Tag Archives: Religion

September 7, 2012 Bible Study

September 6, 2012 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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Daily Bible Study

September 6, 2012 Bible Study

September 5, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Song of Solomon 1-4:16

Today I begin reading the Song of Solomon. This is a book often recommended to young Christian couples. There is certainly some merit to that. You should feel that the Song of Solomon expresses your feelings toward the person you intend to make your spouse before you commit to such an action. Certainly this passage captures my feelings for my wife:

“You have captured my heart,
my treasure, my bride.
You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes,
with a single jewel of your necklace.
In addition this passage twice advises women not to “awaken love before the time is right.” I am pretty sure that in the context this is a reference to sexual activity. I am also pretty sure it contains within it an admonition about how sexual activity is connected to marital love. We, as human beings, are designed to develop an attachment to those we have sexual relations with. Which is why the Bible repeatedly warns against premarital sex, adultery and sexual promiscuity. Such activities will lead us into deeper relationships with inappropriate people than is healthy for us or for them.

2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Paul tells the Church in Corinth that Titus was eager to fulfill Paul’s request that he return to Corinth to collect what the Church in Corinth had collected for the relief of the Christians in Jerusalem. He tells them that he is sending with Titus two fellow Christians who had been chosen by the churches to accompany Paul as he took the money to the Christians in Jerusalem. Paul points out that this was done so that there would be no question that the money that was collected was used as intended. This is an important point for those collecting donations to do ministry. Make sure to structure the way that money is handled to ensure that it you can show that the money is spent according to the standards and priorities that you collected it under. It is also a standard we should follow when considering donating to charities. Do they provide a way that you can ensure that they are spending the money in a manner that aligns with their declared reasons for raising the money?

Psalm 50:1-23

The psalmist tells us that God has already gathered the people of earth to judgement. God tells us that he has no complaint with our sacrifices and offerings to Him, but that He does not need them because everything is already His. He tells us that what He desires is for us to follow His commands and be thankful to Him for all that He has done for us. This does not mean that we should not give to worthy causes and make offerings to support God’s work. It just means that we need to remember that doing so does not obligate God to us. We can only ask for things that we desire and need. We should be thankful for everything that God gives us, even those things we don’t think we want. There are probably many other messages that can be gleamed from this psalm, but the one that comes to me today is that we can never obligate God to do anything for us. What God does for us is always out of His loving generousness and we are obligated to be thankful for what we receive.

Proverbs 22:22-23

Today’s proverb should be one that no one who claims to be a Christian should need reminding of. Just because you can do something does not make it right. If we use our power to advance ourselves at the expense of others, God will claim restitution. Sometimes people think that it is OK to abuse power they have in petty areas because the one they are so abusing has more power in other areas. God will judge us for that just as much as He will judge a Supreme Court Justice for abusing his power.

Daily Bible Study

September 5, 2012 Bible Study

September 4, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 10-12:14

The writer continues with a series of proverbs. Here he points out that many worthwhile tasks have dangers involved in them. Additionally, he advises to properly prepare the tool for the task at hand before beginning. He goes on to advise us to diversify our investments because we do not know what risks might destroy some of them. Seek to follow the Lord while you are young, so that you will not have regrets when you get old. Finally the writer concludes that we should fear God and obey His commands. God will judge all of our actions, both good and bad, both public and secret.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Paul writes to the Corinthians that the Churches in Macedonia were giving eagerly to provide help to the Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering. He tells us that they did even more than he had hoped, giving more than they could truly afford. The Churches in Macedonia begged to be allowed to share with the believers in Jerusalem, without in any way shorting the local needs. Paul is writing this reminder to the Church in Corinth to encourage them, but also to keep them from looking foolish. The idea of raising money to aid the believers in Jerusalem was first suggested by the Corinthians. He tells them to give in proportion to what they have. Give what you can and do so eagerly. Do not short your self so that others can live a life of ease. Give from your plenty to those in need and when you are in need those who then have plenty will share with you. I had never noticed this before, but there is an element in what Paul writes here that is counter to “prosperity gospel”. Prosperity theology sometimes claims that you should give according to what you want to have. If you want to earn $100,000 a year than you should be donating to charity (usually the one run by the person preaching this message) $10,000 a year. According to them, if you do that you will receive that $100,000 a year you want. However, in this passage Paul says, “And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” That seems to me to run exactly counter to what those prosperity gospel preachers are preaching.

Psalm 49:1-20

This is an interesting psalm to be reading at the same time as Ecclesiastes, because it shares a similar message. The psalmist says that he will not fear when trouble comes and enemies surround him. He does not fear because his enemies put their trust in wealth and great riches. Yet they cannot pay enough to avoid death. Death comes eventually to everyone. No one can ransom themselves from the grave. The wise and the foolish will each die in their time. In all of this he seems very pessimistic. Then he tells us the gospel. God will redeem from the grave those who rely on Him. People who boast of their wealth as if that makes them better than others will die just as animals do. Wealth does not follow us into the grave.

