For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
I really wanted to comment on the contrast the writer makes between deep waters and a rushing stream. However, I was unable to get my thoughts on the subject to come together.
The second part is pretty clear, and seems pretty obvious. It is not a good thing when the innocent are denied justice because those in authority are biased towards the wicked. Unfortunately, some people forget this.
It is delightful and fitting to praise God. He does not play favorites. God does not delight in strength or might. He takes delight in those who fear Him and put their hope of victory in Him. Let us praise God because He uses His power to bring justice and healing to the broken hearted.
Luke tells us about a group of Jews who traveled around casting out evil spirits. They attempted to increase their effectiveness by invoking the name of Jesus, even though they were not believers. This ended badly for them. I think there are several lessons in this for us, but the most interesting to me today is the one which the believers of the area seem to have taken from it. The lesson recounted in the passage was that practicing sorcery is incompatible with faith in Jesus.
I am torn about the destruction of books described here. On the one hand, because these books were destroyed we do not know what they considered to be sorcery. On the other hand, those who did so were people who had been practicing sorcery, while at the same time claiming to have faith in Jesus. The books that were burned are described as being books of spells, that is, instructions for carrying out specific acts of sorcery. Those who destroyed their books of incantations were eliminating a source of future temptation. This destruction was not carried out at the behest of the government, or some other authority. Rather these people chose to do so of their own free will. By destroying their spellbooks they were making a statement that they had been practicing magic and that they were turning from doing so in the future.
It is worth noting that this was not the destruction of music recordings, or roleplaying game books. This was the destruction of books which gave instruction on how to perform sorcery. By saying this I am not casting judgment on those who choose to destroy their collections of music recordings or roleplaying game books. There may be a case to be made for doing so, but this passage is not the basis for it. Jesus in Matthew 18 tells us to destroy anything we have which causes us to sin. These people destroyed their spellbooks because they caused them to sin. If listening to certain music causes you to sin, destroy your copies of that music. If a roleplaying game causes you to sin, destroy your copies of the rulebooks for that game. However, remember that others may possess those things and not be tempted to sin. That is a judgment for each of us to make on our own (with counsel from the Holy Spirit and our brothers and sisters in Christ).
This passage tells us of two more kings of Judah who did what was pleasing in God’s sight. As a result, the Kingdom of Judah had stability at a time when the Kingdom of Israel was undergoing political turmoil due to rebellions and invasions. This is an important lesson for all people. When the people of a nation do what is evil in God’s sight there will be political turmoil. When they do what is pleasing in God’s sight they will have stability.