July 31st readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
2 Chronicles 29:1-36 ~ Romans 14:1-23
Psalm 24:1-10 ~ Proverbs 20:12

Brief post today.  Busy weekend!  Back to a full post tomorrow.

New Testament - Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Love and Liberty: Liberties Love Won't Take" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 24 is a beautiful Psalm!  Check out this brief snippet of commentary from bible.org - "The Israelites have returned from a battle with the Canaanites. They are proceeding up to the sanctuary on the holy mount to give praise to Yahweh for the great and mighty victory in battle, carrying with them the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of Yahweh’s presence with them. As they approach the gate, they are met by the Levites who function as gatekeepers. It is their part to ask who may enter the sanctuary of the Lord; and it is the priests’ part to answer with the stipulations from the Law. Whoever meets these qualifications may enter and fellowship with Yahweh....The psalm then concludes with the worshipers calling to the gates to make way for Yahweh to come in to His sanctuary, for why should the King of Glory stoop to go under a doorway? "  This quote is from and there is much more commentary on Psalm 24 at bible.org at this link.

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings?  Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[Ramona]

II Chronicles 29:1-36
This is a joyous occasion, Temple worship is being restored, purification of the sanctuary and the utensils used in worship, yet I feel so sad because of the futility of their actions. My sadness comes from knowing that Judah will go into exile, the temple will be burnt and torn down because Judah, like her sister Israel has a wicked heart and will be carried off. However, God always provides for Himself a remnant.

To me it is sad that Hezekiah had to command the burnt offerings to be resumed (27), he had to order the Levites to sing praises to the Lord (33). It is sad that the Levites who were commanded to worship also were in a better spiritual place then the priests (34)

All of these things can be and are committed by believers today and that includes me. How sad that we wonder off and when brought back into the fellowship of the Saints, we have to be commanded to worship God. The Old Testament was written so that the believers today would not fall into the same traps, sin and the same thinking that the saints of old fell into (1 Cor. 10:6;11)

Let us not grow wary in our well doing (Gal. 6:9) so that we wonder off down the wrong rode.

II Chronicles 29 34 But there were too few priests to prepare all the burnt offerings, so their relatives the Levites helped them until the work was finished and until more priests had been purified. For the Levites had been more conscientious about purifying themselves than the priests.

Sad, so sad.

Romans 14:1-23
I have always called this chapter, well not always, the “Mind Your Own Business” chapter. Unless it is “sin”, someone’s setting of the table a particular way, eating of food, dancing before the Lord, wearing make-up or no make-up is their own business. We in the body of Christ seem to haggle over things that do not matter as far as our salvation goes. Yes, sin is not to be practiced, but when we make our personal convictions the law, we become like the Pharisees, we put our “laws” above God’s.

Your personal convictions [on such matters]--exercise [them] as in God's presence, keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do].
(Rom 14:22 AMP)

Psalm 24:1-10

7
Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
8
Who is the King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, invincible in battle.
9
Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
10
Who is the King of glory?
The LORD Almighty--
he is the King of glory.

I love the above refrain it gives me Goosebumps. It brings me back to my childhood when I became excited when a parade was coming down the main street. The marching bands the drum major and the twirlers. It is a sense of something big is coming, a sense of anticipation and great expectations. I think that sense, that child’s sense of opportunity and hope should be our state of mind every time we opened up the Bible to read, something good this way comes.

Proverbs 20:12

The hearing ear and the seeing eye--the Lord has made both of them.
(Pro 20:12 AMP)

Hmmm, if God has made both the ear and eye, then we are without excuse when we say about His Words, I didn’t see or hear that, or know that. We have been given the facilities to use in asking, seeking and knocking to discover God and the His will for our lives.

Grace and peace,
Ramona