Tag Archives: Psalm 38

Daily Bible Study

August 23, 2015 Bible Study — The Material Is Not All That There Is

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:28-29

    Once you have a reputation for lying no one will listen to what you say, no matter what evidence you provide. On the other hand, those with a reputation for telling the truth will be listened to carefully, no matter how unlikely the story they tell. The wicked think they can fake their way through everything. The virtuous make a plan before taking action.

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Psalm 38

    The beginning of this psalm represents how we should feel after we have sinned. The ending of this psalm should be how we face those who oppose us. We should act so that they do not have reason to hate us, knowing they will do so anyway. It is for God to answer their attacks. We do not need to strike them down for their evil. Let us turn to God, remembering that if we repent from our sins, He will defend us from the attacks of those who hate us.

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1 Corinthians 15:1-28

    There are two aspects to this passage. First, Paul makes the argument as to why it is not ridiculous to believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead. Paul tells us that our risen Lord was seen by a large number of people, including himself. It is an argument for why it is rational to believe the New Testament account of Jesus. I will not go into a lot of detail on that today, a much better job is done elsewhere (“The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel being one of my favorites). However, one of the arguments I want to address. I am often asked why there are no accounts of Jesus’ life from non-believers. My answer to that is this; if you witnessed what Jesus did and recognized the significance of His actions, how could you remain a non-believer? Or, looking at it from the other side, if you were a non-believer, why would you think His actions were of any significance?
    Paul goes on to argue against those who say that there is no resurrection of the dead, that the Gospel message is about this life and nothing more. Paul points out that if there is no resurrection of the dead, than Christ did not rise from the dead. If Christ did not rise from the dead, than all of Paul’s teachings (and the teachings of the rest of the Church) were based on lies. Which would mean that the Gospel itself is based on a lie and thus a lie. Either Christ rose from the dead, and those who follow Him will be raised from the dead, or the entirety of Christian teaching is worthless. Either there is more to this world than the material, or nothing has any meaning whatsoever.

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Job 8-11

    Reading the book of Job is always a struggle. Job’s friends say some things which resonate with us as true. Yet, in the end God tells them they were wrong. In today’s passage both Bildad and Zophar assume that Job must have sinned because he is suffering. They assume that because he is suffering, he must be guilty. While it is true that if we are suffering we should examine our lives to see if we have done anything to cause that suffering, it is also true that we should not assume that because someone is suffering they must have done something to bring that suffering about.
    Job’s speech in this passage is an important one to take note of. Job tells us that while God carefully formed us for a purpose, this life is hard, even if we do the right things. There is punishment for doing wrong, but the reward for doing right is more work. When we look at this life from the perspective of this world, with the idea that the material is all that there is, it is depressing. What is the point?

Daily Bible Study

February 21, 2015 Bible Study — Don’t Be Afraid. Just Have Faith

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 10:8-9

    The wise are happy to listen to what others have to say, in the hope that they might learn something. Fools are too busy telling everyone what they already know to learn anything new. The result is that the fools will fall flat on their faith, tripping over obstacles that others had tried to warn them of.
    Those who are clear and honest about their goals can walk safely, but those who dodge and weave in an attempt to conceal their intentions will be exposed for the liars they are.

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Psalm 38:1-22

    Let us confess our sins and acknowledge to ways in which our suffering is a result of those sins. It is only when we do so, and truly regret our sins, that we will be prepared to receive God’s healing. That healing may not come at once, but let us remain silent before God until He sends us that healing. Let us not complain when we suffer because of our own sins.

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Mark 5:21-43

    In today’s passage we have two people who are desperate for Jesus’ healing power. We have a father who asked Jesus to heal his daughter and a woman who believed that just touching Jesus’ robe would bring her healing. The woman discovered that there is more to receiving healing from Jesus than just touching His robe and going on your way. Even though she just wanted to touch His robe and move on, healed, Jesus demonstrated that He truly cared about those He healed. Even if we do not ask for it, Jesus will take the time to acknowledge each and every person whose life He touches.
    Jairus was willing to face the ridicule of those around him to see his daughter healed. When the crowd laughed at Jesus, Jairus did not waiver. Even after it was reported to him that his daughter was dead, he continued to have faith that Jesus could heal her. Those who brought the news of her death told Jairus to stop bothering Jesus, there was nothing He could do now. Jesus told Jairus not to be afraid, to just have faith. That message is for us as well. In the face of death, we need not fear, we just need to have faith.

