Tag Archives: Christianity

Daily Bible Study

March 17, 2015 Bible Study — A Boy In the Temple

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 11:15

    The proverb writer spends a lot of time reminding us of the danger of co-signing a loan (or otherwise guaranteeing someone else’s debt). Do not guarantee someone else’s debt if you cannot afford to pay it off.

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Psalm 60:1-12

    When we as a people turn away from God He will bring trouble upon our land. Trials and tribulations will be all around. However, in the midst of that trouble, He will raise a banner for us to rally around. Are we prepared to rally around God’s banner at a time when all around us are fighting against Him? Will we make our way through hostile forces in order to make a stand with the people of God?

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Luke 2:36-52

    Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem each year for Passover. That would probably be a three day trip each way. As I think about it, it strikes me that it was probably an approximately two week vacation each year. Which suggests that the trip to Jerusalem was probably a pretty big deal for Jesus. It is also interesting that He spent four days in the Temple without His parents. Where did He get food during that time? Where did He sleep? Someone, probably more than one someone, clearly shared meals with Him. Were the religious teachers in the Temple that absent minded that they did not notice this twelve year old boy spending all of this time in the Temple? Or maybe it was not that uncommon for young men to spend time listening and learning? Luke tells us that what stood out to the people in the Temple was His understanding. Do we encourage our young people to spend time learning about God the way the people in the Temple clearly encouraged Jesus?

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Numbers 26:1-51

    I always struggle to find something useful in passages like this one. I skimmed through this, then I read through it, then I read through it again. The first thing that struck me was that the tribes were all divided into clans. The next thing that struck me was that the second largest tribe, Dan, consisted of just a single clan. I am not sure if there is any significance to these facts, but they are what struck me.
    Another thing which struck me as I read this, (it was something I had known, just never thought about) was that when you count the two tribes descended from Joseph as full tribes, and you only count the “warrior” tribes, there are twelve tribes of warriors. When you add in the tribe of Levi, you get thirteen tribes. What struck me was the connection to Jesus and His Twelve Disciples. The tribe of Levi were the intermediaries between the rest of Israel and God, just as Jesus is the intermediary between the Twelve and God (and between all of us and God). I am not sure there is significance to that, but it struck me as I read this passage.

Daily Bible Study

March 16, 2015 Bible Study — Let’s See This Thing That Has Happened

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 11:14

    If a nation’s leaders are not wise, that nation is doomed. On the other hand, a leader who listens to many advisers, and knows how to decide which of their advice to take, is guaranteed to lead the nation to safety. When deciding whether to follow a leader, consider not just their wisdom, but the wisdom of their advisers.

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Psalm 59:1-17

    This psalm contrasts the actions and thoughts of those who are evil with the actions and thoughts of those who serve God. Those who are evil come out at night. They speak cutting words. Most importantly, they believe that they will never be held accountable for their sins. Those who serve God praise Him in the morning. They sing with joy about God’s unfailing love. Most importantly, they recognize that it is God who keeps them safe and protects them from their enemies.

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Luke 2:1-35

    One of the most significant parts of this passage is the fact that the angels made their announcement to the shepherds. I have trouble imagining what group today would be the equivalent. The closest I can come is migrant farm workers, or perhaps carnies (the people who work the traveling carnivals). Few people from the rest of society interacted with shepherds and most people could never imagine doing that job if they had any other choice. Those were the people to whom God chose to send the angels to announce the birth of the Messiah.
    I want to point out their reaction to the announcement. When the angels were finished, the shepherds said, “Let’s see this thing that has happened.” Would we have reacted the same way? Or would we have said, “That’s neat, but I have to get some sleep?” As I write this I am reminded of how I react to stories about strange events. If I did not witness the actual event, I am cautious in what I say about it. This is appropriate. Many people are easily fooled by scam artists into thinking something amazing happened when it was merely a trick of some sort.
    However, when we hear that God is doing wonderful things, we should take time to check it out. We should find out if it is really God doing wonderful things…or is it just a scam artist preying on the gullible? Let us go, see for ourselves, and, if it is indeed God doing wonderful things, tell everyone what it is that we have seen.

