Monthly Archives: July 2012

Daily Bible Study

July 22, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10

     Solomon had placed a bronze platform in the Temple courtyard. During the celebration of the dedication of the Temple he got up on it and prayed a public prayer. It is not clear from the passage whether this was before or after the cloud filled the Temple. Solomon started his prayer by saying that there is no other god like God. He then said that the Temple cannot contain God. God is not bound to a location. Solomon then prayed that when the people sinned and God punished them, if they turned from their sins and prayed to God that God would forgive them and deliver them from their trials. Solomon further prayed that when foreigners heard of God and turned to following Him that God would grant their prayers as well.
     The passage records that when Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and burned up the sacrifices that were on the altar and the presence of the Lord filled the Temple. It tells us that the presence of the Lord filled the Temple in such a manner that the priests could not enter the Temple. When the people saw this happen they bowed down and praised the Lord. They celebrated a seven day festival for the dedication of the Temple and on the eighth day they held a closing ceremony. We are told that there were so many sacrifices that they had to perform sacrifices in the courtyard because the altar could not hold all of the offerings.
     God responded to Solomon’s prayer. God told him that when the people sin and He punishes them, if they humble themselves, seek God and turn from sin, He will forgive their sins and restore them. But if the people turn from God and worship other gods, He will uproot them and cause the Temple and Jerusalem to be such that all who see it will be appalled. It will stand as a testimony to the people of Israel’s unfaithfulness in the face of God’s graciousness to them.

Romans 7:14-8:8

     I used this clip art because in this passage Paul talks about the fact that we as Christians want to do right and don’t want to do wrong. In fact, most people, whether Christian or not, want to do what is right and want to not do what is wrong. Yet, we still often don’t do what is right and do what is wrong. We do not do what we want. We have a sinful nature that makes us a slave to sin. This paradox, that we do not do what we want but instead do what we want not to do, tells us that the law which tells us right from wrong is insufficient to bring about reconciliation with God. But Paul tells us there is another way, that God has provided a sacrifice to reconcile us to Him. If we turn to God and surrender ourselves to His Spirit, He will transform us and free us from our slavery to our sinful nature. We must acknowledge that we only do right when God takes control of us, that any good we do is of no credit to us, but is only through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us.

Psalm 18:1-15

     The psalmist tells us that God will be our shield and place of safety. That even when we feel that we are overwhelmed and God is far away, He will come to our rescue when we cry out to Him. We should continue to trust in God for safety and salvation, even when God seems far away and it seems like our prayers are bouncing off of the ceiling. He will hear our prayers, nothing can keep them from his ears. Further this psalm, with colorful imagery, tells us that nothing can stand in His way when He comes to rescue us, which He will indeed do.

Proverbs 19:24-25

     The first proverb tells us that often times the reason that people are in want is because they are too lazy to take advantage of the opportunities that they are right in front of them. If someone is chronically in need, they should ask themselves if perhaps the problem is their own behaviors. The second proverb tells us that the simple-minded need to witness punishment in order to learn, but that the wise learn when their mistakes are pointed out.

Daily Bible Study

July 21, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 4-6:11

     Today’s passage describes the Temple furnishings that Solomon had built. The first thing mentioned is a large bronze basin called the Sea. It was the size of a large above ground pool. We are told that the priests washed themselves in this basin. There were ten smaller basins made that were used to wash the utensils for the burnt offerings. In addition there were many other furnishings made. We are told that so much bronze was used that it was not possible to determine how much it all weighed.
     Once the furnishings were completed, Solomon summoned the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem for the Festival of Shelters to move the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple. When they got the Ark to the Temple, but before they put it into the inner sanctuary, they offered a large number of burnt offerings before it. The passage tells us that they offered so many animals that no one could keep count. When they had finished with the sacrifices, the priests carried the Ark into the inner sanctuary of the Temple, the Most Holy Place. We are told that there was nothing in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed within it. Once the priests had placed the Ark in the Most Holy Place they left the Holy Place. Then the Levitical musicians began singing to God with instrumental accompaniment. We are told that a thick cloud filled the Temple at this moment and the priests were forced to stop their service because of it. We are told that this cloud was the presence of God. This cloud is reminiscent of the cloud that led the people of Israel during the day in the wilderness. Solomon concludes by praising God for fulfilling His promises to his father David.

