Tag Archives: Psalm 51:1-19

Daily Bible Study

March 8, 2015 Bible Study — Letting Others Do For Us

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 10:31-32

    Read this proverb, then think about what you say. Is what you say helpful and wise? Or are your words perverse and destructive? The words we speak come from within our hearts. They are what determine if we are clean or unclean. Therefore choose your words carefully.

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Psalm 51:1-19

    I will cry out to God for mercy, for I have sinned. But if God will purify me from my sins, then, and only then, I will be clean. There are several parts of this psalm which have been used in hymns and songs of praise. Perhaps the most insightful part of the psalm is verses 12 & 13:

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.

If we confess our sins and admit that it is only by the action of God that we obey His commands, then we can teach His ways to those who have rejected Him. That is when sinners will listen to us preach the Gospel and return to God. We do not convince others to follow God by pretending that we think we are better than they. Let us admit to them that we have sinned against God and it is only because of His unfailing love that He cleansed us.

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Mark 14:1-21

    I always struggle with identifying the lesson of the story about the woman who anointed Jesus. My struggle is not because I have a problem with the story, but because I am not quite sure what the message is. I will take a shot at expressing what my thoughts on it are today.
    I think the message of this story is that it is never a bad thing to do something nice for someone. Even if the money so spent could have been used in other, “better” ways. As I think about it, I think it fits in with my thoughts about understanding what Jesus means when He tells us that the first shall be last and the last first. We need to allow others to do things for us. If someone chooses to honour us in some way, we should not refuse to accept the honour. On the other side, we should honour those who do the Lord’s work and hold them up as examples. We should do nice things for them to show our appreciation for their sacrifice.

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Numbers 10-11:23

    When I first read through this I thought I was going to write about the silver trumpets, but I was unable to get those initial thoughts to come together into a comprehensible whole. However, as I read through the passage again I saw something else I have rarely thought about in the context of this passage. The Israelites began to complain about their hardships and difficulties. They forgot how much better they had it than when they were slaves in Egypt. It is one thing to crave treats and luxuries. It is another to complain because God does not provide us with such things…especially when He has saved us from a situation much worse than merely being bored by the food we have to eat. It is OK to desire small luxuries, but we should learn to be content that our needs are being met.

Daily Bible Study

September 07, 2014 Bible Study — Give Generously

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 22:24-25

    Be careful about befriending and associating with people who have trouble controlling their temper. their lack of control will tend to rub off on you. We learn to behave like our friends and those we associate with. Let us choose our friends and associates accordingly. Let us befriend and associate with those who behave in a godly way so that we learn from them to behave accordingly.

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Psalm 51:1-19

    Only by God’s mercy can we be cleansed from our sin. Ultimately, all of our sins are against God, it is to Him we must answer. Only God has the standing to hold us morally responsible. Other people are our equals and have no moral authority over us, except that which is derived from God.
    Nevertheless, we are all sinners before God. None of us have the ability to redeem ourselves, we cannot do so by offering sacrifices. We cannot make up for our sins by doing good, since whenever we are not doing good we are adding to our burden of sin. It is only when we recognize our sin and brokenness that we can approach God. It is when we call on God to heal our sin, contrite for our failure to live according to His desire that we will receive His forgiveness and healing. If we call out to God with remorse for our sins, He will create a pure heart within us and renew our spirits. Keith Green wrote a great song based on this psalm. I often sing it to myself when I desire to call upon the Holy Spirit to take over my life, something I do not as often as I should.

