Ezekiel 27:1-28:26 + Hebrews 11:17-31 + Psalm 111:1-10 + Proverbs 27:15-16
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Old Testament – Ezekiel Chapter 27 indicates that Tyre was certainly good at business and trading! This was in large part due to Tyre’s prime real estate location, which you can see in the two maps below:
However chapter 28 tells us that there was also a lot of pride associated with these business skills & wealth. Verse 5 tells us: “Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud.” This verse definitely stands out to me. How often in our lives does something in our lives make us proud? Verse 2 in this chapter says this: “In your great pride you claim, `I am a god!” If we get prideful enough, might we even consider ourselves a god?? Do you hear others in our culture today telling us that we are gods? Good idea or bad idea here….?
Verse 11-19 in this chapter are very interesting. It is tough to discern if these verses about the king of Tyre or Satan or both? Commentators hedge on these verses. Perhaps, indeed, when we let pride get the best of us and think we are a god then we risk interweaving our life story with Satan’s? I don’t know. Scary stuff to think about though – jump down to the Psalm 111 verses for a good antidote to all this pride stuff…
New Testament – Hebrews 11 verses 25 & 26 today tell us so much about the character and faith of Moses! “He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him.” Do these verses speak to us today as well? Will we share in the oppression of God’s people? Or do we enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin? Do we suffer for the sake of Jesus? Or would we prefer to chill out and hang out with our luxuries in life? Do we look ahead to the great reward that God promises? Will we pursue the character and faith of Moses in our own lives today?
Psalms – Psalm 111 is a wonderful Psalm of praise! I love the way it ends in verse 10: “Reverence for the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey him. Praise his name forever!” Do you believe that reverence for God is the foundation of true wisdom? Do you believe that there are rewards of wisdom if you obey God? Will you praise his name forever?
Proverbs – Proverbs chapter 27 verse 16 is a great teaching that it is tough to try to stop the wind or hold something with greased hands… How’s that for avoiding the real point of this Proverb? 🙂 I’m newly married, so I’ll punt to you veteran married folks to give commentary from here about that dripping analogy in verse 15! 🙂
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of the Third Day song “Your Love is Like a River:”
Is God’s love like a river within you? Click here for His love!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. “ Psalm 111:10 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray that you fear the LORD. Pray that you are pursuing wisdom in your life. Pray that you are gaining understanding. Pray that you will be praising God eternally!
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike
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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
(our Group Bible Study is below! : )
======= Jeff:
Thanks for the map of Tyre — very helpful for visualizing their fortuitous location for trading.
Jeff
====== Brian:
Hebrews Chapter 11 and 12 are two of my favorite chapters in the New Testament. My church is doing 40 days of Faith. A pastor in my town wrote a 40 day devotional that is the same set up as Rick Warren’s book. We have met in small groups where we watch a DVD of this pastor and have a small group discussion. It is has solidified my faith and has made it stronger.
God bless 🙂
Brian
====== Mae:
Reverence for the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey him. Praise his name forever!”
Do I believe that there are rewards of wisdom if I obey God?
My answer is without a doubt: YES! He gives me pure wisdom, I’m sure He does! When I find myself in a situation and I’m not sure what the best thing is to do, I just turn myself to Him. I take a moment for myself and Him and I get answers! Not that He whispers them in my ear or something like that (how cool would that be though LOL), but somehow I just know the right thing to say or the right thing to do. And what about the Bible? Now THAT’S a big Book of wisdom! I’ve learned so much from the Bible and even passages that I remember I can use daily. I absolutely feel wiser with God! I was blessed with intelligence, I’ve always been a good student, a straight A student, cum laude etc … but those things don’t mean a lot to me anymore. Sure, I’m thankfull that I can learn things quickly and had a chance to get my PhD. But my personal opinion is that I’ve found my true wisdom in the Lord and not in my books.
Mae
====== Laura:
One of the greatest rewards of obedience is JOY! To those that truly listen and apply God’s Words to their lives–their is wisdom, but even greater is THE JOY OF THE LORD! The Joy keeps us strong, alive, motivated, on-fire, and it is unspeakable/undescribable and full of glory! He wants to bless us so much if we would just surrender to doing things HIS WAY! So many people think they can do things their own way but what He has shown me is that their are only two ways! HIS Way or Satan’s way. It’s a deception to think that we have discovered our own way. When we discover THE JOY, then obedience is no longer a chore!
Laura
===== Jenny:
Pride indeed comes before the fall. One of my fave songs is: “humble thyself in the sight of the Lord…and He shall lift you up! higher and higher and He, shall lift you up”. Humility/meekness is indeed a wonderful virture! and pride is so very destructive.
