We get pleasure when we gain something by deceit or wrongdoing, but that pleasure is short-lived. After that we must deal with the consequences. Even if no one else ever finds out, we know and we can no longer think of ourselves as a person of integrity (the writer describes that feeling as being like having a mouth full of gravel).
When our troubles are great we can call on God to come to our rescue (we can do that even when our troubles are small). If we call on God we need to trust that He will answer. If we trust that He will answer when we call on Him for aid, we will live lives of honesty and integrity. There is no reason for lies and deceit if we truly trust God.
Paul describes the reason he is traveling to Jerusalem. He is taking the money which the Churches in Macedonia and Achaia had collected to the believers in Jerusalem. The emphasis Paul places on this donation tells us that those of us who are doing well economically should contribute to the support of those believers who are struggling, even when those believers are distant from us. The other side of this lesson is that if we should accept such assistance when other believers give it to us. If you genuinely do not need to aid you are being given, pass it on to others in need.
There is a second lesson for us here. Paul requests that the believers in Rome aid him by praying for him and for the mission he is on. We must remember that even when we are far from those who are struggling and we do not have the ability to send them economic assistance we can help them by praying for them. I do not understand how prayer works, but I know that it does. Let us pray for those far from us who we wish we could aid in what we view as more substantive ways. Prayer may not have substance, but it is still a powerful force for good.
I love reading the story of the Assyrian invasion while Hezekiah was king. The Assyrians were confident that nothing could stand in their way. The people of Jerusalem had no hope to stand against them. Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem knew that from the perspective of the world the Assyrians were right. They knew that they could not stand against the Assyrian army in battle. However, the Jews and the Assyrians disagreed on one point. The Assyrians were sure that God would not, and could not, protect Jerusalem from them. Hezekiah and his people knew that God could stop the Assyrian army if He so chose. Their only question was “Would He?” They turned to God in humility and prayer and God did indeed force the Assyrian army to turn aside from Jerusalem.
I am not sure what the writer intended but the middle verse reminds us of the danger in an economy where bargaining over the price of everything is common. In such a situation we are rewarded for being dishonest. Buyers are encouraged to deceitfully downplay their interest; sellers are encouraged to deceitfully say that something is better than it is. It is better for society that things be sold at the same fair price to all who wish to buy.
The third verse reminds us that finding someone who will give us wise advice is more valuable than any treasure we can find. A short study of the professional athletes who are bankrupt a few short years after their careers ends, despite the many millions they earned over that career, shows us the truth of this.
I found my prayer for today, and one which would be good to pray each day:
Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me,
Actually, this whole psalm is one which it would be good for me to meditate on. The Psalm begins by reminding us why we give our lives to God, why we trust in Him. No one who trusts in God will be disgraced. Instead it is those who rely on deceit who will be disgraced (note: this means that if you trust in God you need to avoid deceit).
God will show us the path we should follow. He will teach us the truth which He will use to lead us in the way we need to go. God will mercifully forget out youthful, and not so youthful, sins because He is merciful. If we keep our eyes on God we will avoid the traps which our enemies have set for us.
If we are strong in our faith we should be sensitive to those who think things we find acceptable are sins. We should strive to please our neighbors so as to build their faith. Since Christ accepted us in our sins we should strive to accept others in their sins. Of course, when Christ accepted us He also began transforming us so that we would no longer sin.
Hezekiah called for the people of Judah to celebrate the Passover, which had not been done in many years. However, not enough Levites and priests could be purified in time to hold it when the law declared that it should be held, so Hezekiah and his advisers decided to hold it a month later. In addition, Hezekiah sent messengers throughout the territories which had been the Northern Kingdom inviting the people to come celebrate the Passover.
Most of the remaining northern Israelites laughed at the messengers, but a number chose to come. As a result of the spiritual revival which occurred as a result of this celebration the people went out and destroyed the idols and pagan shrines, not only in the areas of Judah, but throughout the land which had been Israel.
So, let’s recap. Hezekiah called on the Levites and priests to purify themselves. They responded to his call and rededicated themselves to serving God. Once they had purified themselves they reached out to the people and led them back to God. All together the people, the Levites, and the priests held a celebration of God which resulted in spiritual renewal through the entire land. This is a model which we should seek to follow.
The proverb writer tells us how to recognize who the truly wicked and worthless are. They are constant liars, plot evil and constantly stir up trouble. Look in the news today and I think you will quickly see to whom he is referring.
