For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Christmas is coming soon. Let us remember what it is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us strive to not be caught up in the commercialism which is what this season is about for many in our society today.

    Every last one of God’s words prove true. If we take refuge in His words He will faithfully protect us. But be careful not to rely on your interpretation of His words when that interpretation goes beyond what God actually said.

    I will serve God and I will praise Him. God has done great things. He listens to our prayers and speaks to us. He sees what we do and gives us guidance. Those who worship things made by man are as foolish and lacking as the things they worship. Those who place their trust in things made by man do not truly see and cannot hear the truth about the world.

    The passage refers to 144,000 who will be sealed with God’s seal from among the tribes of Israel, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. There are arguments about whether this number is literal, or merely symbolic. I tend to think it is merely symbolic. Whether or not this number is literal, it is certainly symbolic. The number 12 indicates completeness. Twelve of something indicates a complete set. The number 1,000 indicates a number that cannot be easily counted. If there are 1,000 of something it means that there are so many they cannot truly be counted. So the number of those sealed is 12 times 12 times 1,000. This means to me that the number of the people of Israel who will be saved is a complete representation of all of the people of Israel.
    Despite the symbolism I talked about in the last paragraph, it is clear from the next part of today’s passage that the Jews, the members of the people of Israel, who are sealed is a limited number, a very large, but still limited, number. This is not to in any way denigrate the Jews, the people of Israel. It is to point out that we have the 144,000 Jews who are sealed with God’s seal who are contrasted with the countless numbers of those who died in the great tribulation. I believe that this passage is very intentional in showing that while a large number of people of Jewish descent will enter into heaven, the total number of those who will die for their faith will be many more than that. There will be martyrs from every people and nation in large numbers.
,br>

    Micah speaks about what God has done for Israel and what He has done for us. Micah asks what it is that we should offer God. Are we to offer God from our material resources? Does God require that we bring Him great wealth? Does he require that we sacrifice our children to Him? Micah tells us the answer in one of the most powerful passages in Scripture:

     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.

     Micah predicts that a day will come when a ruler over God’s people will arise from Bethlehem. In that day, God will destroy all armies and all defenses. He will get rid of all of the things we use to think we can take control of our lives away from God. Those nations and peoples who refuse to obey God will suffer the consequences of their actions. We are not called upon to make sacrifices to God from our worldly possessions or to make sacrifices of our children. These are not the things which God is asking of us. God has shown us what is good and desires that we do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.
     Micah warns that when a nation becomes dominated by merchants who use dishonest measures and cheating to acquire wealth and political leaders use violence and extortion to do the same the armies of destruction are on the way. When this happens attempts to save money will fail (inflation?) and plans for the future will fail. When we look around and there seems to be no one godly to be found, then we can be assured that destruction is on its way. However, Micah tells us how to face such a day. Let us wait confidently for God. Let us patiently submit as He punishes us for our sins, for we have all sinned. If we will do this, God will, in due time, take up our case and be on our side against our enemies. God will not stay angry forever. He will pardon our sins and have compassion on us. In that day, all of those who witness what God has done for us will stand amazed. I will trust in the Lord.

     John continues to describe what he saw after the sixth seal was broken. He saw four angels who had been given the power to harm the land, sea, and what lived upon/within them. They were told to wait until God’s servants had been marked with His seal. The number marked with God’s seal was 144,000 from all of the tribes of Israel. This number had some significance to John and his early readers, but, besides the significance of being a multiple of 12, I do not know what it was.
     In addition to that 144,000 from the tribes of Israel marked with God’s seal, there was(will be) a countless number of people gathered from every nation, every tribe, every people, and every language before God praising Him. John is telling us here that there will be people from every conceivable subgroup of mankind who will serve God by putting their faith in Christ. These people gathered before the throne of God praising God are those who came out of and through the great tribulation of life is this broken and sinful world. Whenever you look around and think that there are no righteous people left, remember this throng which will gather before God on that day to praise His name.

     I will praise the name of the Lord. I will praise Him for all He has done. Anything else that we might give our worship to is but a created thing. It can have no power to do. The things which people worship aside from God cannot speak, cannot see, cannot hear, cannot smell. If we trust in them, we become just like them, unable to speak truly, unable to see what is real, unable to hear the truth, unable to smell corruption. I will not turn to worshiping idols, because the path to life and truth is fearing the Lord.

     God’s words prove true and He will shield us when we turn to Him for protection. Let us not add anything to the words which God gives us for if we do we will be found to be liars and subject to God’s rebuke.