Romans 7:1-13

     Paul tells us in this passage that death frees us from the law. That when we died with Christ upon accepting His sacrifice for us, we were freed from bondage to the Law. Before Christ, the only way to serve God was through obeying the letter of the Law, but now we can serve God by living in His Spirit. Paul tells us that the law, which was intended to bring life, was twisted by sin so as to instead bring death and condemnation. Any attempt to set up a set of rules that we can/must keep for salvation is doomed to failure. Sin will make use of those rules to condemn us for our failures. The only way to be right with God is to acknowledge that we will fail to always act righteously and must rely fully on God’s grace. This does not mean that we do not attempt to act righteously, just that we acknowledge that we will always fall short of God’s righteous standard and thus are no better than anyone else.

Psalm 17:1-15

     The psalmist tells us that God will test our thoughts and examine our hearts, we cannot hide our sin from Him. God’s love is unfailing and He will rescue those who seek Him as refuge from their enemies. God will destroy those who seek their reward in this world, but will give satisfaction to those who seek to see Him face to face.

Proverbs 19:22-23

     The first proverb tells us that we will find people who are loyal more attractive. It also tells us that one is better off being poor than being dishonest. There is actually a connection between these two statements. People who are dishonest never trust anyone. They are always sure that those around them are lying to them and are going to betray them. When you meet someone who thinks that way, you can be sure that they are will lie to you when it suits their purposes and betray you at the least hint of gain from doing so. The second proverb tells us the way to avoid becoming that person. If we fear the Lord, we will trust Him for our security and not fear the betrayal of others. If we fear the Lord, we will be honest and loyal. We will know that the Lord will protect us and thus not need to fear the betrayal and dishonesty of others. This is really a twofold thing. The first part is that as we are more honest and loyal, others are less likely to lie to us or betray us. The second part is that if we rely on God for our security, He will protect us from the consequences of others dishonesty or betrayal.

Daily Bible Study

July 20, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

2 Chronicles 1-3:17

     Second Chronicles begins with Solomon taking the throne of Israel. He then gathered the leaders of Israel and went to Gibeon where the Tabernacle is still located (even though David had moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem) to offer sacrifices. That night God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he desired God to give him. Solomon asks for the wisdom and knowledge to lead the people properly. God replied that he would give Solomon wisdom and knowledge, and because Solomon’s first thought was of the people, God would give him great wealth and fame.
     The next thing we are told is that Solomon had a huge force of chariots and horses. This is followed be an account that suggests that Solomon’s power and wealth were based on being in the center of a trading empire. David built his power by protecting the trade routes through Israel/Palestine from bandits and raiders. Solomon built his power and wealth by taking control of the trade that used those routes. Next we are told that Solomon arranged a trade agreement with King Hiram of Tyre for master craftsmen to oversee the building of the Temple and for lumber to use in the construction. Solomon took a census of the foreigners living in the land of Israel. He then recruited them as forced labor to build the Temple.
     Today’s passage ends with a description of the Temple that Solomon built. There are two things about it that strike me. The first is something that I have always been aware of. It contained a massive amount of gold and other precious materials. The second thing is that it wasn’t really all that big. The Temple was about 2700 square feet, the average new house in the U.S. in 2010 was about 2400 square feet. Now the square footage of a house is based on multiple floors, while the Temple was a single floor. However, on another site I found a measurement that said the footprint for an average house was around 800 to 1500 square feet. Based on that, a house that was 30 feet by 50 feet would not be considered terribly large, whereas this passage tells us that Solomon’s Temple was 30 feet by 90 feet, or less than double the size of a moderately large house.