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Numbers 24-25:18

    The passage tells us that when Balaam realized that God was going to insist on blessing Israel, he did not use his normal methods for discovering God’s will. That sounds to me like Balaam was going to attempt to make up a curse on his own. However, the Holy Spirit came over him anyway and caused him to speak yet another blessing. The Moabites had failed to gain victory over the Israelites by having them cursed, so they turned to other tactics.
    After the failure of Balak’s attempt to have the Israelites cursed by Balaam, the Moabites tried a different strategy. They began to try to assimilate the Israelites. Some of the Israelite men found some of the Moabite women attractive and began having sexual relations with them. The Moabite women encouraged the Israelite men to join them in the sacrifices and worship rituals to the Moabite god. As a result of this activity a plague began to spread among the Israelites.
    I am a strong believer that we as Christians need to be involved with the society around us. However, this passage is a reminder of the dangers of doing so. As we become involved with the society around us it is all too easy to allow that society to draw us away from serving God and from doing His will. We can become seduced into worshiping the gods of those around us rather than converting them to worship our God.

Daily Bible Study

March 15, 2015 Bible Study — John the Baptist, the Musical

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 11:12-13

    Only a fool talks smack, or otherwise speaks negatively, about his neighbor. The sensible person keeps his mouth shut if and when he thinks such thoughts. There is nothing to be gained by criticizing your neighbor (and we know who Jesus tells us our neighbor is).

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Psalm 58:1-11

    This psalm tells us that the majority of rulers, the majority of those who wield government authority, have no understanding of the meaning of the word justice. They have no interest in upholding it. Rather they plot injustice. They are the type of people we call congenital liars. It seems as if they have lied from birth and are incapable of telling the truth.
    Despite this fact, God will sweep them aside causing the godly to rejoice. Everyone will see that God is indeed a God of justice and that He will bring just judgment upon the earth.

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Luke 1:57-80

    This passage just strengthens my belief that Luke’s source for this was primarily one or more disciples of John the Baptist. I was struggling with what to write about this passage. Then it hit me. Zechariah’s prophecy makes this a scene from a musical. Picture the scene: the people gathered around the mother, she is clearly a bit old to be a new mother. The man officiating says something along the lines of, “And his name is Zechariah,” as he begins the ritual. Elizabeth immediately shouts out, “No, his name shall be John.” At this a hubbub arises among all the people as they try to talk her out of it. Zechariah struggles to get everyone’s attention. Finally, they notice and bring him a tablet. Someone tells Elizabeth, “See, even he agrees that the boy should not be John.”
    Zechariah writes on the tablet (something large enough for the audience to see). He holds it up to the audience who read out loud (perhaps there are a couple of plants in the audience to get people started), “His name is John!” Immediately following that Zechariah bursts forth in song”

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited and redeemed his people…

The stage goes black and the spotlight comes up on the adult John the Baptist in the wilderness.

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Numbers 22:21-23:30

    God had told Balaam to go with the emissaries of Balak, yet He was angry with Balaam for doing so (I discussed the reasons for God’s anger yesterday). In light of that, what struck me in today’s passage was this:

“But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”

This is a lesson for us, when something happens out of the ordinary (such as the donkey we have ridden our entire life refusing to obey commands in a way it never has before) we need to look for the hand of God in what is going on. I was looking for a way to express the idea more clearly, but, after thinking about it, I believe that most people can read this passage and understand the point I am trying to make.

Daily Bible Study

March 14, 2015 Bible Study — I Am The Lord’s Servant

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Proverbs 11:9-11

    The wicked destroy others by what they say. It is interesting that the proverb writer tells us that the righteous escape such destruction through knowledge, which tells us that the wicked destroy others through lies and deceit. Reading this reminded me of a friend who has been struggling lately. Their posts suggest that their struggles are the result of things others have said about them. The friend I am speaking of is being destroyed by words spoken by evil people.

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Psalm 57:1-11

    My first thought on reading this psalm was, “Another psalm on crying out to God for protection. A wonderful message, but what can I write about this psalm that I have not already written, more than once, in the last few days?” Then I read this verse:

I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.

Yes, it talks about crying out to God, but it reminds me that God has a purpose for me, a purpose which He will fulfill. Not only does He have a purpose for me, He has a purpose for you. And He will fulfill His purpose for you. Your life here on earth is not pointless. It serves a purpose. That purpose will be fulfilled, because it is God’s purpose.

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Luke 1:26-56

    In response to Gabriel’s message Mary replied, “I am the Lord’s servant.” The message Mary received indicated that she was being called to a very difficult task. She is unmarried and a virgin. The angel has just told her that she is about to become pregnant, in a society that treats women who bear a child out of wedlock poorly. Yet her response is the Magnificat, a song of praise to God. Do we respond with similar joy to the tasks which God sets before us? Do you really think the task which God has set for you is harder than the one He gave Mary?
    Let us make our response to God’s message be the same as Mary’s. When God calls us to a task, let us respond, “I am the Lord’s servant.” And rather than worry about how hard the task is, let us rejoice in God our Savior.

