Category Old Testament

Books of the Old Testament

Dec 13 2013

Psalm 107:23-43 – By His Blessing

When Judah was captured, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and the people taken away as Babylonian prisoners (2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36:13-23).

When Judah was captured, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and the people taken away as Babylonian prisoners (2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36:13-23).

The second half of Psalm 107 continues the theme of describing the plight of exiles during the Babylonian captivity and their eventual rescue by the Lord. The particular group that verse 23 begins with is made up of those who went to sea. Whether they were sailing in the service of the foreign king or being transported for some unknown purpose we are not told. But this group met with trouble by turbulent seas and weather and the scripture says they nearly perished. But again, the Lord heard their cry and quieted the storm so they would be brought to safety.

The praise for the Lord begins in verse 31, but from verse 33 onward, the point of the psalm is made known. The Lord DOES hear the cry of His people; and in a litany of ways that He often turns events around 180 degrees, the psalm praises God for His providence, His power and mercy, and His care for His people. The last four verses sum it up well:

When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;

but he raises up the needy out of affliction
and makes their families like flocks.
The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Dec 12 2013

Job 41 – Who Can Stand Before Me?

Like in Chapter 40, this chapter spends much time (almost all of it) on the description of a majestic, but fearsome, creature. As God begins speaking of this magnificent creature and his fearsome power, He points out that even the most fearsome of men cannot do battle with this “Leviathin,” so “who then is he who can stand before me?” A fair question, since God created this creature.

Australian Bombardier Beetle (Pheropsophus ver...

Australian Bombardier Beetle (Pheropsophus verticalis) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Obviously from the description a sea creature, this Leviathin is the subject of much skepticism. Certainly, any such beast is long since extinct, but many say that no beast or dinosaur ever breathed fire. Among other counters to this position, is the reminder of the Bombardier Beetle that has the unusual defense mechanism of emitting a hot, noxious, and painful chemical as a gas at temperatures reaching that of the boiling point of water. Rather than spend much time on the subject, we would prefer to refer you two excellent articles on the subject of Leviathin here and here from Apologetics Press. There is much we do not know about extinct dinosaurs – the “dragons” of old.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Dec 11 2013

Psalm 70 – O Lord, Do Not Delay

Fields of grain and wheat to the east of Bethlehem, in the area where Boaz and Ruth met.

Fields of grain and wheat to the east of Bethlehem, in the area where Boaz and Ruth met.

The five short verses of this psalm are almost word for word taken from Psalm 40:13-17. The most reasonable explanation for the repetition is that this portion of Psalm 40 was adapted for a specific occasion as a corporate prayer, while the former psalm was written during David’s earlier and more private time. The superscription says it was “for the memorial offering.” This was part of the grain offering in which the priest burns a portion on the altar. Still, it is a lament and an appeal to God for deliverance:

May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”

But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay!

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Dec 10 2013

Proverbs 30 – Too Wonderful

eagle-001Proverbs 30 is one chapter we can be sure was not Solomon’s because it tells us straight out that it is “the words of Agur son of Jakeh.” We don’t really know anything about him, but his style is certainly distinguishable from that of Solomon. Repeated throughout the chapter are his statements of three things that are described one way, and four that are described another way. For example, verses 18-19:

Three things are too wonderful for me;
four I do not understand:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a virgin

These verses have been interpreted different ways, but the one that makes the most sense is the obvious connection to the first part of the chapter. There is much in this world that is wonderful, and much that we should not even worry about trying to understand. Some things are gifts of wonder from God, and should simply be enjoyed. Others are simply an enigma.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Dec 9 2013

Psalm 67- Let All the Peoples Praise You!

harvestThis song is only 7 verses long, and it includes thanksgiving for what appears to have been a good harvest (verse 6).  But the psalm also does what many other passages in the Old Testament do, which is to affirm what the apostles found to be true in the Book of Acts, and what they (especially Paul) proclaim to be true – that God always intended for the Gentiles to be included in His plan for salvation. This evident first in verse 2: “that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations,” and then again in verse 4:

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Dec 8 2013

Prophet Of Royal Blood? – Zephaniah

Stamped bulla sealed by a servant of King Heze...