Romans 6:1-23

     Yesterday’s passage ended with Paul telling us that as people sinned more and more, God’s grace became more abundant. Today’s passage begins by telling us that this does not mean that we should sin so as to cause God to show us even more grace. Instead he tells us that the power of sin over us has been crucified alongside of Jesus and we are raised with Him. That even as death no longer has any power of Jesus, so sin should no longer have any power over us. Paul tells us that we are slaves to that which we choose to obey. If we sin, we are yielding ourselves into slavery to sin. We should instead choose to be slaves of righteousness.
     I had never looked at this passage this way before, but I have a story that illustrates what Paul is getting at here. When I got out of college, I smoked pot. After a time, I realized that as a Christian I should quit (I probably knew all along that as a Christian I shouldn’t smoke pot, but before this point that hadn’t entered my calculations). I, also, felt called to be more active in the Church. I tried to give up pot, but was unsuccessful in doing so. I became more and more convicted that I should be more active in the Church. But I felt like I needed to give up pot first, that otherwise I would be a hypocrite. After quite some time of trying to quit pot and failing, God revealed to me that I should not put off any longer doing what I knew I should be doing and I should become more active in the Church. I said to God, “OK, I can’t stop doing this, which I know I should not be doing, but I will start doing that, which I know I should be doing.” The interesting thing is that when I stopped trying to quit smoking pot and started doing the things that I knew that God was calling me to do, I almost immediately stopped smoking pot. When I made myself a slave to righteousness (obeying the commands of being righteous), I stopped being a slave to sin. There were a couple of steps involved here. The first was acknowledging that smoking pot was a sin. The second was acknowledging that I did not have the ability on my own to stop committing that sin. The final was being open about the fact that I was a sinner and being active doing works of righteousness anyway. The lesson I take away from this (both the story and this passage) is that if there is a sin in your life that you cannot overcome, you need to become more active in doing acts of righteousness. I have sins I struggle with now. I see that the solution to my struggle is to spend less time in “leisure” activity and more time doing acts of righteousness, whether that is Church activities, writing another blog or some other activity that God calls me to. Time we spend doing acts of righteousness is time we do not have to sin.

Psalm 16:1-11

     There are two elements to today’s psalm. The first is that the psalmist turns to God for safety. He recognizes that every good thing comes from God. The second is that he vows to not take part in the worship of other gods, whether those gods are Vishnu and Zeus, or pleasure and wealth. The psalmist says that he will follow God’s guidance and not be shaken because God is right beside him. What more do we need than the joy of being in God’s presence and the pleasure of living with Him forever?

Proverbs 19:20-21

     Today’s first proverb tells us that we should actively seek advice and instruction. Beyond that, we should take advice and instruction, even when we were not seeking it. The second proverb tells us that we make whatever plans we desire, but God’s purpose will be served. We should seek to align our plans with God’s will, to make our plans to serve God’s purposes.

Daily Bible Study

July 19, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 28-29:30

     This passage tells us that David called together the leaders of Israel to tell them that Solomon would be king after him and that it would be Solomon who would build the Temple. David told them that he wanted to build the Temple, but God told him not to because he had shed too much blood. David instructed Solomon that if he served and worshiped God with his whole heart God would bless him. David told Solomon that if he sought God he would find Him, but if he forsook God, God would reject him forever. That applies today as well, those who seek God will find Him.
     This passage tells us that David gave Solomon plans for the Temple and the Temple furnishings. David then told the assembly that he had gathered materials for building the Temple and in addition to those materials, he was going to give resources from his private treasury. He then called on the leaders of Israel to follow his example and donate materials for the building of the Temple. We are told that they did as he requested and gave a large amount of materials for the building of the Temple. The passage tells us that the leaders gave 188 metric tons of gold. In 2009, a metric ton of gold was worth about $34 million. Today, it would be significantly more. And the leaders of Israel gave 188 metric tons of gold for the Temple. In addition they gave other precious materials in large quantities.
     The passage then records that the people rejoiced in what was given for the Temple. David prayed a prayer of praise in which he stated that all of the wealth which had been given was God’s to begin with. He said that we could not take credit for giving to God, since all that we have God gave to us. This is again something for us to remember today. All that we have is God’s to begin with, so we should be readily willing to give of our resources to help those in need.
     The passage tells us that the following day they offered a large number of burnt offerings and crowned Solomon as king to succeed David.

Romans 5:6-21

     Paul wrote that when we were sinners and completely helpless, Jesus died for us. He pointed out that very rarely will someone be willing to die for someone else they consider a good person. Yet Jesus died for us when we were sinners. Paul then wrote that if God was willing to sacrifice His Son for us while we were sinners, how much more will He provide for us now that we are reconciled to Him.
     Paul wrote that just as death came into the world through one man, Adam, so now life has come into the world through one man, Jesus. Adam’s disobedience to God brought separation from God and death to all who came after Him. Now Jesus’ obedience unto death, brings reconciliation to God and eternal life to all who follow after Him. Adam’s disobedience gave sin the power to rule over us, but now Jesus’ death allows God’s grace to rule over us breaking the power of sin.

