For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    We may think that we are doing good, but God knows what is truly in our hearts, better even than we do. God knows what our true motives are and will show us how to do the right things for the right reasons, if we ask Him to.

    If we turn to God for protection He will not allow us to be disgraced. No matter how desperate our situation may seem, God will rescue those who put their full trust in him. Let us not cling to anything other than God, such things have no power to save us.

    This passage reminds me of many in the Church in the U.S. today. Paul condemns the Corinthians for being proud that one of their number was committing sexual sin. There are portions of the Church today who are stand up for a brag about their support for those who commit sexual sins. Paul tells us that rather than do that we should refuse to associate with such people. In doing so, we must remember that our purpose is not to punish the sinner, but to call them back to faithfulness to God. We are to make clear that their actions are destructive both to themselves and others. We cannot look the other way and pretend that those who claim to be following Christ, yet are actively practicing self-destructive behaviors, are in good standing with God. Note that the situation Paul was addressing was not one where the person was caught in the power of sin and striving to find the strength to escape. The situation was one where the person involved was claiming that there was nothing sinful about their actions (at least, that is how I read it).
    We, also, need to note that Paul did not instruct us to avoid those who commit various sins who do not acknowledge God. Let us make sure that we communicate to those who claim to follow Christ and openly sin that they are failing to faithfully follow Him. Yet, let us always remember that the purpose is not to bring harm or hurt to that person. The purpose of our interactions with everyone should be to open them to the working of the Holy Spirit so that they might more faithfully serve God (or start serving God).

    Once more we get a lesson on undertaking a task for God. As the people prepared to travel from where they had gathered to set out, Ezra called on them to fast and humble themselves before God. They prayed asking God to protect them from robbers and bandits (and any other dangers) on their trip to Jerusalem. Ezra did not want to call on the secular authorities for a military escort because he had bragged (accurately) of God’s ability to protect them from dangers. The other part of Ezra’s preparation was that he selected certain individuals to be accountable for the treasure which they were carrying. He made a specific account of what was being transported and turned it over to these people, making it clear that they were to account for these items when they arrived in Jerusalem. It is important to be clear who in the group is responsible for the money and equipment which the group is using.
    When Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, some of the people came to him to complain about those previously returned Exiles who had married those living in the land, or given their sons in marriage to women from among those living in the land. It is easy to get caught up with the concerns about racial purity which this passage expresses and miss the real concern. The problem with marrying the local women was the practices which they followed in order to complete these alliances. The problem was not with Jewish men marrying non-Jewish women. The problem was that the Jewish men adopted the pagan practices of their wives. In the same way today, Christian men and women should only marry those who also follow Christ, or risk being seduced away from God by their spouse.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    Government officials who seek the good of their people and land will not allow the wicked to band together. Rather in the interest of the people he governs, and in his own interest, he will scatter the wicked and then crush those he can catch.
    The light of God’s Spirit will penetrate our innermost being, revealing secrets and motives we did not realize we possessed.

    The psalmist calls on us to honour the Lord (the translation notes mention that the phrase rendered “heavenly beings” could be translated “Sons of God”). We should honour god for His glory and His strength. The psalmist reminds us that the voice of the Lord can transform the world. It can split mighty trees and twist them to His will. It can strike like lightning and cause the earth to quake. Let us remember this when we see injustice and oppression in the world. When we speak God’s words, we are speaking with the voice of God which has the power to transform the world. We may be weak and powerless in the eyes of this world, but when we allow God’s Spirit to move through us, the earth will be shaken to its core.

    Those of us who are called to preach and teach the Gospel (which to at least some degree is all of us) need to remember Paul’s humility here. Some need to plant the seed, introduce people to the Gospel message. Others need to water that seed, teach people how to follow the Gospel and be disciples of Jesus. But in either case, it is God who causes the seed to grow. It does not matter who first introduces someone to the Gospel, nor does it matter who teaches them how to follow God. Both such people are merely God’s servants, doing as they have been instructed. The glory and praise belongs to God who sent them.
    Paul then changes metaphor to that of building. There is only one foundation on which we can build anything lasting. As long as we build on that foundation, which is Jesus Christ, we will be saved. We can use any materials we like. However, our building will be tried by fire, if it survives we will be rewarded. But even if it does not, as long as we built on that firm foundation we will receive salvation.
    Paul concludes this whole lesson (going back to the passage we covered yesterday) by reminding us that if we think we are wise using the world’s standards of wisdom, we are deceiving ourselves. If we want to be truly wise we must be willing to become fools according to the way the world measures things.

