When the first person in a disagreement makes their case, they will sound like they have right on their side. However, that often does not last once those who disagree with them gets the chance to make their case. Always wait until you have heard both sides of a story before you choose a side in a disagreement.
Sometimes the only way to choose between two options is by chance such as flipping a coin. Sometimes we cannot tell which choice is the better. When such is the case, our best bet is to allow God to decide by using a random event to decide.
God will answer us when we call on Him. We should only be concerned as to whether or not He declares us innocent. If God declares us innocent the condemnation of mere men is of no consequence. There is a corollary to that statement. If God declares someone else innocent our condemnation of them is of no consequence. Therefore, we must no allow our anger to cause us to sin. Instead, when we are angry we should remain silent and think about our anger overnight.
I have never been able to see how the last insight in this psalm connects with the rest. However, the psalmist tells us that many people spend their lives seeking someone, or something, that will give them even more pleasure. Yet, if they would just be satisfied with the joy provided by God they would discover it to be greater than the pleasure brought by any amount of material wealth.
When the representatives of the Sanhedrin brought their case against Paul before the Roman governor, Paul was able to quickly, and easily, counter their claims. Paul then pointed out that those who had actually started the trouble were not even present. It was not convenient for those prosecuting Paul to have the people who started the riot present at his trial. They did not truly have a case against Paul, so they tried to build one out of rumour and innuendo. This is a tactic that is often tried against Christians. Paul did two things which we need to imitate when we are in similar positions. First, he did not allow the rumour and innuendo to stand. He flat out denied their accusations and demanded that they provide evidence to support those accusations. He could do this because the accusations were indeed false. Second, he used the opportunity to preach the Gospel.
Once more the Old Testament passage for today is a genealogy. I did not see anything in these genealogies that stood out to me today. However, I believe that God has a reason for them being here. It is why reading through the Bible every year is valuable. If I did not discipline myself to do so, I would not read these genealogies. For that matter if I was not looking for something to write in this blog, I would probably not read through these genealogies any way.
Wisdom is there to be found by any who seek her. It is not hidden and we do not have to go to far away exotic places to find it. Wisdom is there in our every day life just waiting for us to pay attention. No one is condemned to remaining foolish unless they choose to be so. It is up to us, we can choose to listen to wisdom or choose to ignore it.
The psalmist calls out to God when he needs relief from his troubles. He reminds us that God sets aside His faithful servants. Let us stop turning God’s glory into shame. It is time to give up delusions and false gods, those things which promise to give us what we want if only we turn to them rather than God. I will spend my nights searching my heart and seeking how I can better serve God tomorrow, rather than let my mind wander on to how I can satisfy my own pleasure.
The people of this world are seeking to follow the one who will give them prosperity and worldly pleasures. I will follow God because the joy of doing His will is greater than what I can get from material things. I will not let prosperity nor poverty distract me from seeking God’s face.
As I read the passage today, I saw something that had never really registered before. The passage tells us that when Jesus heard that Herod had arrested John the Baptist, He left Judea (where Herod ruled). I had read that before, but it was always just a comment about the order in which things happened. However, today I realized that Jesus left Judea because He (and probably His disciples) thought that Herod might follow up the arrest of John the Baptist by arresting Him. This tells us more than just that. Why would Jesus (and others) think that Herod might follow up John’s arrest by arresting Jesus? The answer is because people at the time viewed Jesus as being a leader of the same movement of which John was also a leader. There are other indications later in the New Testament that suggest that the followers of Jesus and the followers of John the Baptist considered themselves part of the same movement well after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Five months after the flood began, the Ark came to rest. It was another two and a half months before other mountain tops became visible. After forty more days, Noah released birds to see if there was dry ground. Seven days later, he released a dove. This dove did not return until the end of the day. When it returned it was carrying an olive branch. After another seven days, Noah released the dove again. This time it did not come back. At this point, Noah has been in the Ark, with his wife, three sons, and their wives (and maybe grandchildren) for over nine months. The passage tells us that Noah stayed in the Ark for over a year, until God told him it was time to leave it. I am not sure I would have been able to wait any longer after I saw that the ground was basically dry at around ten months. This passage reminds us of the importance of patience and waiting until God tells us that it is time to act.
