pointed out that he had not come to Elisha to be honoured, but to be cured, that Naaman relented.
How often do we react in a similar fashion when God gives us a task? We think the task is beneath us? Or that He should have used a more exalted person to assign us the task? We need to accept that sometimes God calls us to a task that has no glory attached to it. Perhaps God is calling us to a task that no one will notice that we are doing. Let us embrace that task and serve God in the role to which He calls us. Let us not seek to gain more attention than is required to do what God has called us to do.
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.
As Zechariah’s vision continued he saw a man on his way to measure Jerusalem. Zechariah was told that someday Jerusalem would be so full of people and livestock that people would live outside of the walls. In that day, God Himself would be a wall around the city protecting it from attack. God was going to come and live among His people and many people would come to join themselves to the Lord. That day has come to pass. We are now living in a day when God lives among His people and any who are willing to come to Him may join themselves to the people of God. God has sent His Branch to take away our sins so that we may invite our neighbors to sit peacefully with us in service to God.
John’s vision continued. He saw a great beast rise up out of the sea. The dragon, which is the devil, gave the beast its power and authority. This beast appeared to have a fatal wound, yet the wound healed. As a result of the wound and its healing, the whole world marveled and gave their allegiance to the beast. The people of the world worshiped the beast and the dragon, convinced that no one could stand against the beast. The beast spoke blasphemies against God, slandering God, His dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven. The beast was given authority to rule over every possible group of people on the earth. He made war against God’s holy people. The people of the world worshiped the beast, that is, everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life. God’s people endured persecution patiently without losing faith.
Then John saw a second beast come up out of the earth. He exercised all of the authority of the first beast and required all of the earth and its people to worship the first beast. He performed many miracles in the name of the first beast and deceived all of the people who belonged to this world. He ordered a statue of the first beast built and he gave the statue the semblance of life so that it could speak. The statue commanded that everyone who would not worship it must die. Then the second beast required everyone to receive a mark on their hand or on their forehead. Without such a mark, no one could buy or sell anything. The mark was either the name of the beast, or the number representing its name. John then tells us that the number of the beast is the number of man, that it is 6 repeated three times. Everything I have seen says that the number six represented imperfection, while the number three represents holiness. This leads me to conclude that John was saying that the number of the beast represented worshiping imperfection.
I am not sure what all of the symbolism in this passage means. However, there are a few things which I do understand. There will rise up those whom the world will worship in place of God. These leaders will persecute those who continue to worship God rather than these “beasts”. Despite the obvious imperfections and failures of these rulers, the people of this world will consider them to be worthy of worship. At some point, these “beasts” will exert authority over all forms of economic activity and will deny those who do not worship them access to any form of economic activity, even to the buying and selling of food.
This psalm is definitely one to make my prayer today. I ask God that He take control of what I say so that all the words out of my mouth will bring honor to His name. I pray that He not allow me to drift towards wickedness, becoming enamored of the things which the wicked consider sweet. I will not complain when the godly rebuke me, because they do so out of love, desiring to turn me from the path of destruction. I will not refuse such correction. I will call on God to thwart the plans of the wicked.
The writer of this proverb tells us that he is amazed by three things and a fourth that he does not truly understand. He is amazed by and does not understand an eagle in the sky, a snake moving across rocks, a ship moving through the ocean, and a man with a woman. I know how these things work and I have experienced being with a woman (my wife), yet I do not truly understand why they feel the way they do.
Then the writer makes a comment which often takes us by surprise. I was raised to think of adulterous men as the ones who sought out sexual relations with no meaning, leaving the women they so treated hurt and broken. The proverb writer reminds us that adulterous women do the same thing to men. Neither gender is immune to the hurt and suffering that results from sexual relations with one who takes part in the activity and then moves on.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for over 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 a few years, the woman of Shunem’s son became sick and died. She quickly traveled to where Elisha was and asked him if she had requested that a son, if she had asked for her hopes to be raised. Elisha immediately gave his staff to his servant Gehazi and told him to run and lay it on the boy. The woman said that she would not leave Elisha, so Elisha followed on. When Gehazi got to Shunem he did as Elisha had instructed, but the boy was unresponsive. When Elisha arrived he went in to where the boy lay and after much effort was able to return the boy to life. He then returned the boy to his mother.
Elisha returned to Gilgal where he was the leader of a group of prophets. There was a famine in the land and one day Elisha told his servant to make a stew for the group. One of the young men gathered some herbs and a few gourds. He shredded them and put them in the stew. Unfortunately, the gourds were poisonous. After a few of the men present had tasted the stew, they told Elisha that the stew was poisonous and would not eat it. Elisha took some flour and put it in the stew. He then told the group that the stew was now safe to eat. They ate it and no one was harmed. On another occasion, a farmer brought Elisha twenty loaves of bread and some grain. Elisha told his servant to give it to the people to eat. His servant told him that it was not enough to feed that many. Elisha told his servant that God had said that everyone would eat and there would be leftovers. When they had given the food to the people, everyone ate and there were leftovers.
