Tag Archives: Matthew 10:1-23

January 14, 2015 Bible Study — God Will Give You the Right Words At the Right Time

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 3:13-15

    Wisdom is more valuable than any treasure you can obtain, silver, gold, or jewels. Nothing on the face of this earth which you may desire is of more value than wisdom. Make gaining wisdom a higher priority than gaining anything else. There will be time enough for other things after you acquire wisdom, and even if there isn’t, you will be better off with wisdom than with those other things.

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Psalm 12:1-8

    I read this psalm and it seems as if the psalmist is living today. It is a reminder that the Bible applies to us today as much as it did when it was written.

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Matthew 10:1-23

    It is tempting to take Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve when He sent them out as THE model for evangelism. This would be a mistake, because Jesus gives different instructions for evangelism elsewhere. However, it is A model for evangelism. There are times and places where this is how we are called to preach the Gospel. There are however some things in Jesus’ instructions here which do apply to us in every circumstance.
    Jesus tells us that we are going out as sheep among wolves. Therefore we need to not be naive. We need to be aware that people are going to attempt to take advantage of us
and we should not let them do so. However, we can allow them to think that they are taking advantage of us. We should be aware of the ways in which people are attempting to manipulate us and not allow them to do so. However, there is we do not need to reveal that we know they are attempting to manipulate us until they try to get us to do something that does not fit in with our mission.
    Jesus goes on to tell us that we will be arrested and face persecution. We will be brought before judges and rulers. This will give us an opportunity to preach the Gospel to some who would not otherwise listen. When we are in that circumstance we should not worry about what we are going to say because the Holy Spirit will guide our words. I do not think Jesus is telling us not to plan out what to say when we know in advance that we are going to speak in front of a hostile audience. Rather, He is telling us not to worry about what to say when we are put on the spot. I know that on several occasions I have been in a circumstance where to this day the only explanation I have for the words I spoke was the Spirit of God (quoting verses I have never memorized, saying things I had not realized I believed, etc).

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Genesis 30-31:16

    When Jacob decided, with God’s guidance, that it was time to leave Laban and return to Canaan, he did not claim that his wealth was the result of his hard work. Rather he credited God with being responsible for his success. Yes, Jacob claimed to have worked hard, but he acknowledged that all of his hard work would have been for naught if God had not aided him. Do we have a similar attitude? Are we willing to work hard in the knowledge that any success we have will nevertheless only come as a gift from God?

January 14, 2014 Bible Study — Be As Shrewd As Snakes, And As Innocent As Doves

     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, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Genesis 30-31:16

     When Jacob’s eleventh son, Joseph, is born, Jacob negotiates with Laban for wages once more (he received Leah and Rachel as his wives from his initial negotiations). Jacob and Laban agree that all of the speckled and spotted goats, and all of the black sheep in the herds which Jacob tends for Laban will be Jacob’s going forward. However, Laban knows something about genetics, so, before the agreement starts, he removes all of the goats and sheep which have the characteristics which would mark them as Jacob’s from the flocks which Jacob tends. Jacob, however, took actions which increased the likelihood that the strongest lambs and kids born to the remaining sheep and goats under his care would express the characteristics which made them his. He was successful in doing this to such a degree that Laban’s sons were jealous of his success.
     God blessed Jacob despite Laban’s attempt to cheat him. Modern knowledge of genetics suggests that Jacob’s tricks to get more spotted and speckled goats and black sheep would have had no impact on the numbers of such offspring, nevertheless, Jacob’s flocks increased. The message I take from this passage is that God will look out for our interests, even if those around us attempt to cheat us.

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Matthew 10:1-23

     Jesus sent out the twelve apostles, the Greek term here means something along the lines of “sent ones”, to minister to the people of Israel. He gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal physical problems. They were empowered to address the mental and physical problems of those they encountered. Jesus sent them out into the world to bring healing to the sick, to raise the dead, to cast out evil spirits, and to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
     This passage applies to us today in one way or another. Just as we have freely received from God the means to meet our needs, so we are to freely give to those in need, whether that need is physical, mental, or spiritual. Part of me says that not all of us are apostles, those sent by God. That some of us are called to be those in whose homes the apostles stay. And this is true. Yet part of me says that we are all sent out by Jesus to be His ambassadors, His messengers, His apostles. And this is also true. There are times when we are to accept hospitality as we deliver God’s message to those around us. And there are times when we are to provide hospitality to those who are bringing God’s message.
     There is a part of this passage that I am convinced wholly applies to all of us. When Jesus says that He is sending them out as sheep among wolves, He is talking to all of us. As He sends us forth into the world, He wants us to be innocent, but not naive. There is another very important message for us in this passage. Jesus tells us that we will be persecuted for our faith. He follows that up by telling us that when we are brought before the authorities, we should not worry about what we will say, the Spirit will speak through us, giving us the words to convey God’s message for that situation. I believe that this statement applies not just to when we are arrested, but also to any time when we are forced to make a statement. On the other hand, this instruction from Jesus is not meant to apply to those occasions when we choose to make a statement. In the latter case, we should very carefully select our words and plan what we will say, while allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us.