Proverbs 22:20-21

The writer of proverbs has written many sayings that are filled with advice and knowledge. We should study them so that we can give good answers to those who question us about how to live. This verse reminds me of something I was moved to work on shortly after I started composing this blog. That is, memorizing Scripture. I made a good start. I immediately found a website that suggested what appeared to me to be a good selection of verses to memorize after rejecting several other websites with similar lists (I rejected the others because I did not think they suited my needs, not because they were flawed in any way). I even wrote the first verse in a book I carry and began working on it. I quickly memorized it, but that was as far as it went until recently, when I entered the second passage into the book and memorized it. Over the months since I began memorizing, I should have more than two passages memorized. This passage convicts me to work harder at my project of Scripture memorization.

Daily Bible Study

September 4, 2012 Bible Study

September 3, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 7-9:18

This passage starts off with a series of proverbs that are good guides for life. “A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.” “Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool.” “Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” He goes on to tell us to avoid extremes and that no one is always good and without sin. He tells us that no one can discover everything. There will always be some things that even the wisest person does not understand. The fastest and strongest do not always win. The wise and the skillful are not always wealthy. Whatever you do, do it well. And in the end, we will all die.

2 Corinthians 7:8-16

Paul writes that he is not sorry that he wrote a previous severe letter to them. He says that he was sorry at first, because he knew it would cause them pain. However, now he is glad that he sent it because it caused them to repent and change their ways. He tells them that Godly sorrow causes us to repent and change our ways. Being sorry for something that we are going to do again is worse than of no value, it results in spiritual death. Many scholars believe that the “severe letter” Paul refers to is one that has been lost. I see no reason to think this is the case. The letter we know of as 1 Corinthians is severe enough to have engendered the feelings that Paul describes.
Paul tells us that Godly sorrow leads to zeal and earnestness. When we feel Godly sorrow, we strive to do everything necessary to make things right. Paul had not written his letter to point out who was in the wrong and who was wronged. He seems to be saying two things here. First, there were some people who were in the wrong in the conflict in the Church. Second, now that the issue has been resolved and people have repented and changed their ways it does not matter who was wrong and who was wronged. Paul goes on to write how greatly encouraged he was by their reaction to his letter. Further Paul tells them he is delighted by the way they welcomed Titus and treated him with respect. The news that Titus brought Paul from Corinth has led Paul to have complete confidence in their faith and witness.

Psalm 48:1-14

The psalmist is talking about the earthly city of Jerusalem, but I believe that God is speaking through the psalmist of the Heavenly Jerusalem. Either way there is much to uplift us from this psalm. The Lord is deserving of our praise. Those who gather their forces to attack that which God defends will be utterly destroyed. We should meditate on God’s unfailing love. And finally, He is our God forever and He will guide us until we die.

Proverbs 22:17-19

Today’s proverb covers three verses. The first two tell us that we should listen to the instructions of the wise and keep wise sayings on our lips. These are things that are good to do. The third verse gives the reason to teach others. If we have been granted wisdom from God, we should teach others so that they may trust in the Lord. Of course that also tells us which teachers we should listen to; those who are teaching us to trust in the Lord.

Daily Bible Study

September 3, 2012 Bible Study

September 2, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Ecclesiastes 4-6:12

I struggle with Ecclesiastes. As I read it, I think I see something, then the writer goes off in another direction and I am not sure if he meant to say what I thought I saw, or something else. Nevertheless, there are a few things I see in this passage. It is better to work with someone who you can trust and rely on. Two people can fill in for each other’s weaknesses and help each other up when they inevitably stumble and fall. When you come before God, listen before you speak. Don’t spend a lot of time talking about what you are going to do, just do it. It is good and proper to take satisfaction in the food and drink one receives and to be satisfied with the work one does because these things are gifts from God.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7

Today’s passage starts of with Paul telling the Corinthians not to team up with unbelievers. The King James version says that we should not be unequally yoked with them. When I was growing up, and often since, this passage was referenced as an instruction against interfaith marriage. That is certainly consistent with what Paul is saying here, but it isn’t what he is saying. This is much broader than that. I believe that Paul is saying here that Christians should not go into business with non-Christians. That when Christians form groups to do good deeds, they should not form working partnerships with non-Christian organizations. Or at least be careful to ensure that if they do, the Christians are not the junior partners with little ability to influence actual policy in the project they are working on.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses division and conflict within the Church in Corinth. Now Paul writes that when he went to Macedonia, he ran into more conflict and division and he was starting to become discouraged. Then Titus arrived with word from the Church in Corinth. He told Paul how the Corinthians had taken his words to heart and resolved their conflicts in the manner which Paul had advised. Paul tells us that this encouraged him and washed away the discouragement that he was feeling. We should remember that God will provide us with the needed encouragement when we are becoming discouraged.

Psalm 47:1-9

This psalm rebuts those who think that Christians should always worship with quiet decorum. Our worship should be loud and boisterous so that people can tell that we are having a good time. This does not contradict Paul telling the Corinthians that the worship service should be orderly. The worship service should be orderly, but people should also be able to tell that we are enjoying ourselves.

Proverbs 22:16

Those who use their position to gain wealth by oppressing the poor will end in poverty, as will those who seek to show their stature by giving gifts to those richer than themselves.

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Tag Archives: Religion

September 7, 2012 Bible Study

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