Stamped bulla sealed by a servant of King Hezekiah, formerly pressed against a cord; unprovenanced Redondo Beach collection of antiquities (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The prophet Zephaniah is introduced this way in verse one of chapter one of his book: “The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.” Many believe that the Hezekiah mentioned here was King Hezekiah, who reined between 715 and 686 B.C.  If so, that would make Zephaniah his great-great-grandson. This would fit the timeline generally accepted for Zephaniah’s prophecy as during the reign of Josiah (640 – 609 B.C.)

There is some reason to believe that Zephaniah may have encouraged Josiah’s reforms. If so, since those reforms started in the 18th year of his reign (2 Kings 22-23), Zephaniah’s prophecies likely occurred before 622 -621 B.C.  Judah was at the height of its rampant immorality and idolatry pattern, with good king Josiah replacing two previous kings that were extremely wicked (Amon and Manasseh). His message, prevalent throughout the book, was “the day of the Lord is coming” – which always means that a time of decisive action by God is at hand.

Michelangelo's Hezekiah-Manasseh-Amon. Traditi...

Michelangelo’s Hezekiah-Manasseh-Amon. Traditionally Manasseh is the man on the right and Amon is the child on the left. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first mention of the phrase in this book comes in Zephaniah 1:7, which also says “…the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.” That sacrifice is Judah, and verses 3-4 warn that God is bringing massive destruction on His people and Jerusalem. Verses 14-18 expound in darkly poetic terms on just what “the day of the Lord” will mean to them, and the picture cannot be ambiguous to anyone. Chapter 2 tells them what they should do – which of course is to repent. Zephaniah 3:1-4 present the reasons for God’s judgment on Jerusalem, placing blame on corrupt and evil leadership as well:

Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
the oppressing city!
She listens to no voice;
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.

Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are evening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.

Chapter 3:14-20 conclude with a promise of a glorious time of restoration and a Messianic future. It promises the survival of a remnant. The best advice for the faithful comes in Chapter 2:3:

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
who do his just commands;
seek righteousness; seek humility;
perhaps you may be hidden
on the day of the anger of the Lord

The Book of Zephaniah seems to come very close to the time of the impending destruction by the Chaldeans. But the book does promise judgment on the other nations, particularly their wicked neighbors, for their complicity. Chapter 2:4-10 promises that the remnant of God’s people will have their day where those nations are concerned – promises that history itself has told us that God has kept:

For Gaza shall be deserted,
and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;
Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon,
and Ekron shall be uprooted.

Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast,
you nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.

And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures,
with meadows for shepherds
and folds for flocks.
The seacoast shall become the possession
of the remnant of the house of Judah,
on which they shall graze,
and in the houses of Ashkelon
they shall lie down at evening.

For the Lord their God will be mindful of them
and restore their fortunes.
“I have heard the taunts of Moab
and the revilings of the Ammonites,
how they have taunted my people
and made boasts against their territory.

Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel,
“Moab shall become like Sodom,
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah,
a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,
and a waste forever.

The remnant of my people shall plunder them,
and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
This shall be their lot in return for their pride,
because they taunted and boasted
against the people of the Lord of hosts.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Dec 6 2013

Psalm 107:1-22 – Let Them Thank the Lord

English: The Captivity of Judah, as in 2 Chron...

English: The Captivity of Judah, as in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21, illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This psalm is the first in the collection we have come to know as Book 5, the final book in Psalms, composed of 44 chapters. We will read only the first half of this psalm today – the first 22 verses. We do not know who the author is. The time is some time after Babylonian captivity. Some scholars think it was written for and sung at the dedication of the second temple.