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Numbers 21-22:20

    Balak the king of Moab, having seen how the Israelites defeated his neighbors, sent messengers to offer Balaam money to come and curse them. Balaam consults with God and is told that under no circumstances is he to curse the Israelites because they have been blessed. In the morning, Balaam sends them home, rejecting the task they had offered him. Balak sent a second group of emissaries to Balaam offering even more money. Instead of rejecting them on the basis of the message God had already given him, Balaam asks them to spend the night to see if God has some other message for them this time. This time God tells him to go with them, but to only do what He tells him to do.
    From what is written in tomorrow’s passage, we know that Balaam had done something wrong at this point. I have struggled to understand what Balaam had done wrong. I realized that the answer is that what Balaam told the emissaries (both groups) would have been seen by the emissaries as a negotiating ploy. First Balaam said no, then, when asked again, he left open the possibility of doing something for them. God had told Balaam that the people the emissaries wanted cursed were blessed. Nevertheless, Balaam looked for a way to give Balak something for his money.
    For me, one of the most interesting points of this passage is the indication that there were people, other than the Israelites, who worshiped and served God. We have very little information about them, but from time to time there is a reference to someone who was a prophet, or priest, to the same God whom the Israelites worshiped.

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March 13, 2015 Bible Study — Who Ya Gonna Call?

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 11:8

    This proverb is not a guarantee. Rather it is a generalization. Most of the time when trouble comes the godly have taken actions which cause that trouble to pass them by. Instead, trouble which might have otherwise fallen on the godly falls upon the wicked.

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Psalm 56:1-13

    I have no idea why this psalm reminded me of the Ghostbusters’ them song, but that was what I thought when I read this verse:

But when I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.

When I experience fear, I call God. The key to this as an effective strategy for relieving fear is given us by the psalmist:
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?

If we truly believe and trust God we will not fear anything that can happen to us, knowing that He can and will care for us. I know that anything which happens to me is part of God’s plan and I know that God’s plan will bring me happiness.

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Luke 1:1-25

    Luke begins his account by telling us that many had set out to write accounts about the events which had occurred. He mentions that the others had used the eyewitness accounts that were circulating. We know of two of the accounts to which he was probably referring (the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew). A third has been postulated as source material for both Matthew and Luke. It seems likely that Luke was aware of others which have been completely lost. Luke further says that after a thorough investigation he has decided to write a careful account.
    In Acts, Luke refers to an encounter with some disciples of John the Baptist who were unfamiliar with Jesus. Knowledge of this made me wonder if perhaps his account of John the Baptist’s birth came from accounts written by disciples of John the Baptist (or perhaps, just from speaking directly with them).

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Numbers 19-20:29

    The description of the water of purification sounds as if it would be a lye solution with several other antiseptic ingredients. In other words, this complex ritual would likely have resulted in reducing the risk of infection.

Daily Bible Study

May 12, 2015 Bible Study

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Proverbs 11:7

    If you place your hope in mortals, even if it is yourself, death will end those hopes. You may have great power in this life, but you cannot escape death. No mortal can exert power over anything after they have died.

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Psalm 55:1-23

    Another psalm that exceeds my ability to put into words what it speaks to me. The psalmist remains faithful to God, even though he has been betrayed by one of his closest friends. Despite the deep betrayal the psalmist does not turn from following God. Let us show similar strength and courage.

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Mark 16:1-20

    The oldest manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end with verse 8. The verses which follow are consistent with the accounts given in the other Gospels. I do not know if the additional verses were in the original document written by Mark, but I agree with those who say that they have a different grammatical feel from the rest of Mark. Many people think that the original cannot have ended with verse 8 because it is such an abrupt end. However, I find such an ending consistent with the rest of this Gospel.
    If the original ended with verse 8, the statement the angel made to the women becomes much more emphasized. They went to the tomb looking for Jesus. The angel told them in no uncertain terms that He was not there. Jesus is unique among all of the great religious teachers of history in that there is no grave where His body can be found. One of the complaints that “multiculturalists” (There is probably a better term to be used for this group) is that we spend too much time studying the works of “dead, white men”. That particular terminology is often used to win the argument with emotion, but there is a point. All too many of our lessons on proper behavior are dead. They do not have any life to them and are easily interpreted to allow loopholes like the ones for which Jesus condemned the Pharisees. However, Jesus’ teachings are not dead, because Jesus is not dead.
    I have tried before to express this idea. I still do not think that I have found the words to express the idea correctly. Those who already understand the point I am trying to make will understand what I am saying, but those who do not will not get it from this. I will continue to work at this idea and pray that the Holy Spirit will give me the words to get it right.