Naaman was the well-respected commander of the king of Aram’s army. However, he suffered from leprosy. Naaman’s wife had a slave girl from Israel as one of her maids. The Israelite girl told Naaman’s wife that she wished Naaman would go to the prophet in Samaria, who would heal him of his leprosy. When the king of Aram heard what the girl had said, he wrote a letter asking for Naaman to be healed of leprosy and sent him to the king of Israel. Naaman went to the king of Israel. However, the king of Israel was upset when he read the letter because he thought the king of Aram was just looking for an excuse to start a war. Elisha heard about it and told the king to send Naaman to him.
So Naaman went to Elisha’s house. When he got to the door of Elisha’s house, Elisha sent out a messenger and told Naaman to wash himself the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed. Naaman’s initial reaction was anger because Elisha himself did not come out to meet him and cure him directly. Going on from that reaction, Naaman wanted to know why he should wash in the Jordan, couldn’t he wash in one of the rivers closer to home? Naaman’s servants pointed out to him that if Elisha had told him to do something difficult and noteworthy, he would have done so. So, why not at least try what the prophet had instructed? Naaman was convinced and did as Elisha had instructed. He was healed. Naaman returned to Elisha, praised God and offered Elisha a gift. Elisha refused to accept any gifts from Naaman, although Naaman was insistent. Naaman asked Elisha for permission to take bags of dirt from there back with home with him. He told Elisha that he would never again worship any god other than the God of Israel, nor would he offer sacrifices to them. However, he asked that Elisha intercede for God to forgive him when he accompanied the King of Aram to the temple of his god and had to bow down there. Elisha told Naaman to go in peace.
The passage goes on to describe what happened when Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, went after Naaman to get some of the things which he had offered Elisha. However, to me the main take away from this passage is what Naaman’s servants said to him when he was upset with Elisha’s instructions. They told Naaman that if Elisha had asked him to do some great and difficult task in order to be healed, he would have leapt at the opportunity. However, when Elisha asked him to do something simple and humbling, he balked. How often do we react the same way when God gives us instructions? We are looking for the great task that God wants us to undertake, but are we willing to take on the tasks we perceive as minor and of little importance when God directs us to them?
After Paul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch in Syria, some believers came down from Jerusalem and told the Gentile believers that they needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with them and argued with them passionately. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to get a decision from the church there on the issue. They told the churches along the way that Gentiles were being converted and the believers who heard the news rejoiced to hear it. When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas reported on the ministry God had given them. Then some believers who had been Pharisees stood up and said that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised and taught to follow the law of Moses. The important thing to remember is that up until this point, the Christian Church was, and viewed itself as, a subset of Judaism. With few, if any, exceptions, the Christians of that day viewed themselves as Jews who followed the prophesied Messiah, not as followers of a new religion.
The apostles and other elders of the church in Jerusalem met to discuss the issue. The meeting went on some time while everyone shared their view on whether or not Gentile believers should be told to follow the law of Moses. Finally, Peter stood up and addressed the group. He told them that he had been chosen by God to preach to the Gentiles and that when he did so, they received the Holy Spirit. God had cleansed them of sin through their faith just as He had the Jewish believers. God had made no distinction between them, why did they now want to burden the Gentiles with rules that neither his listeners nor their ancestors had been able to keep? God had saved both groups through the undeserved grace of Jesus. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke about the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
At this point James stood up and gave his opinion about the decision that should be made. James said that they should not make things difficult for those Gentiles who were seeking to turn to God. They should tell the new believers to abstain from food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. The law of Moses had been taught in the synagogues for generations and had little impact on bringing people to a desire to serve God. The council agreed with James’ decision and wrote a letter to send to the believers. In addition, they chose a delegation to accompany Paul and Barnabas in taking the letter to the church in Antioch.
Another psalm that I will make my prayer today and that sums up so much of what I wish to pray everyday. I cry to the Lord and ask for His help. But for what do I cry?
Take control of what I say, O Lord,
and guard my lips.
This! Yes, this is the first of my requests to God. I want God to give me the words I should speak and to seal my lips against the words which I should not speak. The next line is another one of my fervent prayers.
Don’t let me drift toward evil
or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
of those who do wrong.
It is oh, so easy to little by little drift into doing that which is wrong. I too easily justify doing what I know I should not by thinking “It’s not that bad.” The other night a friend came over to discuss her struggle with determining how God wanted her to deal with associating with other friends who were living immoral lives. I was challenged because so rarely do I feel the desire to confront my friends with how they are hurting themselves (and others)through their sins. The friend who visited was struggling with how to witness to people specifically about the sins they are committing. How do we tell our friends that what they are doing will cause them pain without coming across as if we are telling them not to have fun? God give the words to say and the desire to say them.
Rosebud close-up
I am not sure what to say here. I think this proverb tells us that when government officials act in secret it is usually because they know that what they are doing is wicked. Actually, most of time when anyone acts in secret it is because they know that what they are doing is wicked.