Psalm 15:1-5

     The psalmist asks, who can live in God’s presence? Then he answers this question, only those who are blameless. We know from the passages we are studying in Romans that none are blameless, but that God’s grace covers our sins. This psalm still gives us the behaviors we should strive to emulate. The psalmist tells us that we should speak truth from our hearts. I think there are two ways to read that, both correct. The first is that truth should just naturally flow from us, that suggestion that we should say something other than the truth should strike us as odd. The second way to look at this is that we speak the truth in a manner that shows that we care about those we are speaking with.
     The next tells us more about how we speak. The New Living Translation reads that we should not gossip, other translations say that we should not speak slander. I think that looking at those two ways of translating this passage tells us a lot about the message here. We should not pass on information, factual or not, that makes others look bad, especially when the main purpose of communicating that information is to make others look bad. The psalmist goes on to tell us that we should keep our promises, even when it will hurt us to do so. We should lend to those in need without demanding interest. Finally, we should not lie about others, no matter what reward is offered. The psalmist tells us that if we follow these principles, we will be solidly rooted and nothing will disrupt us.

Proverbs 19:18-19

     The first proverb tells us that parents who do not discipline their children will ruin their children’s lives. It is certainly true that lack of discipline ruins lives. The second of today’s proverbs tells us that those who have hot tempers will suffer consequences. It tells us that if you bail them out of the situation that their temper got them into, their temper will soon get them into another situation that may be even worse.

Daily Bible Study

July 18, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34

     Today’s passage continues describing the duties that were assigned to various groups of the Levites. We learn that David assigned the Levites tasks involving governing the Kingdom of Israel, not just tasks involving Temple worship. The passage then goes on to tell us that David divided his army into 12 units of 24,000 men which each served for one month a year. Each unit had its own commander. We are then told who the leaders of each of the tribes was while David was king. Finally we are given a list of miscellaneous officials of David’s kingdom.

Romans 4:13-5:5

     In today’s passage, Paul reiterates that Abraham received the promise of God, not because of his adherence to the law of God, but because of his righteousness that came to him through his faith in God. He tells is that if following the law makes one an heir of Abraham than faith has no value and God’s promise is worthless, because no one can fully keep the law and thus receive the promise. Paul extends his logic to show that God’s promise to Abraham applies to those who share Abraham’s faith in God, not just those who are biologically descended from Abraham.
     Paul tells us how Abraham had faith in God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations, even though he and Sarah were beyond child-bearing years. Despite his and Sarah’s age, Abraham believed in God’s power to provide him with a son. It was this belief (in God’s power to fulfill His promises) that was credited to him as righteousness. Paul tells us that the Scripture does not record the words “it was credited to him” for Abraham’s sake alone. Those words were written for us as well. Those of us who believe that Jesus died for our sins and was raised again to life may know that our faith will be credited to us as righteousness, just as Abraham’s faith was.
     Our faith allows us to have peace with God. Paul tells us that we can rejoice in our hope of the glory of God. We can also rejoice in the suffering we experience because suffering trains us to persevere, or as the King James Version puts it, to have patience. Perseverance helps us develop good, strong character. Good character inspires us to have hope. And God will not leave us to hope in vain.
     Today’s passage is a great example of what a blessing it is to have access to the Bible on line. In order for me to fully follow what Paul was saying here, I switched back and forth between different translations. I often will switch between translations when studying a passage because I want to see if some of the connotations I take from one translation can be supported by the way another translation chooses to translate a passage. But for today’s passage I found it necessary to look at various translations to fully see how to express my thoughts on what the passage meant.

Psalm 14:1-7

     The psalmist tells us that only fools declare that there is no God. He tells us that the truly wise will seek God. But he further tells us that no one really does, that we all turn away from God and do what is wrong. Despite our sinfulness and rejection of God, he will rescue us from evil and offer us the opportunity to be made right with Him. How appropriate that this psalm is part of my daily devotion while I am also reading Romans.

