March 2nd One Year Bible Readings

~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
Leviticus 25:47-27:13 ~ Mark 10:32-52 ~ Psalm 45:1-17 ~ Proverbs 10:22
~ Click here to listen to today's Scripture on BibleOnRadio.com ~

Old Testament - Today in Leviticus chapter 25 we finish up reading about the Year of Jubilee.  I don't know what it is about the Year of Jubilee, but for some reason I really like the concept of it!  I actually read a commentary that said there is no evidence that the Year of Jubilee was actually ever carried out, which made me a bit sad.  However, that same commentary suggested that the Year of Jubilee was ultimately fulfilled through the life of Jesus, as Jesus himself quotes this very Year-of-Jubilee-ic :) sounding verse from Isaiah in Luke chapter 4 verses 18-21: "“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” Then Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”"  Whaddya think?  Think the concept of the Year of Jubilee was indeed fulfilled in the life of Jesus?  I do.  And we don't need to count down 50 years from now until the next Year of Jubilee.  The Year of Jubilee is available to each of one of us today!  I came across this beautiful piece of artwork below called "Year of Jubilee" - see anything in this artwork that might be pointing toward Jesus?

Leviticus chapter 26 is a great look at the blessings of obedience and punishments for disobedience.  As I read through the punishments for disobedience my mind instantly went to where, later in the Bible, Israel would indeed walk down the path of disobedience - and ultimately be punished with the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile into Babylon.  For those going through the One Year Bible for more than the first time, I am sure you probably recognized this as well.  What is interesting to keep in mind that these words of God were written by Moses nearly 1,000 years before the Babylonian exile.  This reminded me again of how powerful God's Word truly is - and how true it really is.  And it reminded me that even in our modern times, the Bible is still truth, and the teachings of Jesus are still relevant now 2,000 years later...  Truth is truth.  We may be inconsistent, but God is not.  Are you walking in the path of obedience in your relationship with God?  Are you walking in Truth?

Verses 44 & 45 in this chapter stood out to me as a reminder that even though God punishes disobedience, he leaves room for repentance and he allows for a remnant to carry on the covenant: ""But despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out. I, the LORD, am their God. I will remember my ancient covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of Egypt while all the nations watched. I, the LORD, am their God."  And verses 12 & 13 in this chapter are awesome: "I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt so you would no longer be slaves. I have lifted the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk free with your heads held high."  Do you believe that God walks among us today?  Is God your God?  And are you His?  Has the yoke of slavery from sin been lifted from your neck?  Are you walking free today with your head held high?

New Testament -  In Mark chapter 10 verse 33 today we read Jesus' third and last prediction of his death to the disciples in Mark's Gospel.  You'll note the two previous predictions are at Mark 8:31 & 9:31.  Crucifixion is not explicitly stated by Jesus in this verse, but it is implied in that he states he will be handed over to the Romans.  The Romans in this era killed non-Romans via crucifixion.

Verse 45 I think is such an important verse in the Bible for us to really meditate upon and understand, as this verse summarizes Jesus' ministry and purpose so succinctly and powerfully: "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."  Jesus was not your typical "King - who lords it over the people beneath him".  He did not come to be served.  But to serve.  And he gave his life as a ransom for our sins.  Via crucifixion.  For some reason in this Lenten / pre-Easter season I am thinking more and more about Jesus' Passion and what he did for each of us on the cross.  It's really really humbling to think about.  But so good I think for each of us to reflect upon the ransom that was paid for us by Jesus.  The Suffering Servant.  The King.  The Savior of the World.

In today's readings we read about Jesus healing Bartimaeus, who was blind.  You'll notice that Bartimaeus seems to have a very "expectant" faith!  He expects that Jesus will heal him.  But, it's not expectation alone that demonstrates his faith in Jesus - Bartimaeus verbalizes that Jesus is the Messiah, when he calls him "Son of David!" in verse 48.  It was known that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David, and Bartimaeus clearly believed.  Is there anything today you can learn from Bartimaeus and his expectant faith? 

