Proverbs 6

There are so many good things to find in Proverbs it is a wonder. For today, I want to look at what it says about finances. The first piece of advice is to not be a cosigner for anyone. The advice is to do nearly whatever you must to get yourself out of the deal. It likens one who is in this position to a gazelle running from a hunter. It reminds the person to work hard like the ant, without having to be spurred on to do its work. It warns those who are lazy about this that poverty will overtake them like a thief. Some would separate the warning about consigning and being lazy they go together well. 

Photo by joel herzog on Unsplash

Exodus 13

The firstborn son is considered special in ancient society and even in places around the world today. Yet, God commanded Israel that the firstborn was to be consecrated to God. This served as a reminder that God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt. I believe God's plan was also to teach them that no one was to depend on themselves. God commanded days, years, animals, and here their firstborn to be considered God's. The one they needed to depend on was God; not themselves, their time, their property, or their children. The problem was they often didn't learn the lesson. 

Exodus 12

 

God opened the door for all to partake of the Passover in Israel. You didn't have to be born of the Children of Israel. You could be a foreigner just visiting. However, there was a catch, you had to be circumcised. In other words, you had to agree to the covenant God made to Abraham and in a few chapters agree to follow the Mosaic Law. 

Why would God do this? Part of the reason is because you shouldn't celebrate the God you refuse to serve. Another reason was to show this commitment to the God of Israel you had to be willing to suffer (and adults did) circumcision. Before we think this is another example of the God of the Old Testament being cruel, remember that Paul warned those in Corinth that some of those who took the Lord's Supper unworthily were sick and some died. I Corinthians 11: 27-30, "Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." It isn't that the God of the Old Testament is mean. It's the fact that the God of the Bible believes that one shouldn't show commitment to God if they aren't really committed. 

REJOICE!?

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

As I look around at the world today, I have to admit that I don't obey this command as I should. I am offended, angered, and fight an urge to lash out. Yet, I know it won't do any good so often I don't. However, I'm not where I should be. I should be rejoicing.  When people around me mock Christianity I should rejoice. When we are lied about we should consider it an honor. Those in authority lied and falsy accused Jesus and later His apostles so why should I think I deserve respect? 

Will I celebrate the actions or support them? No, and neither did Jesus but He also wasn't offended either. He told his disciples to just move on when rejected at a place. Jesus didn't call down fire but wept over the coming destruction of those who would kill him. Jesus loved his enemies, and so should I.

Someone may point out that Elisha cursed the young people when they mocked him. Yes, but even then Elisha didn't cause the bears to come out that was God's doing. Here Elisha was saying because of their actions evil would come upon them. If they had stopped and repented then, as I see scripture, no bears would have come out, but like most of Israel when they heard the warning of curses coming for their sins they ignored it until it was too late. This brings me back to what Jesus did, left it in the Father's hands. He could have called 12 legions of angels and didn't. I think it's good that God hasn't given me that power, because I might have and regretted it later. 

So what do we need to do? Follow Jesus. Don't be offended, rejoice, love, and pray. 

Thankfully it's not something I have to want or enjoy, but it's what I need to do.

Isaiah 30

Verses 6-18 God speaks to Egypt. This is an interesting could be considered a strange development as Egypt was the place that Israel had to be delivered from. Yet, God is saying that they aren't wanting to listen. He says that they will face judgment, and then God says He will show them compassion. What a God we serve. Could it be that God wanted Egypt to come to God even while he was delivering His people? I think He did. God isn't interested in condemning people though He will, but in saving them (2 Peter 3:9, Ezekiel 33:11, 1 Timothy 2:4). 

Job 25

This is the final argument that Job's friends make against him. Bildah now moves from general charges about Job's personal sin to a general argument against all mankind. Bibldah says that no one is born perfect or sinless. This must in his mind still Justify his charge that everything that has happened to Job is Job's fault. It reminds me of those who rather than condemning others are trying to justify themselves and say, no one is perfect so don't judge me. That argument is just as weak as this one. 

Yes, Bildah is correct no one is born perfect before God. We all are born with sin, but Job as we have read in the first chapters has offered sacrifice for those sins and God said he was blameless. Of course, Bildah wasn't privy to the conversation between God and the Devil but we know and can accept it. We aren't told but perhaps Bildah is reading his own life and sinfulness into the life of Job. Whatever his reasons Job's comforters once again don't convenience Job he deserves what has happened to him as we will see. 

Acts 5

I find it humorous that when the Sadducees publicly jailed the apostles, God freed them and then had them preach in the Temple, the center of their power. It was enough to make them murderous. However, they had killed Jesus and it seemed that decision didn't stop His message, so it makes sense to me why they listened to Gamaliel’s advice. Advice that sometimes Christians need to listen to. Yes, there is a time to confront false teachings, we see Paul and the apostles doing that in the Epistles but there seems to be this human reaction to "shoot first and ask questions later." So let's learn from this sometimes the right thing to do is to wait. If it isn't from God it will eventually fail.