For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
It is interesting how often the proverb writers contrast the wise vs the mocker. In this case they contrast the wise, who accept discipline, to the mockers, who refuse correction. The mockers refuse to accept the idea that they might be wrong, or have done wrong. The wise embrace receiving a penalty for their mistakes because they know it will make it easier for them to avoid repeating those mistakes.
The psalmist calls on us to sing praises to God. Accompanying our singing with whatever instruments come to hand, especially those which are loud and exuberant. We are to do this both because of the wonderful things God has done for us and because He has commanded us to do so. The psalmist goes on to remind us that if we are struggling in this life we need to cry out to God for rescue and listen to the instructions He gives us.
After being confronted for associating and eating with notorious sinners (read that as, “partying with”), Jesus tells three parables. Our tendency is to look at the first two separately from the third. That is not wrong because there are lessons to be learned from the third which are different than those to be learned from the other two. However, all three are teaching variations on the same lesson.
The first two teach us that we should spend more effort seeking to bring the lost back than we do on safeguarding those who are not lost. This runs counter to our human nature. When we have lost one of a group of things, we spend a small amount of effort to get it back and then spend greater efforts to safeguard that which we still have. We have a tendency to give up searching for what we have lost after a short time. That is fine when we are talking about material things, but when it comes to people, we should never quit seeking to “find” them for God.
Then there is the parable of the prodigal son. It too teaches us that the return of the lost is a source of great joy. One part of this parable that is often misrepresented is the reaction of the older brother. His initial reaction shows him in a poor light, but often those who expound on this passage assume that his initial reaction continues after his father talks to him. I think that this is making an assumption about his actions that Jesus is not intending. When we find ourselves in the position of the older brother (and sooner or later all of us who have chosen to follow Jesus will do so), how do we react when God comes to us and tells us to embrace our returned, and celebrated, rebellious brother (or sister)? Do we accept the joy which God, and others, feel at this lost one returning home and join the party? Or do we turn away from God in anger and jealousy because someone else is receiving greater attention than we are?
It is interesting to picture what it must have been like for the people of Jericho. They were frightened when they heard that the Jordan had stopped its flow to allow the Israelites to cross. Then the Israelites camped outside of their city. Each day for six days the Israelites marched around the city one time in complete silence. On the seventh day, they marched around seven times, still in complete silence until the end of the seventh circuit. At that point, some of them blew rams’ horns and the rest shouted loudly. That, in and of itself must have been very intimidating. The fact that it was followed by the collapse of the city walls and the armed Israelites charging into the city would have completely broken their morale.
