Exodus 34:1-35:9 + Matthew 27:15-31 + Psalm 33:12-22 + Proverbs 9:1-6
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Old Testament – Exodus chapter 34 verses 6 & 7 are beautiful and we will hear these words repeated again later in the Old Testament a few times: “”I am the LORD, I am the LORD, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness. I show this unfailing love to many thousands by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.” How do these words resonate with you? Do you believe God is merciful and gracious? Slow to anger? And rich in unfailing love and faithfulness? Have you asked God for forgiveness for your sins and rebellion?
Verses 33 through 35 in today’s readings tell us: “When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he removed the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the LORD had given him, and the people would see his face aglow. Afterward he would put the veil on again until he returned to speak with the LORD.”
And today’s guest commentary on these preceding verses is from none other than Paul! This is the Bible giving commentary on the Bible. Here is Paul in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians chapter 3 verses 7 – 18 (read this carefully… read this twice… this is good….) – “That old system of law etched in stone led to death, yet it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory when the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new covenant. So if the old covenant, which has been set aside, was full of glory, then the new covenant, which remains forever, has far greater glory. Since this new covenant gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory fading away. But the people’s minds were hardened, and even to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away. Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” Not a bad commentary, eh?
Below is an image for verses 29 & 30: “When Moses came down the mountain carrying the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face glowed because he had spoken to the LORD face to face. And when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.”
Bible.org’s commentary on Exodus chapter 34 titled “A New Beginning” is at this link.
New Testament – The Passion readings today are always tough… they bring home the reality of what Jesus did for each of us. Tomorrow’s readings are tougher. An image of Pilate asking the crowd in verse 22: “”But if I release Barabbas,” Pilate asked them, “what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
I read an interesting commentary on verse 24 today: “Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this man. The responsibility is yours!” Tyndale’s commentary said that even though Pilate verbally said the “responsibility is yours” and even though he washed his hands – his responsibility remained. He was essentially afraid about losing his job, because there was the threat to report him to Caesar (John 19:12). Pilate was the Roman governor from AD 26-36 for Judea and Samaria. One of his main duties was to simply “keep the peace” in this outlying area of the Roman Empire – and to do “whatever was necessary” to maintain the “peace”… Below is a painting by Mattia Preti from 1663 of Pilate trying to wash his hands of guilt… Pilate seems to be looking at the viewer in this painting with a “Who are you looking at?” expression… Who are we looking at here?
Psalms – Psalm 33 verse 12 today is awesome: “In him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in his holy name.” Does your heart literally rejoice when you think about God? Do you trust in God’s holy name?
Proverbs – Proverbs chapter 9 verses 5 & 6 are a reminder that not only does Temptation call us (as we’ve read earlier in Proverbs this year), but Wisdom calls out to us as well! “Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your foolish ways behind, and begin to live; learn how to be wise.” Which voice are you listening to these days? Whose invitation are you accepting? Temptation’s? Or Wisdom’s? Whose call will you answer?
Worship Video: Reflecting on what Jesus endured for us in today’s readings, I’m reminded of Phil Wickham’s song “How Great Is Your Love:”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUSOSrv0y3s
Do you know God’s love? Click here for His great love!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.” Psalm 33:12 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that your nation’s God is indeed the LORD.
Comments from you & Question of the Day – I love all of our Proverbs readings about wisdom these days. And obviously I think most of us would agree that we are finding wisdom in the Bible. My question for today is this – can we find wisdom outside of the Bible? For example, I read Jim Collins famous business book “Good to Great” a few years ago, and I believe I found some business wisdom in this book. I listened to Dennis Prager’s radio show and think that I gain some wisdom from his comments on occasion. I read the Wall Street Journal and think that gives me some wisdom periodically. I think the difference though between these 3 modern day sources and the Bible is that Good to Great, Dennis Prager, and the Wall Street journal are not 100% wisdom 100% of the time. Whereas the Bible I believe is 100% wisdom 100% of the time. How about you? Do you think you get wisdom in places outside of the Bible today? Where are those places? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless,
Mike
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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
======= Ramona:
Exodus 34-35:9
Donât know if this is of any spiritual significance but there are two things that immediately hit me as I read todayâs Old Testament passage,
1) Moses must bring his own stone tablet up on the mountain, were originally God not only wrote on the tablets, He also cut them out from the mountain.
