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.

     Ezekiel prophesies that Egypt will fall. He gives two reasons for its fall. The first reason is Egypt offered itself as a supporter of Israel, but when Israel needed Egypt’s help, Egypt failed her. The second reason is that the rulers of Egypt became proud and believed that they were responsible for their own greatness. Both of these warnings strike me as applicable to political leaders today. There are many political leaders today who are showing signs of reneging on promises to stand at Israel’s back should they be attacked and there are many political leaders today who believe that their success and power are because of their own personal greatness. The hubris, and the danger it entails, of the latter applies to those who are not political leaders as well.

     The writer continues speaking about those who went before us and the faith which many of them displayed. Some of them are people we take note of because of the great and wonderful things which they accomplished through their faith. Others are noteworthy because of their refusal to give up their faith in the face of great suffering. The writer tells us that the world was not worthy of such people.
     Since we have such a group of examples on living out the faith who are witnessing our acts today, the writer tells us that we should be encouraged to resist temptation and demonstrate faith just as they did. There is a path laid out for us to follow, it is not easy and will require that we show endurance. However, as long as we keep our focus on Jesus, He will provide us with the strength to continue. If at any point we begin to feel that we have already endured more than should be expected of us for our faith, let us remember that there are many, including Jesus Himself, who gave their very lives. As we become weary of the battle to serve God, let us remember those who have gone before us and redouble our effort, strengthen our grip, and map out a path forward which avoids obstacles.

     Yes, I will praise the Lord. The writer of Hebrews tells us to mark out a path around the obstacles so that those whose legs are tired and those who are lame may make their way to our mutual goal without stumbling. This psalm tells us that we will be able to do this because light shines into the darkness for those who are righteous. If we are generous and compassionate we will see the obstacles that may cause us to stumble in plenty of time to plot a course around them. We will not need to fear bad news because God will care for us. I will serve the Lord and not fear what is coming because I know that He will care for me.

     Just as we use iron to sharpen our iron knives, so our friends can can help us serve God better. Owning a knife sharpener will not keep your knives sharp unless you make use of it. In the same way, having godly friends will not help you be a better Christian if you do not spend time with them.

     I have been waiting to write today’s date since last year on December 12 (12/12/12) when lots of articles were written saying that it was the last of the “special” dates until next century. They were mistaken. I am pretty sure that today is (11/12/13). I find this date just as interesting as the repeating ones.
     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.

     Ezekiel placed various cuts of meat in a pot with water and cooked it over an open fire to symbolize Jerusalem under siege by the Babylonian army. God instructed him to remove the meat from the pot in random order because no piece of meat was better than another, symbolizing that no one inside Jerusalem during the siege was better than any one else. Now it may be that this was a reference to no one in Jerusalem being more righteous than any one else, but I believe it was a reference that the nobles and well-to-do in the city would not fare any better in the siege and its aftermath than the poor and powerless. The prophecy associated with this metaphor concludes by saying that the people in Jerusalem will be according to their conduct.
     Shortly after this God tells Ezekiel that his wife, whom he loves dearly, will die, but that he must not mourn her. This strikes me as a very difficult command, yet Ezekiel kept this command as an illustration to the exiles as to how they would need to act when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonian army. He told them that in a similar fashion the exiles would be unable to express their grief when they received the news that Jerusalem had fallen, the Temple been destroyed, and their sons and daughters remaining there killed.

     Faith is having confidence in that which we hope for. We hope for many things, but rarely act on that hope. However, when we have faith we act on that hope. Over the course of my life, I hoped that many different women would find me attractive and interesting, but I did not ask one of them to marry me until I had faith that the woman who became my wife would say “Yes”. But my faith was in more than that. I hoped that we would have a good, happy marriage, but it was not my hope in that good, happy marriage that led to it. It was my faith that such would happen and my willingness to act on that faith (not just my faith and actions, but hers as well). In the same manner, I hope that God will forgive my sins, but it is not my hope that allows me to accept His forgiveness. Rather it is my faith that He will do so. Because I have that faith, I act accordingly. In the same way, the writer points out that the great saints of the Old Testament acted on the basis of their faith in God. They never saw what they had faith in come to pass, but they maintained their faith and acted on it.

     A psalm that has been traditionally interpreted by Christians as a prophecy concerning Jesus. The writer of Hebrews makes a fairly lengthy exposition on the meaning of the phrase contained here, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” However, it is also a promise to those who faithfully serve God. We do not need to take action against our enemies. If we faithfully obey God, He will humble them before us.

     A loud and energetic greeting will not be well received early in the morning, no matter how positive and well intended its delivery.