I will not comment on this psalm, except to say that this is another psalm which makes a great prayer. I will make this my prayer for today (although my life does not feel nearly as hard to me right now as the psalmist’s appears to have been when he wrote this).
When Jesus entered Jerusalem the Sunday before His crucifixion, He chose to ride in on a donkey. This referenced a prophecy by Zechariah. Jesus was riding in, not as a king about to lead His people to war, but as a king returning from war victorious. This was in distinct contradiction of those who were expecting the Messiah to come and lead the Jews to military victory over the Romans. Jesus was not about to lead a revolution. He had already won the victory. This story has the same message for us as it did for the people of that day. We do not need to wait for some future victory which Jesus will win. He has already won the victory and we live in the Kingdom He has brought into being.
Before the plagues began, God told Moses that Pharaoh would not just let the Israelites go, he would force them to leave Egypt. The night of the first Passover, when the first born of every Egyptian died, Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to leave. The Egyptians wanted the Israelites out of their midst so badly that they gave up much of their wealth to see them go. The outcome in this passage is one that those who are today persecuting Jews may want to consider.
The proverb writer tells us to imitate the example of ants. They do not have a boss over them to make sure they work. Yet they labor hard when the weather allows in order to gather food and supplies for when times are more difficult. Let us learn to do the same.
The psalm contains a prayer which we can be sure has already been answered:
Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me,…
We know that God has already done this. The only question is whether or not we have chosen to accept His teaching and to follow the path He has shown us.
I am glad that the parable of the vineyard workers is in the same days reading as Jesus’ response to the request from the mother of James and John. The latter story clarifies the meaning of the parable and the parable amplifies the meaning of Jesus’ answer. At the end of the parable Jesus tells us that the last will be first and first will be last. In the parable, those who were hired early in the day get paid last and receive no more than those hired later in the day. I have always heard this explained that those who accept Christ early in life will receive the same reward as those who accept Him late in life.
I do not think that is wrong, but, in light of what Jesus says at the end of today’s passage, I don’t think that is His primary point. To the worldly, those with power, the leaders, are those who get to satisfy their own wants and needs by telling others what to do. In the Kingdom of Heaven, the powerful, the leaders, are those who use what power they have to satisfy the needs and wants of others. If you want to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, you must serve the needs of others before your own needs. The most interesting part of this is paradoxical. One of those needs that you must serve is the need to serve others.
In the plagues we read about yesterday, the passage told us that Pharaoh became stubborn after the plague was lifted and refused to let the Israelites go. In the plagues we read about today, it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he refused to let the Israelites go. This is a warning to us that each time we refuse to turn from our sins it will become harder to do so, and the consequences of not doing so will become more severe.
If you guarantee a stranger’s debt, make sure that you are able to pay it off. How can you possibly know if they can and will pay the debt themselves?
Doing wrong may give us a frisson of excitement that we enjoy, but once that has worn off the consequences will be unpleasant.
If you want your plans to succeed, get good advice. Do not undertake a major risk without first obtaining wise advice.
If we turn to God when trouble surrounds us, He will turn to us. Let us call out to God, and rely fully upon Him, for rescue from the dangers which overtake us. He will rescue us and protect us. If we do His will, He will not let us be disgraced.
Paul speaks of his plans to stop in Rome on his way to preach in Spain. We know that he made it to Rome, but that he never went to Spain. This illustrates the importance of remembering that all of the plans we make, no matter how well-intentioned, are subject to change according to the will of God. Paul asks the believers in Rome to pray that the believers in Jerusalem will accept the moneys raised for them by the believers in Greece and Macedonia. This suggests that even then there were those who were willing to sacrifice to meet the needs of others, but were unwilling to accept when others sacrificed for them.
When Assyria began to invade Judah, Hezekiah strengthened the defenses of Jerusalem. However, he did not point to these defenses, nor to his army, when he encouraged the people of Jerusalem. Rather he pointed to God. He acknowledged that the Assyrian army was more powerful than his own, and that they were capable of breaking down his defenses. However, he publicly proclaimed that God was capable of turning aside even the mighty army of Assyria. The Assyrians, on the other hand, dismissed the possibility that God might be able to stop them from conquering Jerusalem. They did so loudly and publicly, attempting to dishearten both the people in Jerusalem and elsewhere. When the Assyrian army was destroyed and Sennacherib was forced to withdraw from Judah, the surrounding nations recognized God’s power.