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2 Corinthians 9:1-15

    Paul reminds the Corinthian Church of the importance of following through on projects which we propose and get others enthusiastic about, something I often struggle with. When we suggest to others an idea about how we as a group can serve God, it is important that we do our part (this does not mean that we cannot suggest something to others that we do not feel God calling us to, as long as we make that clear from the start).
    This passage is often used by those who preach variations on “Prosperity Gospel”, the idea that doing God’s will is a way to achieve health and wealth. The key to that misreading is the mistaken idea that God’s blessings are primarily material in nature. God’s blessings are only occasionally material in nature. When God gives us great material wealth, it is not a blessing, it is a tool. When God gives us physical well-being it is so that we can use that to carry out His work. God does not give us material wealth and good health in order for us to spend it on ourselves and our pleasures. He gives us those things so that we can use them to serve Him. However, the more we use the resources God gives us to serve Him, the more opportunity He will give us to serve Him. So, let us use the resources God gives us to serve Him in whatever way that we can. What I have is not my own, it is God’s to be used to further His Kingdom.

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Song of Solomon 5-8:14

    Having told us not to awaken sexual desire until the time is right (and the person is right), the writer talks about the dangers of playing hard to get. If you play hard-to-get with the person you love, you may find that they believe you and move on. Do not play games when God brings the person meant for you into your life.
    The poem suggests that brothers should protect their sisters from predatory men, from men who will attempt to take advantage of them sexually. If their sisters are sexually inexperienced, they should block those who try to take advantage. If their sisters are sexually active, they should strive to block men from taking advantage. I will say that sisters should do the same for their brothers. There are women who are sexually predatory as men. We should strive to encourage those we care for to settle for nothing less than a monogamous, life-long relationship with the person of the opposite sex God intended for them (although we should recognize that God has called some to be celibate their entire life).

Daily Bible Study

March 8, 2014 Bible Study — Whiter Than Snow

    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 10:31-32

    These two proverbs are a good way to judge myself. Do I say things that are helpful to others? Do others find wisdom in my advice? Or am I speaking about perversion? They remind me to weigh my words so that others may benefit from what I say.

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Psalm 51:1-19

    This wonderful psalm is the basis for many songs and hymns. There is a great hymn whose chorus is:

Whiter than snow; yes, whiter than snow;
Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

This song brings back memories of great worship services from my childhood. Then there is a Keith Green song which I sometimes sing as I am driving as a prayer to rededicate myself to God. This psalm reminds me that God does not desire my sacrifice. He desires for me to acknowledge how broken I am, He wants me to recognize my need for His healing. And, importantly, He desires that I approach Him with contrition for my failure to live a righteous life. If I do these things, He will cleanse me of my sins, so that I need not experience them anymore.

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Mark 14:1-21

    This passage contains the story of the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. This passage gives me problems. Not because I disagree with the sentiment it presents, but because I am not quite sure what we are to make of it. I will tell you what I think of it, but I am not sure if this is the correct interpretation. Those present (including at least some of the disciples), scolded the woman for “wasting” the perfume when it could have been sold for a large sum of money and that money used to help the poor. Jesus rebuked them. He told them that they should not condemn the woman for doing a nice thing for Him. He told them that they would always have the poor, but they would not always have Him. So, it seems to me that while we are to do what we can to help those less fortunate than ourselves, we are also to show our appreciation of those around us when we have the chance. There are times when we are to do things to make those who are serving the Lord with us feel appreciated and special. Let us take time to make those around us know how much they mean to us.

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Numbers 10-11:23

    The last instructions God gives to Moses before the Israelites set out from Mt Sinai were to make two silver trumpets. These trumpets were to be used to signal the people to break camp and begin to march. Using different signals they were to be used to gather the people to assemble. God instructed Moses that when they got to the promised land they were to use these trumpets to sound the alarm when an enemy attacked. They were also to use these trumpets at their celebrations and festivals. I was going somewhere when I started writing about these trumpets, but I’m not sure where that was now. I got distracted by thinking about trying to use our emergency notification alarms as part of our celebrations and worship of God. Can you imagine trying to use the sound that is played over the radio before an Emergency Alert System announcement, or an Amber Alert, in our worship services?

Daily Bible Study

September 7, 2013 Bible Study — God Loves a Cheerful Giver

     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.