Proverbs 19:17

     There are several ways to look at this proverb. The first is straightforward. Helping the poor is lending to God. Surely we believe that God will repay His debts? If we believe that God will repay His debts, than we know that anything we give to the poor will come back to us with interest. There is another way to look at this proverb. Since everything we have is given to us by God, how can we even think twice when He asks us to give it to another?
     There are those who look at passages like this and see it as evidence that God will reward faithfulness with great worldly wealth, and sometimes He does. However, those who read these passages and see them as blueprints for acquiring worldly wealth miss out on an opportunity to gain gifts from God of much more value than worldly wealth.

Daily Bible Study

July 17, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 24-26:11

     This passage tells us that David, with the assistance of the political leaders of Israel and the leaders of the clans of the Levites divided the priestly families into groups. They then divided the various priestly duties among the family groups by casting lots, so that no favoritism would be shown. Then they did the same thing with the rest of the tribe of Levi, dividing the Levitical duties in the same manner. Then we are told that David and the army commanders chose certain men to proclaim God’s messages to musical accompaniment. Finally we are told the divisions of gatekeepers. What is important about this passage is that a strong effort was made to ensure that the duties relating to worshiping God were divided up in a manner that was fair and impartial. The effort was made to ensure that one group of priests could not say, “We are better than you, that is why we were assigned this task.” Nor could a group say, “You were only assigned that task because David (or some other powerful figure) likes you better.” This tells us something for how we structure our congregations today. The way that church offices are filled must not only be fair and equitable, they must be perceived to be fair and equitable.

Romans 4:1-12

     Paul turned to Abraham, the founder of Judaism. Paul pointed out that Abraham was not counted as right with God because of his good deeds. Instead the Bible tells us that Abraham was counted as righteous because of his faith in God. Or as the NIV translates it, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Once he established that Abraham’s righteousness was not a product of his actions, Paul proceeds to discuss whether circumcision is a necessary precondition. He points out that Abraham was credited as righteous before he was circumcised, that circumcision was a sign that Abraham had faith, not a precondition to that faith (and the righteousness that came from it). Paul concludes that Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have not been circumcised but have faith. That, just as with Abraham, their faith will be credited to them as righteousness. Paul further says that Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same faith that he, Abraham, had before he was circumcised. Abraham had a faith that led him to take action. If we have a similar faith, we will also take action. That action does not save us, our faith saves us, but that faith will lead us to act.

Psalm 13:1-6

     The psalmist cries out here to God, wanting to know how long he must wait for God’s providence. He wants to know how much longer will he suffer until God saves him from his trouble. But then he does something that is a model for us all. He declares that he trusts in God’s love, that he will rejoice because God has rescued him. He does this even before God rescues him because he has faith that God will indeed rescue him. This is a difficult thing to do, to praise God for rescuing us from trouble, even before we see that rescue. We should remember to sing to the Lord because he has been good to us, even in our times of trouble.

Proverbs 19:15-16

     Proverbs on laziness always trouble me, because I tend to be lazy. On the other hand, I have always worked hard enough to feed myself, so perhaps my definition of lazy is different from that of the writer of the proverb. The second of today’s proverbs reminds me of something that I have long said. God’s commands are not arbitrary. They are based on the way he designed us and this world to work. If we do not follow God’s commands, we will suffer for it, not because God punishes us, but because we will not function in our optimum manner.

Daily Bible Study

July 16, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 22-23:32

     David selected the location for the Temple to be built. He, also, began collecting materials to use in the construction of the Temple. He set aside large amounts of gold, silver, bronze, iron and cedar. David told Solomon that he had wanted to build a Temple for God, but God had told him it would not be appropriate for him to do so because of all of the men he had killed in his wars. David went on to tell Solomon that God had told him that his son, Solomon, would be a man of peace and would build God’s Temple. David instructs the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in building the Temple for God. David then assigns duties relating to the Temple that will be built to the Levites according to their family lines.

Romans 3:9-31

     In yesterday’s passage, Paul said that it is not OK to sin. In today’s passage, he wrote that even though the Jews have received God’s Law, they are no better than anyone else. The purpose of the Law is show us how guilty we are before God. We cannot be made right with God by obeying the Law. All have sinned and fall short of God’s standard. We can only be made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote that we are made right with God by believing that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His own blood.
     No one has any basis for boasting of their righteousness, because we have all failed equally before God. We can only be made right with God through faith, not by anything we have done. Does this mean we can ignore the Law and go on sinning? Paul wrote that it certainly does not mean that. He wrote that through our faith, God gives us the power to fulfill and keep the Law. Through the Holy Spirit we are given the power to overcome sin and do what is right before God. We will sin from time to time, but we should strive to allow the Holy Spirit to change us so that we do not. When we discover an area where sin is able to control us, we should not say, “There is nothing I can do. I just have to accept that I am going to commit this sin.” Instead, we should ask God for the power and guidance to avoid that sin in the future. If we acknowledge our powerlessness to overcome that sin and request God’s help in freeing us from that sin, He will grant our prayer and remove the power of that sin over us.

