2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23 + 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 + Psalm 27:1-6 + Proverbs 20:20-21
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Hungry? For Junk Food or God’s Food?
Old Testament – Today we wrap up Second Chronicles. Ezra begins tomorrow!
New Testament – Today we begin Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth!
First Corinthians
Author: Paul the apostle
Place: Ephesus
Date: A.D. 55
Content: Paul had established a church in the Greek city of Corinth on his second missionary journey (see Acts 18:1-8), but things had gone very badly after his departure. He felt it necessary to write them concerning the many problems that had arisen. They were challenging his apostleship, abusing the Lord’s Supper, wondering about eating meat sacrificed to idols, going to court against one another, condoning immorality, denying the resurrection, arguing about marriage – to name a few of the problems. Paul felt that he had to deal with the situation, lest everything in Corinth fall to pieces. As Paul more or less systematically goes through these problems, he touches upon many of the fundamental teachings of the faith.
Theme: Paul’s major purpose in writing this letter was to correct some glaring abuses in the church at Corinth, showing the importance of how we live. It is not enough to say that we are Christians; we must also act like Christians. Not to do so is to bring dishonor upon the name of Christ. Paul also stresses the all-sufficiency of Christ for the believer. In Christ we are made pure, holy, and acceptable to God. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” pp. 24-25)
More commentary on First Corinthians is at these 3 links –
https://bible.org/article/i-corinthians-introduction-and-outline
https://bible.org/seriespage/7-1-corinthians-introduction-argument-and-outline
https://bible.org/article/argument-first-corinthians
Psalms – Psalm 27 verse 1 is so powerful: “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” How is the Lord your light and salvation today? How is the Lord your stronghold? Are you afraid of anything?
Proverbs – Proverbs 20 verse 20 today teaches us: “If you curse your father or mother, the lamp of your life will be snuffed out.” This is a great reminder to honor your father & mother! How have you learned to honor your father & mother in your life? Have there been blessings because you have honored them?
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminds me of Josiah Queen’s song “Dusty Bibles:”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM2nMeXvor0
Is your Bible dusty? Click here for a cleaning!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “If you curse your father or mother, your lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.” Proverbs 20:20 TNIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you won’t curse your father or mother. Pray that you will honor your father and mother. Pray for your father and mother.
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
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
(our Group Bible Study is below! : )
======= Ramona:
II Chronicles 35-36:23
I wonder what the priests did, the ones assigned to carry the Ark, when Solomon built and dedicated the temple and it had a permanent resting place for it? Did they just hang out at the Temple when it was their time to carry the Ark they no longer carried? Spiritual unemployment is probably more deadly and dangerous then being unemployed in a career or the job one has chosen.
For all the years that the Ark set in the Temple, no one until Josiah, realized they could be doing something else, like help the people worship the God they had been designated to serve. Am I endanger of falling into spiritual unemployment?
Reading about Josiah’s unprovoked endeavor to go to war against King Neco who was at war, but not with Judea, reminded me of the following Proverb,
He who, passing by, stops to meddle with strife that is none of his business is like one who takes a dog by the ears. (Pro 26:17 AMP)
Josiah took the dog by the ears and eventually he had to let go … Wasn’t a pretty picture.
I Corinthians 1:1-17
Loaded down with gifts but still acting like little children, loaded down with the favor of God, yet forming groups to try to one-up the other group affiliated with that other guy. Think Paul’s warning only applies to the church at Corinth think again. Our value does not come from which Theologian, Preacher/Teacher we follow or which edifice we attend and call a church, but our value is given to us by the saving work done by Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Psalm 27:1-6
The LORD is my light and my salvation–
so why should I be afraid?
The LORD protects me from danger–
so why should I tremble?
If I gave the Lord, then nothing should frighten me, if I am in a dangerous situation, why shudder. It just occurred to me that if I have fear and I am trembling at danger, I have made a choice, consciously unconsciously, to leave God and Jesus Christ out of the picture. That is not a good thing; it is a dangerous thing.
Proverbs 20:20-21
Maybe I’m making a big stretch, but the twenty-first verse speaks of inheritance. We usually, or should I say I usually here the word inheritance and think someone died and left something to someone and it usually isn’t me. I see inheritance as something passed on at the death of someone on the earth but I’ve never really applied it to what Jesus did on the Cross.