Those who are generous will find that sometimes that generosity opens doors to opportunities that would otherwise be closed. A freely given gift may allow someone to gain access to the movers and shakers.
The second proverb reminds us of the importance of waiting until we hear both sides of the story before reaching a conclusion. The first person who tells us their side of the story will almost always sound right, but we often will discover that the answer is not so clear-cut when we hear how those on the other side of the dispute describe things. It is important to remember that it is possible that both sides of a dispute may have genuinely acted with the best intentions…based on information of which the other side was unaware (or because they were unaware of information available to the other side).
Let us call upon God to answer the charges against us when we are falsely accused of wrongdoing. God will vindicate us when people make up baseless slanders against us because we serve Him. He will expose their lies for the entire world to see. In the meantime we need to control our anger rather than allowing it to control us. When we become angry we should remain silent and sleep on what caused our anger before we speak or act.
Let us trust in God and offer sacrifices to Him in the right spirit. Always remember that doing God’s will brings greater joy than anything which can be purchased with wealth.
When Paul was on trial before Felix, the Jewish Council made a case against him that seemed fairly damning. However, Paul was able to show that the accusations they made against him were based on hearsay and innuendo and that the only people who might be able to actually make the case were not present. This case is a perfect illustration of our proverb from today.
Later, when Paul talked with Felix and his wife in private he discussed the connection between righteousness, self-control, and the coming day of judgement. Paul was apparently more convincing than Felix expected because he cut the discussion short. Luke’s description of what Paul said to Felix and his wife in private presents us with a different take on the Gospel message than we normally think of. The Gospel message, according to this passage, is about how righteousness and self-control are related to being prepared for God’s coming day of judgement. Are we prepared to talk to the unbelievers we know about the relationship between these three things?
This passage is one of the reasons I am doing this blog. This genealogy list is extremely dry reading and I have trouble reading through it. Today I will be perfectly honest that I was unable to discern any meanings from it that apply to my life. However, I did find it interesting that the account contained a list of descendants of the king of Judah taken into Babylonian exile.
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 in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
When the flood waters receded, Noah knew that God intended for him, and all of those with him, to get out of the boat. However, what he did is a great example for all of us. He did not immediately open up the boat and get out and he did not sit around waiting for God to tell him it was time. He sent out birds to see if they could find land. When one of the birds did not return, he realized that it was time to open up the boat, but not yet time to depart it. Having taken appropriate action, Noah was ready to hear God’s voice and leave the boat when it was finally time.
When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested, He left Judea and returned to Galilee. He then began preaching a message that was basically the same as that preached by the prophets, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” From time to time I come across some writer who claims to have this “shocking discovery” that Jesus’ message was not original. Every time I read this I have the same reaction, “Has this guy never read the Bible?” Jesus’ teaching was not novel and new. It was the culmination of the message God had been speaking through the prophets throughout history.
We have here Matthew’s account of the calling of the first disciples. When Jesus called out to Peter and Andrew, and then a short time later to James and John, they replied by dropping what they were doing and following Him. When Jesus calls out to us, are we willing to drop everything and follow Him? Will we change our plans because Jesus has called us to something different?
I really like the NIV take on the first two verses of this psalm. The psalmist asks how long will people turn his glory into shame? How long will they love delusions and seek lies? What is the psalmist’s glory? It is the worship of God and following His commands. Look around, how often do we hear people attempting to turn the desire to follow God’s will for your life into something to be ashamed of? How often do they attempt to delude themselves by substituting delusion and lies for the word of God?
In verse four the psalmist warns us against allowing anger to lead us into sin. Rather than act out of anger, we should take the time to sleep on it and keep our peace until God has revealed His will to us. When we are angered, we are to take our time and take our anger before God. Once we have considered all that God has for us, the kindness He has done to us despite what we have done, can we really justify venting our wrath on others?
Finally the psalmist gives us an example to live by, whether you go with the NIV or the NLT. Both tell us that many are looking to God to receive material wealth, but the psalmist is looking to God for peace and joy. The NLT interpretation tells us that God can give us greater joy than any material possession others may desire. The NIV tells us that God will make us able to experience joy at witnessing others receive great wealth. In either case, we can lie down in peace because it is God who makes us safe.
