For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 20:16-18

    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).

Psalm 25:16-22

    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.

Romans 15:23-16:9

    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.

2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13

    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.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 20:16-18

    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.

Psalm 25:16-22

    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.

Romans 15:23-16:9

    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.

2 Chronicles 32-33:13

    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.

     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.

2 Chronicles 32-33:13

     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.

Romans 15:23-16:9

     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.
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     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.

Psalm 25:16-22

     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.

Proverbs 20:16-18

     If you want your plans to be successful, seek advice. It is only by listening to good advice that one can make plans that will succeed.

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