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Numbers 16:41-18:32

    Korah’s rebellion revealed some more deep-seated resentments among the Israelites which needed to be addressed. Korah, even though he was a Levite, was able to use the resentment of the Levites as the people who cared for the Tabernacle to gather support for his rebellion against Moses. God chose to demonstrate that He had chosen the Levites for that role. The Levites did not gain the role as the tribe which cared for the Tabernacle because Moses chose his relatives for the job. They gained the job because God chose them for the task.

Daily Bible Study

May 11, 2015 Bible Study

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 11:5-6

    If you are honest and upright your path will be clear. Those who attempt to get ahead by lies and deceit will find themselves under ever heavier burdens.

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Psalm 54:1-7

    I will put my trust in God. He is my helper who rescues me when trouble abounds. I will make offerings to Him, not in an attempt to bribe Him, but as a statement of thanksgiving. I have nothing to give God that was not already His. I will offer it back to Him because I am grateful for all that He has done for me.

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Mark 15:1-47

    When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews, he expected Jesus to make some grand pronouncement, perhaps about how the people would rise up to avenge His death. Instead Jesus responded with what was essentially a shrug. When the crowd arrived to ask/demand that Pilate release a prisoner as had become his tradition, he was reminded of the throngs which had followed Jesus into the city the previous week. He expected this crowd to ask for Jesus’ release. He was caught by surprise at their refusal and demand that Jesus be crucified. He didn’t really care, so he took the course of least resistance.
    If it was not for the way the Gospel of Matthew emphasizes the connection to Psalm 22 I do not know if I would have noticed them here. Nevertheless there are clear references to Psalm 22. There is the obvious one when Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”. But there is also the reference to the soldiers dividing His clothes and dicing for them. There is also the reference to the crowd mocking Him and saying that He should save Himself in terms very reminiscent of the psalm.
    Marks account of the Roman officer reacting to Jesus death is even more striking than in Matthew or Luke. This soldier would have seen Jesus before Pilate and when the soldiers had mocked Him before bringing Him out to be crucified. The officer made his statement based on how Jesus behaved all through this day. Do we conduct ourselves in such a manner when we face trouble that people see God in us?

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Numbers 15:17-16:40

    There is a bit of simple politics in all of the times when Moses’ authority was challenged, but Korah’s is the most blatantly so. Korah used his position as a leader among the Levites to attempt to acquire more. Korah questioned Moses’ right to stand in authority over other Israelites, yet strove to use his standing as a Levite to stand above them.
    Korah made some legitimate points when he asked why Moses had authority over others. However, he made it clear that he was not really looking for an answer to that question. Rather Korah was questioning Moses’ authority in order to take it for himself. It is not inappropriate to question authority and to hold those with authority accountable. However, when we attempt to use holding authority accountable as an excuse to not be held accountable ourselves, we risk being judged by God.

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March 10, 2015 Bible Study

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Proverbs 11:4

    Not even Bill Gates will be able to buy his way out of judgment day. Only those who have allowed the Holy Spirit to guide them in right living will escape death on that day. It is not my own actions that will save me, rather it is the transformation which the Holy Spirit makes in my life.

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Psalm 53:1-6

    Those who say that there is no God are fools. They take such a position because they know that their actions are evil. The fact of the matter is that those who acknowledge God are no better. When God looks down on the earth, He sees that all have turned away and no one does good. It is only by the actions of the one who came from Zion that we can be drawn back to God and saved. I am not better than the fool who says there is no God. However, I will pray to God and ask that His Spirit enter into me and transform me.

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Mark 14:53-72

    Elsewhere Jesus says He will deny before the Father those who deny Him here an earth. Here Peter denies Jesus three times. Yet later Jesus forgives him. The fact that Peter could be forgiven for his denial of Christ tells us that we too can be forgiven for our failure to stand firm in the face of opposition. Of course, Peter responded to that forgiveness by becoming an outspoken proponent of faith in Christ. We should respond similarly to God’s forgiveness.

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Numbers 14-15:16

    When the Israelites heard the consensus of the spies they rebelled against Moses’ leadership. When Caleb and Joshua argued against that consensus the people began to talk about stoning them. This passage is a warning that following the expert consensus is not always the wise course. In this case, following the expert consensus led the people to rebel against God. We must be careful not to make the same mistake.

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March 9, 2015 Bible Study– Are We Willing To Face Suffering If That Is God’s Will?

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Proverbs 11:1-3

    I am a firm believer that those who choose to deal with others honestly and fairly will do better in the long run than those who use deceit and false measures in an attempt to gain advantage. Good people allow honesty to guide them. They choose their actions and their words so that they can honestly answer when questioned. Those who are treacherous and choose dishonesty will find that the lies they told to save themselves bring about their downfall.

