Tag Archives: Psalm 147

December 28, 2015 Bible Study

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 31:1-7

    Those who exercise authority and power should limit how much alcohol they consume. If they make decisions when drunk they may act contrary to the law or render unjust decisions.

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Psalm 147

    The first thing that came to mind when I read this psalm was the song “It is a good thing”, the first line of which begins “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises to His name.” The psalmist goes on to remind us of why it is a good thing to do so: He heals the brokenhearted, He supports the humble (to name two of the reasons). God does not show favoritism towards those with might and power, or even beauty as we measure such things. No God shows His favor to those who fear Him and strive to do His will.

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Revelation 19

    It would not be accurate to say that I never noticed this before, it is just that it never occurred to me that it was significant. Twice in this passage John hears the sound of a great crowd calling out God’s praise. The significance is that those who will be in heaven are a crowd so large that when they speak in unison they sound like ocean waves crashing on the shore. At the same time, or closely thereafter, Jesus will ride forth and for all time defeat the evil in this world and those who have chosen to serve it.

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Zechariah 12-13

    Zechariah tells that the day will come when God will establish Jerusalem and the land of Israel such that the surrounding nations will be consumed when they attempt to attack it. Zechariah also prophesies that God will send forth a fountain which will cleanse everyone from their sins. As part of this God will eliminate idol worship and false prophets, those who prophesy on behalf of idols.

June 29, 2015 Bible Study — How Good To Sing Praises To Our God!

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 18:4-5

    I really wanted to comment on the contrast the writer makes between deep waters and a rushing stream. However, I was unable to get my thoughts on the subject to come together.
    The second part is pretty clear, and seems pretty obvious. It is not a good thing when the innocent are denied justice because those in authority are biased towards the wicked. Unfortunately, some people forget this.

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Psalm 147:1-20

    It is delightful and fitting to praise God. He does not play favorites. God does not delight in strength or might. He takes delight in those who fear Him and put their hope of victory in Him. Let us praise God because He uses His power to bring justice and healing to the broken hearted.

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Acts 19:13-41

    Luke tells us about a group of Jews who traveled around casting out evil spirits. They attempted to increase their effectiveness by invoking the name of Jesus, even though they were not believers. This ended badly for them. I think there are several lessons in this for us, but the most interesting to me today is the one which the believers of the area seem to have taken from it. The lesson recounted in the passage was that practicing sorcery is incompatible with faith in Jesus.
    I am torn about the destruction of books described here. On the one hand, because these books were destroyed we do not know what they considered to be sorcery. On the other hand, those who did so were people who had been practicing sorcery, while at the same time claiming to have faith in Jesus. The books that were burned are described as being books of spells, that is, instructions for carrying out specific acts of sorcery. Those who destroyed their books of incantations were eliminating a source of future temptation. This destruction was not carried out at the behest of the government, or some other authority. Rather these people chose to do so of their own free will. By destroying their spellbooks they were making a statement that they had been practicing magic and that they were turning from doing so in the future.
    It is worth noting that this was not the destruction of music recordings, or roleplaying game books. This was the destruction of books which gave instruction on how to perform sorcery. By saying this I am not casting judgment on those who choose to destroy their collections of music recordings or roleplaying game books. There may be a case to be made for doing so, but this passage is not the basis for it. Jesus in Matthew 18 tells us to destroy anything we have which causes us to sin. These people destroyed their spellbooks because they caused them to sin. If listening to certain music causes you to sin, destroy your copies of that music. If a roleplaying game causes you to sin, destroy your copies of the rulebooks for that game. However, remember that others may possess those things and not be tempted to sin. That is a judgment for each of us to make on our own (with counsel from the Holy Spirit and our brothers and sisters in Christ).

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2 Kings 15-16:20

    This passage tells us of two more kings of Judah who did what was pleasing in God’s sight. As a result, the Kingdom of Judah had stability at a time when the Kingdom of Israel was undergoing political turmoil due to rebellions and invasions. This is an important lesson for all people. When the people of a nation do what is evil in God’s sight there will be political turmoil. When they do what is pleasing in God’s sight they will have stability.

December 28, 2014 Bible Study

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. We are approaching the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. Let us seek to serve God in all that we do in the New Year.

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Proverbs 31:1-7

    The writer warns against wasting one’s strength on women. It is worth noting the use of the plural here. If one spends one strength and money on multiple women one is wasting it and it will lead to their ruin (the same can be said of women dealing with men as well). He then goes on to warn against allowing alcohol to impair our judgement. Those who are in circumstances where nothing they can do can make things better, or worse, are encouraged to drink in order to forget their pain, but it is worth noting that the writer is suggesting it only for those for whom things can get no worse.

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Psalm 147:1-20

    There is joy in singing praises to God and it is fitting to do so. The psalmist gives us many reasons why we should do so, but the first is the one that I will highlight today:

He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.