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Song of Solomon 5-8:14

     I am not sure of my understanding of today’s passage. I may be misreading what is intended. However, it appears to me that the young woman is portrayed as playing hard to get. When she does this, the young man turns away. She realizes her mistake and pursues him. This gets her into trouble. She asks her friends to tell her lover that she wants him back. They both express their continued love for one another. The young woman wishes that she did not have to be mindful of the rules of propriety. Once more the young woman tells other women to wait until the time is right to allow sexual elements into a relationship. Finally, we have a young woman’s brothers vowing to what is in their power to protect their sister from being used by other men.

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2 Corinthians 9:1-15

     Paul tells the Corinthians that he does not really think he needed to write to remind them to give to this ministry, since it was their idea in the first place. As a matter of fact, it was Paul telling them about the Corinthian’s enthusiasm for giving to this ministry that inspired the Macedonian believers to give. However, Paul wanted to make sure that the Corinthians were aware that he had been telling others about what they were doing so that they were prepared when these others came to Corinth.
     Paul continues by telling them that any gift they give should be just that, a gift. They should only give that which they are willing to give and should not give anything out of a feeling of compulsion. Each individual should decide for themselves how much to give. They should only give that which they can give without reluctance and no one should make anyone feel compelled to give. If we share freely with those in need out of our surplus, God will see to it that we always have sufficient surplus to give to those in need. Paul tells us that two good things result when we give from our surplus to those in need. The first is that those in need have their needs met, but just as importantly, others will praise God because of our generosity.

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     This passage points out that we should give to help those in need out of recognition of the fact that all that we have is a gift from God. It is ours to do with as we will, but God gave it to us so that we can bring glory to His name. In addition, Paul’s teaching here reminds us of Jesus’ parable of the talents. There Jesus told that each of us has been given resources from God that we are to put to use for God’s gain. Those who make the best use of those resources will be given more. This is true of those who serve God with their resources and those who do not. The main difference being that those who serve God with their resources have a different idea about what is best…and about what is more. Mother Theresa (there are probably better examples than Mother Theresa, but since they were so successful, no one has ever heard of them) would have said that she had more than Bill Gates.
     There is another point I want to make about this passage. From time to time, someone will argue that Christians should favor government programs that help the poor, based on various passages which tell us that we are to help the poor. However, this passage makes it clear that each individual is to decide for themselves how much they are called to give to the poor and that no one is to feel compelled to give any more than that amount. There are many arguments against government aid for the poor, but I am only going to make one here. Government aid for the poor is never voluntary. It always requires a certain amount from each person according to what someone else believes is that person’s surplus, not according to what that person believes is their surplus. That runs directly contrary to what Paul is teaching here. I am not being charitable when I spend your money to help the poor (although I may be being charitable by spending my time doing so).

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Psalm 51:1-19

     I love this psalm. It contains so many points of the Gospel message.

  • I am a sinner. I have sinned time and again.
  • Only God can cleanse me from my sin. There is nothing I can do myself to make my sins right. It is only by accepting God’s cleansing that my sin can be forgiven.
  • It is only by recognizing that without God I am broken that I can be healed.
  • Any true joy that I will experience is a gift from God.
  • Once God has cleansed me and healed me, I have an obligation to teach others about His grace. This is not to show them how much better than them I am (because I’m not), but to show them how they too can be cleansed and healed.
  • There is nothing I can give God that He needs, what He wants from me is for me to recognize how much I need His grace.

The only way that I can please God is by surrendering control over my life unto Him. I have failed God repeatedly. I ask Him to fill me with His Spirit and take control of my life so that I may serve His will. I strive time and again to give God control. I ask that He take that control and use me to bring glory to His name.

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Proverbs 22:24-25

     It is dangerous to hang out with those who do not control their temper because we may learn to behave in the same way.

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Daily Bible Study

March 8, 2013 Bible Study — Complaining About What God Provides

     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.

