When the wicked start forming alliances among themselves a wise ruler acts to break those groups up and bring as many of the wicked to justice as possible. He does not allow the wicked to thrive and build organizations unopposed. A wise ruler realizes that if he allows the wicked to do so it is only a matter of time until they will challenge his authority and seek to replace him. If they have been allowed to get too strong, they will succeed.
Let us honor and worship the Lord. I cannot do justice to the image which the psalmist creates as he describes the power and glory of God. Read this psalm today and meditate on what a great God we serve.
It does not matter which teacher you learned from/follow. It does not matter what denomination you are a member of. That teacher, the founder of that denomination is a servant of God, spreading His message, or they are not. Find out what message God sent through every teacher who serves Him. Some plant, some water, some provide nutrients necessary for growth, but it is God who makes things grow.
Paul then switches metaphors from growing plants to building a building. If we desire to build something worthy of heaven we must build on the foundation which is Jesus Christ. There are no other foundations which will produce a building which will stand the test. The foundation has already been laid by those who have gone before. It actually just occurred to me how this passage applies to evaluating teachers and religious groups. When you examine the teachings of a particular teacher, or the founder(s) of a denomination, are they building on the foundation which is already laid? Or are they attempting to lay an entirely new foundation? If they are laying a new foundation, run away from them as fast as you can, no matter how beautiful the structure they are building appears.
Paul goes on to speak about how different builders use different materials. Those who use more durable materials will build something which lasts, but even those who use less durable materials will survive, so long as they built on the foundation which is Jesus Christ.
In yesterday’s passage, those who opposed the rebuilding of the Temple were able to obtain orders to prevent its building by asking the authorities to check the records about Jerusalem and Judah being a rebellious province. A search of the Babylonian records indicated that such was indeed the case. Thus a halt was ordered to construction of the Temple. In today’s passage, we are told how the Jews referenced Cyus’ order to build the Temple and asked for the archives to be search. As a result, not only were they ordered to resume building, but those who had opposed their actions were ordered to support them in every way they were able. These two passages highlight the importance of how an argument is framed. Let us follow the Spirit’s lead so that we may put the task God has given us in the best possible light.
The proverb writer continues his warnings against being seduced into immorality. He tells us that only the truly naive are fooled by its empty promises.
As I read this psalm and it talked about how God’s voice shatters cedars and makes mountains dance I thought about when God spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper. This psalm and that passage from 1 Kings are talking about the same voice of God. It is the same God who thunders and who speaks with the still, small voice. Let us listen to what He has to say, whichever way He chooses to speak.
When Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds He said that the Temple and all of its associated buildings would be completely torn down. As soon as they got some place away from the crowds His disciples asked Him when that would happen. However, while they thought they were asking Him a single question, they actually asked Him two or three questions. They asked Him when the destruction of the Temple would happen, what the signal for His return would be, a the sign of the coming end of the world. We generally think of these last two as being different ways of asking the same question, but His disciples thought the first was asking the same question as well. Part of the reason we have so much trouble figuring out what Jesus was saying here comes from the fact that He was answering all three of these questions at once.
Jesus tells us that there will be wars and threats of wars, that many will come in His name claiming to be Him. Then His followers will be hated and arrested for following Him. He warns us that many will turn away from Him. Jesus warns that false prophets and false messiahs will rise up, performing signs and wonders which will deceive many. We have been warned. There is some positive news here as well. It is only after the Gospel has been preached throughout the whole earth and all peoples have had a chance to hear it that the end will come.
This passage for me tells of one of the great differences between Muslims and Christians. Both believe they should strive to hasten the end of the world. Muslims believe they should hasten the end by preparing for and, when ready, initiating Armageddon. Christians believe that they should hasten the end of the world by seeking out those who have yet to hear the Gospel in order to tell it to them. This reminds me of the line from the song “I Love to Tell the Story”:
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The element in these laws which struck me today was how these laws were designed to hold people accountable to take responsibility for things. “If an ox gores…the owner will not be held liable…But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring and the owner had been informed.” In the latter case, the owner was to be held accountable as if himself had gored the person. You cannot avoid responsibility by claiming, “It’s not my doing. The animal got out and killed him.” If you knew your animal might do that sort of thing, it is your responsibility to make sure that it is contained so that it cannot do so. If you fail in your responsibility, you will be treated as if you did it on purpose.
Government officials who seek the good of their people and land will not allow the wicked to band together. Rather in the interest of the people he governs, and in his own interest, he will scatter the wicked and then crush those he can catch.