At Jesus’ death, he left an inheritance for those who call upon his name. Really, He left it for the whole world but to receive it something must be done,
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Rom 10:9 KJV)
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
(Eph 1:11 KJVR)
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
(Eph 1:14 KJVR)
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
(Eph 1:18 KJVR)
There are many scriptures that tell of the Believer’s inheritance and many have probably tried to appropriate what has been given to them to early, like the Prodigal Son. Just like him we take what has been given to us without first understanding its value, then we waste it. But when we come back to our “right mind,” the Father accepts us again even when we come back in the mindset of a servant.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
====== Vance:
What a great way to demonstrate Christ as we serve others by helping meet the need for the starving children… in Jesus’ Name!
2 Chronicles 35
25
The prophet Jeremiah composed funeral songs for Josiah, and to this day choirs still sing these sad songs about his death. These songs of sorrow have become a tradition and are recorded in The Book of Laments.
God will always honor those who love and honor Him… even if those in the world or those who are among God’s people who have the mindset of the world mock.
2 Chronicles 36
14
All the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem.
What were the pagan practices of the nations? This has a practical effect today, not just for our personal lives, but for our modern culture as well. I am referring to the so-called “scholarly” book entitled “The DaVinci Code” written by Dan Brown. There are many claims made in the book. However, if one carefully looks at the sources the author Dan Brown quotes from, many of the sources are not credible.
One of the points Dan Brown emphasizes in his book is that Jesus was never seen as more than man, and that the Church supposedly suppressed all documents that did not agree with their view that Jesus is God. Also, Mr. Brown emphasizes that Mary Magdalene was the “chalice” for the blood of Christ, and that she carried seed. Dan Brown then quotes from dubious sources that the seed of Christ is still on the earth today in France!
However, one of the most shocking points he emphasizes is the concept of the truth of female goddesses which, supposedly, Jesus was affirming—and which the Church (being male chauvinists) rejected.
So…God’s Word is ALWAYS relevent:
In I Samuel 7, Samuel urged Israel to repent:
3
Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts,
then
** put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth [female deities] from among you
** and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only,
and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
4
So the Israelites put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.
5
Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the Lord for you.
God will ALWAYS come through in His time and way
as we seek Him first!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
20
The few who survived were taken away to Babylon, and they became servants to the king and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power.
21
So the message of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate for seventy years, just as the prophet had said.
These verses include the taking of Daniel and his friends. Even when people forsaking God and even in the fiercest heat of God’s judgment against sin—God preserves a remnant of precious jewels of those who love and worship Him with pure hearts.
And these jewels of faith and faithfulness, rooted in the God Himself, then save the entire people of God!
So… the choices you and I make TODAY… WILL affect your descendants and others around you.
Thank God that He is faithful, and that He will ALWAYS fulfill His Word!
God IS ALWAYS faithful. However, we ARE NOT ALWAYS faithful to His commitment to His Word.
Even in our weakness, we can call on the Lord Jesus, and He will strengthen us!
I Corinthians 1
7
Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8
He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
9
God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
These last verses make me think of one of the greatest promises God has made in His Word (Amplified):
Hebrews 10
23
So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the [c]hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.
I Thessalonians 5
23
And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
24
Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].
Vance
====== John:
Cyrus
There is extra-biblical evidence that Cyrus was aware of the prophecies. The first-century Jewish writer Flavius Josephus wrote:
…by reading the book which left behind of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision “My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple.” Accordingly, when Cyrus read this, and admired the divine power, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfil what was so written. (Flavius Josephus, Antiquities, xi, Chapt. 1-2)
http://www.templemount.org/secondtmp.html
http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-11.htm
1Cor
Corinth: a decent short background of the city.
http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/corinthians/city.stm
Not included:
Population at Paul’s time around 400,000.
Large temple dedicated to Venus (Aphrodite), staffed with 1,000 temple prostitutes.
“The Corinthian people were also world known: for partying, drunkenness, and loose sexual morals. The term Korinthiazomai was well known in the Roman Empire and it meant literally “to live like a Corinthian.” But everyone knew it really meant “to be sexually out of control.” “Aelian, the late Greek writer, tells us that if ever a Corinthian was shown upon the stage in a Greek play he was shown drunk.” (Barclay)
======================================================
In his “Thanksgiving” I am struck by Paul reaffirming that God has bestowed the grace, through Him you are enriched, He will make sure (keep you strong), and a reminder: our God is a Faithful God.
It is all through God, and one of the passages that leads me to believe we cannot lose salvation.
======================================================
Unity is again the theme. With approximately 200 Christians amongst a population of 400,000 – there must be a lot of outside distractions. The last thing that is needed is discord amongst the “believers”.
