Bad things result when people are punished for doing good and leaders are criticized for being honest. Any society which does such things is headed for disaster.
If you are suffering from depression or feeling overwhelmed by the events of your life, call out to God. Pay attention to what He says and follow the path He lays out for you. Start each day by reading about God’s acts of unfailing love. Give yourself to God and He will lift the weight from your shoulders. If you start your day by calling to God His Spirit will lead you to firm footing where the troubles of this life will no longer seem insurmountable.
I find a couple of points about this passage interesting. The first thing I find interesting is that a demon caused the girl to tell people that Paul and Silas were servants of God. What was it attempting to accomplish by doing so? The second thing I find interesting is that the slave girl’s masters new immediately that she no longer had the ability to tell fortunes after Paul cast out the demon. How? Clearly, something dramatic happened when Paul commanded the demon to leave the girl.
Another thing that I find interesting, but in a different way, is that Paul and Silas spent the night in prison praying and singing. The praying part is not particularly noteworthy, but the singing is different. They had been severely beaten before being imprisoned. Yet here they were singing praises to God. We should behave likewise. When we are counted worthy of suffering because of our faith we should praise God for so honoring us. I’m not sure I could do it, but I believe that I should.
In this passage we discover the problem with Jehoshaphat’s friendship with King Ahab. Despite Jehoshaphat’s faithfulness to God, he allowed, or more likely, arranged, for his son to marry Ahab’s daughter. As a result of this marriage, Jehoram, Jehoshaphat’s son, followed the example of Ahab and was just as wicked. All-in-all, this passage reminds us of the importance of choosing our associates carefully, and in choosing wisely when we get married. As a result of Jehoshaphat’s association with Ahab, both his son and his grandson became wicked kings and both died at a relatively young age.
For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Today is Christmas Eve. 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.
The writer gives us four examples of things that are small and weak, yet can make a large impact on their surroundings by wisely using what strengths they have. Let us learn to follow their example.
John describes how in his vision he saw seven angels holding the final seven plagues. As he saw the seven angels he saw those who had been victorious over the beast (as in, they had refused to worship it). They were standing before God singing His praises. They sang God’s praises with joy despite the suffering they experienced, or maybe because of it. The passage tells us that the time will come when God will tolerate the sins of mankind no more and punish all of those who will not turn from those sins one final time.
Zechariah sees a vision of four chariots, each chariot pulled by horses of a different color. We are told that the four chariots are the four spirits who stand before the Lord and who are going out to do His work. It is interesting to me that we are only told where three of the four chariots are going. I was curious as to the meaning of the different colors of the horses, but found little commentary on it that did not try to connect these to the four horsemen in Revelation. I do not think we miss the true meaning of this vision when we attempt to tie it to Revelation. However, I found one which pointed out the four colors indicate that each of these chariots/spirits is a different category of mission.
Later in this passage, some of the people asked Zechariah if they should continue to maintain their tradition of mourning the destruction of the Temple (since the Temple had since bee rebuilt). Zechariah tells them that when they fasted and mourned, and when they celebrate, they are not doing so for God. Rather they have made these periods of mourning and religious celebration about themselves. We do not need to keep particular fasts, or feasts, on particular Holy Days in order to please God. No matter what we celebrate, or mourn, no matter what rituals and traditions we keep, what pleases God is that we do not oppress those without the power to resist (widows, orphans, foreigners, the poor, etc) and that we do not scheme about how to take advantage of each other. If we treat others with justice and respect, God will be pleased with us.
It is destructive of society when the innocent are punished. The government will break down when officials are punished for telling the truth, no matter how unpleasant that truth may be.
The psalmist appears to be suffering from depression. Yet he holds out hope for escaping from that depression. Verse 8 contains something I desire to pray every day:
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you.
Then verse 10 contains more on that theme:
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing.
The psalm ends by reminding us what we need to do in order to count on God to rescue us. The psalmist declares, “I am your servant.” If we live our lives as God’s servants He will never abandon us.
Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten, and thrown in jail. But not just thrown in jail, but put in stocks so that they could not sit comfortably, or move about to relieve cramping muscles. Yet in this situation they prayed and sang hymns of praise to God. While they were doing this there was an earthquake which sprang the locks and opened the doors of the jail. When the jailer came out and was about to kill himself, fearing that the prisoners had escaped, Paul was able to tell him that all of the prisoners were still there.