I love the example of Moses. Think Moses is regretting his decision now? to forsake the pleasures of the world and follow God? ha! Lets focus on the eternal! this life will pass away!
I’m not married either, regarding Provs, but if God’s will for my life is to marry, may I be a blessing and joy to my husband, not a quarrlesome, constant drip. (and vice vs!). But, Paul did say it is better to remain single. 😉 My dad is a widower and some of the women he has dated, he’s sure glad he didnt marry them…and i remember him quoting this Prov, haha (and I have to agree!!!)
Jenny
======= David:
The worst kind of pride for me is the pride of the Pharisees and the Hypocrites which I see some Christians have. This can be seen in the false way some of them talk in church and you wonder if they are for real. As for me I have to remain humble or else I will get thorn in the side syndrome just like Paul. I am not comparing myself to Paul but I know exactly what he means by having a constant reminder of where you came from least you forget, God or someone else would remind you. Sometimes our own imperfections give us away.
By the way, marriage today is a modern test of pride. Don’t get married if you are a prideful person. Anyone who is full of pride and says that they have a happy marriage over a period of years is lying. If you were prideful before you are married, then marriage is the place to lose it. It is easier on the emotions to remain single. In many ways I was happier before I was married. When I became married I was tested to the full extent of my Christianity and I became a man. Marriage today is difficult, and easy to cop out if you want to. You either become mature or you suffer. Those who are happy with their wedding ring also wear their suffer ring well. I am happily married sometimes; most people have to be content with that. I am committed to my wife and children, and this gives me a sense of importance, and a purpose for being.
David
====== Art:
I love the comments you make, Jenny, on today’s Scripture. Keep posting!
Art
===== Jane:
Hebrews 11:25-36. Suffer for the sake of Christ. That’s a big calling. We want to be friends of the world right? How far do we go to take a stand!? I guess thinking of sometimes I feel like a stranger in this world even among my own family. Is that what it feels like? I watched the movie hacksaw ridge. My friend dragged me and I didn’t know what was in it!! She said oh it’s a Christian movie. Yeah right. When they got to the killing I almost walked out and screamed inside! I am a CO! Why did you bring me here ? Til the end there was a message, convictions are not a joke , they are a way of life. Gods calls us to. So think on this, how far do we go to suffer for Christ.? Does our pride get in the way?
Jane
====== Alan:
I had pride many years ago and was quite a ways away from God, He took away my reason for pride and brought me down, not as far as Tyre, but by His Grace, I am again His, an awesome God of second chances. When we have much we can get prideful, when we have little, it’s easier to depend on God. Thanks be to God. I’d rather be where I am now than when I had more and was away from Him .I appreciate the important things and people in my life so much more.
Alan
====== Karen:
In light of the suffering of my home in the hands of tyrant, the prophetic words against Tyre are incredibly comforting. The modern day Tyre who considered themselves God will be mer by His judgment in due time. I pray even in the midst of suffering, God will continue to advance His gospel.
Karen
======= Robert:
Proverbs 27:15
Quarrelsome Wife
At first I thought I am not going to touch that with a 10 foot pole. As I reflected further I considered I would share my experience with this theme. My wife and I were in a place about 10 years ago where Satan started to work on us. Both of us were dripping faucets. Prayer, counseling, books were rife. Nothing really helped for 2 years. The wind and oil thing were authentic. Somewhere in this process that God wanted us, I came to a place that was hard for me but went to the core of who I was. I had to swallow my pride and wash her feet.
Praise the teacher Jesus.
Robert
====== Pam:
God is faithful and His promises are true.
I returned from a trip in Israel on October 19 and God is bringing the Jewish people back to the promised land. The land itself is being restored.
“Thus says the Lord : When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards.”https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezek.28.25,Ezek.28.26&version=ESV
Pam
====== Dee:
Tyre was a strong fortified city but what can stand against the Lord. You are either for him or against him. Dont let pride and haughtiness get in the way of true worship and belief in the Anointed One.
Hebrews : 11 wow love all the faithful men especially Moses..what a testimony. What an extraordinary person and his parents kept him (the Lord) saved him for such a time as that.
Psalm 111 Praise the Lord..any chapters where we get to praise the Lord is a successful and happy time
Proverbs 27: 15-16 drip …drip…drip.. that would be like tap tap tap..on desks at school annoy me. I get it. I get it when the pressure if on the husband as head of the home. We should be their help mate not their task master.
Dee
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