Let us remember this about God and strive to be the tools He uses to accomplish this task.

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Revelation 19:1-21

    In John’s vision he heard great rejoicing in Heaven after the fall of “Babylon”. The rejoicing was because of the pain and suffering which “Babylon” had inflicted on the poor and destitute throughout the world. Over the last few days I realized something I had never noticed before, John points out that immorality (sexual and otherwise) leads to the oppression of the poor. All too often, Christians (and others) are accused of focusing too much on sexual immorality and not enough on injustice and greed. There is unfortunately some truth to that accusation. However, all too many people who focus on injustice and greed overlook the ways in which sexual immorality plays a role in creating social injustice.

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Zechariah 12-13:9

    Zechariah prophesies that a day will come when the nations around Israel will attack Jerusalem. They will gather a great force to attack, but the only result will be loss for those who joined in the attack. I do not know if this prophecy refers to what has been going on in the Middle East over the last 60 years, but there is a similarity between what Zechariah says here and what has been going on. I think that what Zechariah is talking about is something else, but the similarities make me wonder.
    Zechariah tells us that a fountain will be opened to cleanse people of all of their sins and impurity. As the waters from that fountain wash over the land all idolatry will cease and people will reject all forms of idol worship. I believe that Jesus is the source of the fountain to which Zechariah refers. As evidence for that I will point out all of the times in history when faith in Jesus spread through a land causing idol worship to be washed away as in an overwhelming flood.

June 29, 2014 Bible Study — Are We Practicing Sorcery?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 18:4-5

    Once again, the NIV translation makes sense of this passage for me. The words we speak are like deep waters, containing and concealing many dangers. Wisdom in those words is like a rushing stream, refreshing and transforming the landscape around us.

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Psalm 147:1-20

    Let us praise the Lord. He is great enough to count and name each of the stars, yet He will heal the brokenhearted and bind their wounds. It is not our strength, intelligence, wisdom, or beauty which gives God pleasure. Rather God is pleased when we obey His commands because we fear and love Him. Let us put all of our hopes in God’s unfailing love. I will glorify God, because even though none can stand against Him, He has sacrificed His own Son for each and every one of us.

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Acts 19:13-41

    There is an interesting story here. A group of Jewish exorcists attempted to use the name of Jesus and of Paul in order to cast out demons. They thought that Jesus’ name could be used as one more incantation in their “magic”. The name of Jesus is not an incantation we can use to get the results we are looking for. If we attempt to use Jesus’ name that way, it will end as badly for us as it did for these Jewish exorcists. However, the results will glorify God, just as the results in this story did. When the believers in the area heard the story of the exorcists they recognized their own sins and the dangers of practicing “magic” and “magical” thinking. They gathered the books and devices they used to practice magic and destroyed them. The key here was not the destruction of these items, but the irrevocable renunciation of the practices they represented.

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2 Kings 15-16:20

    Yesterday’s passage told us that Amaziah ruled Judah and did what was pleasing in God’s sight. Today we learn that his son and his grandson did likewise. However, none of the three kings destroyed the shrines in the high places. In the meantime, king after king rose to power in Israel and did evil in God’s sight. The kings of Israel abused their power and practiced idolatry. When Amaziah’s great-grandson, Ahaz, took the throne in Judah he began following the pagan practices which were practiced at the shrines in the high places and treated his subjects the way that the kings of Israel did. He actively imitated the pagan practices of the peoples surrounding Judah, going so far as to replace the altar in the Temple with one based on an altar set up by the Assyrians in Damascus. The implication of the description given is that King Ahaz transformed the Temple worship from worship of God to worship of the Assyrian gods.
    The failure of Amaziah, his son, and his grandson, to root out pagan practices from among those who worshiped the Lord led to King Ahaz preferring those practices to the worship of God. We can see the same thing in the Church around us. When we look the other way when people fail to remain faithful to God, people will gradually “move the line” further and further from where God really wants us to be. When the Church in the United States stopped condemning divorce, it reduced the Church’s ability to defend God’s will for marriage. We need to relearn how to condemn sin without condemning the sinner. The failure of Amaziah, Uzziah, and Jotham to lead their people to complete faithfulness led to Ahaz, who sacrificed his own son in the fires of a pagan god. Yet Ahaz’ son was Hezekiah. God will use our failings to bring about revival. Let us pray that a spiritual leader arise today to lead us in a revival like the one which Hezekiah led.

December 28, 2013 Bible Study — The Lord Is Our God

     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 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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Zechariah 12-13:9

     Zechariah prophesies that the day will come when God will pour out His Spirit upon the people of Judah and Jerusalem. On that day, they will mourn for the One they have pierced, they will grieve bitterly. As a result, they will be cleansed of their sins. God will erase idol worship throughout the land and false prophets will be removed from the land. No one will claim the ability of divination any longer. Those who had previously practiced it will reject the practice and be ashamed that they had once practiced such sinfulness.
     God is going to put His people through fire in order to refine them like silver and purify them like gold. When He is done He will say, “These are my people.” They will reply, “The Lord is our God.” Will you be one of those people?