Wisdom is not hard to find, she is out on the street calling out to any who will listen. If we are only willing to listen, wisdom is there for the taking. All too often we prefer to remain foolish.
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.
Today’s passage includes more genealogy, something that I always struggle to read. The passage includes a list of David’s sons and a list of those who succeeded him on the throne. It also lists some of David’s descendants who were born during the Babylonian Exile. As I read this, I realized that while I was not seeing anything in it today this passage may shed new light on the interactions told elsewhere. Some of the people listed are mentioned in other accounts in the Old Testament and knowing how they are related will help understand why they did what they did.
Five days after Paul arrived in Caesarea, the high priest came down with other Jewish elders and a lawyer named Tertullus to present the case against Paul. Tertullus started by buttering up Felix. He then declared that the Sanhedrin had found Paul to be a troublemaker who stirred up riots among Jews all over the world. Further he claimed that Paul was a leader of the Nazarene sect and was trying to desecrate the Temple when they arrested him. Tertullus concluded by saying that Felix could confirm their story by questioning Paul.
Felix indicated that Paul should speak at this point. Paul started out by acknowledging that Tertullus was in essence correct in what he said when he buttered up Felix. However, he claimed that the Jewish leaders could not prove any of the accusations they were making against him. He told Felix that he had arrived in Jerusalem a mere twelve days before the current date. His accusers had not found him, at any point since his arrival, arguing in the Temple or stirring up a riot in the city.
Paul goes on to say that he was indeed a follower of the Way, which the Jewish leaders called a sect. He went on to say that he believed everything that was in accordance with the Law and the prophets and that he shared with those accusing him a belief in the resurrection of the dead. Paul then tells Felix that he was in the Temple completing purification rites when the incident began. He was not surrounded by a crowd, nor was there any disturbance. There were however some Jews from Asia there at the time who should be present to bring charges, if they had any which would stand up in court. Paul then stated that his accusers who were present should state what crime they had found him guilty of when he was before the Sanhedrin.
At this point, Felix adjourned the hearing, saying that he would issue a ruling when the Roman commander from Jerusalem came and testified. In the meantime he kept Paul under a sort of house arrest. A few days later, Felix summoned Paul to speak with him and his wife, who was Jewish. As Paul spoke with them about righteousness, self-control, and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened and ended the audience. Felix hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent often to speak with Paul. After two years of this, Felix was replaced as governor. In order to gain some favor with the Jewish leaders, Felix left Paul in prison (actually a kind of house arrest).
The psalmist calls on God to hear him and free him from his troubles. He tells us that God declares him innocent. God does declare us innocent, not because we have committed no sins, but because God has forgiven us for those sins. If God has declared us innocent, who is there with the authority to hold us guilty?
I prefer the way that the New American Standard Version starts the next stanza:
O sons of men, how long will my [d]honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?
There are those who think I should be ashamed to believe in God and Christ and to hold to Christian principles. I find that those who think this wish me to give up these beliefs in favor of beliefs which I have found through experience to be worthless.
For the next verse, I like the NLT:
You can be sure of this:
…
The Lord will answer when I call to him.
Yes indeed, the Lord will answer when I call Him. And He will answer when you call Him as well.
The psalmist then gives us a sound piece of advice:
Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
We will get angry from time to time, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, we should not let anger control our actions. When we are tempted to act in anger, we should pause and then let some time pass before we take action. We should sleep on it and plan our actions with a cooler head.
The final phrase from this psalm I want to emphasize comes from the NIV translation:
Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
Yes, Lord help me to be happy when others prosper. I want to always feel joy over the good fortune of others and never jealousy or anger.
This psalm is why I so love being able to study the Bible online. I got so much more out of it by looking at the different ways that the different translations chose to render the different phrases in this psalm. Comparing different translations is much harder without the ability to just call them up side-by-side on the screen.
Tomatoes on the vine
Being generous can lead one to be honored by the great and powerful.
Do not render judgment on an issue until you have heard both sides of the story, no matter how convincing the first argument you hear sounds.
Sometimes the best way to settle a dispute is to choose between the sides by flipping a coin or some other method that leaves the outcome to Divine intervention.