Psalm 12:1-8

     The psalmist tells us that even when it appears that society is abandoning all pretense of righteousness and descending into glorifying sin and evil, God will rise up and cast judgement on those who do violence to the helpless. When I read this passage from the psalmist:

They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”

I cannot help but think of all those in our society today who say that there is no God. It reminds me of the pro-abortionists argument that a woman should have control over her own body. But the psalmist tells us that God replies:
“I have seen violence done to the helpless,
…
Now I will rise up to rescue them,…”

The psalmist tells us that God’s promises are pure as silver that has been repeatedly melted and had the impurities removed. God will protect the oppressed, even in a country where the evil brag of their evil and others praise them for it.

Proverbs 19:13-14

     These two proverbs are obviously related, but at first glance they seem to contain two unrelated ideas. The first is that a foolish child is a calamity for a parent. The second is that choosing a spouse correctly is important for future happiness. However, they are related, because the foolishness being discussed in the first part is that of choosing a spouse poorly. It is important that we turn to God and seek His guidance in selecting a spouse. I have known many men who have sought women as potential mates based on superficial characteristics, who have ended up with women who made them unhappy. I love having a beautiful wife, but am so glad that I allowed God to guide my selection.

Daily Bible Study

July 15, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 19-21:30

     Today’s passage starts by telling us about David’s war against the Ammonites. We are told that when King Nahash of the Ammonites died, David sent messengers to his son expressing his condolences. King Nahash’s son, Hanun, became convinced that David’s messengers were spies sent by David to find out the best way to conquer his land. Hanun chooses to humiliate the men he believes are spies by shaving off half of their beards and cutting their robes short. Hanun then compounded his foolishness by hiring a mercenary army from the Arameans. When David hears of the large army that King Hanun has mustered, he responds by sending Joab out with the standing army. King Hanun divided his army, attempting to trap Joab between the two parts. However, this just allows Joab to contain one part of King Hanun’s army while he defeats the other part. After driving King Hanun’s army from the field, Joab returns to Jerusalem. King Hanun hires even more mercenaries from the Arameans. David musters the full military might of Israel and attacks. After David’s victory this time, the Arameans are no longer willing to hire out to King Hanun. The following year, David conquers the Ammonites. This passage illustrates the foolishness of insulting those more powerful than yourself.
     After several battles with the Philistines, David decides to take a census of the fighting age men of Israel, against the advice of Joab. The passage tells us that this census was a sin against God. That rather than trusting in God to provide for the defense of the kingdom, David tried to determine how much military might he could muster so that he would know what he could do on his own. In judgement, God sends a plague on Israel. David built an altar and offered a sacrifice to God in order to stop the plague.

Romans 2:25-3:8

     Paul wrote here that circumcision will not save you. That if you break some other element of the Law, being circumcised will in no way protect you from judgement for that infraction. Paul further said that uncircumcised Gentiles who keep the rest of the Law, will condemn circumcised Jews who do not. Paul sums up his point by saying that being born of Jewish parents or undergoing the ceremony of circumcision does not make you a true Jew. According to Paul, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. In this context, Paul appears to use the term Jew to mean “one of God’s chosen people”. Paul went on to say that true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the Law, but being changed by the Holy Spirit. Evidence of a changed heart is that we seek God’s praise, not that of people.
     Paul began the next section by saying that even though circumcision does not save, it is of great value. Paul wrote that the first reason it is of value is that Jews received the whole revelation of God (not just the parts that could be deduced by observing nature). He never comes back and tells us what the other reasons are that circumcision is of value. Interestingly, I came across an atheist website that gives some insight into this, and into the early Church’s decision to not require Gentiles to become circumcised. It turns out that circumcision has some positive health effects, but those effects are mostly seen if the circumcision is done on an infant. Choosing to have a circumcision as an adult has less of an impact on health than choosing to alter other behaviors and the effect of circumcision on non-behavior related health issues is significantly less if the circumcision is performed on an adult.
     Paul wrote that just because some of the Jews who were entrusted with God’s complete revelation were unfaithful that does not mean that God is unfaithful. Paul pointed out that our sinfulness highlights God’s righteousness. This does not however provide a justification for our sin. Paul wrote here that those who argue that it is ok to sin because it shows how wonderful God’s grace is are to be condemned.

