Tag Archives: 1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81

July 8, 2015 Bible Study — Whether Quick or Slow, I Pray That You Become As I Am

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 18:20-21

    The words we speak can bring happiness or sadness to others. Saying positive things can bring life to others, negative things can bring death. Those who like to talk (and therefore do so a lot) will experience the consequences. This is an important message for me because I like to talk. The more one talks, the harder it is to remember to think carefully before saying amything.

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Psalm 6:1-10

    There are two lines in this psalm which I make my prayer today. The first is:

Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.

I am indeed weak when it comes to resisting temptation. I put up a good front of strength, but that is just a front. There are temptations which I find myself unable to resist. I know that, while I am able to put on the appearance of strength, it is not true. I strive to reveal that I am as much a sinner as the next, that it is only through God’s grace that I can act righteous in even the most mundane things. But I am embarrassed by the things which tempt me to sin.
The second line in this psalm which is my prayer for today is:
Go away, all you who do evil

I pray this because I know that one aspect of overcoming temptation is staying away from those who do evil, those who embrace sin. I will seek to spend my time with those who are godly, and therefore encourage me to be godly, rather than with those who are wicked, and therefore encourage me to be wicked.

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Acts 26:1-32

    When Festus brought Paul before himself and Agrippa, Agrippa instructed Paul to state his defense against the charges which the Jewish leaders had brought against him. Paul’s response to Agrippa’s instruction was to state his testimony, to tell the story of how he had come to be a follower of Jesus and what the Gospel message meant to him. The aspect of the Gospel which Paul stressed most strongly in this statement was that the Gospel message was the fulfillment of what Moses and the prophets had said would happen. Paul concluded that those prophets had predicted Jesus’ death and resurrection.
    Festus thought Paul was crazy to believe someone had been resurrected from the dead, Paul replied that he was not crazy and pointed out that Agrippa was familiar with the events which he described. Agrippa wondered if Paul thought he could so quickly convince Agrippa to become a Christian. Paul’s response is one which each and every follower of Christ should echo, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.” When we think of those we know, we should pray that they, whether quickly or slowly, will come to know and put their faith in Jesus.

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1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81

    This passage tells us that the tribes east of the Jordan river fought a great battle for control of their land. It tells us that they gained the victory because they trusted in God. However, the descendants of those who fought in that battle failed to remain faithful to God and ended up being sent into exile as a result. The tribes which lived east of the Jordan gained wealth and prosperity because they trusted in God and were faithful to him. Unfortunately, they came to depend on that prosperity and to believe that it was theirs by birth rite. They then stopped being faithful to God and pursued other gods, and the practices which went with the worship of those gods.
    They sought the sexual pleasure which came from worshiping the fertility goddess of their neighbors. They sacrificed their children on the altars of the gods of their neighbors because of the pleasures those gods offered. As a result of these practices God caused them to be conquered and carried off into exile. I fear that the same may happen to the people of the United States, who worship on the altar of sexual pleasure, and offer their children on the altar of convenience.

July 8, 2014 Bible Study — May All Who Listen To Me Become As I Am

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 18:20-21

    I definitely prefer the NIV to the New Living Translation for today’s proverb. The results of what we say effects what we eat and whether or not that food is satisfying. The things we choose to say can result in either positive or negative outcomes. The more we talk the more important it is to choose our words with care.

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Psalm 6:1-10

    Are we worn out with praying to God for His mercy? Let us I will call out to God for forgiveness and ask that He rescue me from my sins. I am weak and it is only by the action of God’s Spirit that I will be able to escape from sin. I wish to do God’s will and serve Him, but I do not have the strength. However, the Lord will answer my prayer. His Spirit will move within me and give me the strength to His will.

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Acts 26:1-32

    I was struck by Paul’s description of the commission which he received from Jesus on the road to Damascus. He was being sent to the Gentiles to turn them from the power of Satan to God. That commission is ours as well. We are sent into the world to open the eyes of those who do not know God. We are to show them the light of God so that they may turn from darkness to that light. Those who see the light which we reveal and turn to it will receive forgiveness and become sanctified as one of God’s people. No matter how sinful someone has been, they may turn to God and become a saint.
    The other part of this which always moves me is Paul’s response to King Agrippa. King Agrippa asked Paul if he thought he could convince Agrippa to become a Christian in such a short amount of time. Paul’s answer is what should be our prayer, goal, desire in our interactions with all who do not know the Lord. Whether quickly or slowly it is my desire that all who I speak with come to know and follow Jesus as their Lord.

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1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81

    When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh first settled in the land they trusted in God and He answered their prayers. As a result they were able to spread through the land they settled and became numerous. Unfortunately, once they had settled in the land they became unfaithful to God and began worshiping the gods of the people God had driven from the land before them. If we trust in God, He will answer our prayers. Yet, if when we are successful we turn our eyes from Him, we will suffer just as the people of these tribes did.

July 8, 2013 Bible Study — The Lord Has Heard My Plea

     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.

Growing tomatoes and peppers in pots
Growing tomatoes and peppers in pots

1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81

     The passage begins by talking about how the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh waged war against peoples east of the Jordan River and settled there. We are told that in the long run they were unfaithful to God and He caused them to be taken into exile by the Assyrians. The passage then goes on to list descendants of Levi and describe the towns they were given in the land of Israel.

