Tag Archives: Psalm 9:1-12

July 11, 2015 Bible Study

July 10, 2015 AttilaDimedici

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 19:1-3

It is nice to have someone who is enthusiastic about what they are doing. However, if they do not actually know what they are doing, that enthusiasm will generally do more harm than good (note: if the enthusiastic person is aware that they do not know what they are doing and seeks guidance from someone who does, this proverb does not necessarily apply). The next proverb is something I have often observed. All too many people blame God for the suffering which they caused themselves.

Psalm 9:1-12

The first two verses of this psalm fill me with joy.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
In addition to filling me with joy, they make me want to praise God and tell others about Him. Since this psalm was written with the intention of inspiring the reader to do that, the fact that it does so indicates how well it was written.

Acts 28:1-31

When Paul arrived in Rome, he met with the local Jewish leaders. He gave his side of the story about why he was brought to Rome as a prisoner. The Jewish leaders responded that they had received no communication regarding Paul’s arrest and trial, nor had anyone conveyed negative rumours about him to them. However, they wanted to hear what he believed because all they had heard about Christianity was that it was condemned everywhere. How much that sounds like today, all that many people know about Christianity is that the “sophisticated” people (however they define “sophisticated”) denounce it.
Paul and the Jewish leaders set a time for Paul to tell them about what he believed. When the time came, a large number of Jews came to Paul’s residence to hear him speak. Paul attempted to convince them to believe using the Torah (the Law of Moses) and the writings of the prophets. Some of those who listened to Paul that day believed his message, others did not. The two groups argued among themselves about whether or not to believe Paul’s message. Based on Paul’s final word to them, it appears that those who listened to Paul that day reached a consensus to not believe him. It is important for us to remember that there are those who have hardened their hearts and will not believe, no matter what evidence you show them.

For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.

1 Chronicles 11-12:18

I was reading through this feeling completely uninspired by the accounts of the acts of David’s mighty men when I came across the statement “These are the leaders of David’s mighty warriors….they decided to make David their king,…” This tells us something about the mindset of David’s men. They followed him because, for various reasons, they wanted him to be king.

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January 9, 2015 Bible Study — Judge a Tree By Its Fruit

January 8, 2015 AttilaDimedici 2 Comments

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 2:16-22

It is wisdom that will keep you from entering into a sexual relationship with an immoral man or woman. If they were willing to break their promises to former promises, what makes you think they will keep their word to you? That lifestyle leads to loneliness and death. Instead of following after the immoral, follow the example of the righteous. It is the righteous who will live a good life, dying surrounded by those who love them.

Psalm 9:1-12

I will sing praises to the Lord and tell anyone who will listen about the marvelous things He has done. God will shelter the oppressed and offer refuge when trouble comes. Whatever troubles you face, God will offer you a refuge and solace for your sorrow. This psalm words it so well. I cannot do it justice.

Matthew 7:15-29

Jesus tells us that we can identify false prophets by their fruits. This passage is often used to say that we should judge people by their actions, not by their words. While I agree that we should judge people more by their actions than their words, that is not what I see Jesus as saying here. I believe that Jesus is telling us that we should judge people, especially those who preach and teach, by the results they produce rather than the intentions they claim. And when it comes to judging a preacher, this is not just a matter of judging the results of their actions, but the results of the actions of those they acknowledge as their disciples. If someone claims to preach peace, but numbers from among their followers keep turning to violence, we can judge that they are not really teaching peace (at least, not the way most people define peace).

Genesis 20-22:24

We know that Abraham was a man of great faith. Yet on two occasions, he was afraid that the local ruler would kill him so as to take his wife Sarah. This passage recounts the second of those occasions, when Sarah was 90 years old. Rather than trust in God’s protection, Abraham told the partial truth, that Sarah was his sister (actually, she was his half-sister). As a result, the local ruler, Abimelech took Sarah to be one of his wives. Despite Abraham’s lack of faith in this instance, God intervened to return Sarah to him completely unharmed. This is a reminder to us that everyone has shortcomings, even Abraham did. Yet, God will act on behalf of those who love Him and seek to serve Him.

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July 11, 2014 Bible Study — Don’t Blame God For the Consequences of Your Actions

July 10, 2014 AttilaDimedici

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 19:1-3

I love all three of today’s proverbs. The first tells us that it is better to be poor and honest than it is to be a dishonest fool (the implication being that it is foolish to be dishonest). The second tells us that enthusiasm is no substitute for knowing what you are doing. Those who rush into a task before taking the time to understand what they need to do will make mistakes that will cost more than any delay would have. The final proverb warns about people who ruin their own lives by acting foolishly and then angrily blame God for what went wrong.

