For today, One Year Bible Online links here. It has been uncomfortably warm here the last few days, I hope no one minds that I posted a few pictures to remind us of cooler weather.
If we consume alcoholic beverages in excess we will behave foolishly and we will get into fights we should have avoided. Those who need a drink will find it impossible to act wisely.
This psalm tells us something similar to what Paul says at the beginning of Romans. The universe itself testifies to the glory of God. The skies do not make a sound, yet everyone on the earth has received their message about the glory of God. God’s decrees, laws, and commands are more desirable than anything we can imagine. They are more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey. If we listen to God’s words they will keep us from being controlled by sin. It is only by submission to God’s Spirit that we can be cleansed from all sins. If we do not submit to His control, we will convince ourselves that wrong is right; we will commit sins that we do not even know are sins (or that we convince ourselves are not sins).
This psalm concludes with a prayer I pray regularly:
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Paul tells us that he would be willing to be cut off from God, if that would cause the rest of the Jewish people to embrace the Gospel of Christ. He felt a deep compassion for those who had not yet accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, in particular for the Jews. He points out that God had made promises to Abraham about his descendants. However, Paul also points out that not all descendants of Abraham are truly Abraham’s children. Only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior are Abraham’s children.
Paul points out that their are some people throughout history who have been chosen by God in order to display His power. He gives as an example of this the Pharaoh who opposed Moses. Paul tells us that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. One thing I think is worth noting is that according to Exodus, Pharaoh hardened his own heart after the first several plagues. It was only after Pharaoh had repeatedly hardened his own heart that God took away from him the ability to soften his heart. I believe that this is the perfect example of how God works in our lives. He gives us the opportunity to respond to His word, but if we harden our hearts and do not listen the time will come when we will no longer be able to respond to God’s call.
Rehoboam had been defeated by Pharaoh Shishak and humbled himself before God. This seems to have had a salutary effect on his son and his grandson, because the Bible tells us that both of them did what was pleasing in the sight of God. Rehoboam’s grandson, Asa, removed pagan altars and destroyed the high places of worship (where worship of God mixed with worship of pagan idols). He was attacked by an overwhelming army from Ethiopia, but he cried out to God and it was defeated. In response to God’s rescue in that battle, Asa instituted many religious reforms, deposing his own grandmother from the position of queen mother because of he idolatry.
However, there is a warning in this story for all of us. As a young ruler, Asa’s faith in God was strong and he depended on God. However, later in life he came to trust more in his own strength and wisdom. He chose to solve his problems by his own cunning rather than trusting God to resolve his problems. This is a problem that it is easy for any of us to fall into, we begin to think that we have acquired the wisdom to solve our problems on our own and no longer turn to God for an answer. I pray that I not allow this to happen in my life.