THE LORD said to Moses, Cut two tables of stone like the first, and I will write upon these tables the words that were on the first tables, which YOU (emphasis mine) broke. (Exodus 34:1 AMP).
Before when God called Moses up to the mountain when he first received the Law, God did all the work.
And the Lord said to Moses, Come up to Me into the mountain and be there, and I will give you tables of stone, with the law and the commandments which I have written that you may teach them. [II Cor. 3:2, 3.] (Exodus 24:12 AMP)
When Iâve read about Moses throwing the Tablits down, I really never thought that there was anything âwrongâ with what he did, not Iâm reconsidering. Moses had a temper problem and in looking back, his temper and uncontrolled rage got him in trouble in the beginning. The consequence of Killing the Egyptian led him to relocation out of fear from Egypt to Median. Is there a lesson in this for us? Climbing up a mountain is hard work, but climbing up a mountain with two stone tablets adds an extra strain. Could it be that what God has given us, is not ours to destroy no matter the circumstances or provocation?
2) Moses is warned not to have anyone, not even Joshua nor the elders around the mountain the second time around (see Exodus 19:12). NO ONE! Before, a boundary was placed around the mountain (see Exodus 19:12), but now no, no thing no animal is even allowed near the mountain. God does not trust them. Either his glory would kill sinful people or because they are not people of their word, they would come to the mountain and die. What are the implications for us if any? When we violate a clear command from God, do we need time to not only confess our sins and then be cleansed from our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) before we can be trusted to come near the mountain again? Or is this just Old Covenant stuff?
Just some thoughts running through my head and the questions are all rhetorical.
Grace and peace
Ramona
======== Ramona:
Mike regarding your wisdom question: Where do we get it and where does it come from? I think as we continue to read the Bible we will find out that answear. Proverbs states clearly where it comes from and even tells us itâs birth, as well as the 111th Psalm,
The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever. [Job. 28:28; Prov. 1:7; Matt. 22:37, 38; Rev. 14:7.] (Psalms 111:10 AMP)
AND
The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline. [Ps. 111:10.] (Proverbs 1:7 AMP)
If you look at the books, tapes and seminars that purport to dispense wisdom, if you examine them closely you will see that they have just taken biblical principals and stripped them of the biblical and claimed them as their own. Several people have written about my supposed wisdom on this sight; however, I am always embarrassed and do not know how to respond because whatever wisdom I supposedly have comes from making a study of the Bible. I am only parroting back principals I have picked up from reading the Word. What I have done for years, is take heed to the introduction of the book of Proverbs,
THE PROVERBS (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youthâ The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]â[Prov. 9:9.] That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.
(Proverbs 1:1-6 AMP)
I go through the book of Proverbs every month and have been doing so for over 10 years, 31 chapters in Proverbs; 31 days in the majority of the months.
Ramona
======= Laura:
In regards to wisdom: The perception of wisdom is viewed as an expression of words. Choice words and sematics make a person appear wise. The ability to read decipher and descern that which is read and apply it to our life comes from God. Education, language and interpretation comes from man.
Ramona, Iâve always appreciated your contribution to this site. I believe that because you are a godly person, you donât want to take credit for the gift of wisdom that God has given you out of humility. You seem to be a very humble person as well as wise. Itâs all good if it glorifies God!
I always ask God to provide just the right verses when I make a post, that can give prudence to what I write. For me, Iâm more of an off the cuff kind of person that speaks out of personal experience and my own opinion. I look to Gods wisdom as my choice over the wisdom of man and wish to emulate Him. It is sometimes hard to stand back and suppress my own feelings so that Gods wisdom can come through.
Blessings and Peace
Laura
======= Roslyn:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bobâs commentary on the transfiguration. It answered many of the questions that Iâve been thinking about, wanting to ask but never really got the chance to ask.
Bob presents Paulâs arguments regarding the old and new covenants, âthe old being written in stone, but the new is written in menâs hearts.â The old covenant is one of condemnation and death, the new covenant, of righteousness and life.
