Tag Archives: Proverbs 11:7

May 12, 2015 Bible Study

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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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.

March 12, 2014 Bible Study — Trembling and Bewildered

    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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 11:7

    Those who place their hopes for the future on wicked mortals will discover that their hopes come to nothing because no matter how powerful everyone dies. Only by when we place our hopes in God can we see lasting results.

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Psalm 55:1-23

    The psalmist warns that while we may guard against external dangers, the real threats to a country is the wickedness within it. When we as a people no longer turn to God, wickedness rises up within us to destroy us. Friends and companions turn against each other. It is no longer possible to trust those who should be our closest, most trusted companions. People think nothing of breaking promises and using smooth words to fool others into trusting them, then betraying that trust when it suits them. This happens when people do not fear the Lord. Yet even though people do not fear God, He will hold them accountable. Those who give their burdens to God will be cared for. God will care for the godly. He will not permit them to slip and fall.

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Mark 16:1-20

    The most reliable early manuscripts of Mark end with verse eight. The ending seems abrupt and many think there must have been more, although none are sure if any of what later manuscripts contain is that more. Today, I like the way the passage ends at verse eight. When the women were confronted with the announcement that Jesus had risen from the dead, they were bewildered and frightened. The same thing often happens to us when God begins moving in our lives. We are bewildered and frightened. God takes us out of our comfort zones and we find that disconcerting. Oftentimes we would prefer staying in a place of grief and depression rather than accept what God is doing if it means leaving where we are comfortable. The good news of the Gospel is that if we are willing to listen to God, He does not leave us trembling and bewildered.
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Numbers 16:41-18:32

    Despite the way in which Moses handled Korah’s rebellion the people blamed him for the deaths. As a result of their continued rebellion, a plague broke out among the people. Aaron and Moses acted quickly to stem the plague getting in among the people, between those with the plague and those who were still healthy. Once this crisis had been averted, God instructed Moses on how to settle the problems for people. The people were to bring Moses twelve wooden staffs, one for the leader of each tribe of Israel. They inscribed the name of the leader of each tribe on a separate staff, with Aaron’s name being inscribed on the staff representing the tribe of Levi. Moses then placed the staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark of the Covenant. In the morning, Moses retrieved the staffs. Each of the leaders claimed his staff. Aaron’s staff had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds. The rest of the staffs were still staffs.

March 12, 2013 Bible Study — Am I Prepared To Follow Jesus To The Very End?

     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.

Watching the action
Watching the action

Numbers 16:41-18:32

     The morning after the earth swallowed Korah and his co-conspirators, the people of Israel gathered to complain about the way in which Moses and Aaron had handled to situation. Despite the deaths of the core group, the rebellion was not quashed. Moses told Aaron to take an incense burner and burn incense among the people to purify them before the Lord because the Lord’s anger was burning against them causing a plague to break out. Aaron followed Moses instructions and took an incense burner and stood between the living and the dead, stopping the progress of the plague.
     In order to put a stop to the muttering and complaints against Aaron and Moses, God told Moses to have the people bring him twelve staffs, one representing the leader of each of the tribes. Moses then carved the names of the leaders on the staff which represented them. Aaron’s name was carved on the staff representing the tribe of Levi. Moses told the people that the staff of the man God chose would sprout. He then placed the staffs in the Lord’s presence in the Tabernacle. When Moses retrieved the staffs the following day, he discovered that Aaron’s staff had not only sprouted, but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. Moses brought the staffs out from the Lord’s presence and showed them to the people. Each of the tribal leaders claimed their staffs. Moses then returned Aaron’s staff to the presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle.
     The passage then goes on to lay out the duties of the priests and Levites. The Levites were to assist the priests in caring for the Tabernacle, while the priests were to perform the sacred duties within the Tabernacle. It then goes on to describe how the priests and Levites are to be supported by a share of the offerings that the rest of the people of Israel bring to the Lord.

Checking the gear
Checking the gear

Mark 16:1-20

     In today’s passage, Mark gives his account of the Resurrection. He tells us that just after sunrise on the morning of the first day of the week following Jesus’ crucifixion three women took spices to anoint Jesus’ body. On the way to the tomb, they discussed who would roll the stone away from the tomb so that they could get to the body, although they did not have an answer. When they got to the tomb they discovered that the stone was already rolled aside. As they entered the tomb they discovered a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side (the passage does not say if he was sitting on the stone or in the tomb). They were alarmed. The young man told them not to be alarmed, Jesus had risen. He told them to tell the disciples, especially Peter, that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. The earliest reliable manuscripts end with the women fleeing in fear, afraid to tell anyone what they had seen.
     The most likely explanation for the rest of the passage is that it was added later because the ending chosen by Mark leaves things hanging. The endings to this passage that were not in the early manuscripts (and thus likely not in the original) are paraphrases of things contained in the other Gospels. I find it interesting to consider why the writer of this Gospel chose to stop telling the story where he appears to have stopped. By stopping at this point, the author puts greater emphasis on Jesus’ death while still recording His Resurrection. I think that we often think of Jesus’ death as merely the setup for His Resurrection, that it’s only purpose was to make His Resurrection possible. By ending the story where he appears to have Mark shows us that Jesus’ death was an important part of His ministry. Jesus’ death was the culmination of His earthly ministry. If we are true followers and imitators of Christ, we should be prepared that our ministry may end in a similar manner. Am I prepared to follow Jesus to a similar fate? Am I willing to sacrifice my life in order to serve the Lord? However, the writer wants to make sure we understand that such a death is not the end. After such a death comes the victorious resurrection.

Attempting to master a technique
Attempting to master a technique

Psalm 55:1-23

     The psalmist cries out to the Lord for aid because someone whom he had considered a friend has turned on him. His response to this betrayal is not to vow revenge. Rather, he calls on God to redeem him from his troubles. The psalmist tells us that if we give our burdens to the Lord, He will care for us. However, God will bring the wicked down to destruction. If we turn our burdens over to God, He will keep us from falling. Of course, that means all of them, no saying, “Oh this one is small, I can handle it,” when what we really mean is that if I turn this burden over to God, He might see what is inside and I might have to give up something I want to hold on to. I will strive to turn all of my burdens over to God and let Him handle them.

Attempting to revive a poinsettia
Attempting to revive a poinsettia

Proverbs 11:7

     The hopes of those who do not trust in God die when they die because they really on their own strength. It is only when we rest our hopes and dreams on the strength of God that we can trust that they will extend beyond our short lifespans.