Psalm 9:1-12

Let us follow the psalmist’s example and praise the Lord for the marvelous things He has done. He judges with fairness and will destroy the wicked, indeed, He has done so throughout history. The wicked rise and God brings them down into the dust. He avenges murder and cares for the helpless. He responds to the cries of those who suffer. It is because of God that I am filled with joy.

Acts 28:1-31

When Paul arrived in Rome, the first thing he did was invite the leaders of the Jewish community to come and discuss the charges against him. They came and talked with him, telling him that they had received no information regarding anything he might have done. They had heard denunciations against Christians but did not know anything about its teachings. Paul attempted to persuade them that the Jewish Scripture foretold Jesus’ coming and His actions (including His death and resurrection). Some were convinced, but others rejected Paul’s teaching. The Jewish leaders argued among themselves over what Paul had told them as they were leaving.
What Paul told these Jewish leaders is true of many people today (and in every time). They hear what is said about God but refuse to actually listen. They see what God has done but refuse to comprehend its meaning. Many people insist that the problems caused by their own sin are God’s fault rather than repenting of their sins and turning to God.

1 Chronicles 11-12:18

The passage tells us of the mighty warriors who followed David from the time he was on the run from Saul. It describes these men who were his closest companions while he was honing the skills which would later make him king. Among the men listed as part of David’s elite companions is Uriah the Hittite. This is the same Uriah who was married to Bathsheba and whom David had sent to his death in battle. We often overlook how great was the magnitude of David’s sin with Bathsheba. He allowed his sexual desires to cause him to betray one of his closest companions.

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January 9, 2014 Bible Study — You Will Know Them By Their Fruit

January 8, 2014 AttilaDimedici

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. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Genesis 20-22:24

     We are told again and again throughout the Bible that Abraham was a man of faith and a man of God. Yet here in this passage (and in others) we see how his faith and his actions fell short of what we should admire. People often forget that just because Abraham and others are held up in the Bible as persons to be emulated, that does not mean that the Bible is telling us that everything they did was good. Rather, we are to recognize that as flawed as they were, they still strove to serve God. In this passage, Abraham deceived Abimelech about his wife Sarah, telling him that she was his sister and leaving out that she was his wife. Later in the passage, Abraham turns out Hagar and his son, Ishmael, to appease Sarah, who was angry over Ishmael’s attitude towards Isaac. In both cases, God acted to prevent Abraham’s actions from causing harm to others.
     Up until here, God has repeatedly told Abraham that His various promises to Abraham will be fulfilled through Isaac and his descendants. In this passage, Abraham feels led by God to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt sacrifice to God. Offering a son as a burnt sacrifice was a common practice among the people who lived in the area where Abraham was now dwelling. They would have thought that if Abraham was truly as devoted to his God as he claimed, he would offer up his son as a burnt offering. When Abraham arrived at the mountain where he felt such a sacrifice should be made, he built an altar and prepared the wood of the sacrifice. As he was about to sacrifice Isaac, he became aware of a ram caught by its horns in the thicket nearby. He offered that ram instead of Isaac.
     I am downplaying the moments when the account mentions God speaking directly to Abraham because I think there are lessons for us to learn from reading the passage in this manner (I am not saying that there are not lessons to be learned from paying close attention to God’s direct words to Abraham, just that another lesson can be more readily seen when we pay less attention to them). I see this passage as illustrating, for all time, that God does not desire human sacrifice. The passage also demonstrates Abraham’s willingness to surrender the thing which was most valuable to him, his son Isaac, if that was what God required of him.

Matthew 7:15-29

Jesus continues His sermon by warning us against false prophets, against those who claim to speak in the name of God and goodness but are really speaking for their own interests. He tells us that we can recognize them by looking at the results of their actions. We are not to judge people on the basis of what they claim is their motivation, rather we are to judge people on their results, on their fruit. You can claim that something is a grape vine, but if it does not produce grapes and makes me itch when I touch the leaves, I will know that it is poison ivy. You can claim that something is a thistle, but if it produces wine-berries (similar in appearance to raspberries), I will know that it is a good plant. In the same way, someone can claim to want to help the poor, but if their actions only enrich themselves, or their allies, while making life harder for the poor, I will know that they are not working to help the poor. Do not judge people by what they claim about themselves, nor by what others claim about them, judge them by the results of their actions.
Jesus continues by telling us that it is not enough to claim that we are acting in His name. We must actually do the things which God directs us to do. If we want to build something which will last for eternity, it is not enough to listen to Jesus’ teaching, we need to also put it into practice. You can put up a quite beautiful appearance by parroting Jesus’ teaching and putting on a facade of righteousness, but when trouble arises, your life will collapse around you.