Let us follow Hezekiah’s example. Let us prepare for difficult times, but trust in God to deliver us, not on our own preparations.
If we spend too much time sleeping, or in other leisure activities, we will end in poverty. Work when the opportunity presents itself and you will have plenty.
When people are haggling over the price, they will tell the seller that the goods are worthless. Once they have bought them, they will tell everyone how good they are.
We are better off receiving wise advice than money or precious metals.
Those who trust in God will not be disgraced. If they follow the path which God lays out for them, their enemies will not triumph over them. God will lead us by His truth down the road which leads us to eternal life and success (as defined by God). God will forgive our sins if we turn to Him and follow His paths. Let me keep my eyes upon the Lord, then I will not fall into the traps laid out for me.
Paul follows up his injunction (from yesterday’s passage) that we must not be a stumbling block for our fellow believers, by telling us that if we perceive ourselves as strong in the faith we should bear with the failings of those whose faith is weak. Let us not live our lives to please ourselves, but rather to please our fellow believers in order to build them up in their faith.
Let us ask God to give us unity with our fellow believers and let us live in harmony with them to the degree with which it is in our control. Let us accept our fellow believers, even with their failings, to the same degree which Christ accepted us with our failings. Paul finishes up by writing that he believes those he is writing to already know most, if not all, of what he is writing, but that these were points he thought were worth reminding them about. This is why it is valuable to us to read our Bibles regularly. We may know what is in the Bible well enough to teach others, but we need reminders about some of the things it says.
Hezekiah decided to celebrate Passover (the passage implies that it had not been celebrated for some time). However, he, his officials, and the community leaders of Jerusalem did not believe that they could be properly purified to celebrate it when it was supposed to be celebrated. So they decided to celebrate it one month later than called for in the Law. Hezekiah sent runners throughout the land inviting the Israelites to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. He sent the runners not just throughout Judah, the land he controlled, but through all of the lands of Israel. Most of the people outside of Judah ridiculed and laughed at Hezekiah’s messengers, but some humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem for the Passover.
Many of those who came had not properly purified themselves, but Hezekiah recognized that the desire to worship God and return to following Him was more important than getting the forms right. We can learn a lot from what Hezekiah did here. First, he chose to schedule the Passover when they could get ready for it, rather than either do it poorly, or put it off another year. Second, he invited all of those who wanted to come to worship God, not just those who were “the right sort.”
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, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Pharaoh repeatedly promised to do as God commanded and then changed his mind when God made things better. A time was finally reached when Pharaoh no longer had the ability to do as God asked. There is an important lesson for us here, if we reject God’s will for our lives often enough, a time will come when we will have backed ourselves in a corner and we will find it impossible to do what God asks of us. I pray that I never let my pride back me into a corner where God has to do to me to do His will what He needed to do to Pharaoh to get Pharaoh to do His will!
Jesus compares heaven to a rich landowner who hires laborers to work in his vineyards over the course of a day. The important lesson about this story is that, whether we come to serve God early or late, He will reward us with eternity in heaven. There is another point that is not so important to the story, but of interest. The premise of the story is that a rich man has every right to do whatever he chooses with the money he had. He may do good things with it, or selfish things with it. In either case, Jesus assumes that no one else has the right to tell him what he must do with his money.
Later, the mother of James and John approached Jesus and asked Him to give them places of special prominence in His kingdom. When the other disciples heard about this request they were angry. Jesus then taught an important lesson about leadership. Those with authority in the world use that authority to be served by others. Normal human activity is to acquire a position of leadership so that one can dump all of the unpleasant tasks on someone else. Jesus tells us that if we follow His example, we will use whatever position of leadership or authority which we acquire in order to do the unpleasant tasks that no one else wants to do. True leaders sacrifice their own wants and desires in order for the members of the group they lead to enjoy it more.
Yes, I will give my life to God. I will trust Him with all that I have and all that I am. Teach me Lord to follow the path that you have laid out for me, show me Your road. Rest Your Spirit upon me so that I take the path to which you guide me. Give me the humility to walk in the ways You have chosen for me.
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.
After Hezekiah had completed his religious reforms and brought the people of Judah back to worshiping the Lord, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah. Hezekiah responded to this invasion by strengthening Jerusalem’s defenses. He repaired the wall of the city and built a second wall outside of the first. Most importantly, he secured the water supply for the city while at the same time making sure there were no readily available water sources right outside the city.
