Religion & Spirituality | Bob's boy's Christianity blog

In verses 7-9, the Holy Spirit teaches us that which is of the greatest value in life, yet is seldom seen as such by most people. Nobody begins life as an adult by seeking to be unsuccessful. We get the best education that we can. We try to earn our wages in a field in which we possess some skill; and if possible, we try to put some away for our later years when we are no longer able to work. For some, success at doing these things comes very easily. Others do not always find that to be the case.

V. 7
One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
V. 8
The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,
but a poor man hears no threat.
v. 9
The light of the righteous rejoices,
but the lamp of the wicked will be put out

Are the wealthy always so much better off than the poor indeed? The accumulation of such great wealth, though appealing to most of us, does not always result in the best quality of life. Mountains of money and endless possessions did not seem to make life joyous for Howard Hughes. Elvis Presley’s fame and fortune often kept him from going out in public, and he died seemingly “before his time” as did Michael Jackson.

My parents were “products” of the Great Depression, and knew first-hand what poverty was like. My father had to leave school in the 8th great to go to work just so the family could survive. They never had much in worldly possessions when they were growing up; and after the Great War, life was still a struggle. We never had great wealth even after I was born, but I and my siblings never knew what it was like to be truly hungry or to do without any of what most people would consider to be the real necessities of life. All the way into my teenage years, I often marveled at the simple life my grandparents still lived in a house no larger in square footage than the game room in my current home.

But who is rich, and who is poor really? My grandparents and their siblings made up a large extended family that was always close through the years before and after the “baby boom.” And though they had little in the way of material wealth, they were incredibly happy because they had been given a precious gift – great love for the Lord, and for each other. and nearly 60 years later, the family reunions have remained large in numbers.

Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 6:8-10 come to mind:

…We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

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

/Bob’s boy

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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.

Genesis 19

Genesis 19 begins with “the two angels” coming to Sodom. Are these the two that were with the Lord when he visited Abraham in chapter 18? That seems likely. The Lord certainly would not go into the presence of such sin. Notice the depravity of the men who surround Lot’s home seeking to sexually assault the visitors. Even when stuck blind, they are still groping for the door. Lot offers his own daughters to them in an effort to appease them! This great fatherhood he is sowing will reap its reward.

Note how patient God is with Lot, granting his request to go to another city after being told to flee to the hills – and he is practically dragged out to safety before the destruction starts. The fact that nobody listened to Lot when he tried to convince them probably says as much about the kind of life he led as does the fact that he was living right in the middle of all the wickedness.

After all is done, Lot doesn’t even trust the Lord enough to remain in the city he fled to, but takes his daughters and lives in a cave. Then they turn his sin back on him when they realize their hope of bearing children is probably gone. They get him drunk, and end up bearing his children, who explain the origin of the Moabites and the Ammonites (vv 37-38).

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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 “Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com. For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.
/Robert