Psalms - Psalm 45 is very likely a song of praise to King David on his wedding day.  Interestingly, after the Babylonian exile, this Psalm was applied to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the promised Son of David.  I can see how some verses in this Psalm could apply to both the current king of the day and the true king yet to come.  Verse 7 is a good example: "You love what is right and hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else."  Below is Mary's (Martha's sister) anointing of Jesus from the Gospel of John chapter 12 verses 1-8.   

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 10 verse 22 is short but powerful!  "The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it."  I love that thought - we should have no sorrow with the blessings God gives!  God does not add the sorrow.  We might...  but, with God's blessings should come joy and thanksgiving and praise!  What are 3 things in your life today that God has blessed you with?  Will you take a moment to be joyful in these blessings, and thank and praise God for them?

Worship God: Today's readings in Mark reminded me of the fantastic song "Wonderful Cross." Here's that song sung by Michael W. Smith set to some great images:

Do you think the Cross is wonderful?  Click here for Wonder!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15:4 NIV

Comments from You:  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

Comments

[John A.]

Psalm 45 - Part I

We know there are messianic psalms. the most talked about are the psalms depicting Jesus' ministry, His death, and His resurrection. I never saw this Psalm before and it is about a future event in Christ. It is the marriage between Jesus and the body of believers (the Church).

Luke 24:44
"He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." NIV
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Verses 1-5
Describe the beauty, grace, power and might of Jesus.
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6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.

One can argue up to now that this is about David or Solomon, but the shift at these verses indicate the Psalm is about Deity - the Christ.

"And here it is, "Your throne, O God..." The King is addressed as God. Yet the very next sentence says, "Therefore God, your God, has anointed you..." Here is One who is both God -- and yet has a God -- God and man! So the secret of Jesus' incarnation is recorded for us here one thousand years before he appeared on earth.

And yet as he lived among us, though his deity was there, hidden away, he never acted from it, he never spoke from it. Instead, he relied, as we must rely, upon the imparted life of the Father dwelling within him. Because of this mystery, as we are told here, he was the Anointed One. He fulfilled all the offices for which an anointing was required in the Old Testament: the Prophet, the Priest, and the King.

Death could not hold him, because he was anointed of God: "Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows..." That is a beautiful phrase to describe the Holy Spirit: "the oil of gladness". It was by the Spirit that he did all these things. And it is the Spirit that creates gladness in the human heart. This is the heritage of all who come to know the Son of God. They share with him in this anointing with the oil of gladness." - Ray Stedman
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The Marriage Service

8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.

9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

"myrrh and aloes and cassia" - interesting choice of spices - these are "BURIAL SPICES". Thsi marriage was made possible by the Death of Jesus.

The place is beautiful and filled with glad music.
John 14:3
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

"And finally the bride herself is prepared: "...at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir." In Oriental custom, this golden dress was always presented to the queen by the bridegroom himself. He paid for the golden dress. He has clothed us with his own righteousness -- our golden robe. Gold, in Scripture, is always the picture of deity."- Ray Stedman

[John A.]

Psalm 45 - Part II

This part of the Psalm is addressed to the Bride (the body of Christ).

10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear:
Forget your people and your father's house.

11 The king is enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.

12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift,
men of wealth will seek your favor.

A)Heed this - give up the ways of the world - the ways of your past. the NIV does not do justice to the break between verse 10 and 11. It should denote if you give up the world, the king will desire (or be enthralled) by your beauty.

Have you ever thought, when the Lord Jesus throughout the Scriptures is exhorting you to give yourself to him, to forget your old, selfish, self-centered way of life and to make yourself available to him, an instrument of his working, that you are arousing a desire and a hunger in his heart for you, that he desires your beauty? This is, of course, put into the intimate language of a marriage relationship -- a husband and wife. He is exhorting her to forget the old in order that he might desire the new.

B) Secondly - bow down and worship your Lord. When you do the world (common symbolism of tyre) will start coming to our door asking for help.

That is one of the big problems with the "body of Christ" today. Jesus is often acknowledged as Savior, but too often lip serivce is given to His role as Lord and King. We are servants, and if we would exhibit the heart for God and serve our Lord - then the people of the world will court the favor of the church, and will come again for wisdom and help, and for light in their darkness. As it is - most of the world views Christianity (rightly or wrongly) as hypocritical.
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Beauty of the Wedding and the Promise

13All glorious is the princess within her chamber ;
her gown is interwoven with gold.