I wonder if the “I follow Christ” crowd were being referred to as perhaps the “sanctimonius” bunch??? Thinking of themselves too good to mix with others??? [just thinking out loud]
They were (as we are) to stick to the Gospel – that is what we are unified about – Jesus Christ. The words of Paul, Peter and Apollos may have differed but there message was the same.
John
====== Jan:
I’m so glad some of you commented on King Josiah going to war against King Neco.I was looking forward to Mike commenting on this (2 Chron. 35:22).Am I understanding correctly that God spoke to Neco, who is a non-believer?
Jan
====== Vance:
2 Chronicles 35 (NKJV)
18
There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19
In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.
NOTE:
See the beauty of community as each group, each person fulfilled their proper roles in joyous celebration of the Lord’s deliverance. Out of joy they helped each other worship God with reverence.
It must have been a beautiful sight to behold.
2 Chronicles 35 (NKJV)
20
After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him.
21
But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.”
NOTE
It is puzzling why King Josiah meddled in the affairs of Necho king of Egypt. It was not Josiah’s battle, nor did Necho king of Egypt want to fight Josiah.
Perhaps (this is only my opinion) this was God’s way of sparing Josiah so that God could fulfill the promise He had made to Josiah in 2 Chronicles 34 (NKJV):
27
because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the LORD.
28
“Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.”’” So they brought back word to the king.
~~~
OR… Josiah could have lived longer by living with more wisdom. Foolishness can end a life early.
Perhaps Josiah could have had an opportunity to glorify God longer and lead the people of Israel deeper into the goodness of the Lord.
~~~
2 Chronicles 36 (NKJV)
20
And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,
21
to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
NOTE:
I know Christians have differing views on the Sabbath.
Some say it is Saturday, and some say the Christian Sabbath is on Sunday.
Other Christians say that there is no “day” set aside for the Sabbath, and that there is a lifestyle of “Sabbath rest” into which each believer can choose to live based on God’s grace.
Either way—regardless of the particular view of the Sabbath day—it seems to me that God places a great deal of importance on us choosing to deliberately set aside time to seek Him.
We are called to deliberately and regularly seek the Lord, receive and drink from His Grace, and take time to be holy as He enables us.
Hebrews 3 (NKJV)
12
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13
but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
15
while it is said: “ Today, if you will hear His voice,do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
[Psalm 95:7, 8]
Hebrews 4 (NKJV)
1
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
2
For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it [OR did profit them, since they were not united by faith with those who heeded it].
3
For we who have believed do enter that rest,
8
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10
For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Hebrews 4 (Amplified Bible)
11
Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].
14
Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].
15
For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
BY GOD’S GRACE, we are made holy in His sight because of the supreme, matchless sacrifice of the Lord Jesus in our place and on our behalf.
I Corinthians 1 (NKJV)
2
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, WITH ALL WHO IN EVERY PLACE CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, both theirs and ours:
~~~
May we take time to spend in God’s Presence so He can confirm us to the end, that is to complete what He started in us with joy.
Then, we can become in our lives what God has already made us to be in Christ!
I Corinthians 1 (NKJV)
8
who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 27 (NKJV)
4
One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.
5
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
Vance
====== Russ:
God gave Paul incredible wisdom. To know how dangerous factions could be and to warn about them in the earliest of churches. Unfortunately, I have personally witnessed factions destroy a church. Just another example of the bible being as true today as it was in 55AD
Russ
====== Joyce:
Mike and everyone,
Psalm 27:4-6 Amplified Bible
‘4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.’
i’m quoting the following from Difficult Times, Psalm 27:1-6, sermon from http://www.brandonweb.com –
‘David said his first priority was to dwell or remain in the presence of God.
If that is also our number one desire, we will be able to trust in Him in times of trouble.
When we begin to sink deep into the mire of sin and problems,
we know we can call out to Him, we know He is near.
(Psa 40:2) “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”‘
May God bless all the Christians to have our first priority be to dwell with Him each day,
that we may have hope and help from Him in our times of trouble.
Thank you Mike for serving God and serving many through this One Year Bible blog!
May God continue to bless you with spiritual insights and wisdom;
may God provide for and bless your life;
may God use this blog to bring His Truth to the far corners of the earth, that many will come to revere Him, amen.
God bless!
Joyce
====== Dee:
Wow we wrapped up 2 n 1 today..or 2 n 1 day I should say. 2 Chronicles..meddling into business Josiah has no business messing with..but it was prophesied..so..there’s that.
We finished Romans..into 1 Corinthians..yay.. love the book of Corinthians..
I love Psalm 27 the Lord is our shield and our hope! I love how God’s not dead!! Yes..
Dee
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