Psalm 9:1-12

I will praise the Lord with my whole heart. If you want to be filled with joy, tell others about the marvelous things which God has done. He rules the world and judges everyone with justice. He avenges murder and aids the helpless. He will take action in response to the cries of the suffering.

Proverbs 2:16-22

Wisdom will save you from the immoral and the promiscuous. Sexual immorality will lead to death and destruction. It will undermine any other good which you may have accomplished. Stay away from those who practice it. Instead follow the example of the godly and walk in the path of righteousness. Such a course will lead to a long and productive life.

Daily Bible Study

July 11, 2013 Bible Study — Be Ever Hearing, But Never Understanding

July 10, 2013 AttilaDimedici

1 Chronicles 11-12:18

The passage tells us that after the death of Saul the people of Israel came to David in Hebron and made him king over Israel. David then captured the city of Jerusalem and made it his capital. After describing David’s conquest of Jerusalem the passage lists out many of the mighty warriors who followed David. These were the men whose backing put David in a position to be made king. We are told about The Three and The Thirty, which were two groups of David’s most elite warriors. One of The Thirty was Uriah the Hittite, whose wife was Bathsheba. Knowing this puts David’s affair with Bathsheba, and subsequent arranging of the death of Uriah, in a much worse light than just reading the story itself. Uriah was one of David’s loyal followers from his days fleeing from Saul, yet David betrayed him. After telling us of these two groups the passage goes on to speak of other noteworthy warriors who joined David while he was hiding from Saul.

Acts 28:1-31

     Once they were ashore, they learned that they were on the island of Malta. The locals treated them very kindly, going so far as to build them a fire on the beach (since the weather was cold and wet). Paul gathered some brushwood and put it on the fire. As he was doing so a poisonous snake came out of the wood and bit him. The locals saw the snake hanging from his hand and decided that this must be divine judgment against Paul for some crime he had committed against the gods. However, Paul just shook the snake off into the fire and went about his business. The locals expected Paul to show signs of the poisoning and watched him for a while. When after a long time nothing happened to Paul, they decided he must be a god.
     The chief official on the island lived nearby. He invited the shipwreck survivors into his home and made them welcome. His father was sick so Paul went in, laid hands on him, and he was healed. After this all of the sick on the island were brought to Paul and were healed. The people on the island honored Paul and his traveling companions. They gave them supplies for their journey when they set sail once more.
     When Paul arrived in Rome, he was allowed to live in a private house with a soldier to guard him. Paul called together the Jewish leaders in Rome in order to explain why he was there. He told them that he had appealed to Caesar because he thought the political situation and heated tempers in Jerusalem meant that he would not receive fair treatment there. He told them that he wanted to meet with them so that they could become acquainted and that he could relate to them his belief that the Messiah had come. They responded that they had received no word from Jerusalem concerning him.
     The Jewish leaders and other members of the Jewish community met with Paul at his house. Paul preached the Gospel to them using the Law and the prophets. Some believed him, while others disagreed. After they had argued for some time and the hour was getting late, Paul told them that this was what Isaiah meant in Isaiah 6:9-10 when he said:

When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
27 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,…
This is a passage that we need to remember, God prophesied through Isaiah a long time ago that people would intentionally refuse to understand His commandments and messages. Many people are unwilling to understand the words of God, or the meaning of what He has done. There are two important lessons we need to take from this. The first is, are there any things which God is telling us that we are refusing to understand? Is there some area where I should be listening to God and turn to Him for healing? The answer to that is an obvious, “Yes”. Of course, the question is, am I understanding where God is telling me that? Or am I intentionally choosing to fail to understand what He is telling me?
The second lesson we need to take from this passage is that there comes a point where we need to do what Paul did hear and stop wasting our breath telling people things they refuse to understand. That is a challenge for me. I always try to correct people’s misunderstandings of positions, all too often I fail to consider that those misunderstandings may be on purpose.

