For today, One Year Bible Online links here. We are approaching the end of the year and the beginning of a new one.

    When you churn cream you get butter. When you punch someone in the nose, it bleeds. When you intentionally make someone angry, they will fight back. Or to put it another way, when you do things that make someone angry, you should expect them to resist the course of action you would like the group to follow.

    I will praise God with all that I am. I will not put my trust in humans because they will only be on this earth for a short while. God made heaven, earth, and the seas, and everything in them. He keeps all of His promises for all of time and beyond. He will give justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. God will reign forever and I will praise Him.

    Today’s passage describes the fall of “Babylon”. The city described was wealthy and powerful. Its people indulged themselves in every luxury and immorality imaginable. The rulers of every nation who indulged in her luxuries and sins will be terrified by her fall. The merchants who sold luxuries to the people of this great city will be terrified as well. God’s people are warned not to take part in her sins, to come away from her or they will be punished with her.
    Whenever I read this passage, it frightens me. The only nation on earth today which fits the description of “Babylon” given here is the United States. What is meant when we are warned to “Come away from her”? Are we supposed to relocate? Or is it enough to resist the sins of the society around us? Is it possible to live in this country and avoid taking part in any of the sines of our society?

    This passage condemns leaders who use their position of authority selfishly rather than to care for those put under their authority. However, it also condemns the people for following such leaders. When we follow evil shepherds rather than the Good Shepherd, we will suffer as a result. God will punish leaders who abuse their positions of power, but that does not mean that we can follow such leaders and not suffer as well.

     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.

     Zechariah points out the foolishness of those who turn to sources of divination in order to plan for the future, rather than following the commands of God. He then condemns those leaders who have encouraged the people to seek after such guidance instead of guiding them to God. Zechariah then condemns those people who reject godly leaders, even after they have been shown the venality of their wicked leaders.
     Today’s passage contains a warning against both those leaders who lead people away from God to the worship of idols, and those people who seek out such leaders rather than godly leaders. This is all too common among human societies. Wicked leaders lead people astray and wicked people are unwilling to follow godly leaders. It is a cycle which can only be broken by the intervention of God’s Holy Spirit to change the hearts of the people. I believe we are well into such a cycle now. Let us fervently pray to God that He send His Spirit to raise up leaders to lead people back to Him and to transform the hearts of the people to be willing to follow such leaders.

     John now hears words of condemnation for “Babylon”, a nation which dominates the earth through military and economic might. It’s fall is announced and God’s people are warned to separate themselves from its sins. I believe from the context that this represents the same world power as was discussed in yesterday’s passage and referred to there as the prostitute. The people of this nation will not believe that any harm can come to them because they will be confident of their power and wealth. As a result of this arrogance, their fall will come all the more swiftly. John tells us that the rulers of the world who had both committed adultery with her and conspired to bring about her downfall will be terrified by her fall. The merchants of the world will weep for the fall of this power, since its fall will cause a collapse of world markets.
     No matter how mighty a nation may be, it will not long survive when it steeps itself in sin and persecutes those who strive to live righteous, godly lives. When those who strive to live by God’s commands see the nation in which they live head down this path they must strive with all of their hearts to not be seduced into the sins of those around them.

     I will praise the Lord with all of my being. The psalmist reminds us not to put our trust in powerful people. No matter how good their intentions they will die one day and they have no power to help us beyond that day. Instead, lest us rely on God, whose power will know no end. He is the sure defender of the weak and powerless. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. He loves the godly, who are those who strive to do as He does (giving justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry). I will praise the Lord and strive to live as He would have me do.

     Stirring up anger will create quarrels and conflict as surely as beating cream will, in due time, create butter. There is no mystery here, yet many people seem surprised when the anger they nurtured in others leads to conflict and disorder.