Psalm 11:1-7

     The psalmist here says that he will not run and hide because he trusts in God for protection. The psalmist tells us that even if law and order has collapsed in our society, God still rules from heaven and is in control. God will protect the righteous and use them to bring glory to His name. We should echo the words of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that we believe that God is able to save us, but even if He does not, we will serve Him.

Proverbs 19:10-12

     Controlling your temper is evidence of wisdom. People respect those who do not fly off the handle at every little perceived slight. At my current job, one of our clients is constantly calling in angry, yelling and demanding action. He believes that by doing this he will get better service. But in fact, he gets poorer service because people avoid taking his calls as much as possible. Rather than rush to get finished with something else so that they can deal take his calls, they take longer hoping that he will grow impatient or have another call and hang up. He thinks that by yelling he pushes them to give him better service, but since he always yells, even when they are doing the best they can, there is no incentive to give him good service. My co-workers are conscientious and still strive to give him good service, but human nature being what it is, they do not always succeed.

Daily Bible Study

July 14, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17

     While David had moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, where he had established his capital, he continued having sacrifices offered at Gibeon. Once David had established the Ark in Jerusalem, it occurred to him to build a Temple for God. But God sent him word through the prophet Nathan not to do so. God said that He has never asked for a house to be built for Him. His place of worship has been a tent since the Israelites left Egypt. God went on to tell David that He will establish a dynasty of David’s descendants. God’s message to David concluded that David’s son would build a Temple and that God would establish his throne forever. In some ways I think that this message to David is a foreshadowing of the way things are today. God does not live in a building where we go to Him to worship Him. God lives in the hearts of those who serve Him and we can worship Him wherever we are. He lives within us and travels with us no matter where we go.
     David responded to the message from God by praying and praising God. David acknowledged that God’s promise to him was an honor to him. David declared that he was no one special, but that God knew him in detail. David praised God and gave credit to God for all of his success.
     Today’s passage concludes by telling us that David defeated and conquered most of the surrounding kingdoms, becoming allies with those he did not conquer.

Romans 2:1-24

     After writing about the sinfulness of those who refuse to acknowledge God, Paul writes that we are just as bad. That we do the same things. If we refuse to turn from our sin, God will bring judgement upon us. On the other hand if we turn from sin and seek to do good, God will reward us. Paul tells us that those who know the Law will be judged for their failure to follow the Law. On the other hand, those who have never heard the law show that they know God’s Law by instinctively obeying it, even though they have never heard it. Paul tells us that everyone knows right from wrong, even though, as he told us in yesterday’s passage, some have chosen to cauterize that knowledge. Paul goes on to say that those who think that they are better than others because of their superior knowledge of the Law do that which violates the Law. If we present ourselves as certain that we have complete knowledge and truth, we are guilty of causing others to blaspheme when we fail to live up to God’s Law…and we will fail. This is not an instruction that we can never point out to others that they are sinning, but that we must do so with humility, acknowledging our own sinfulness.