It is readily apparent that the psalmist is referring to people who were exiled during the captivity. Verse 4 four begins with the first group that were banished from the land as part of the exile and wandered the desert. Verse 10 speaks more specifically of those who were imprisoned in exile, while verse 17 appears to refer to some who became very ill either during the march to Babylon or after they arrived. In each case, the psalmist speaks of their cry to the Lord and how He delivered them. A community lament, yes. But it seems to more generally address those of the redeemed who became the remnant.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Dec 5 2013

Job 40 – Behold, Behemoth

This chapter of Job is one of the most interesting, and with God doing most of the talking, that is quite understandable. God challenges Job again, but Job has already realized that he has been wrong in his assumptions about God’s part in his suffering, as well as in questioning God in the first place. The Lord’s questions continue, and one of the points that he makes in all of this is that one of Job’s mistakes was in his suggestion that God had any share in any wrong-doing (verse 8). The Lord continues throughout the chapter, pointing out more of His majestic works. Why, Job must have thought, would he have ever thought that God would have devoted so much time to chastising one of such “small account” (verse 8).

Hippopotamus Copyright (C) David Redhouse 2002

Hippopotamus Copyright (C) David Redhouse 2002

We cannot, of course, leave this chapter without covering the subject of the creature “behemoth” that God describes from verse 15 through the end of the chapter. We find the suggestions of the past that the animal was a hippopotamus or an elephant completely without merit. Depending on the version, verse 17  states that “he moves his tail like a cedar.” This alone speaks volumes, and certainly does not fit with any beast alive today.

The details that lead many to the conclusion that the creature described is some sort of dinosaur is very compelling, all things considered. But the subject is covered much better than we could do in this article at Apologetics Press. Very interesting reading. We agree that the elephant and hippo theories are likely the result of intellectual timidity on the part of believers amid the traditional evolutionist viewpoint. The very context of the chapter demands the conclusion that God was speaking to Job of a beast that was quite majestic – not a “river horse” or circus animal.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Dec 4 2013

Psalm 63 – With Joyful Lips

Ziph area, where David hid from Saul and the Ziphites betrayed David.

Ziph area, where David hid from Saul and the Ziphites betrayed David.

Matthew Henry said of Psalm 63: “This psalm has in it as much of warmth and lively devotion as any of David’s psalms in so little a compass. As the sweetest of Paul’s epistles were those that bore date out of a prison, so some of the sweetest of David’s psalms were those that were penned, as this was, in a wilderness.” We have to agree. Among others, Psalm 3, Psalm 7, and Psalm 59 ring out with pure beauty and elegant praise for the Lord.

The superscription tells us that this is a psalm of David “when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” Most likely, it was during the time he was fleeing from Absalom rather than Saul because he appears to refer to himself as the king in verse 11. In verse one, when he speaks metaphorically of thirst and a dry land, the words would have their own meaning in relation to the desert in which he wandered. The psalm starts out as a lament, but quickly turns to a psalm of praise and quiet confidence, as seen in verses 5-7:

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Dec 3 2013

Proverbs 29 – In His Time

Verse one of chapter 29 reads:

He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
will suddenly be broken beyond healing

One who stubbornly ignores the rebukes that are intended to correct their wrongful deeds will eventually suffer consequences. This is true in life as you apply it to almost anything from personal relationships to employment to legal issues, and yes, to the evil they do against the Lord.

And in verse 6:

An evil man is ensnared in his transgression,
but a righteous man sings and rejoices

The idea here is that the evil that men do often ends up as their undoing. But how do we reconcile these verses with verse 13, which reads:

The poor man and the oppressor meet together;
the Lord gives light to the eyes of both

According to Bullock, Hitler was an opportunis...

According to Bullock, Hitler was an opportunistic adventurer devoid of principles, beliefs or scruples. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This, of course, is the same thought as in Matthew 5:45, which says “for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good.” The answer is, of course, that many times the evil men do in this life does not fully catch up with them in this life. But they will not escape justice from God in the next life. Still, we should not suppose that God never brings the evil down in this life for their deeds. He just works on His own time-table, and according to His plans.

The Lord predicted the destruction of A.D. 70 (Matthew 24), and there are many more examples in the Old Testament. Just think of the fate of Eli’s house predicted in 1 Samuel 2:27-36, and the words of the prophet Nathan to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-15, among others. One could ponder about Hitler and others as well. But in any event, whether in this life of on the day of judgment, one who “stiffens his neck” will eventually be broken indeed.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.