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Leviticus 11-12:8

    This passage contains instructions regarding what food the Israelites were allowed to eat and how to treat a woman after childbirth. It was not a revelation to me that the food rules were common sense instructions on how to avoid sickness. With a little thought it becomes clear that the instructions on what animals to eat, or not eat, and on handling the dead bodies of such animals, are health related. There may be exceptions, but there are many animals that fit the description of those they were not allowed to eat that present health risks if eaten.
    The thing that caught my attention was that, by declaring a woman “unclean” for a period of time after childbirth, this passage gives a new mother time to rest and recover from childbirth AND time to bond with her new baby. In addition, by giving extra time for the birth of a daughter, the passage encourages a mother to spend more time with a daughter than with a son. This is significant in a society which often held women and girls as of less value than men and boys.

Daily Bible Study

August 23, 2014 Bible Study –Without Resurrection, the Gospel Is Tragedy

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:28-29

    These two parables are more closely linked than they at first appear. Those who rely on the word of the wicked will believe and testify to things which are not true, but those who listen carefully will be able to distinguish between the bravado of the wicked and the confidence of the righteous. The wicked will put up a false front while the righteous will think carefully before assessing a problem.

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Psalm 38:1-22

    The psalmist recognizes that he is suffering because he sinned against God, but has turned back to God and begged His forgiveness. The wicked will seize upon our every misstep and attempt to use it against us in order to discredit whatever good we have done. If we confess our sins and turn to God, He will come to our rescue and aid us in accomplishing His will.

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1 Corinthians 15:1-28

    In this passage Paul gives us the core of the Gospel message, without which everything else is worthless. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. If there is no resurrection from the dead than the Gospel message is null and void. If no one rises from the dead, than Jesus did not rise from the dead. If those who preached the Gospel from the beginning were lying about the resurrection, than they are liars, not teachers of a great moral philosophy. Moreover, while the message being taught by Paul and the Christian Church today has value to us in this life, if this life is all there is, it is a terrible tragedy to accept suffering in order to be faithful to the message.
    However, Jesus did indeed rise from the dead. As a result, all of those who worship and follow Him will be raised from the dead when He returns. When the time is fulfilled and everything has been made subject to Christ, He will make entropy (which is, in a way, another word for death) no more.

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Job 8-11:20

    The book of Job is a great example of the importance of reading the Bible through regularly. Job’s friends say some things which have the ring of truth. Job’s friends repeatedly tell him that if only he would confess his sins and get right with God, all would be well. Certainly, it is good advice to tell someone to confess their sins and get right with God. However, Job repeatedly asks them to point out what sins he had committed. Job goes further and tells us that it is not possible for anyone to be truly righteous before God. Job asks the question that we all ask at some point, to one degree or another, wouldn’t we be better off if we were never born if we are going to suffer this much? This part of Job is the perfect counterpoint to the point which Paul was making about resurrection in today’s passage. Life is truly not worth living if this life is all that there is.

Daily Bible Study

February 21, 2014 Bible Study — Just Have Faith

     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 10:8-9

     If you are trying to decide if you are wise or foolish, ask yourself this question, how do you feel about someone giving you instructions? Are you happy to listen to(and follow) those instructions? Or are you too busy telling them what you think about the subject?

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Psalm 38:1-22

     Do we feel about our sins the way the psalmist felt about his? Does the very thought of our sins make us physically sick? Are we willing to confess our sins? Do we feel remorse and sorrow for them? Do we turn to God and ask Him for His forgiveness?

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Mark 5:21-43

     This passage contains two stories of faith. The first is a father who is desperate to save his daughter. the second is a woman who had been suffering for years. In both cases they turned to Jesus. The woman’s thought was, “If I can just touch His rob, I will be healed.” Do we have that kind of faith? There is a truth here that we all need to remember. If we get close to Jesus and “touch His robe” we will be healed. Do we desire Jesus’ touch the way this woman did? There is something more for us to see here as well. When the woman came to Jesus, her suffering was over because of her faith. She had faith that Jesus could relieve her suffering and as a result He did. Do we have faith that Jesus can relieve our suffering?
     In the other story, people came to the father and told him it was too late, that not even Jesus could help any longer. Jesus had a message for him, them, and us. “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” No matter how bad things appear. Do not let people tell you it is too late. Just have faith. The crowd may laugh at us, but Jesus’ touch can make things better, no matter how far gone it all is. Everyone thought the man’s daughter was dead, but Jesus said she was sleeping. He took her hand, told her to get up, and she got up and walked around. If we know those who need Jesus’ touch, let us have faith that He can heal them. It is never too late for them to take His hand. Two people were healed in this story. One went to Jesus, touched Him and was healed. For the second, someone brought Jesus to them, He touched them and they were healed. Do you need healing? Go to Jesus and reach out to Him. He will heal you. Do you know someone who needs healing? Bring Jesus to them. He will reach out to them and heal them. In either case, just have faith.