     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.

     Ezekiel condemns the people of the kingdom of Judah for not learning from watching the disaster which struck the Northern Kingdom. Ezekiel compares idolatry to adultery. As I read this passage it struck me that Ezekiel was implying that sexual immorality is a form of idolatry and that idolatry leads to sexual immorality. Ezekiel condemned Judah for sacrificing their children to the idols they worshiped, much as our society today sacrifices children on the altar of convenience.

     Our sins have been forgiven, there is no need for any more sacrifices. As a result of Jesus’ death we can enter into God’s presence without fear. Our spirit’s have been made clean by Christ’s blood and our bodies washed by the water of baptism. Let us seek ways to encourage one another to act out our love, the love instilled in us by God’s Spirit, and to do good works. In order to do this, we must gather together with our fellow believers on a regular basis. There are those who believe that they can live a life faithful to God in isolation from their fellow believers. They are mistaken. We need to meet with fellow believers on a regular basis in order to encourage others and to be encouraged.

     The psalmist calls on God to protect him because his enemies are telling lies about him. Despite the fact that he has done good for them they are attempting to destroy him. They tell lies about him claiming that he is deserving of misfortune because he has refused kindness to others and persecuted the poor and needy. They claim that he hounded the brokenhearted to death. They condemn him for acts which he never committed and deny the good things he has done.

     I just realized that this proverb does not condemn guaranteeing a stranger’s debt. Rather it merely warns to be wary of loaning money to someone who has offered surety on someone else’s debt, since it is likely that they will have to pay off that debt as well as their own.

     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.

     Some of the elders of the people of Israel came to Ezekiel to ask him to inquire of God on their behalf. Ezekiel condemned them for following in the sinful footsteps of their ancestors. He gave a list of the sins of their ancestors and suggested that the people of the current generation intended to practice those same sins. Then he tells them the root of all of their sins, they want to be like the peoples around them, the peoples of the world. All too often that is the sin that we fall into. We do not want to be different. We want to be just like everybody else. So, instead of doing the things which God tells us to do, we commit the same sins that those around us commit.

     The law of the first covenant required that nearly all of the parts of the Tabernacle be cleansed with the blood of animals. However, the Tabernacle and everything in it were mere copies of things in heaven. Christ did not enter a holy place made with human hands that was a copy of the one in heaven, rather He entered into heaven itself. As a result He needed a sacrifice that was better than the blood of animals and thus offered up His own blood in sacrifice. He did not need to do this time and again as the high priests of the first covenant did. Instead He offered Himself up once and for all to take away our sins. This happened but once so that when He returns it will not be to offer Himself up again, but will be to welcome into heaven itself those who have accepted His cleansing.

     The psalmist challenges us to tell others of how the Lord has redeemed us. We all have different stories to tell. Some of us were lost and homeless, some were near onto death. Some of us were in darkness and gloom, some were imprisoned in misery. Some of us were fools and rebelled against God and suffered for our rebellion. Some faced dangers in far away lands. Some were like this young man, at their wits end. But just like this man, when we cried out to God, He heard our cries and He answered us.

     If you want to make your parents happy, and leave their critics with egg on their faces, exercise wisdom in all that you do.

     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.

     Ezekiel quotes a proverb that was apparently common among the people of Israel at the time.

     The writer describes the inner rooms of the Tabernacle as established by the law of Moses. He tells us that only the high priest ever entered the room that was the Most Holy Place, and that but once a year. Each year when he did so, he had to enter with a fresh sacrifice of blood to cover both his and the people’s sins. The writer tells us that this indicates that the gifts and offerings available under the old covenant were insufficient to clear the way for the worshiper to enter into the presence of God. The way the law of Moses set up the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle acted as a pointer towards the covenant that was to come.

     Again and again the people of Israel failed to keep the commands and instructions which God had given them. Rather than stay separate from the evil acts of the people in the land which God gave them, they mixed with them and took part in their evil acts. They sacrificed their children to idols and adopted evil customs. The result of this was that they fell prey to pagan nations and were ruled by those who hated them. As I read this I could not help but think about how readily the people of this nation sacrifice their children on the altar of convenience. But there is reason for hope. The psalmist tells us that when the people cried out to God, He took pity on them and gathered them back to Himself.
     I will pray to the Lord that He send His Spirit upon the people and cause them to repent of their sins and turn back to Him. If they do so, God will take pity on them and gather them to Himself once more.

     Keep up friendships, both those which you form yourself and those which were formed by your parents (and perhaps their parents before them). When your family has moved far away, those friends may be able to provide aid and support in time of need.