I have wondered from time to time why none of the other prisoners escaped. I realized today that this passage answers that question. The passage tells us that when the earthquake happened the other prisoners were listening to Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns. The other prisoners were so entranced by the message that allowed Paul and Silas to sing after being beaten and locked up that they were unwilling to go anywhere until they learned more. This is what explains the jailer and his households quick acceptance of the Gospel. If those hardened criminals (I assume that at least some of them were) were more interested in what Paul and Silas had to say than in escaping, there must be something to it. Do we witness to the Gospel in a way that has a similar impact on those around us? If not, why not?
This passage shows us the importance of marrying someone who is godly. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, was a godly king. However, his son, Jehoram, married the daughter of Ahab, the king of Israel. We are told that as a result of marrying the daughter of Ahab, who was himself a wicked king, Jehoram did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Furthermore, when Jehoram’s son, Ahaziah, became king, he was also wicked. Ahaziah followed the evil example of his grandfather Ahab rather than the good example of his grandfather Jehoshaphat.
In some ways all of this was a result of Jehoshaphat partnering with Ahab for many tasks. While Jehoshaphat was a righteous king, he had a friendly alliance with King Ahab, who was an evil king. It seems likely that Jehoshaphat’s close alliance with Ahab led to his son marrying Ahab’s daughter (perhaps that marriage was even part of that alliance). This all is a reminder of the dangers of joining in common cause with those who do not serve the Lord. I am not saying that we should not do so, but when we do, we must be wary.
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.
A delegation went to Zechariah and asked him if they should continue to mourn and fast on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple, now that the Temple had been rebuilt. Zechariah responded by asking them if they had truly been fasting for God. He then told them that when they had holy festivals, they ate and drank to please themselves rather than to glorify God. He tells them that he has the same message that the prophets gave their ancestors, a message to which their ancestors had refused to listen.
Zechariah tells them that rather than worry about feast days and fast days God wants them to judge fairly and show mercy and kindness to one another. God desires that they not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, or the poor. In addition, God commands that they not scheme against one another. This was the message to which their ancestors did not listen and as a result God sent them into exile. By their sins they had turned their pleasant land into a desert. This is an important message for any nation or people. If you oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and/or the poor and scheme against one another, you will turn a pleasant land into a desolate desert.
As John’s vision reaches its climax, he saw a host of people gathered before God’s throne. They were the people who had been victorious over the beast by refusing to worship it or bear its number. They had remained faithful to God and now stood before Him to sing His praises. Now as His judgment was about to be poured out on the earth for the wicked ways of its people, they declared that God’s ways are just and true and all peoples and nations would learn to fear Him. All nations will praise and worship God in that day.
I am not going to say that this is the complete answer, but this psalm outlines the place to start if you are suffering from depression. The psalmist appears to have been suffering from depression, but nevertheless he cried out to God. He was losing hope and paralyzed by fear, yet he remembered God’s great works and meditated on them. He turned to God and begged for an answer. He turned to God and chose to do God’s will. The psalmist rededicated himself to serving God and expressed his confidence that God would rescue from his distress because he believed in God’s unfailing love. I will not tell you that you may not need more treatment than this if you are suffering from depression, but I will tell you that this is the place to start. If depression is overwhelming you, cry out to God and ask His Spirit to show you what to do. Meditate on His word, seek to do His will, and His Spirit will show you the way out.
The proverb writer tells us of small creatures which give us examples to follow. Ants are small and not particularly strong, but they work industriously preparing for times of hardship. Rock badgers are not powerful so they make their home among the rocks so that other creatures cannot get at them. Locusts have no hierarchy, yet they advance in ranks like an army. Lizards can be caught by hand, but they are everywhere. Let us be industrious, choose places of safety to live, work with others in an orderly fashion, and go wherever God sends us despite the danger.
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.
Elisha told the woman whose son he had raised from the dead to move out of Israel for a time because a famine was coming. She did as Elisha recommended. When the famine had ended, she moved back to Israel. When she returned to Israel, she went to the king of Israel to request her land back. She got there as the king was talking to Gehazi, Elisha’s servant. As Gehazi talked about the time Elisha had raised her son, she arrived at the court. Gehazi immediately pointed out that she was the mother of the boy whom Elisha had brought back to life. When she confirmed Gehazi’s story, the king ordered that her property be returned to her. This passage confirms that God will look after our interests if we make the effort to serve Him with our resources.