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Leviticus 11-12:8

     This passage gave the people of interest a list of animals they could and could not eat. In addition to listing many of the animals they were allowed and not allowed to eat, the passage explained what distinguished between these groups, going so far as to offer examples. Looking at the list it quickly becomes apparent that those which they were not allowed to eat posed a significant health risk if eaten (especially when we consider the food storage and preparation techniques available to them). In the modern day we have seen why it is not a good idea to eat just any animal. There have been several outbreaks of disease that resulted from people eating animals that it is unwise to eat. One interesting things about these outbreaks is that they were not the result of the impoverished eating whatever they could lay their hands on. Rather most(if not all) of them were the result of people who were eating these creatures as a delicacy.

Daily Bible Study

August 23, 2013 Bible Study — Christ Has Indeed Been Raised From the Dead

     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.

Panzenella
Panzenella

Job 8-11:20

     Bildad is the next of Job’s friends to reply to him. Bildad starts by saying that Job’s children must have sinned and thus deserved to die. He then goes on to state some truths about this life. He says that those who forget God are like marsh grass without water, they quickly wither. In addition, he tells Job that the hopes of the godless soon evaporate. They cling to things which will not last for security, but those things will not hold. Finally, he tells Job that God will not reject a person of integrity.
     Job responds that he accepts what Bildad has said is true, but how does that help him? Job complains that he has no way to make his case before God. Job says that God is so much greater than any human that we cannot help but be in terror of God when we come into His presence. He wishes for a mediator between God and man, so that we would not need to speak before God in our own strength. The message of the Gospel is that there is such a mediator, Jesus Christ. Job then accuses God of creating him in order to find him guilty of some sin. Job begins to complain against God.
     It is now Zophar’s turn to answer Job. Zophar begins by telling Job that God is surely punishing him less than he deserves. Zophar tells Job that he must surely be guilty of some great sin to be suffering as he is. He then goes on to make a good point. God is so much greater than we are that it is impossible for us to ever fully comprehend why God is doing the things that He does. Our finite minds do not have the capacity to understand the reasons that motivate an infinite God. There comes a point where we must take it on faith that what God does is good.

Eating wine berries after work
Eating wine berries after work

1 Corinthians 15:1-28

     Paul now moves on to his next topic. He starts the topic by reminding them what he taught them as the Gospel from the beginning. That Gospel was that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead. Included in that was a list of people who had seen Him after He had had risen. At the end of that list was Paul himself,. Paul stated that he was not worthy of such an honor because of the way he had persecuted the Church. Despite the fact that he was unworthy, he preached the same message as the other apostles and that was the message which the Corinthian Church had believed.
     Paul now asks, since a basic element of the Gospel itself is that Jesus rose from the dead, how can some be teaching that there is no resurrection from the dead? If there is no resurrection from the dead, than Christ Himself could not have risen. If Christ has not risen from the dead, then those who have been preaching the Gospel are liars. If they are liars then nothing they have preached is of any value. If Christ was not raised, then the faith which the Corinthian Church had was useless. If our hope in Christ is only for this life, then those who rely on it are to be pitied more than any others.

***

     Every now and again I come upon someone who that if it was proved to them that Jesus never rose from the dead, it would not effect their faith. They always phrase it in such a manner as to imply that their faith is strong enough to withstand even such a challenge. However, if you probe a bit, carefully so as to not reveal that you completely agree with Paul, what you discover is that they do not really believe in anything miraculous, let alone resurrection from the dead.
     The point Paul makes here is that if Christ did not rise from the dead, then those who originally preached the Gospel were either liars, frauds, and con-men, or they were delusional. In either case, there is no way that the message they preached was of any value, since the heart of their message was that Jesus had risen from the dead. Everything else hung on that one fact. That was not the whole of the Gospel, but without it, none of the rest fits together.

Baked ziti
Baked ziti

Psalm 38:1-22

     The psalmist admits that he is suffering because of the wrong he has done. He calls out to God for redemption. God knows what he desires. His enemies are attempting to use his failings to undo all of the good he has done, but he will not give in to their desires. He has confessed his sin before God and regrets doing wrong. He will wait for the Lord to answer his cries and follow the instructions he receives from the Lord.

Pepper plant in bloom
Pepper plant in bloom

Proverbs 21:28-29

     A false witness will soon be found out, but those who listen to the truth a relay it to others will always be able to gain a hearing. The wicked attempt to make things up as they go along, but the virtuous are careful to plan to do what is right.