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Psalm 12:1-8

     We may live in a society that honors the wicked and rewards those who lie, but the psalmist reminds us that God will protect the oppressed and rise up to save the helpless. The wicked may think that none are able to stop them, but God will bring judgment upon them in the fullness of time. I will not be deceived into thinking that lies, deceit, and violence are the path to an easy life.

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Proverbs 3:13-15

     Some people expend their energy searching for gold, silver, precious gems, or other physical treasures. I will spend my energy seeking wisdom because it is more valuable than all of those combined. Wisdom will return benefits far beyond those of any material wealth.

January 14, 2013 Bible Study –Freely You Have Received, Freely Give

     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. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

Amaryllis Bud
Amaryllis Bud

Genesis 30-31:16

     After Leah had born Jacob four sons and Rachel none, Rachel became frustrated and demanded children of Jacob. Jacob responded that she needed to take the matter up with God. Rachel then had Jacob sleep with her maid, Bilhah, so that she could raise Bilhah’s children as her own. Bilhah gave birth to two sons. When Leah saw this, and that she had stopped bearing sons to Jacob, she gave Jacob her maid, Zilpah. Zilpah also gave birth to two sons. Leah had two more sons for a total of six sons. Then Rachel finally became pregnant and had a son. Over the course of this passage we see a family dynamic of unhealthy rivalry between the sisters that Jacob did nothing to improve (and very likely made worse). When I was growing up this passage was often used to explain why polygamy was a bad idea. I don’t know if that is the point, but it does show us how dysfunctional Jacob’s family was (which should come as no surprise considering how dysfunctional the family he grew up in was). This just goes to show that God can and will use those who dedicate themselves to Him, even though they have many human flaws.
     After Joseph was born, Jacob began negotiating with Laban for new wages. Jacob begins the negotiations by saying that he wants to go back to where he grew up. Laban replies that he knows that Jacob has made him wealthy and asks Jacob what he owes him (this is really Laban’s way of saying, I don’t owe you anything, I have already given you the wages we agreed upon). Jacob comes back telling Laban he has worked very hard for Laban and that Jacob has indeed made Laban very wealthy, but when can Jacob start working to build his own wealth. Laban asks Jacob what he wants. Jacob suggests that he get all of the speckled, spotted and black sheep and goats that are in the herds he tends for Laban. Laban agreed to these terms, but he immediately went out and removed all of those that fit the criteria from the flocks that Jacob tended for him and put them in the flocks his sons tended. The passage tells us that Jacob placed pieces of wood with the bark partially stripped off in the watering troughs when the flocks were about to mate and this led to an abnormally large number of speckled, spotted and streaked lambs. As a result of his careful management of Laban’s flocks so as to maximize those that became his, Jacob became wealthy.
     As Jacob’s wealth grew, the attitude of Laban and his sons towards Jacob began to turn sour. As Jacob noticed this change in their attitude, God told him to return to the land of his father and grandfather. Jacob called Rachel and Leah out to where he was tending the flocks (the passage does not say, but I am guessing they brought his entire household with them). He tells them that he works very hard for their father, but their father cheats him of his wages. Nevertheless God has blessed him and he has gotten wealthy. Jacob then tells them that God has told him it is time to return to the lands of his father. Leah and Rachel express resentment of the way their father has treated them since they married Jacob and support his decision to return to the land of his birth. This is perhaps the only time we see this family behaving harmoniously.

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Matthew 10:1-23

     Jesus gathered His twelve disciples and gave them authority to drive out demons and power to heal the sick, He then sent them out to preach the Good News in the towns of Israel. They are to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is near. In addition to the preaching they are to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.” Jesus tells them to take no extra provisions with them but to rely on the people of the towns they preach in for sustenance. They should trust God to provide for them.
     It seems clear to me from the way this is written that Matthew sees Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve as applying to more than them when Jesus sent them out to preach. He tells us that we are sheep among wolves. We are to be as shrewd as snakes, but as harmless as doves. We need to recognize the tricks people use to take advantage of others, but we should not use them. We will be persecuted and put on trial, but that will be our opportunity to testify about God’s love to unbelievers and the authorities. Don’t worry about what to say, or how to say it. Just let God’s Spirit speak through you. I need to let God’s Spirit speak through me more.

Amaryllis Bloom Opens
Amaryllis Bloom Opens

Psalm 12:1-8

     This psalm feels as if it was written today:

Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!
The faithful have vanished from the earth!

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

God answers that He sees the violence done to the helpless and hears the cries of the poor. We know that God will protect the oppressed, even though evil is praised throughout the land.

Snow On The Bird Feeders
Snow On The Bird Feeders

Proverbs 3:13-15

     Wisdom is more valuable than anything else we can acquire, gold, silver and precious gems pale in comparison. Nothing else we can desire compares to wisdom. Search it out in order to find true joy.