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.
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.
Today’s passage tells us that Noah and his family were in the ark for a little over a year (along with the animals). Once the flood waters had receded and the land dried sufficiently, Noah left the ark and released the animals. He kept a selection of animals that were appropriate for sacrifice and offered them to God as a burnt offering. Upon receiving this offering God vowed to Himself that as long as the earth endures He would never again destroy every living thing on the face of the earth as He had just done. God then blessed Noah and his sons, telling them that everything that lives and breathes is there for them to eat. However, they were not to eat meat that still had its blood in it. I believe that this passage is where the Jerusalem Council in Acts 16 based their instruction to the Gentile believers that they should not consume blood or animals that were strangled (I had always wondered where that dietary prohibition came from).
Further God tells them that He will require an accounting of any person and any creature for the taking of lifeblood. God decreed that anyone who takes a human life should be killed. Noah and his sons are instructed to be fruitful and multiply. They are to fill the earth with mankind. God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants (which includes us) that He would never again destroy all life on the face of the earth with a flood. God pointed to rainbows as a sign of His covenant that never again would flood waters destroy all living creatures.
After the forty days in the wilderness fasting, Jesus remained in Judea until He heard that John the Baptist had been arrested. We do not know why He stayed, or what He did during this time. However, when He left Judea He returned to Galilee. Once there, He went down by the Sea of Galilee and saw Andrew and Peter fishing from their boat. Jesus called out to them for them to follow Him. They immediately left their nets and did so. A little further on He saw James and John repairing their nets with their father. Jesus called out to them as well. They, also, immediately left their boat and their father and followed Him. This was an amazing act of faith. They just up and left their families and their livelihood to follow Jesus. Now we know from the Gospel of John that Andrew and Peter had previously encountered Jesus when He was in Judea while John the Baptist was preaching and it is likely that He met James and John around the same time (some readings of the Gospel of John understand John to have met Jesus at the same time as Andrew). Even with that previous exposure, they had returned to their lives and were settling back in when Jesus called them. They did this before He started teaching and healing people. Do we have the faith to step out when God calls, even before anybody else sees where it is leading?
As Jesus began His ministry word spread. People began bringing the sick and injured to Him for healing. Not just those with physical sicknesses, but also those with other afflictions and Jesus healed them all. They brought those who were demon possessed, had epilepsy, were paralyzed. It did not matter, Jesus healed them all. Why does the Church today fail to offer such healing? I believe that those we call mentally ill are the same as those the Scripture calls demon-possessed. I am not saying that the mentally ill are demon-possessed (although some may well be), but they often behave in a way that certainly looks from the outside like something has taken control of them. In Jesus’ day, contemporary society could offer little hope for the demon-possessed. In the modern age, our society offers little more hope for the mentally ill. Jesus offered healing to all. He still does. We as the Church need to be offering Jesus’ healing to those suffering around us. We need to believe. I need to believe. When Jesus calls to me today, am I willing to leave my “nets” and my life to follow Him?
The psalmist calls on us to not let anger lead us to sin. Do not act in anger, but take time to think about what has angered you and only act after you have had time to meditate on what is right. Trust the Lord and make sure that your actions will bring glory to His name before you act. Everyone is looking for who will bring them benefit, but let I will look to God and take joy in doing what He says is right. I can sleep peacefully because I can know that He will keep me safe. I pray that God will help me follow the first part of this when something angers me because that is something that I struggle with. I pray that He help me to bring glory to His name with all of my actions.
Today’s proverb tells us that wisdom is calling to us. Wisdom is available to anyone who seeks it. No one needs to remain a simpleton and a fool. If you desire wisdom, seek it. People lack wisdom because they choose to continue in their foolishness. We remain fools only so long as we insist on doing so. We have no excuse for being foolish, wisdom is there for the taking for anyone who is willing to leave foolishness behind.
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, the passage is again a list of genealogies, who is descended from whom. Yesterday’s passage ended with the lineage leading to David. Today’s passage begins with a list of some of the other descendants of one of his ancestors. The passage goes on to list the sons David had by his wives, explicitly leaving out the sons born to his concubines. Next we have a list of descendants of Solomon, which for the most part lists only those who sat on the throne. The passage then wraps up its listing of descendants of David by listing the descendants of Jehoiachin (who was the last pre-exile king of Judah to have descendants, all of the sons of his uncle who succeeded him were killed). Finally, the passage lists other descendants of Judah.
After Paul was in Caesarea for five days, the high priest and some other Jewish leaders arrived to present their case before the governor. They claimed that Paul was stirring up riots among Jews all over the world and that he was trying to desecrate the Temple when they arrested him. They also mention that he is a leader of a cult. The governor then indicates for Paul to present his defense. Paul starts off by pointing out that the Jewish leaders did not find him arguing with anyone and can point to no trouble he stirred up in Jerusalem. Paul openly admits to being a follower of the Way, but states that he firmly believes the Law and the prophets. Paul goes on to point out that this whole thing was started by some Jews from Asia who were not present to make a case against him. Paul concludes his defense by asking Felix to ask the Jewish leaders what crime the Sanhedrin had found him guilty of. At this point Governor Felix adjourned the hearing.
A few days later, Felix summons Paul to speak with him and his wife. Paul spoke with them about righteousness, self-control and the coming day of judgement. Felix became frightened by what Paul was saying and sent Paul away. Felix kept hoping Paul would offer him a bribe, so he brought him before him frequently. After two years with Paul in a kind of house arrest, Felix is replaced as governor. In order to maintain good will with the Jewish leaders, Felix leaves Paul in prison.
I find it interesting to note what Paul spoke about with Governor Felix. He discussed righteousness, that is he talked about what is morality and how can we know what is moral. He discussed self-control, that is he discussed the question of whether or not we can live up to a true moral code. Finally, he discussed the fact that at some point we will be held accountable for our success or failure to live up to what is moral. I think this gives us a guideline we can follow when we attempt to witness to unbelievers.
The psalmist here calls on us to trust God and declares that God gives him more joy than that possessed by those who have all of the worldly possessions they could desire. We are told to not let anger control us, that we should sleep on it before we act after someone angers us. Further we are told to present ourselves to God with the right spirit, not one of selfishness. Finally, the psalmist tells us that he can sleep peacefully because God, and God alone, will keep him safe.
The first of today’s proverbs tells us that by being generous we will have more opportunities. The second one tells us that the first person to present their case will sound reasonable and right, at least until we hear the other side. We should not take sides in a dispute until both sides have had a chance to present their side of things. The final proverb tells us that sometimes the best way to resolve a dispute is to select some random method (such as flipping a coin) to decide whose wish gets followed.
