Tag Archives: Psalm 29:1-11

Daily Bible Study

February 5, 2015 Bible Study — Are You Looking Forward To Jesus’ Return?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 7:6-23

    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.

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Psalm 29:1-11

    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.

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Matthew 24:1-28

    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

Have you told the story today?

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Exodus 21:22-23:13

    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.
    

Daily Bible Study

August 7, 2014 Bible Study — To Be Truly Wise, Become a Fool

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 20:26-27

    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.

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Psalm 29:1-11

    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.

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1 Corinthians 3:5-23

    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.

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Ezra 4:24-6:22

    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.

Daily Bible Study

February 5, 2014 Bible Study — Honor The Lord

     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.

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Proverbs 7:6-23

     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.

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Psalm 29:1-11

     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.


It was by His voice that He created the Universe.

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Matthew 24:1-28

     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.

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Exodus 21:22-23:13

     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.

Daily Bible Study

August 7, 2013 Bible Study –Building the Temple of 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.

Magrat stalks a leaf
Magrat stalks a leaf

Ezra 4:24-6:22

     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
Magrat pounces

1 Corinthians 3:5-23

     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.

Magrat plays with her captured leaf
Magrat plays with her captured leaf

Psalm 29:1-11

     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.

Magrat poses for the camera
Magrat poses for the camera

Proverbs 20:26-27

     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.

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Daily Bible Study

February 5, 2013 Bible Study — Laws For a Just Society

     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.

Playing Pan Pipes in Worship
Playing Pan Pipes in Worship

Exodus 21:22-23:13

     The first interesting thing I noticed in this passage was that the idea of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” is placed here in the context of people fighting and a pregnant woman getting hit and caused to give birth prematurely. The passage says that if no serious injury occurs, the one who hit the woman must pay a fine determined by the woman’s husband and allowed by the court. However, in this situation if there is serious injury, the offender is to suffer loss of life for loss of life, loss of eye for the loss of an eye, etc. This is not a command for general situations where someone causes injury to someone else, but for a case where people are fighting and one of them causes injury to a pregnant woman, and/or her child.
     Yesterday’s passage had a command that is often used to condemn Old Testament law. It said that if someone beat their slave and caused injury, but the slave recovered after a few days there should be no punishment. However, in today’s passage we have more on the treatment of slaves. In today’s passage, the command is that if a master knocks out the eye or tooth of their slave, they must set the slave free to compensate the slave for the loss. The passage goes on to suggest that people not be held accountable for the unpredictable behavior of the animals they own. However, if an animal repeatedly demonstrates a tendency to attack people or other animals and the owner allows it to do so again, then the owner shall be held responsible for the damages. Overall, this passage consists of a series of commands about taking responsibility for one’s actions.
     There are a few of the commands here that I think are worthy of emphasis. The first is one that is stated twice in this passage: Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner. The passage offers an explanation for this command. It reminds the people that they were foreigners in Egypt and know how it feels to be a foreigner. Another is a warning not to take advantage of widows or the fatherless. God promises that if this warning is not heeded He will avenge them. The final is two passages that I feel make a matched set. The first tells us not to follow the crowd when it favors doing wrong and most definitely to not show favoritism to the poor in a lawsuit. The second says that we should not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. I think these two show two problems that societies often have…as a matter of fact, I think that societies often have both of them. That is, there is often a tendency to weigh the scales of justice in favor of the poor over the rich in highly publicized cases, while in cases that are out of the limelight, the poor often have trouble receiving justice in the courts. I think there is a principle here about how we should treat people in general. We should show the same level of respect for the opinions offered by all people regardless of their economic situation.