The light of God’s Spirit will penetrate our innermost being, revealing secrets and motives we did not realize we possessed.
The psalmist calls on us to honour the Lord (the translation notes mention that the phrase rendered “heavenly beings” could be translated “Sons of God”). We should honour god for His glory and His strength. The psalmist reminds us that the voice of the Lord can transform the world. It can split mighty trees and twist them to His will. It can strike like lightning and cause the earth to quake. Let us remember this when we see injustice and oppression in the world. When we speak God’s words, we are speaking with the voice of God which has the power to transform the world. We may be weak and powerless in the eyes of this world, but when we allow God’s Spirit to move through us, the earth will be shaken to its core.
Those of us who are called to preach and teach the Gospel (which to at least some degree is all of us) need to remember Paul’s humility here. Some need to plant the seed, introduce people to the Gospel message. Others need to water that seed, teach people how to follow the Gospel and be disciples of Jesus. But in either case, it is God who causes the seed to grow. It does not matter who first introduces someone to the Gospel, nor does it matter who teaches them how to follow God. Both such people are merely God’s servants, doing as they have been instructed. The glory and praise belongs to God who sent them.
Paul then changes metaphor to that of building. There is only one foundation on which we can build anything lasting. As long as we build on that foundation, which is Jesus Christ, we will be saved. We can use any materials we like. However, our building will be tried by fire, if it survives we will be rewarded. But even if it does not, as long as we built on that firm foundation we will receive salvation.
Paul concludes this whole lesson (going back to the passage we covered yesterday) by reminding us that if we think we are wise using the world’s standards of wisdom, we are deceiving ourselves. If we want to be truly wise we must be willing to become fools according to the way the world measures things.
Because the returned Exiles had refused the assistance of those who lived around them when they returned, work on rebuilding the Temple was delayed for many years. When Darius became king of Persia, God sent prophets who inspired those who by then were leading the people to resume construction. When the officials set by the Persians to rule the area discovered that work had resumed, they demanded to know by what authority the Exiles were doing this. The Exiles referenced Cyrus’ proclamation and continued to work. The officials sent word to Darius requesting a ruling. Darius replied that not only was the work not to be obstructed, but that the local officials were to supply resources to aid in the construction. If we are faithful, God will cause even those who oppose us to aid us in serving His purposes.
I am trying something different. Previously, I have always placed my comments on the passage in the order Old Testament passage, New Testament passage, Psalm, Proverb. For the near future I am going to post them in the order in which I prepare the comments. This is likely to be the reverse of how I was doing it, but I foresee changing it up depending on what strikes me first. Please let me know what you think of this change.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
I read today’s passage from proverbs several times because I was bothered by the emphasis on the woman leading the man astray which the proverb writer seems to emphasize a lot. Then I noticed something, the proverb writer points out that the young man lacked sense. He then described how the young man walked in the direction of “her house”. While the woman came out to meet him and seduced him, he went looking for her in the first place. This is like so many of our sins, we blame the source of temptation, even though we intentionally put ourselves in a position to be tempted.
The psalmist calls on heavenly beings to honor the Lord for His glory and His power. The psalmist reminds us that the mere voice of the Lord has power.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
As Jesus left the Temple He told His disciples that the time was coming when the Temple would be completely torn down. When they were alone with Jesus they asked Him when that would happen. Jesus answered their question by telling them that many would come claiming to be the Messiah. He also told them that their would be wars and rumors of wars. Then He told them (and us) not to be alarmed. He tells them (and us) that many trials and tribulations will come. His followers will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. False prophets will arise and deceive many. Most importantly, the Gospel will be preached to all parts of the world. There will be false prophets and false messiahs who perform great signs which will deceive even some who are among God’s elect (the implication is that the deception of God’s elect will be short-lived). Jesus warns us that when He returns there will be no mistaking it, everyone will know.
I believe that much of what Jesus is talking about in this passage applies to what happened leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.. However, I, also, believe that significant portions of it apply to us up until the time when Jesus returns. If we remain faithful we will face persecution. There will be many who will attempt to deceive us (and others) into believing things contrary to what Jesus taught. Most importantly, there will be no question in anyone’s mind when Jesus returns, we do not need to fear that He returned and we missed it.
When God gave commands to the people of Israel concerning justice in their courts, He emphasized the importance of not favoring someone just because they are poor. He warns them against slanting their testimony in favor of the poor. In the same section He commanded them not to be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. It is only after commanding us to return even our enemies property that we find mislaid (or wandered off in the case of animals) and to help when we see someone whose animal is overburdened (this command seems to me to extend to helping someone whose car has broken down) that He commands us to be sure to give justice to the poor in lawsuits. All in all these commands emphasize the importance of the law being applied with an even hand to both the rich and poor, to the powerful and to the helpless.