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Revelation 19:1-21

     With the fall of “Babylon” a great crowd will praise God for His greatness and salvation. They will sing about how He brought justice against those who had murdered His servants. They will sing for the joy of being invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb as He marries the bride who had prepared herself for Him. Then a rider on a white horse will ride forth to wage war against the beast and the kings who gathered with him. They had gathered to bring down the prostitute and then to make war against God Himself. The rider, whose name is Faithful and True, will be accompanied by the armies of heaven, but He will be victorious of the kings of the earth and those who had worshiped the beast without the aid of His armies. He will strike down all who had given themselves over to evil. This passage is a reminder that everyone will be held accountable for their actions. It may seem that some people are getting away with their evil behavior, but God will hold them accountable and force them to pay the price for their mistreatment of others.

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Psalm 147:1-20

     God will heal the brokenhearted and bandage their wounds. This is a reminder that we do not claim to be perfect. No, we have all been wounded, but God will bandage our wounds and offer us healing. God does not desire those who claim to be strong and able to stand up against whatever the world can throw at them. He calls us to acknowledge our pain and turn to Him for healing. Those who fear Him and put their hope in His love will experience healing. He does not take pleasure in those who rely on their own strength and/or wealth. Let us turn to Him for healing and trust in His love.

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Proverbs 31:1-7

     The proverb writer warns against spending one’s strength (or, possibly, wealth) on various women. He does not come out and say it, but instead a man should find one woman who will strengthen them and help them be a better person. He goes on to say that rulers should not indulge themselves in alcohol because it may distort their judgment and cause them to deny the oppressed of their rights. Rather alcohol should be left for those who are in pain or suffering, in order to help them forget their misery.

June 29, 2013 Bible Study –The Lord’s Delight Is In Those Who Fear Him

     I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for over a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. 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.

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2 Kings 15-16:20

     In today’s passage we have reference to three kings of Judah and six kings of Israel. We are told that each of the kings of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Four of the five kings of Israel whose reigns are detailed in today’s passage were killed by assassins who then took the throne (the reign of the sixth king is described in tomorrow’s passage).
     We are told that the first two kings of Judah did what was pleasing to God. However, neither of them removed the high places where the people offered sacrifices. The third king, Ahaz, son of the second and grandson of the first, did evil in the sight of the Lord, going so far as to sacrifice his son in the fire. He paid tribute to the king of Assyria in order to get him to attack Aram and Israel so that they would stop attacking Judah. In addition he went to the capital of Assyria and worshiped the gods of Assyria there. He then instructed the high priest of Judah to build a new altar modeled after the altar used in Assyria. It is not clear from the passage but it appears to me that Ahaz instituted worship of the Assyrian gods on this altar.

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Acts 19:13-41

     The miracles performed by Paul so impressed the people of around Ephesus that some Jewish exorcists started using the name of Jesus in their exorcisms. When one group tried this, the man possessed by the evil spirit told them that it knew Jesus and knew Paul, but did not know them. The man with the evil spirit then attacked them and drove them from the house naked and bleeding. Word of this spread throughout the area. One of the biggest impacts was on believers who had continued in occult practices. In reaction to this, they brought their grimoires (books of spells and incantations) and burned them on a public bonfire. It is worth noting that these were not just books of information, but were rather “cookbooks” for practicing magic.
     Shortly after this a silversmith named Demetrius who manufactured and sold shrines to Artemus called a gathering of the people to whom he subcontracted some of the work. Demetrius then told them that Paul was preaching a message that would destroy their business and respect for their city. As he spoke to them he got them angrier and angrier until a riot started. The rioters gathered in the city amphitheater. Some of them grabbed Paul’s traveling companions and took them into the amphitheater with them. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the rest of the believers would not let him do so. There was a lot of confusion in the amphitheater and most of the people who were there did not know why. Some of the Jews in the crowd tried to put their representative forward to explain the situation, but when the crowd realized he was a Jew (and this not a worshiper of Artemus) they just shouted him down. Finally the mayor of the city was able to calm the crowd down enough to speak. He then convinced the crowd that any grievance could be settled in civil court and that if the rioting continued the Romans were likely to send in the Legions to sort things out.

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Psalm 147:1-20

     The psalmist tells us that it is good and fitting to sing praises to God. I could not agree more. The psalmist goes on to tell us why it is fitting:

He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and calls them all by name.

The Lord supports the humble,
but he brings the wicked down into the dust.

Later he tells us:
He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse
or in human might.
No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

I will praise the Lord and I will put all of my hopes in His unfailing love.

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Proverbs 18:4-5

     I do not understand what the first proverb means. The second proverb however tells us that when the wicked are knowingly allowed to avoid punishment, the innocent suffer.