By removing the veil of blindness, instead of hardening menâs hearts, God brings men to faith in Christ by transforming hearts and lives which is the internal testimony of the Holy
Spirit. It is the clarity and integrity of our message as we proclaim Godâs Word, driven by Godâs Spirit and resulting in transformed lives that makes our own âtransfigurationâ.
Roslyn
======= Micah Girl:
The Bible is the ultimate source for wisdom and itâs our guide for discerning if something is wise or not. It is not, of course, a geology textbook, an automotive repair manual, a guide to the stock market, or an index to 19th century French poetry. And there is wisdom to be found in all of these sources as well.
The more we are informed by Godâs Word, and His Holy Spirit, the more we can discern Godâs wisdom in all that is around us. Saint Augustine famously said, âAll truth is Godâs truth.â So the wonder of the internal combustion engine actually points back to him, because He created all the elements that someone figured out how to combine into an engine that could move a car. And a mechanic who can fix my engine is much wiser than me. And if that mechanic is a servant of God, and fixes my engine out of his love for Christ and his desire to serve others and to provide for his family, if he charges a fair price, and if he treats his co-workers with respect, then he is truly wise.
Micah Girl
======= Andrew:
Matthew 27:29 raised a question for me:
âThey put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. âHail, king of the Jews!â they said.â (NIV)
They went through the motions of worship. They knelt in front of Him and shouted words honouring Him. But by the circumstances and their attitude it was clear their intention was mockery.
However, I wonder if God perceives some of our rituals as mockery, when we just go through the motions. We dress up. We go to the place. We sing the songs. We kneel down. We say the words. But our attitude is not of worship. Our hearts are cold. Our minds are wandering elsewhere. We are peeking at our watches.
Re Mikeâs question about finding wisdom: well, in the first place it depends what âwisdomâ is. Some of the sources Mike mentions surely provide infromation and knowledge, but they may not provide wisdom.
I had the same question in mind when, just over a year ago, I started my weblog on the theme âFrom Knowledge to Wisdomâ. My working definition of wisdom was:
â knowing God,
â knowing the answer to âwho am I?â âwhy am I here?â, âwhat should I do next?â.
A couple of early posts provoked some interesting discussion with my daughters about wisdom, how to find it and my starting point.
Andrew
======= Anka:
As I read through exodus I wondered how come Moses had gone up Mount Sinai to meet with God(40days,40nights)yet no mention of his radiant face was made.Why did his face get radiant this time?
Pilate washed his hands off the innocent JesusâŚyet he sent him to be flogged before handing him over.Thanks John for shedding some light on Jeffâs question about God forsaking Jesus.
God bless you all
Anka
======= John:
Anka,
I believe the flogging was just part of the Standard procedure of Roman executions. Once the decision was made by Pilate the flogging was going to occur.
âFlogging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution, and only women and Roman senators or soldiers (except in cases of desertion) were exempt.â
John
======= Pat:
THE DIFFERENCE IN THE STONES ON WHICH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE WRITTEN: The words of the Ten Commandments are the same, but notice the difference in the first and second set of stones. When the first set was written, Moses had Joshua with him on the mountain to carry the stones. This time Moses was told to come alone. When the first set was written, God Himself carved the words on the stone (Exodus 32:13-16). When Moses came down from the mountain, in anger he took those âSacred Stonesâ on which God had written and threw them and broke them (Exodus 32:19). Now we see God again giving Moses the Ten Commandments but this time God makes Moses carry the load and chisel the words into the stones himself (Exodus 34:27-28). I think there may be a lesson here for all of us. God is the same never-changing loving and faithful God. However, when we do something (especially in anger) to harm what God has given us, we will have to do the work to repair the damage we have caused. God is still with us but He will require us to make a conscientious effort to renew our relationship with Him!
God Bless,
Pat
======= Elizabeth:
Hello Everyone,
PatâI never noticed that Moses wrote the second set of stones. Interesting to think about. I was also impressed (and have been in the past too) by Mosesâ fiery temper. Did you notice that he ground that golden calf up and had them drink the dust? There are little bits about Moses throughout Exodus that get me thinking.