Psalm 9:1-12

Today’s psalm is both a psalm of praise and an injunction to tell others about the wonderful things God has done. The psalmist reminds us that God will reign forever, rebuking the nations and destroying the wicked. He will rule with justice and equity. God provides shelter for the oppressed and a refuge in times of trouble. He avenges murder and listens to the cries of those who suffer. I will praise the Lord, for I have seen Him do these things with my own eyes.

Proverbs 19:1-3

These three proverbs tell us some interesting things. The first tells us that it is better to be honest, even if poor, because those who are dishonest are fools. The second tells us that an enthusiastic worker who does not know what he is doing is bad and trying to do things too fast will end up leading to problems. The final one tells us that people often make foolish decisions and then blame God for what goes wrong. I cannot count the number of times I have seen all three proven true.

Daily Bible Study

January 9, 2013 Bible Study — Have I Built My Life On the Bedrock Or the Sand?

January 8, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Genesis 20-22:24

     Once again Abraham moves into an area where he is afraid of the rulers, so he agrees with Sarah to tell the people that she is his sister. Once again, the local ruler (named Abimelech in this case) takes Sarah as his wife and once again God intervenes and warns the ruler against actually sleeping with her. Abimelech confronts Abraham about his deception and Abraham tells Abimelech that he was afraid that they would kill him in order to take his wife Sarah. Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham along with a large amount of wealth and offered Abraham his choice of land to live on. It is interesting that for a second time Abraham misled a ruler about his wife and for second time he received a large amount of wealth for doing so.
     Shortly after this Isaac was born. Abraham was 100 years old at the time and Sarah was 90. When Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael mocking him and demanded that Abraham send Ishmael and his mother Hagar away. Abraham did as Sarah requested and sent Hagar and Ishmael away. When the food and water that Abraham provided ran out, Hagar thought that they were going to die. However, God reassured her that He was with her and Ishmael and revealed to her a nearby well.
     About this time Abimelech came to Abraham and made a treaty with him. As part of the treaty, Abraham requests recognition that a well that Abimelech’s men had taken from him actually belonged to Abraham. There are two possible translations of the name “Abimelech”. The first is “My father is king.” The second is “My father is Moloch” (later prophets condemned the act of sacrificing children to Moloch). This is significant because the next part of the passage is about Abraham taking Isaac to sacrifice him. If Abimelech means “My father is Moloch” it suggests that Abraham was living among a people who sacrificed some of their children to Moloch. Which in turn explains why Abraham felt obligated to sacrifice Isaac to God, it was the way that those around him expected a godly man to behave. Abraham took Isaac and the wood to offer a sacrifice and went to the mountain that he had been told was the place to offer the sacrifice. As he approached the place with Isaac, Isaac asked his father where the sacrifice was. What were they going to sacrifice when they got there? They had the wood and fire, but no animal to sacrifice. Abraham replied that God would provide a sacrifice. Now there are different ways to interpret this, but I believe that Abraham was looking for God to provide a way out. Abraham believed that he should be willing to sacrifice his son to God and he was willing to perform this sacrifice, but he felt that that probably did not represent God’s will. The people he was living among kept saying to him, “How can you claim that you are truly dedicated to this God you claim to serve when you won’t even offer Him your son? Look we sacrifice from our children to our god.” When Abraham got to the mountain he bound Isaac on the altar and prepared to perform the sacrifice. At the last moment God spoke to him and told him to not sacrifice Isaac, showing Abraham a ram caught in the thicket. God did provide. Abraham was able to return and tell the people of the land that he lived in that his God did not desire him to kill his children. Rather Abraham’s God provides alternate sacrifices. God desires that we raise our children to serve Him.

Matthew 7:15-29

In today’s passage Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with three final teachings. In the first He tells us to be wary of teachers who come with wonderful sounding teachings who are teaching in order to benefit themselves. He tells us that we can judge the value of their teachings by evaluating their actions. Just as we would judge a fruit tree by the quality of its fruit, so we should judge those who claim to teach righteousness by the quality of their actions. You can judge how much someone cares about people in general by looking at how they treat people in particular. Does someone speak eloquently about how important it is to do things to assist those who are less fortunate, yet never seems to have time for anyone who cannot offer them something? Or does someone speak coldly about facts and figures, yet repeatedly interrupts their own pursuits to help those in distress? We are to judge a person’s words by their actions, not judge their actions by their words.
Jesus goes on to say that it is not enough to say that we are doing things to glorify God. It is not enough to do mighty works in Jesus name, we have to actually do the will of God. Finally, Jesus says that it is not enough to hear His words, we have to actually follow them. If we put Jesus’ words into practice we will be building our lives on solid footing and we will be able to withstand all of the storms that come upon us. On the other hand, if we do not follow Jesus’ teachings, we will be washed away when the storm winds of life come upon us.