Day lily about to bloom
Day lily about to bloom

Acts 26:1-32

     Paul told his testimony in front of King Agrippa. He explained that he had been a zealous Pharisee, persecuting those who followed Jesus. Paul then retold the story of how God intercepted him on the road to Damascus and Paul converted to being a follower of Jesus. Paul then stated that what he taught after his conversion is no more than what Moses and the prophets said would happen. That the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead. When Paul said that he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, Festus exclaimed that he was crazy for believing that someone had risen from the dead.
     Paul responded that he was most certainly not insane, that King Agrippa was aware of the events to which Paul was referring. Paul then asked King Agrippa if he believed in the prophets. King Agrippa recognized the Paul was about to launch into an attempt to convert him and interrupted him by asking if Paul thought he could get King Agrippa to convert in such a short time. Paul responded by saying that he wished and prayed that everyone in his audience that day would come to the same understanding of God that Paul held, whether it took a short time or a long time. The position that Paul took here is one I strive to emulate. I strive to pray and live my life as if my chief desire is for all of those I interact with follow Jesus whether in response to my testimony or some other stimulus.

Small flower
Small flower

Psalm 6:1-10

     Today’s psalm is a reminder that when we are facing troubles and suffering we should turn to God and cry out to Him. The Lord will hear our pleas and answer our prayers.

Butterfly Bush flower just starting to bloom
Butterfly Bush flower just starting to bloom

Proverbs 18:20-21

     Today’s two proverbs are closely related. I think the NIV translation is the more useful take on these proverbs. It tells us that we will eat the fruit of the words we speak, that we will experience the results of our own words. We should be careful what we say because our words can be uplifting and bring life, or they can be poisonous and bring death. If we speak poisonous words, it is we ourselves who will be poisoned. On the other hand, if we speak words that are beneficial and healthy, we will be well-fed and healthy. Let us choose to speak the latter.

July 8, 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 5:18-6:81

     Today’s passage begins with a short account of how the tribes of Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh took control of land east of the Jordan river. It then follows with an account of the line of Aaron from Levi, his ancestor, to the Babylonian captivity. Next we have an account of the clans of the tribe of Levi. It is not clear to me what the relationship of the people listed is to Levi. It appears that the passage lists Levi’s sons, followed by a listing of various prominent descendants of those sons. We then come to an account of the people that David assigned to be musicians in the Temple once it was built. This is followed by the comment that only Aaron and his descendants served as priests, which includes a list of some of his descendants. Finally the passage discusses the cities and towns that were designated as the property of the Levites throughout the lands settled by the children of Israel.

Acts 26:1-32

     Paul began his defense before King Agrippa by complimenting King Agrippa on his knowledge of Jewish customs and laws. He then mentioned his thorough training in Jewish law and his adherence to the sect of the Pharisees, referring to it as the strictest sect of Judaism. Paul said that the accusations against him were a result of his belief that God could and would raise people from the dead. Paul told how he strenuously persecuted those who believed in Jesus, until he experienced a vision while on his way to Damascus. Paul told the court that in the vision he heard a voice asking him why he persecuted Him and that “It is hard for you to kick against the oxgoads.” An oxgoad is a pointed stick used to poke an ox and goad it into moving in the desired direction, so this last sentence implies that God had been driving Paul towards serving Christ for a time before he had this vision. Paul went on to say that the voice in the vision identified itself as Jesus. It further told Paul that he was being appointed to preach to the Gentiles in order to turn them from Satan to God. Paul went on to say that he obeyed the voice in the vision and began preaching that all must repent their sins and turn to God, and that they must prove the change by doing good works. This is an interesting point Paul makes here. In his letters Paul emphasized that our works do not save us, but here he stated something similar to what James wrote about. Paul said that if we are changed by faith, our actions will reflect that change. Paul finished by saying that Jesus died and was resurrected as a way to announce to the world God’s plan for salvation.
     Festus interrupted him here and called him crazy. Paul responded that he is not crazy and that King Agrippa was familiar with the events of which he was speaking. Paul then asked King Agrippa if he believed the prophets and answered his own question by saying that he knew he did. King Agrippa interrupted Paul to ask him if he thought he could persuade him to become a Christian so quickly. Paul responded by saying that he did not care if it happened quickly or slowly, but that he wished that all present would come to the same faith the he, Paul, held to. This should be the desire of each of us, to convince those we meet to accept the Gospel, whether quickly or over time, in whatever manner the Spirit of God moves.

Psalm 6:1-10

     The psalmist begs God for forgiveness, acknowledging his weakness in keeping God’s commands. He speaks of how sorrowful he is for his sins, but also his confidence that God will answer his prayer. I understand this. This spring I was unemployed and facing financial difficulties. I prayed to God for Him to show me how to go and my prayers were becoming desperate. Yet I had faith that God would provide and He has. Just as my financial reserves were exhausted He provided me with a job that is financially and emotionally rewarding. While the schedule is not as nice as the job I lost, the work is more fulfilling and gives me a greater sense of accomplishment. In addition, it provides me with experience that makes me a more marketable employee going forward. God has rescued me in much the way that this psalm expresses faith that He will. When I was tempted to become despondent because of the trials I was facing, my faith in God, and psalms such as this one, kept me from doing so. God has shown himself to be faithful and provided for my needs.

Proverbs 18:20-21

     The first proverb tells us that the right words are as satisfying as a good meal. I do not know whether the writer is speaking of saying or hearing the right words, or perhaps he means both. That is certainly my experience. There have been times when someone has come up to me and used just the right words to make me feel good about myself at a moment when I needed it and it has been very satisfying. On the other hand, there have been times when out of nowhere exactly the right words to say to someone struggling have come to me and that also has been very satisfying. Saying the words that someone needs to hear at that moment is a feeling that cannot be surpassed.
     The second proverb tells us that saying the wrong thing at the wrong time can be every bit as destructive as saying the right thing at the right time can be uplifting. If you love to talk, you will reap both the positive and negative consequences of your words. I love to talk but I struggle to restrain that love so as to avoid saying things that might hurt others. I try to think about how others will hear my words before I utter them. I often unsuccessful.