While conducting a siege on another city, Sennacherib sent messengers with a letter for the people of Jerusalem. In it, Sennacherib started by claiming that God would not save Jerusalem from his armies. However, he continued by claiming that even if He would be willing to do so, God would be powerless to save Jerusalem from him. The officers sent by Sennacherib to deliver his message shouted to the people of Jerusalem in an attempt to terrify them and reduce their willingness to resist an Assyrian attack. The officers compared God to the pagan gods of the surrounding peoples and insulted Him as if He were no more than an object created by human hands. Hezekiah responded to Sennacherib’s threats by crying out to God. God answered Hezekiah’s prayers by destroying a large portion of Sennacherib’s army, forcing Sennacherib to return home. Before Sennacherib was able to rebuild his army and resume conquest, two of his sons killed him while he was worshiping his own gods.
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What happened when Sennacherib invaded Judah is a classic example of the way that God works. The Assyrian army was overwhelmingly powerful. There was no chance that the army of Judah would have been able to withstand it in battle. However, Sennacherib became arrogant and challenged God. After Sennacherib proclaimed that God would be unable to protect Jerusalem from him, something happened to his army. The two passages that discuss this event do not describe what happened to the Assyrian army, but they read to me as if it was struck by disease of some kind. Whatever happened, Sennacherib was unable to complete his conquest of Jerusalem, despite his boasts that God could not stop him.
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After Hezekiah’s death, his son Manasseh succeeded him on the throne. Manasseh undid many of the religious reforms which Hezekiah had instituted and worshiped many pagan gods. He even sacrificed his own sons in fires (probably as part of worship of Molech,a god of the Phoenicians). Manasseh set up an idol in the Temple of God and worshiped it there. Despite many warnings from prophets, Manasseh did not turn from his evil ways. As a result, he was taken captive by the Assyrians. While held captive by the Assyrians, Manasseh finally turned to God and was released to return to Jerusalem.
More lobelia cardinalis flowers
Paul concludes his letter by telling his readers that he is finally going to be able to visit Rome. His plan is to stop there on his way to Spain. He has not been able to make this trip previously because there was more work for him to do in Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Achaia. However, he feels he has completed his work in these regions. He has one last task to complete before he can set off on his journey to Spain. The churches of Macedonia and Achaia had gathered an offering to aid the poor among the believers in Jerusalem and Paul was tasked with delivering it to the church in Jerusalem.
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It appears to me that by the time that Paul wrote this letter, several people had told Paul that the Holy Spirit was telling them that he would face problems from the Jewish authorities when he got to Jerusalem. While it is possible that his request of his readers for their prayers was a generic request for Paul, it appears to indicate that he was expecting trouble when he got to Jerusalem. I have wondered for several years if God was trying to tell Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem, or if the warnings he received were to prepare him for what he would face.
***
Paul then asks the readers to care for the needs of Phoebe, who apparently is the messenger delivering his message. Finally, he extends special greetings to people he cares for who are now living in Rome.
Another picture of lobelia cardinalis
This is the conclusion to Psalm 25. I strive to pray similar to this when I face difficult times in my life. I believe that honesty and integrity will protect me because I put my hope and trust in God.
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.
Hezekiah decided to invite all of the people of Israel to celebrate the Passover at the restored Temple. They were unable to celebrate the Passover at the time set forth in the Law of Moses because not enough priests were able to get purified in time. So, Hezekiah, his officials and the entire community of Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover a month late. Hezekiah sent messengers throughout land of Israel, both the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel, asking the people to return to the Lord and come celebrate the Passover. Most of the people of the Northern Kingdom made fun of Hezekiah’s messengers. However, there were a few who responded to the message and went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
The people of the Kingdom of Judah, on the other hand, responded enthusiastically. As a result, when they celebrated the Passover a large crowd had gathered in Jerusalem. Many of the people had not purified themselves properly, so the Levites sacrificed their Passover lambs for them. In particular, most of those from the Northern Kingdom had not purified themselves. Hezekiah prayed to God asking that He pardon those who had come to resume following Him without properly purifying themselves. The decision was made to allow those who were not properly purified to eat the Passover lamb anyway. The passage tells us that God honored Hezekiah’s prayer and the desire of the people to worship Him and blessed the people who came to partake in the Passover.