Of course, Moses had good reason to be angry with the Israelites and I empathize with his personality and struggles on many levels. Still, as you mention, our actions have consequences (which of course gets me thinking later about him striking that rock and not getting to enter the promised land).
Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughtsâthey are good to chew on.
Yesterday I spent much of the day dwelling upon the impatience of the Israelitesâtheir unwillingness to wait things out. Waiting is difficult. God uses this âinactivityâ in profound waysâwe are prone to think movement of any sort is better than stillness. But, humility and self-control grows out of seasons where we waitâŚ.
Today, I like this verse from Exodus:
âAnd he [God] said, âBehold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.â -Exodus 34:10
I love that last phraseâŚâfor it is an AWESOME thing that I will do with you.â What an understatement, huh? It is humbling and glorious for me to think that the Lord chooses to take ordinary sinful people and do awesome things with us. Praise Him! : )
Elizabeth
======== Arielle:
Hey Pat and Elizabeth,
I was reading your observations of the passage. The scriptures say Moses carved out the two stones in the shape of the first one. But GOD wrote the commandments again, correct?
Look below (first line of second para;):
â1 Then the Lord told Moses, âChisel out two stone tablets like the first ones.
I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed.â
Arielle
======= Paul:
Arielle,
Even though at the beginning of chapter 34, God said to Moses that He is going to write the 10 commandments,In verses 27-28,we can see that it was Moses who wrote the 10 commandments.
I would love to hear few comments on this,
Paul
======= Elizabeth:
Hello Again,
I was looking at this passage with regard to Moses writing the ten commandments:
âAnd the LORD said to Moses, âWrite these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.â
So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. -Exodus 34:27-28
Am I thinking right about this? Do let me know your thoughtsâitâs good to think through it with others : )
Elizabeth
======= Arielle:
Hey all
I think Iâm still researching it more, Iâm still confused. Look at he below two versions for Ex34:27-28:
In KJV (Ex34:27-28)says:
27And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
28And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
and in NLV it says:
27 Then the Lord said to Moses, âWrite down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.â
28 Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water.
And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenantâthe Ten Commandmentsâon the stone tablets.
Arielle
======= Cherie:
Dear Pat,
I LOVED what you remarked about the difference between the 1st set of tablets and the second! WOW!
ââŚHowever, when we do something (especially in anger) to harm what God has given us, we will have to do the work to repair the damage we have caused. God is still with us but He will require us to make a conscientious effort to renew our relationship with Him!â
That speaks to my heart! Iâve been blessed by what you shared! Thank you!
QUESTION! QUESTION!
Can anyone help me? Iâm confused about who wrote the words on the second set of tablets.
Ex. 34:1 says, ââŚCut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.â
Ex 34:27 seems to say that Moses will write. âThen the Lord said to Moses, âWrite these words, for according to the tenor of these words, I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.â
BUT⌠Ex 34:28 says, ââŚAnd He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.â
So God used His finger the first time. But who wrote the second set????
The commentary seems to say it was Moses. But it doesnât make sense to me.
THANK YOU, thank you, thank you!
God Bless you,
Cherie
======= Becky:
RE: QUESTION
Dear Cherie,
Yes, it is rather confusing. I looked at http://www.blueletterbible.org which has a facility to let you look at any verse in 13 different versions at once. Only the NKJV has âHeâ capitalized; the other versions make it seem that âheâ refers to Moses. However, if you go to Deuteronomy 10 and start from verse one, it is very clear there that God wrote the commandments the second time around, too. Deu 10:4 says âThe Lord wrote on these tablets what he had written beforeâŚâ NIV
Blessings to you,
Becky
======= Veronica:
Two types of wisdom are being shown âa worldly wisdom and a godly wisdom. Temperal versus eternal.
Veronica
======= Johnnie:
Veronica, I like what you said on temporal versus eternal. I think that says it all.
I like Exodus 34:10. God said, âAnd all the people around you will see the power of the Lord â the awesome power I will display through you.â Jesus said the same thing when he said, ââI tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.â John 14:12 (NLT)
God wants to use us by displaying His power through us. He says this can only be done if we follow and obey his commands. âJesus replied, âYou must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.â This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: âLove your neighbor as yourself.â The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.â Matthew 22:37-40
Thatâs what I am taking to heart from todayâs reading.