Pontificating over the fire
Pontificating over the fire

Matthew 24:1-28

     As Jesus was leaving the Temple area, His disciples pointed out the wonderful architecture of the various buildings. Jesus responds by telling them that these wonderful buildings will be completely destroyed. His disciples then asked Him a question that has led to many misunderstandings. They asked Him when that would happen and what would be the signs of His return and the end of the age? Jesus’ answer as recorded by the Gospel writer clearly refers to the coming Jewish revolt that culminated with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. To what extent this reads this way because the Gospel writer saw Jesus’ prophecy applying to what was going on when he wrote the gospel (I believe that the Gospel was written sometime around 60 AD and thus the writer would have been aware of the rising unrest in Judea) or because that was the focus of Jesus’ answer, I do not know. However, that being said, I do believe that a large part of what Jesus was saying was about the coming Jewish revolt against the Romans and what was going to happen in the days leading up to it (which would answer the first part of the disciples’ question).
     All of that being said, there are some important points to be noticed here. One of those points is that many will come claiming to be the Messiah, the one who will save us from troubled times. They will perform great signs and wonders in order to deceive. And many will be deceived by them. In addition there will be people proclaiming that this person or that person is the Messiah. Some will proclaim someone who is preaching in the wilderness, who is an outsider, as the Messiah. Others will proclaim someone who is in the “inner rooms”, which I take to mean a religious or political insider/power broker, as the Messiah. Jesus warns us to believe none of them. Another important point is that those who remain faithful to His teachings will be hated and persecuted. He tells us that many will turn away from the faith, that many will lose their love for God because of the increase in wickedness around them. Yet despite all of the trials and troubles for those who believe, the Gospel will be preached throughout the entire world.

Another Picture of Variegated Amaryllis
Another Picture of Variegated Amaryllis

Psalm 29:1-11

     Today we have a psalm of praise. The psalmist tells us that the voice of the Lord is powerful and can be heard over roaring waters (such as the sound of waves breaking on the beach or a mighty waterfall). The sound of the Lord’s voice is powerful, it can shatter mighty trees and cause the ground to shake. I will give praise to the Lord because His word shakes the earth to its core.

What can I say? I like pictures of snow
What can I say? I like pictures of snow

Proverbs 7:6-23

     Once again the proverb writer talks about the danger of adultery. I have not kept careful track, but I am in the seventh chapter of Proverbs and the overwhelming majority of what I have read thus far in the book is a warning against committing adultery. I think this tells us something about the importance of sexual fidelity to our marriages…and avoiding sexual relationships with those married to others.

Daily Bible Study

August 7, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

Ezra 4:24-6:22

     As a result of the actions of the surrounding peoples, construction on the Temple was halted. However, when Darius became king of Persia two prophets rose up and encouraged the leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem and Judah to resume rebuilding the Temple. Officials from the provincial government established by the Persians soon arrive and demand who authorized the Temple work. The Jews claimed authorization by Cyrus.
     The Persian officials were skeptical, but the Jews provided enough evidence that they sent to the Persian capital for confirmation. When the officials’ letter arrived in the Persian capital, Darius ordered a search of the archives to see if Cyrus had indeed ordered the rebuilding of the Temple. When the record of Cyrus’ order was found, Darius ordered the provincial officials to not only allow the Jews to build in peace, but to provide financial assistance out of the taxes they were collecting for the Persian Empire. As a result, Temple reconstruction continued and it was rebuilt.
     When the Jews completed work on the Temple, they held a celebration to dedicate it once again. The following month they had a Passover celebration in the new Temple. The priests and Levites had purified themselves. They slaughtered the Passover lambs for all of the people who took part in this Passover celebration, which included some of the local people who had given up pagan practices. It is interesting to note that although the Jews had rejected the help of leaders of the surrounding people in rebuilding the Temple when they started, they accepted the local people into the Temple worship if those people chose to follow the Law.

1 Corinthians 3:5-23

     Paul continues his discussion of the foolishness of dividing along lines according to which teacher of the Gospel one followed. Paul tells them that it makes no difference which teacher they learn from as long as that teacher bases his teaching on Jesus. Paul compares our lives of faith to a building, as long as the building is built on a solid foundation, it will survive. If the materials used to build are perishable the building may be destroyed but if the builder built on the foundation of Jesus, they will survive.
     Paul wraps up this section of his writing by telling us that the body of believers as a whole is a temple to God. Anyone who destroys this temple of believers by disrupting its unity will be destroyed by God. Paul tells us not to boast in following a human leader. That we should take anything that will build our faith from any teacher who bases their teachings on Jesus.

Psalm 29:1-11

     God’s voice is loud and powerful. When He wishes He will be heard now matter how loud the other noises that attempt to drown Him out. When God shouts, the earth trembles and mighty trees split asunder. Let us praise Him that He uses this strength for the good of those who love Him.

Proverbs 20:26-27

     The first proverb tells us that a wise ruler drives the wicked from his land. The wicked will destroy the land and bring destruction upon the rulers who shelter them. The second proverb tells us that God looks into our inmost being. It is not dark to the Lord.