Beauty within and without.

15 They are led in with joy and gladness;
they enter the palace of the king.

Can't wait!!!!!

16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.

Rather than upon his human ancestry, the Davidic line, the emphasis in that day will be upon those who are linked with him as sons. The book of Hebrews says that the Father is in the process of bringing many sons to glory. What was once ruled by the "world" will be ruled by the children of God (believers).

17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

Jesus is eternal and will receive praise forever and ever.

Phil 2:9-11
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

[John A.]

Proverbs 10:22

"The blessing of the LORD brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it."

It is only the blessing of the Lord that truly enriches a life.
But is it true that He adds no sorrow with it? How does this reconcile with the fact that the most godly people pass through times of deep sorrow?
There are several possible explanations for this second part of the proverb:

1. God doesn’t send sorrow. All sorrow, sickness, and suffering come from Satan. God often permits them in the lives of His children but He is not the source.

2. Sorrow is not an ingredient of God’s blessing as it is of prosperity apart from God.

3. Another possible translation is “and toil adds nothing to it” (margin of RV and RSV). Here the thought is that toil, apart from God, adds nothing to the blessing. Toil is good, but unless it is God-directed, it is futile (see Ps. 127:1, 2).

MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. 1997, c1995. Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

jmikeadams@msn.com

[Skip]

During the homily at mass this morning our priest was talking about how we people see and judge others by what we see on the outside, but that Gods sees what is in our hearts. One of the stories he used to demonstrate how we don’t see who or what a person really is is the story of Bartimaeus and that it took a blind man to see who Jesus really was. I mean here’s Bartimaues, blind, sitting there, probably with his hand out begging. He was dependent on the good hearted people passing by for his survival. Yet when Jesus walked by it was only Bartimaus who saw who He was as he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Bartimaus saw the son of God while everyone else was blind to whom Jesus really was. I had never thought of that before today. I find it amazing now that I read it and heard Father Simi say it that it took a blind man to see who Jesus really was while the rest of Jerusalem was blind to Him!

Yours in Christ
Skip

[Lisa K.]

Proverbs 10:22
"The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it."

As I mulled over the comment posted by John A. who cited from the Believer’s Bible Commentary the following: “… ‘How does this reconcile with the fact that the most godly people pass through times of deep sorrow? ...’", my spirit could not quite catch what was said in lieu of the context of the message. From my understanding and from how the scripture reads, I see that one thing has nothing to do with the other as stated in the commentary; but maybe I just lack understanding.

So I furthered my research and will share a commentary that reflects how I think the scripture is being relayed.

The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible on Proverbs 10:22:
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich…
In the diligent use of means; see (Proverbs 10:4) ; riches are from the Lord, and should be acknowledged as such, and not attributed to the industry, diligence, sagacity, and merit of men; but should be looked upon as had through the blessing of the Lord upon the labours of men; and when they come this way they come as a blessing, and with one: it may be understood of being made rich in a spiritual sense; it is the blessing, good will, and favour of God, that makes men rich in Christ; that bestows upon them his unsearchable riches; that enriches them with all spiritual blessings in him; that makes them rich in faith and in good works, and with the riches of grace and of glory; and he addeth no sorrow with it;
no sorrow goes along with the blessing, but what is a blessing itself, as one observes; riches enjoyed through the blessing of God are not attended with that sorrow in getting, keeping, and losing them, as the riches of wicked men unlawfully gotten are; see (1 Timothy 6:9,10) ; for as the good man comes by them easily, without any anxious care and sinful solicitude, he seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things are added to him, over and above, without much thought about them, or expectation of them, (Matthew 6:33) ; so it is with great delight, pleasure, and cheerfulness, he enjoys them, and readily communicates them to others; while the wicked man is full of anxiety, distress, and sorrow; see (Ecclesiastes 5:12,13,18) (6:2) . This is eminently true of spiritual riches; there is no sorrow attending them; the fruit and effect of them are peace, joy, and comfort.

You can find the above quote from the following site.
http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=pr&chapter=10&verse=22

Lisa J.