Johnnie
======= Mae:
Verses that stood out for me today âŚ
Exodus 34:6-7 âI am the LORD, I am the LORD, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness. I show this unfailing love to many thousands by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.â
Exodus 34:29 âThe firstborn of every animal belongs to me, including the firstborn males from your herds of cattle and your flocks of sheep and goatsâ.
Matthew 27:24 â⌠So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, âI am innocent of this manâs blood. The responsibility is yours!â
Matthew 27:29 â⌠Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, âHail! King of the Jews!â
Psalm 33:18 âBut the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing loveâ.
Proverbs 9:6 âLeave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.â
Does your heart literally rejoice when you think about God? Do you trust in Godâs holy name? ~ Oh yesssssssss Amen!!!!! My heart literally rejoice when I think about God! My heart warms up and beats a bit faster when I think about God and all the things He does for me! He heard my prayers, He proved to me that He can look into my heart! I didnât need prove for that, but He showed me. I trust Him completely! Weâre a saved family now âŚ; Rene, I and Jaden ⌠Iâm not afraid anymore ⌠NEVER EVER again!!! I didnât have a bad marriage or anything like that, but now ⌠ohhhhhhhhhh it feels so much higher!!!! I feel that God has a plan with us. Hmmm ⌠does my dream come true? Will I be a Pastorâs Wife? LOL Yes, I know, I dream BIG!!! I had this dream a while ago hee hee hee But yes, I trust in Godâs holy name ⌠my husband believed in the evolution, and that was only 6 months ago, see now today, heâs a Christian! Praise our heavenly Father! âLove never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstanceâ 1 Corinthians 13:7
Thank you all for your sweet comments & messages, youâre the best!!! Your enthousiasm is such an encouragement for both Rene and I. I showed him all the comments and messages and his reaction was âWow, it surely is one big family!â. Well yeah ⌠it is!!! Amen! As for Rene joining this readings, I donât know. His English is not as good (???) as mine. He can understand English and he can talk English. But reading and writing will be hard. But hey, you never know, eh? See where God brought him so far??!!! Rene will join our âNew Believers Bible Classâ in March, see, Rene has to start from 0. He knows about Adam & Eve, Mozes, Noach ⌠but thatâs about it. So he has to start from the beginning. Maybe the readings from here are a step to high for him ⌠just for now. But I surely hope we can do our readings together!!!
Mae
======= Jenny:
I loved the commentary from II Corinthians. Beautifully said!
Pilate âwashed his handsâ but only in his mind. I believe he knew the truth, but he cared more for his popularity and appeasing the people. The children of darkness hate the light, so much so they rather see a murderer go free then Jesus. We still see this todayâŚwe can have no mention of God or Jesus, but sin and complete evil are âacceptableâ in peopleâs eyes. Thereâs a local radio station I listen to because they play great Christian music (called the Fish)âŚbut the djs dont talk about Jesus or scripture. its a worldy Christian stationâŚit bothers me, but i like the music they play. i know Christians who refuse to listen to it. The djs have segments like, âintelligence for your lifeâ where he gives advice on being successful, fitness tips, etc. I mean, why is Godâs word never mentioned? I would be surprised if they mentioned Jesusâ name. How on earth can you have a victorious Christian life without the word of God? We cant even talk about Him on âChristianâ stations? Well, i turn the dial wen the djs come on and go to sound Christian stations.