Pine trees across the road
Pine trees across the road

Numbers 10-11:23

     The beginning of the passage describes how the Israelites made two silver trumpets which were blown in different patterns to signal different actions. After this the people set out from Sinai following the marching order that God had given them. As they traveled the people began to grumble about the hardship of the journey such that a fire broke out on the outskirts of the camp, killing some of the people. The people screamed for Moses and when he prayed to the Lord the fire stopped. However, even after this the people began to complain that they were tired of only having manna to eat. They grumbled that they wanted meat to eat. Moses cried out to the Lord in frustration and exhaustion over the complaints from the people. God instructed him to gather 70 leaders of the people. God was going to share some of the Spirit that was on Moses with these 70 men and they would share his burden of leadership, thus lightening the load on Moses. Then God told Moses that since the people had complained about not having meat to eat, He was going to give them meat. They were going to have meat to eat, not just for one day, or five days, or a week, but for an entire month. They were going to eat so much meat that they would come to loathe it before the supply was exhausted. Moses questioned where that much meat would come from in the wilderness and God replied that His hand was long enough to provide.
     How often are we like the people of Israel? Do we complain because God has not made our lives easy? Even after He has delivered us from suffering? Do we complain that God’s provision for our needs is not good enough, that God has not given us the luxuries we desire? Is it possible to request more from God while being thankful for what He has already given us? I think that it is. But I think it is something we have to work very hard at, making sure that we are not whining about the things we do not have. I know that there are things I would like to have that I have prayed to God about, but I strive very hard to be thankful for what God has done for me.

Awaiting Spring
Awaiting Spring

Mark 14:1-21

     Two days before Passover Jesus went to a feast at Simon the Leper’s House. This man’s name is interesting since lepers were social outcasts at the time. It seems likely that he was not someone who was suffering from leprosy. While Jesus was there a woman broke open a jar of expensive perfume and poured it over Jesus’ head. Some of the guests were indignant that she had done this when the perfume could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. They rebuked her for her wasteful action. Jesus told them to leave her alone, that she had done a beautiful thing. This passage is one that tells us that the Gospel cannot be reduced to just caring for the poor and the oppressed, as some attempt to do. There is more to following Jesus than providing assistance to the needy. We should seek ways in which we can emulate this woman. I am not even sure I know what it means to emulate this woman.
     It was immediately after this incident that Judas went to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus.
     On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciple asked Jesus where He wanted them to make the preparations for Him to eat the Passover meal. He tells them to go into the city and meet a man who will show them a room prepared for them to have the Passover meal. When I was growing up I always read this as them going to meet a stranger who would spontaneously agree to let them use his room (or maybe the man he worked tor would spontaneously let them use his room). However, the last few times I have read this it has seemed more likely that Jesus had prearranged with this man to celebrate the Passover meal in his room. That evening Jesus and the Twelve arrived and ate the meal. While they were eating, Jesus told them that one of them would betray Him. They each proclaimed their loyalty to Him and asked Him to affirm that He did not mean them. He responded by telling them that one of the Twelve, one of those dining with Him that night, would betray Him (the phrasing suggests that this was one of the ultimate forms of betrayal). He told them that what was going to happen had to happen and would happen according to God’s plan. But that it would have been better for the one who was going to betray Him if they had never been born. Jesus tells us that while His betrayal was according to God’s plan, the one who did the actual betrayal was still responsible for his actions. Just because the evil we choose to do fulfills God’s plans does not excuse us from responsibility for doing evil.