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Psalm 52:1-9

    Knowing that this psalm is about Doeg the Edomite, who killed the priest (and his relatives) who unknowingly helped David when David fled King Saul really sheds a light on its meaning. I have known people like Doeg, and like that described in the psalm, people who brag about doing wrong. The psalmist is correct. God will strike them down, making them an example of what happens to those who trust in their wealth and power rather than God. Meanwhile those who trust in God will thrive.

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Mark 14:22-52

    Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is another model for us when we pray. He asked God to rescue Him from the suffering He knew was about to come. However, He also prayed that God’s will be done, not His own. When we pray we should similarly seek that God’s will be done, not our own. The key is not the words, but the attitude. Jesus knew that He was about to face excruciating suffering. He did not want to face that suffering and asked God to take it from Him. Yet, if that was God’s will Jesus was willing to face it. That is the difficult thing for me, being willing to face excruciating suffering if that is God’s will.

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Numbers 11:24-13:33

    We have two more examples of ways in which it is possible to resist God’s will. The first is Aaron’s and Miriam’s jealousy about Moses’ position. They thought that they should have a coequal role with Moses in making decisions. God clearly demonstrates that He has chosen Moses as His primary spokesperson. The passage suggests that Moses was too humble to confront them himself. There are two ways to look at this. The problem with Aaron and Miriam arose because Moses did not assert himself sufficiently in the role which God had given him. Or, Moses was correct in leaving it to God to sort out when Aaron and Miriam asserted their equal authority with Moses. I would suggest that the latter is the lesson we should learn from this. It was not up to Moses to assert his authority over others. It was better to allow God to demonstrate who had God-given authority in this situation. If Moses had chosen to assert his authority, the decision would have come down to who had the greater force of personality (and could have led to ongoing attempts by Aaron and Miriam to reverse the situation).
    The second example of resisting God’s will was the report given by most of the returning spies. The people were stirred up by the reports of how powerful the people living in the land were. This in itself was not the problem. However, when Caleb attempted to convince the people that they could be victorious, the other spies argued that they could not take the land. The other spies were realistic, but had failed to exhibit faith. The question that they did not ask was, “Is it God’s will that we take the land?” It is valuable to make a realistic assessment of the obstacles in our path. However, we need to recognize that if the task is one that it is God’s will we undertake, our success, or failure is in His hands.

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March 8, 2015 Bible Study — Letting Others Do For Us

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Proverbs 10:31-32

    Read this proverb, then think about what you say. Is what you say helpful and wise? Or are your words perverse and destructive? The words we speak come from within our hearts. They are what determine if we are clean or unclean. Therefore choose your words carefully.

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Psalm 51:1-19

    I will cry out to God for mercy, for I have sinned. But if God will purify me from my sins, then, and only then, I will be clean. There are several parts of this psalm which have been used in hymns and songs of praise. Perhaps the most insightful part of the psalm is verses 12 & 13:

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.

If we confess our sins and admit that it is only by the action of God that we obey His commands, then we can teach His ways to those who have rejected Him. That is when sinners will listen to us preach the Gospel and return to God. We do not convince others to follow God by pretending that we think we are better than they. Let us admit to them that we have sinned against God and it is only because of His unfailing love that He cleansed us.

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Mark 14:1-21

    I always struggle with identifying the lesson of the story about the woman who anointed Jesus. My struggle is not because I have a problem with the story, but because I am not quite sure what the message is. I will take a shot at expressing what my thoughts on it are today.
    I think the message of this story is that it is never a bad thing to do something nice for someone. Even if the money so spent could have been used in other, “better” ways. As I think about it, I think it fits in with my thoughts about understanding what Jesus means when He tells us that the first shall be last and the last first. We need to allow others to do things for us. If someone chooses to honour us in some way, we should not refuse to accept the honour. On the other side, we should honour those who do the Lord’s work and hold them up as examples. We should do nice things for them to show our appreciation for their sacrifice.

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Numbers 10-11:23

    When I first read through this I thought I was going to write about the silver trumpets, but I was unable to get those initial thoughts to come together into a comprehensible whole. However, as I read through the passage again I saw something else I have rarely thought about in the context of this passage. The Israelites began to complain about their hardships and difficulties. They forgot how much better they had it than when they were slaves in Egypt. It is one thing to crave treats and luxuries. It is another to complain because God does not provide us with such things…especially when He has saved us from a situation much worse than merely being bored by the food we have to eat. It is OK to desire small luxuries, but we should learn to be content that our needs are being met.