I really liked a station i heard up near Monterrey Bay that i dont get here, called Air1. not only great music, but scriptures between songs, the djs glorifying Godâs name. I really loved it. how did i get off on this tangent? haha
Psalms is so comforting. some verses that stood out: v 13-15
v 18 âBut the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing loveâ
v 20-22 âWe wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in youâ
Yes, my heart so rejoices in His nameâŚespecially when Iâm in the midst of evilâŚwell, my job, it can be very difficult and Iâm pretty much the only Christian there (i have many coworkers) and the warfare is intense, almost unbearable at times. I mean, realllly hard to be there at times around my coworkers. though i love them all, collectively its like a war zone and iâm on one side and they are on the other spiritually speaking. I can actually feel the spiritual warfareâŚit just attacks me emotionally so bad at times. Sometimes in the midst of a bust work day, i really just go into a crazy busy work mode and I get tunnel vision. Then in the midst of all this, the secular station playing will play a Mercy me song, like Here With Me, I Can Only Imagine, etc. I seriously stop and feel the Lord reminding me, Iâm HERE with You!!! I just want to jump up and down and praise Him. There is soooo much joy in hearing His name glorified and praised in the midst of the chaosâŚit puts things into perspective. I just thank HIM and sing along as loud as i want, i dont care if clients hear, haha. I love it! HIs name is a LIGHT in the midst of darkness. In the midst of chaos He is ORDER and STability, a sure and steady foundation!!! I LOVE His name. He is the only truth in this world, the only surety. My job isnt always that bad, spiritually, but I sure gotta armor myself before i go in there. its a real struggle at times. But going through the storms makes you cherish the Sonshine all the more! His name is a mighty mighty fortress!!!
I believe there is a difference between intelligence (worldly knowledge..not necessarily all bad) and wisdom, Godly knowledge. Wisdom can only be found in the Word of God and the Lord working in your life. I think pastors and authors, fellow Christians can impart their wisdom to us, but where did they get that wisdom? From the word of God! We also should be careful wat we read, wat we listen toâŚis it really from God? or false prophets, wolves. we need discernment! we need to compare all things to the word of the Lord before we trust in it. in fact, if in doubt, i dont trust it! Some of these wolves appear sooo obvious, but i guess to others they arent. i was talking about this with my dadâŚhow ridiculous some of these ppl are! How do ppl fall for it??? But i guess its the gift of discernment that allows some of us to see through the charade⌠So yes, the bible is 100% wisdom 100% of the time.
Jenny
======= Frederick:
1) A quick, yet unwise answer
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. âI am innocent of this manâs blood,â he said. âIt is your responsibility!â
25All the people answered, âLet his blood be on us and on our children!â (Matthew 27: 24-25, NIV)
The response of the elders and priests made me thinking of Esau in Genesis. Esau answered quickly and gave up his birth right to Jacob. While in the NT time, the elders and priests answered back that they and their offsprings bore the responsibilities of killing Jesus. Both were sad stories to learn.
2) Psalm 33:15 (NIV)
15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
God looks at our hearts rather than our superficial deeds. It is because he forms our heart and so He is able to search our hearts.
Frederick
======= Karen:
How would you define knowledge? Is there a difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge? Is wisdom and knowledge the same thing or is the wisdom what we do with the knowledge? Sorry, Iâm trying to define this and Iâm seeking your help and input. Thanks! God Bless. With love in Christ.
Karen
======= John:
Karen,
[Warning: I am not a linguist, this is just how I view Karenâs questions.]
Some defintions I agree with:
Discernment â âThe act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment.â
Knowledge â â(1) : the fact or condition of understanding something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2) : acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique.â
Wisdom â âthe ability or result of an ability to think and act utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.â
Wisdom is the apolication of correct knowledge and discernment in your life.
The connotation is that wisdom leads to the best action based on correct knowledge and discernment. You do the correct thing, because you know it is the right thing to do.
In a biblical sense regarding âheart knowledge and head knowledgeâ
Hope this helps.
======================================================
As an aside both the Hebrew and Greek words for âbeliefâ or âbelieveâ incorporate three principles:
1) acknowledgement â You know it is true.
2) belief â You believe it to be true.
3) Trust â you trust that it is true (Faith), and act on that trust (faith).
Put another way:
You can know a parachute works.
You can believe the parachute will open when you pull the cord.
You trust in the parachute when you jump out of the plane. (You acted on your knowledge, belief and trust).
All three need to be present for saving faith. For the month before I was saved, I had the first two parts, but until I trusted in God and Jesus, I could not bring myself to truning my life over to God and Christ.
John
====== Angie:
I so appreciate Mikeâs commentary in the piece where he says he gleans wisdom from lots of sources.. I do tooâthe ones he mentioned and many more. My brother and I recently had this same discussion, about whether wisdom can be found anywhere other than through God, and I think it cannot. Yes, there is wisdom to be had from many places, but the only reason we can even recognize it as such is because we first have the wisdom which comes from fear of the Lord.