Wood for the fire pit
Wood for the fire pit

Psalm 51:1-19

     This is another great psalm. There is a song by Keith Green based on this psalm that is one of my favorites. He uses the King James Version of verses 10-12:

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;

This is a psalm that has much for me to study, although I cannot agree with the psalmist that it is only against God that I have sinned. There are many people whom I have wronged at one point or another, although in doing so I have sinned against God as well. Nevertheless it is to God that I will turn to for cleansing, for only He can cleanse me from my sins. It is only God who can work the change in my innermost being that is necessary for me to overcome sin in my life.
     The psalmist reminds us that once we have accepted God’s cleansing we are to teach other sinners God’s ways, so that they, also, may turn to Him for cleansing. I desire to be as the psalmist declares. That every time my mouth opens I bring praise to God. I will take to heart the psalmist’s proclamation that God desires that we have a broken and contrite spirit more than He desires our offerings and sacrifices. Oh Lord, grant me a humble spirit and make me willing to serve You in all ways that you desire.
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Hyacinths begin to emerge
Hyacinths begin to emerge

Proverbs 10:31-32

     The godly speak words of wisdom that provide others with helpful advice, while the wicked speak perverted words which will lead others to seek to shut them up. I will strive to say things that will be helpful to others.

Daily Bible Study

September 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.

Magrat

Song of Solomon 5-8:14

     Today the Song of Solomon continues. Elements of today’s passage indicate that these two lovers are going to be sexually active with each other. However, there are also elements which suggest that they had remained chaste until they had found the person they would share the rest of their life with. In addition, there is a passage that advises young men to guard their sister’s virtue:

We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
“If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with planks of cedar.” (NASB)

Immediately after this the bride in this song tells us that she was a wall. This passage places the human sexual drive into its proper context, between a man and a woman who have made a lifelong commitment to one another. One of the reasons that I have trouble connecting with the Song of Solomon is that, even though I see in it an echo of how I view my wife, I do not find many of the metaphors used by the young man for his lover particularly attractive. For example, I find the image that the following metaphor draws up in my mind rather unappealing: “Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.” I like my wife’s hair, but when I think of a flock of goats, I think of something that smells rather offensive. My wife’s hair smells of cleanliness. I am quite sure that the writer of the Song of Solomon had no intention to conjure up the odor of goats with that metaphor, but that is the image that is conjured up for me.

Magrat watches

2 Corinthians 9:1-15

     Paul writes to the Corinthians that he is sending Titus and a couple of others ahead of him so that the Corinthians have time to make sure that they have collected the funds that they had said they would. I think there are two things to be taken away from this part of this passage. The first is that we should be sure to follow through on ideas that we sell to the larger body of believers. It was the Corinthians who first had the idea of a collection to meet the needs of the believers in Jerusalem. The second thing is that those who find themselves leaders in the Church should gently remind people of the plans they have initiated and prod them to follow through, as Paul is doing here.
     Paul tells us that if we give generously and cheerfully we will always have enough to meet our needs with enough left over to share with others. Take note however that he does not say we will have enough to meet our wants with enough to share with others. I pray that God will help me to discipline myself to match the level of giving that I have felt called to.

Tabitha watches

Psalm 51:1-19

     I call out to God along with the psalmist for God to have mercy on me, for I am a sinner. If God will purify us we will be clean of our sins and there is no other manner in which this can be accomplished. I praise God that He has done so through bringing me to faith in Jesus Christ. I pray continually that He will create within me a clean heart. I am broken and frail upon this earth and I seek His healing for my brokenness. I thank God that he has done so and continues to do so. He gives me joy in His salvation. I continue to pray that He make me ever more willing to obey Him. I pray that He will give me the words to reach those who have yet to accept Him so that they might turn to Him and be saved. God does not desire sacrifice. He desires that we acknowledge how far we have fallen short of His standard and that we are powerless to keep His commands without His help.

Gandalf watches

Proverbs 22:24-25

     Today’s proverb tells us that we should be careful about spending too much time with people who do not control their temper. That it is too easy to be influenced by such people to not control our own temper. Elsewhere he has laid out the dangers of failing to control one’s temper. Here he touches once again on the fact that our behavior is influenced by the behavior of those we spend time with. We should spend our time with those who behave in the manner that we desire that we should behave.