The passage goes on to recount how Elisha told Hazael that he was going to kill Ben-hadad, king of Aram. It tells us that Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat married Ahab’s daughter and as a result did evil in the sight of God, as did his son, Ahaziah. And finishes by telling us how Elisha sent one of the young men from among the group of prophets to anoint Jehu as king of Israel. After being anointed, Jehu led a revolt of army officers against the existing king of Israel.
One day while they were in Philippi, a slave girl who was used as a fortune-teller started following Paul and the rest of his party shouting that they were servants of the Most High God and that they had come to tell people how to be saved. This went on every day for several days until Paul became exasperated. Paul turned to the girl and commanded the demonic spirit which allowed her to tell fortunes to come out of her in the name of Jesus. It immediately departed. The slave girl’s owners, having lost a source of income, roused a mob against Paul and Silas. This led the arrested and beaten. They then threw them into prison.
Paul and Silas were placed in the inner dungeon and their feet were placed in stocks. During the night Paul and Silas were singing and praying, while the other prisoners listened. There was a violent earthquake in the middle of the night which opened the prison doors and released the locks on the chains holding the prisoners. When the jailer came out of his house and saw that the prison doors were open, he thought the prisoners had escaped. As a result, he drew his sword and prepared to kill himself. Paul quickly called out to him that he should not harm himself as all of the prisoners were still there. The jailer brought Paul and Silas out of the prison and asked what he needed to do to be saved. Paul preached the Gospel to them and they believed. Even though it was the middle of the night, the jailer had Paul and Silas cared for and fed them a meal. Then he and his household were baptized.
In the morning, the city officials sent word to have Paul and Silas released. At this point, Paul declares that he is a Roman citizen and demands that the city officials come themselves to release them. The city officials were alarmed to discover that they had had Roman citizens beaten and imprisoned without a trial. The city officials came to try to appease Paul and Silas and asked them to leave the city. Paul and Silas returned to Lydia’s house, where they met with the believers and encouraged them some more.
There are several points that I wanted to highlight. The first is that, unlike the way many people would react, Paul was annoyed by the slave girl following them around proclaiming that they were servants of God. Paul refused to accept acclamation from a demon-possessed person. Another point is that when the jailer and his household expressed belief in Christ, Paul made sure they had a basic understanding of what that meant by teaching them immediately and then he and Silas baptized them. They did not wait to have them complete a class, just as in the other accounts in the New Testament, baptism immediately followed a profession of faith. The final thing that struck me in this passage was that Paul did not make an issue over being punished in violation of his rights until the city officials were trying to make him go away. I am not sure what that means for us today, but it is something that needs to be thought about.
The psalmist proclaims that he will turn to the Lord when depression strikes, that he will not allow deep depression to disrupt his faith in God. Even though he has suffered major setbacks, he still trusts on God to rescue him. He will call on God to show him the path he should follow. I will call on God to teach me to do His will, even when times are difficult and circumstances seem to be stacked against me. He is my God and I know that He will guide me on firm footing and that He will silence my enemies. I will forever be His servant.
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.
Zechariah has a vision of four chariots which come out from between two bronze mountains. He is told that they are the four spirits who stand before the Lord. They are sent out to patrol the earth, one to each of the cardinal directions (East, North, West and South). Once they have gone out, the prophet is told to look and see that the spirit sent to the North has vented the Lord’s anger there.
Zechariah is then instructed to make a crown for the high priest. He is told that the roles of priest and king will be brought together in harmony.
The prophet then tells of a time when the people of Bethel sent a delegation to him to ask whether they should continue to fast on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. Zechariah receives a message from the Lord asking them if they were really fasting for God when they fasted, or were their fasts and feasts really for themselves? God accuses them of eating and drinking for their own enjoyment at their religious festivals. Zechariah tells them that rather than fasts and feasts God desires them administer justice, and show mercy and compassion to one another. God desires that they not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the poor or the foreigner. They should not plot evil against each other.
How appropriate this passage is for the day before Christmas? How much are our Christmas celebrations for us, rather than celebrations of what God has done? Are we busy showing compassion for others? Or are we busy getting stuff to make us look good to others? Is Christmas really about God, or is it about us? I resolve to once more make Christmas about God. Christmas should be an opportunity for us to show God’s love to those around us, an opportunity to show that being Christian makes us different, gives us different priorities.