Do not spread false reports
Do not lie on the witness stand
Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong
Do not twist your testimony in order to side with the crowd
Do not show favoritism to the poor
If you see your enemy having problems, help him/her
Do not deny the poor justice
Avoid false charges
Do not take bribes
Do not oppress the foreigner
There is a thread about how the law should be the same for everyone running through these commands.
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.
Due to the opposition of the surrounding peoples, work on rebuilding the Temple was stopped for some time, until the second year of King Darius’ reign in Persia. At that time two prophets began prophesying in Judah and Jerusalem. They inspired the leaders of the people to resume work on the Temple. When the regional officials of the Persian Empire learned of this they came to investigate. They asked the Jews who had given them permission to do this work and demanded the names of those involved. The Jews responded that King Cyrus had ordered the reconstruction of the Temple. The regional officials sent a letter to Darius requesting that the claim be investigated and that Darius issue a ruling on the matter. After an extensive search of the Persian archives, King Darius sent back a reply that King Cyrus had indeed ordered the Temple rebuilt. Darius ordered the regional officials to not interfere with the Jewish efforts to rebuild the Temple. In addition, Darius ordered that the full construction costs be paid out of the taxes collected for the Empire, including the costs to support the priests living at the Temple. This latter was done in order that the priests might offer sacrifices and prayers on behalf of Darius and his sons.
The Jewish people were much encouraged by this news and by the prophets who had inspired them to resume work on the Temple. The reconstruction of the Temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius’ reign. Upon completion of the Temple, they held a massive celebration dedicating the Temple to the worship of God. A little over a month later they celebrated the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread at the Temple.
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While discussing the Passover celebration conducted at the restored Temple there is an interesting phrase: “The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their immoral customs to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.” This stands, for me, in contrast to the earlier rejection of help from the people living in the land when the returned exiles first began rebuilding the Temple. I don’t think one can make much from either passage because there is insufficient information about what happened. However, I would point out that successful completion of God’s work involved embracing all of those who chose to join in dedicating themselves to serving God.
Magrat pounces
Paul continues his commentary against division in the Church by asking who Apollos is? Or who he himself really is? This is a rhetorical question because Paul immediately answers it. They are both merely God’s servants, doing the work which God assigned to them. Paul planted the seed of the Gospel and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made the plants of faith grow. It is not the one who plants, nor is it the one who waters, who is important. Rather it is God, who makes the seed grow, that is important. The one who plants and the one who waters work together to serve God’s purpose.
Now Paul changes his metaphor (and to a degree the message he is giving). He tells them that, by the grace of God, he was the one who laid the foundation of the faith of those in Corinth. Those who are building on that foundation need to be careful because there is no foundation on which to build aside from Jesus Christ. And here Paul tweaks his metaphor a little further and changes focus from those on the outside (himself, Apollos, Peter) to the individual. We can build on the foundation using many different types of materials of varying durability and quality. On judgment day what we have built will face testing, as if by fire. If we have used quality, durable materials, what we have built will last and we will be rewarded. But even if we have used inferior materials and what we have built is destroyed, as long as we have built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, we will be saved, even if in the latter case it is as if we had passed through a wall of flame.
All of those who truly follow Jesus are, together, God’s Temple. Anyone who destroys the unity of the Church will face God’s wrath. If we think of ourselves as wise, we are fools. The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s eyes. We should not seek to boast of the wisdom we have acquired from listening to the teachings of a particular teacher. Rather we should listen to all who base their teaching on Jesus Christ and learn the wisdom which God intends to reveal to us through those teachings. The key aspect is making sure that the teachings are based on Jesus. Some of those teachings will be of higher quality and more enduring than others, but all can be useful for building a structure for worshiping God.
The psalmist calls for “heavenly beings” to honor God. The translation notes for the NLT says that the Hebrew translated as “heavenly beings” literally means “sons of God”. To me that says that the psalmist is telling those of us who are following Christ, whom Paul says are the children of God, to honor God for the glory of His name and worship Him for the splendor of His holiness. If we wish to be in God’s Temple, to be part of the Church, which is God’s Temple, then we need cry “Glory” when God speaks.
A wise ruler removes the wicked from among his subjects, because, sooner or later, they will bring about his downfall and that of his nation. Our very spirit provides the light which allows God to see into the very depths of our being so that He can understand what drives us.