Psalm 10:16-18

     The psalmist tells us that the Lord is king forever and that godless nations will vanish from the land. God knows the hopes of the helpless and He will come to their rescue. When the orphan and the oppressed cry out to God, He will answer their cry and bring them Justice. I read this and think of the news that comes out of Penn State. For years, there were orphans who were powerless to defend themselves from the predation of a man who was respected in the community. Now there is justice. The powers that were at Penn State covered up his actions and allowed him to continue to prey on the weak. They did it to “protect the reputation” of their school. In particular Joe Paterno had a reputation for being the rare successful college coach who had his priorities straight. Now we know that he was even worse than his contemporaries who were known to be willing to sacrifice the well-being of their athletes in order to win. We learn that Joe Paterno was willing to sacrifice the well-being, not of those who willingly put themselves under his protection, but the fatherless. And he did it not for victory, but for “reputation”. If he had used his position to bring this evil man to justice, Joe Paterno would have been seen as being even more of a hero than he had been. Instead we discover that even the positive reputation he had was undeserved. Understand, this does not make others of us better, in light of the passage from Romans, we are all guilty. But it demonstrates that God will bring Justice and the outcome will be horrible. Joe Paterno died knowing that the reputation he had spent 40+ years building would be destroyed. If we try to sweep the abuse of the helpless under the rug, we will face similar retribution from God. Joe Paterno was not the only person who failed God’s command to defend the fatherless. He is just the biggest name. The others will also pay a price before the judgement seat of God. Those of us who stand by and watch others suffer when we could do something, even if that something is to join them in their suffering, will similarly stand condemned before God’s Judgement seat one day. Only by throwing ourselves on God’s mercy can we avoid that judgement. I should add that this story breaks my heart, both for those who suffered and because I held Joe Paterno in such high regard before this.

Proverbs 19:8-9

     Seeking wisdom is the ultimate form of self-love. We often think of narcissists as being too much in love with themselves, but in truth the behaviors we call “narcissism” is the product of a deep seated conviction that we are unlovable. Narcissists refuse to acknowledge that God made them as they are for a reason and loves them and attempt to set themselves up in the place of God. If they truly loved themselves they would seek the wisdom that comes from acknowledging God.

Daily Bible Study

July 13, 2012 Bible Study

     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.

1 Chronicles 15-16:36

     David prepared to move the Ark of the Covenant the rest of the way to Jerusalem. He summoned the priests and Levites and gave them the task of carrying the Ark. He asked them to purify themselves and consult the Law of Moses as to how the Ark should be moved. He appointed some Levites as musicians and escorts for the Ark. David then held a festival, offering sacrifices and holding a feast, when he moved the Ark to Jerusalem.
     In honor of this occasion David wrote a song. The song is a model for worship songs. It starts out by instructing us to give thanks to God and to tell the whole world what He has done. Then it tells us to sing to God and tell everyone of His wonderful deeds. We should rejoice as we worship God. We should search for God and continually seek Him. Our worship should include that God is a god of Justice and remind people of God’s promises. God has made promises that He has kept and will continue to keep. All other gods are mere idols, but our God created the universe. We should proclaim as part of our worship that God saves. We should continually tell all who will listen what God has done. We should call on all the earth to recognize God and give Him the glory He deserves. God’s love is faithful and endures forever. We should give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Romans 1:18-32

     Paul tells us here that there is no excuse for not knowing God because He has made His the truth about Him obvious in Creation. That in the effort to puff themselves up as wise, people have rejected wisdom. Instead of worshiping God, people have chosen to worship created things. As a result of their refusal to worship God, God has abandoned them to homosexual sex acts, women with women and men with men. Paul points out the negative health effects of homosexual acts as evidence of their sinfulness. Paul goes on to point out that sexual sins are not the only way that people who refuse to worship God sin. Paul tells us that these people know that their sins are deserving of death, but they commit them anyway. And worse yet, they encourage others to commit them.
     There is much packed into this passage. The first is that the nature of God is obvious to anyone who is willing to see it. Next people have chosen to reject God and as a result their thinking has become dark and confused. When people choose to act in ways that they know to be wrong, their thinking becomes progressively murkier and they have a harder time making good decisions, even in unrelated areas, as more and more of their thinking becomes tied up in developing justifications for behavior they know to be wrong. People who sin encourage others to sin because it helps them to justify behaviors they know to be wrong. Even when they know the behaviors are harmful to their well-being, they will encourage others to follow the same self-destructive behaviors because they can then use those others behaviors to justify their own actions. Sin feeds on itself.

Psalm 10:1-15

     The psalmist tells us that the wicked are like a lion stalking its prey. They wait in hiding to pounce on their victims. But beyond that he tells us that the wicked believe that they will never be held to account for their wicked behavior. This psalm echoes the passage from Romans, telling us that the wicked brag about their evil actions. He goes on to tell us that even though it sometimes seems the wicked will get away with their evil, God does take note and He will bring judgement against the wicked. God will defend the helpless and weak.

Proverbs 19:6-7

     Today’s proverbs tell us that people seek to be close to those who can do good things for them, the rich and the powerful. But want little to do with those who have not the resources to give them things. We as Christians are called to not be like that.