In fact, Ramona, I love your idea of reading through the Proverbs every month⌠There is a great one (you probably know where!) that says âThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.â I have always been heartened by the fact that that is only the BEGINNING of wisdom.
So, I think there is no wisdom to be found for people who are not yet believers.
OH DEAR. I just read your complete commentâŚand you said it all, much better than I could have (and thank you for the citation of 1:7), But I still wanted to leave my comment, to be part of the discussion!
I do appreciate your comments, Ramona.
Angie
======= Jennifer:
Ramona, I got the same question for what was the import of God creating the tablets and then Moses having to create the tablets. I am not sure the reason, I like your idea Ramona, but I donât see the metaphor to be focused on Mosesâ rebellion, but on Isrealâs rebellion. What God had wrote had been destroyed by the sin that occured while Moses was on the mountain. It could not be accepted, and so those precious God inscribed words had to be destroyed. it reminded me of the Garden of Eden. Man had to be thrown out, and now man had to work to produce their own food etc. ??? I donât know. But appreciate others comments.
Proverbs is food for life, I love the whole bible, but in Proverbs always brings me back to how to handle different situations and help me see myself as a reflection instead of my own artistic interpretations.
Jennifer
======= Steve:
Psalm 33:18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.
The Lords eyes are on those who fear Him and put their hope in his unfailing love. To fear God is to hate evil and trust in his endless supply of Love. Itâs easy to forget this when something pops up threatening our secure little world, perhaps the relationship is at a rocky spot, or the security of your job is suddenly threatened. At times like these itâs a lot more difficult to trust His unfailing love but God knows this and sometimes allows difficulties in order to move us out of a rut were stuck in. The Lordâs eyes are on us, this is comforting knowing He is present with us during difficult times and seizes the opportunity to improve us. As we let go and trust in Him, it is through His unfailing love that we are changed into instruments of righteousness, clothed in His peace.
Steve
======= Art:
Ramona, when we put to use principles that we have learned from studying Scripture, as you doâŚthis to me is a sign of great wisdom. Seldom does a great teacher or a person displaying great wisdom invent their words or actions. They borrow them,gleen from other sources the truths that they contain. It just so happens that your source is the greatest source of information and power, the Holy Scriptures.
Thank you for you studies, sharing the Word, and for sharing with us the wisdom that you have acquired by being so devoted. We all have benefited greatly from it, for sure.
Art
======= Doug:
I have also been doing the Proverbs every month and I do a different version each month. It is a certain source for wisdom. I also listen to WLUJ or local Moody network station and enjoy the Wisdom from the many broadcasts.
Doug
======= Bob:
Once when I was praying for a youth group at church I asked that God have mercy on us. Later one of the more astute guys asked why do we need mercy from God? Put on the spot like that, made me aware that sometimes we are born and grow into this Christian life without thinking much about questions like this. They are kind of like a âgimmeâ. A friend of mine called this the âInoculated Christianâ.
Why do we deserve this mercy described in Ex 34:6-7? I think it is a beautiful description of Godâs identity and nature. One cannot have an honest relationship without knowing that about another person(s). Only in this way can we begin to understand the mercy extended to us from a father, a friend, our God.
Bob
======= Joyce:
Mike,
The passage on Exodus, and Paulâs 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 helps me to reflect:
Are we as believers dwelling with the Lord daily?
Are we allowing the Spirit of the Lord to work within us daily, so that we become more and more like Him, and reflect His glory even more?
This is a day and age that âthe peopleâs minds were hardenedâ.
Only if we believers are truly reflecting the Lordâs glory,
are we able to draw people to Him.
Thank you and thank God for this blog, and thank you to all who comment!
Sincerely,
Joyce
======= Patty:
A few months back my wonderful minister said during his sermon âHe is God because He IS God.â That simple statement left all of us in awe and explained who God is. Since then both the minister and the congregation have repeated it many times. Yes He is God. Why is He God? Heâs God just because He IS God. Thatâs all we need to know. There is but one God! Heâs the beginning and the end and everything in between. He was with us before the beginning and He will be with us at the end. He is a living, caring, loving God and He is with us each and every day. Praise the Lord, the one and only God!