Psalm 9:1-12

I will tell of God’s wondrous deeds. I will praise His name. He will provide a shelter in times of trouble. I can trust in Him because He has never forsaken those who seek Him. He avenges murder and cares for the helpless. God answers the cries of those who suffer, let me never be the cause of their cries.

Proverbs 2:16-22

Wisdom teaches that putting sexual gratification ahead of right behavior leads to misery and death. Rather follow the path of righteous living to a stable and contented old age.

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July 11, 2012 Bible Study

July 10, 2012 AttilaDimedici

1 Chronicles 11-12:18

Today’s passage begins with an account of David becoming king of all Israel. It then speaks of his conquest of Jerusalem. This account tells us that David made Joab the commander of his armies because Joab led the attack to take Jerusalem. We then have a list of the elite groups of fighting men who followed David. There is the Three and the Thirty. It is interesting that there were more than thirty members of the Thirty. Whether this is because some were promoted to fill ranks left by the deaths of others or because for some reason David added men to the ranks of the Thirty without changing the name of the group we do not know. I find it noteworthy that Uriah, who David later has killed over his wife Bathsheba, was one of the Thirty.
One thing I had never noticed before is that while David was on the run from King Saul, a force of warriors from the tribe of Benjamin, who were related to Saul, joined him. The passage also mentions some warriors from the tribe of Gad who joined him. Something I found noteworthy in this passage is that when it starts introducing David’s mighty men it says that they decided to make David their king, along with all of Israel. The phrasing suggests that the decision of these mighty men to make David king is to some degree more important than that of the other people of Israel.

Acts 28:1-31

Once ashore after the shipwreck they discovered that they were on the island of Malta. The locals welcomed them and treated them well. The locals built them a fire on the beach. While Paul was feeding some sticks to the fire a snake bit him. At first the locals were convinced that this indicated that he was some kind of horrible criminal whom the gods were punishing. When he was not harmed, they decided he must be a god. Shortly after this Paul healed the father of a local official and this led the people to bring all of the sick to him, Paul healed them as well. After three months they boarded another ship and continued their journey to Rome.
When Paul arrived in Rome he was greeted by the believers there. Paul was allowed to take up a private residence in Rome although a soldier was stationed there to guard him. As soon as Paul was settled he called together the local Jewish leaders to explain to them why he was in Rome awaiting trial. They informed him that they had heard nothing from Jerusalem about him. They said that they were interested in hearing what he believed because they knew nothing about it except that it was denounced everywhere. Paul arranged a time for them to come and hear his testimony. Paul spent a day arguing from the Law and the prophets that Jesus was the Messiah. Some were persuaded by Paul and became believers, but many did not. Paul concluded the day by quoting from Isaiah a passage where the prophet said that the people’s hearts were hardened against God so that they would not turn to Him to be healed. I think that even today we need to be careful not to become like them and fail to see the ways that God is working in the world around us and to hear the word of God that is being spoken to us.

Psalm 9:1-12

The psalmist proclaims that he will tell of the marvelous things that God has done. The psalmist tells us that the cities of the wicked will lie in ruins. God cares for the helpless and listens to the cries of those who suffer. I will praise the name of the Lord because He brings me joy and judges all on this earth with justice.

Proverbs 19:1-3

We have three proverbs today. The first tells us that honesty is better than dishonesty, even if it means being poor. The second tells us that being enthusiastic about a task when you do not know what you are doing will lead to mistakes. That it is better to take your time and understand what you are doing than to rush in a hurry the project to completion before you know what it is you should be doing. The final one tells us that people often blame others, including God, for problems that they themselves created.

Fact and Fantasy

Tag Archives: Psalm 9:1-12

July 11, 2015 Bible Study

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January 9, 2015 Bible Study — Judge a Tree By Its Fruit

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July 11, 2014 Bible Study — Don’t Blame God For the Consequences of Your Actions

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January 9, 2014 Bible Study — You Will Know Them By Their Fruit

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July 11, 2013 Bible Study — Be Ever Hearing, But Never Understanding

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January 9, 2013 Bible Study — Have I Built My Life On the Bedrock Or the Sand?

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July 11, 2012 Bible Study

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