Tag Archives: Bible

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.

Dec 2 2013

Psalm 66 – How Awesome Are Your Deeds!

Psalmist David by Gustave Doré

Psalmist David by Gustave Doré (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

This song is one of great praise to the Lord and acknowledgment of the deeds He has done for His people and for the psalmist in particular. The 15 psalms that precede it have been ascribed to David. In this case, we have nothing that tells us one way or the other. The first 12 verses speak in the first person plural about all of the ways that God has tested them and then brought them into abundance (verses 10-12).

 

The psalmist switches to 1st person singular in verse 13. This is simply the progression into what the psalmist intends to do personally to show his gratitude for what God has done for all of His people and for him in particular.  While declaring how God has answered his prayers (verses 19-20), the psalm calls for all people to “sing the glory of his name.”

 

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 1 2013

Prayers of Habakkuk

Habakkuk the prophet, Russian icon from first ...

Habakkuk the prophet, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Not much is known about the prophet, Habakkuk. With most of the prophets, we are given at least some minor biographical information, but we are not even told where he came from. Many scholars, however, have somehow deduced that he was from Jerusalem. And the fact that the third chapter is in fact a song – a psalm, suggests quite reasonably to some that he was from the tribe of Levi. Habakkuk 3:1 reads “a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.” Shigionth is a reference to a type of music that is sung in times of victory.

The date of the book can only be surmised in approximation. In Habakkuk 1:6, the Lord tells Habakkuk that He is raising up the Chaldeans. The Chaldean rise to power was about 612 B.C., with their first invasion of Judah occurring in 605 B.C.  A date shortly before that is reasonable. This would place this prophet as a contemporary of Zephaniah, and possibly Daniel. Likely, the time was during the reign of Josiah (640 – 609 B.C.) or just after his death. There are some non-inspired writings with Habakkuk in them, but the more interesting one is not considered historically accurate.

Although clearly written for their benefit, Habakkuk does not address the people of Judah. The first two chapters consist of Habakkuk’s prayers (and protestations) to God, as well as God’s responses. Habakkuk is taken aback that God would send those who were even more wicked than the people of Judah to exact His punishment on them. This does not seem to him to be the actions of a just God. God assures him that He has every intention of punishing the evil nations involved – but in His own time. By the end of the book, Habakkuk is resigned to the fate, but more importantly,  he realizes that his faith in God means that he must trust Him to take care of justice.

These words were evidently a comfort to the faithful after the captivity, as they struggled to understand. The key verse is Habakkuk 2:4, which says “but the righteous will live by his faith.” That is the lesson of Habakkuk. As His children, we must trust in God to deal with the evil of this world in His time.

/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.  

Nov 29 2013

Psalm 78:50-72 – With His Skillful Hand

The final section of this historical psalm begins with the re-telling of the final plagues against Egypt (Exodus 12) and God’s deliverance of the Israelites to the Promised Land, where He “drove out the nations” and settled His people in (verse 55 ). The text then turns attention back to their idolatry – always the problem in Israel’s history. In verses 60-62, the phrases “He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh” and “delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe” refer to when the Philistines captured the Ark in 1 Samuel 4.

The lion is the symbol of the Tribe of Judah. ...

The lion is the symbol of the Tribe of Judah. It is often represented in Jewish art, such as this sculpture outside a synagogue (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The psalm continues, showing once again the Lord’s love for His people, as He delivers them from their enemies in spite of their unfaithfulness to Him. Verses 67-72 then conclude the psalm, noting that God’s ultimate remedy for His people was to choose a shepherd from the tribe of Judah (David, leading of course to Jesus Christ, also from Judah) to shepherd them.  Verse 72 concludes: “With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.”

The purpose of the psalm, stated in the first eight verses, was to commit to a song to be remembered the works of God, so that they would be passed on in the generations to come. The words “remember” and “not forget” ring throughout the psalm constantly in order to try to save the future generations from the foolish mistakes of their fathers.

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.