Patty
======= Rita:
The difference between the wisdom we get from books or even movies and the wisdom we get from the Bible is similar to the difference between good and great. Nothing compares to the wisdom we receive when we make reading our Holy Bible a daily habit. I tried to get it before from different sources but I was running on a treadmill, not going anywhere, just wasting time and energy; with the wisdom I received from the Holy Spirit through reading the bible everyday and praying, I get places without even having to run. Your blog has helped me to understand a lot of things too so thank you and God bless you.
Rita
======= James:
I really liked Paulâs letter to the Corinthians elaborating on the glory revealed in the Old Testament regarding Moses and the covenant of the New Testament with Jesus becoming the final part of Godâs plan for salvation. Comparing the glory. It all sewn together by God so perfectly.
I wonder why seeing Godâs face would kill us? I believe it is true but I donât understand it and maybe it is not for us to understand. But if somebody has an explanation please share.
Thank you,
James
======== Carol:
I am praising God this morning that He has lifted up the veil! I have found âThe Perfectâ and I no longer have to search and wonder. The Holy Spirit illuminates everything so clearly but still not as clearly as what is to come!
This verse came to me when I was reading the Proverbs today.
Isaiah 5:20 âWoe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!â
I canât remember another time in my life that this is so widespread. Weâve always had sin but something has significantly changed in how the world perceives it. Godly Wisdom is now call foolishness, or downright evilâŚwhile the ways of the world are called wise and righteous!!
I think âworldly wisdomâ needs to always be checked by the Bible!
Thank you,
Carol
======= Robert:
The Tablets
Exodus 34:1
Ramona: I really like you take on Moses having to chisel out his own tablets the second time and hike them up the mountain. Its just little nuances like that that makes reading the bible so interesting. With his temper at play Moses did the wrong thing and now âweâ pay the consequences. However, the passages that follow 34:6-7 give us a wonderful insight to Godâs identity that is frequently referenced. As always, God takes our mistakes and uses them for his good purposes.
Proverbs
My NIV Student Bible has this to say in the introduction to Proverbs. âThose who learn the practical and godly wisdom of Proverbs not only sleep better, they succeed and become able to help their family and friends. Fools and scoffers, though they appear successful, will eventually pay the cost of their lifestyleâ.
Did you hear that! SLEEP BETTER.
Robert
======= Mitch:
Exodus 34:6-7 God is gracious, patient, faithful loving, forgiving etc. yet many want to overlook that He will punish the guilty. We pick what we like about God/Jesus and jettison the rest. That is an idol.
It is not about being good or being a good person (by human standards), when you stand before the judge it is: who is going to pay for your sins? You or Jesus? When asked why I am so sure I will be in heaven â my response is â âI cut a deal with the judge!â Bent my atheist knee at 48 and accepted and submitted my life to Jesus Christ.
NT: Been thinking about the common pastoral response to âWho Killed Jesus?â. In sermons it is âI didâ. â which is true; humanity (all) is responsible for Jesus coming down and going to the cross. But no one killed Jesus â John 10 17-18 He willingly laid down his life for US. That is the God we serve. When we were and are sinners before Him He still laid down His life for US (ME)
Mitch
======= Dee:
Proverbs 9:1-6 live, learn , use good judgment. Reminds me of the actions of a mama tending to the household and being a leader designating others to do tasks and receiving all that designees invited..however we must use good timing, live to fullest, learn from our experiences with God and use good judgment.
Psalm 33:13-22
Makes me think of my future nurse: my daughter, verse 15 He made our hearts â yes He does. He knows all words and very knowledgeable. I want my daughter and am believing my daughter will do well in all things.
Matthew 27:15-31
I always wondered how different would it have been if Pontius pilate hadnât given in to the crowd. So sad! Even his wife said it was bad to mess with him. I know Godâs timing was at that moment but just wonder if it would have been someone else or handled differently.
Ex 34:1-35:9
The remaking of the tablets. I wonder if we do the same as Moses if put in his position. I know I can be a hothead sometimes and for good reason at times itâs valid. People just donât listen! Prayers if u have same problems with that
Dee