    Because the returned Exiles had refused the assistance of those who lived around them when they returned, work on rebuilding the Temple was delayed for many years. When Darius became king of Persia, God sent prophets who inspired those who by then were leading the people to resume construction. When the officials set by the Persians to rule the area discovered that work had resumed, they demanded to know by what authority the Exiles were doing this. The Exiles referenced Cyrus’ proclamation and continued to work. The officials sent word to Darius requesting a ruling. Darius replied that not only was the work not to be obstructed, but that the local officials were to supply resources to aid in the construction. If we are faithful, God will cause even those who oppose us to aid us in serving His purposes.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    God directs the path our life will follow. This means that we will not understand why some things happen, but we can be sure that they serve God’s purposes in directing us to where He wants us to go.

    When we cry out to the Lord for mercy, He will hear us and answer us. He will pay back the wicked, those who speak friendly words while plotting harm. Those who have no concern for God’s work nor His creation will answer to Him. He will hold them to account. If we trust the Lord with all of our heart and soul He will support us and defend us. Let us choose the latter rather than the former.

    The fact that we, as Christians, will seem foolish to those who have rejected the Gospel does not mean that we are foolish. We should not attempt to convince unbelievers by the wisdom of our words, nor by our well-crafted arguments. However, when we are speaking with our fellow believers we should seek to express God’s wisdom. Whether we are speaking or listening, let us let God’s Spirit guide us to wisdom. We will not be able to understand what is truly wise without God’s Spirit to guide us. The converse of that is true as well, we will only be able to speak with true wisdom if we allow God’s Spirit to guide our words. All of this leads to the conclusion that we are working from the world’s wisdom rather than God’s when we attempt to claim that we are wiser than others because we follow this or that particular teacher. Being a Mennonite, or a Baptist, or a Catholic, or a …, does not make us a better Christian than someone who practices a different denominational understanding of Christ’s teachings. Let us strive to uplift our fellow believers, no matter what denomination they are a part of. Let us listen to God’s wisdom, no matter what route He uses to communicate it to us.

    As soon as the returned Exiles got settled into their new homes, they began work on the Temple. The very first thing they did was rebuild the altar. Notice their first priority was to be able to worship God. It was only after they had restored the altar, and with it their ability to worship God as they understood it, that they began rebuilding the Temple and the rest of the city.
    When those who had been living in the land sought to work with the Exiles in rebuilding the Temple, their assistance was rejected. I always have a difficult time with this part of the passage. Perhaps, the returned Exiles rejected their assistance because they knew they would have demanded a say in the way things were done, thus making it harder to be faithful to God’s commands. However, I cannot help but think that the troubles which the Exiles later faced could have been avoided if they had welcomed these other seekers after God into their assembly. It is my belief that when we are working on God’s work we should accept the aid of any who are seeking to further that work.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    It is not our place to seek revenge for the wrongs which have been committed against us. God will avenge us if we have been wronged. If we seek revenge for perceived wrongs, we risk being guilty of committing wrongs against the innocent, because we may be mistaken about who was responsible, or even about the nature of what happened. If we allow God to avenge the wrongs done to us we can be sure that those who suffer are those who deserve it.

    When my heart hears God ask me to come and talk with Him, I respond. But how often has God asked me to come and talk with Him when I was not listening. I am determined to be listening when God calls me to come and talk with Him in the future. God will not forsake us, not even when our own parents do so. I will learn how to live from God’s instructions. I will seek His guidance along the paths of life. I will wait for God to show me the way before I begin my journey.

    The message Paul delivers here is one we need to always remember. The world is convinced that the Gospel message is foolishness. The Gospel teaches that victory comes through Jesus death. This is foolishness to those who have not been saved. How can victory be obtained by allowing yourself to be killed? God did not bring about our salvation because of, nor by way of, our wisdom or power in this world. Ultimately, God offers His salvation to those who admit to their powerlessness and those who are not afraid to look foolish. All too many people have fallen away from the Gospel because of their desire to appear wise.
    When we preach the Gospel let us follow Paul’s example. Instead of trying to convince people by our clever words and by demonstrating our great wisdom, let us speak plainly of Christ’s death and resurrection. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that others will come to know God, not by our skills at putting together a good argument.

    When Cyrus, the king of Persia, defeated the Babylonians he not only decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, he encouraged them to do so. He sent from his own treasury those items which had been seized by the Babylonians from the Temple when they conquered Jerusalem. In addition, he encouraged those who were neighbors of the Jews in exile to offer them financial support to return to Jerusalem. As a result of this decree a large number of Jews returned to Jerusalem with enough wealth to begin the process of rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple. When God’s time arrived, God provided for His people.