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This passage shows us that even here, under the Law, God honored those who sought Him and desired to be made right with Him. God invites us to come as we are, with our sins and imperfections. If we truly strive to follow and obey Him, He will bless us and purify us by His wondrous power. We do not need to purify ourselves before we come to God. Which is a good thing because we are not truly capable of doing so. It is only by the action of God’s Spirit and through the blood of Christ that we are able to be purified enough to approach God.
***
When the people returned to their homes after the Passover, they destroyed the Asherah poles and removed the shrines and altars to pagan gods. Even the people from the Northern Kingdom did this upon their return home (although the passage suggests that many of them remained in the Kingdom of Judah). The people responded enthusiastically to Hezekiah’s religious reforms.
Hezekiah assigned the priests to work full-time offering sacrifices and leading worship in the Temple. He sent out word that the people of Jerusalem were to bring a portion of their goods to the priests and Levites so that they would not need to stop caring for the Temple to care for themselves. When the people of Israel heard of this proclamation, they began to enthusiastically bring goods for the Temple workers even though Hezekiah’s edict only extended to the people of Jerusalem.
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I am praying for a revival today like the one experienced under Hezekiah, but not only in Judah, or Israel, but throughout the entire planet. I am striving to pray every day for the Holy Spirit to rain down on the earth and open the flood gates into people’s hearts.
Another shot of the butterfly bush earning its name
Continuing on his theme from yesterday, Paul tells those of us who are strong in faith that we should bear with those who have weaker faith. In the context of yesterday’s passage, I would interpret this to mean that if we believe that some behavior is OK, but our fellow believer believes it to be a sin, we should not try to convince them to do that behavior, nor should we practice that behavior in front of them. Of course, the way Paul phrases his instruction raises the question as to who has the stronger faith? Well, the answer should be, since we should defer to those whose faith is stronger than our own on matters of faith, that if we think that someone else is mistaken in a matter of faith we must be the one whose faith is stronger and we are the one under obligation to bear with their failings of faith (of course, the same logic applies to the other party as well). Paul concludes this teaching by telling us that as followers of Christ we should live in harmony with our fellow believers. Our goal as Christians is to join together with one voice to praise God and bring glory to His name.
Paul concludes the teaching part of his letter by saying that he is confident that the readers of his letter are filled with knowledge and perfectly capable of teaching one another the Truths of God. He is merely writing to cover a few points which he considers worthy of special emphasis. He notes that his authority to make this emphasis is because God has appointed him as an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul tells us that while he is enthusiastic about what God has done through him, he does not want any special praise himself. Rather, we should praise God for what He has done.
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As I write these blogs, I try very hard to remember to give all credit to God. If by some chance, someone reading this is blessed by what I have written, then praise God. That is not of any credit to me. While I believe myself to be a moderately good writer, even that skill is merely a gift which God has given me. Indeed, I have found that when I make an effort to do something to make my blog something special are the days when I get the fewest hits. Instead, it is the days when I struggle with getting my thoughts to be coherent that are the days when God brings more people to read what I have written (not that even on the best days is my audience size anything to brag about). I would love to have a large audience for my writings, but I know full well that if that were to happen it would be because God has chosen to work through my writings in that manner, not because I am such a gifted writer.
I am tempted to take that last paragraph out because as I re-read it it sounds like I am denigrating my ability as a writer and that would be incorrect. I think that I am a talented writer (please do not tell me if you disagree…or even if you agree). My point is that no matter how talented a writer I may be, that talent itself comes from God AND I will only gather a large following for my writing if God chooses to guide people to them. All-in-all my goal with this writing is to bring glory to God and gain a more in depth understanding of the Bible by attempting to share what God reveals to me in my writing.
Another view of the butterfly on the butterfly bush
Once again the psalm starts with a statement I want to live my life by (NIV):
In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
I fully believe that no one who trusts in God will ever be put to shame. He will show me the path I should follow. God is a friend to those who fear Him and will guide them in the path that leads to life. He will guide me to do right as long as I remain humble and contrite, for whenever I lose my humility I sin. If I can keep my eyes on the Lord, I will not go wrong again (keeping my eyes on the Lord is a challenge for me).
Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
Those who sleep when there is work to be done will find themselves in poverty, but if we spend our time looking for the things that need to be done, we will have plenty. Someone haggling over price will talk down what they are buying, then brag about how great it is once they have bought it. Wealth is more readily found and obtained than knowledge and wisdom.