The writer sees a vision of all of the people who were victorious over the beast, his statue, and his number. They were standing before God, singing His praises. Let us likewise sing about how great and marvelous are his deeds. Let us bring glory to His name. In order to do that we need to be specific about the things He has done that we see as so wonderful. I will tell the story of how, when I was in a job that made me desperately unhappy, He led me to an opportunity that gave me joy. Or, how when my wife and I were getting married and because of events going on in our lives we questioned whether we should put off getting married, He gave us a sign that made His will clear (when we approached the caterer where we wanted to have our reception, he told us that he had no open Saturdays for the next two years…except for the date we wanted that had just been become available because the couple that had reserved it had cancelled the day before). Never forget to tell your stories of what God has done in your life to show how great and wonderful He is. I will strive in every aspect of my life to bring glory to God.
Today’s psalm is a cry of desperation. He is losing hope. He is paralyzed with fear. He is suffering from depression. Yet, in all of that he turns to the Lord. He cries out to the Lord in his anguish. He recognizes that he is not righteous before the Lord, that no one is. The answer to his depression and hopelessness is to remember all of the great things that God has done in the past. But that is not enough, he seeks out God’s guidance and direction. He knows that the answer to his depression is to do God’s will, to seek the path that God has laid out for him.
This proverb describes four creatures that are small and not particularly mighty that through wise action succeed where others fail. Let us model our lives on such things. Rather than seeking to be mighty, let us exercise wisdom in the small things.
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.
God revealed to Elisha that there was going to be seven years of famine in Israel. So, Elisha tells the woman in Shunem to move out of Israel for seven years. She takes he family and does so. After seven years, she returns. Upon her return she went to the king of Israel to see about getting her land back. When she arrives before the king, Gehazi, Elisha’s former servant, is telling the king the story of Elisha raising her son. Gehazi tells the king that she is the woman and this is the son that Elisha had raised. The king has one of his officials see that she gets all of her land back.
Elisha travels to Damascus. King Ben-hadad has taken sick. When he hears that Elisha has come to Damascus, Ben-hadad sends Hazael to inquire of Elisha is he will get better. Elisha tells Hazael to tell Ben-hadad that he will recover, but that Elisha knows that Ben-hadad will actually die. Hazael returns and gives Ben-hadad Elisha’s message, but the following day he suffocates Ben-hadad in his bed.
Next we learn that Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram succeeds him. We are told that Jehoram married one of Ahab’s daughters and followed Ahab’s example rather than that of his own father and did evil in the sight of the Lord. Jehoram is succeeded by his son, Ahaziah. We are told that Ahaziah also followed the evil example of King Ahab’s family. We learn here the importance of who one chooses to marry. We were told that Asa and his son Jehoshaphat were good kings who did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. However, Jehoram followed the eample of his father-in-law Ahab and worshiped Baal. Ahaziah joins his uncle, King Joram of Israel in his war against Hazael of Aram. When Joram is wounded in battle both he and Ahaziah go to the city of Jezreel for Joram to recover.
After King Joram is wounded, Elisha sends one of the young prophets to Ramoth-gilead to secretly anoint Jehu, one of Joram’s army commanders, king of Israel. When the young prophet arrives at Ramoth-gilead, he finds Jehu sitting with other army officers. The prophet gets Jehu to take him aside and anoints him, telling him that he must destroy Ahab’s entire family. The prophet then opens the door and runs. When the other officers ask Jehu what the prophet told him, he dissembles and calls the prophet a madman. When the officers push further, Jehu tells them that the prophet anointed him king over Israel. The other officers immediately declare their support for him as king.
While Paul and Silas are in Philippi, a slave girl that could tell fortunes started following them around shouting out that they were servants of the Most High God who had come to tell them how to be saved. After a few days, Paul became exasperated with her and turned and commanded the demon within her to come out of her in the name of Jesus. The slave’s masters are furious and have Paul and Silas dragged before the authorities. A mob forms against them and the authorities have them beaten and thrown in prison.
While they were in prison they prayed and sang hymns of praise. The other prisoners were listening to them. There was a massive earthquake that opened all of the gates to the prison and released the chains off of all of the prisoners. The earthquake awakened the jailer, who thought that the prisoners had escaped and prepared to kill himself. Paul assures him that all of the prisoners are still there. The jailer is so overwhelmed by this turn of events that he asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved. Even though it was the middle of the night he took them into his house and cared for their wounds. He and his entire household were baptized. In the morning, the city officials sent the town magistrates to tell the jailer to release Paul and Silas. When the jailer tells Paul and Silas that they are free to go, Paul replied that they were Roman citizens who were punished without a trial and that they would not leave in secret. The town officials came and apologized to them and begged them to leave the city. Paul and Silas returned to Lydia’s house and met with the believers before leaving the city.
