February - Reading 9

This is from Barry and Helen both, as we decided to do our Bible study this way when we can:

Psalm 32 -- this is the progression from the sin which is hidden to the repentance and confession which leads to forgiveness and restoration of the relationship with the Lord.

The beginning two verses are the summary of the lesson to be learned. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him, and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Then he starts with his hidden sin, which in this case was the adultery with Bathsheba and the arranging for her husband to be killed. David felt the weight of that sin "day and night" and talks about his strength decreasing as in the heat of summer.

Then he acknowledges his sin and did not try to hide it, but confessed.

And God forgave. Their relationship was restored. David uses the laast half of the Psalm to reinforce the lesson both with his own words and the Lord's words. The Psalm closes with Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the Lord, and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you are upright in heart!


On Matthew, our conversation is running like this:

Barry: The interesting thing about the parables of the treasure in the field and the merchant with the pearls is tht they were prepared to give up everything to gain this treasure.

Helen: Something else I noticed is that they were looking. I see that all around. People WANT to find something good and right even if they are going to fight about what 'good' and 'right' is!

Barry: Ian Thomas on one occassion said "'He who seeks will find.' Even if the person is seeking in a hopelessly wrong direction, he will find something. Fortunately, the Lord Jesus is a Seeker of the seekers."

We both liked the NIV note on the fish net catching everything. Here it is:
The parable of the net teaches the same general lesson as the parable of the weeds: There will be a final separation of the the righteous and the wicked. The parable of the weeds also emphasizes that we are not to try to make such a separation now and that this is entirely the Lord's business.

In verse 52, Jesus says Therefore every teach of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.

from Barry: In the King James here, the word 'scribe' is used. Comparing the two versions shows that the scribes were the teachers of the law. We think of a scribe as someone who just does writing, so the force of that word has come out well in the NIV.

Helen: Is the old treasure then the law, and the new treasure the work of Christ and grace?

Barry: Let's just leave that as a question! Maybe someone would like to respond to that. There are some who think the law was done away with entirely at Calvary.

Helen: But what about the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says not the tiniest bit will disappear from the law? There is a difference between getting rid of the law and fulfilling it! Jesus said "If you love me you will obey me." And He said "Love God and love your neighbor" and that on THESE hang all the law and the prophets -- so the law isn't done away with!

Barry: This is a can of worms that a lot of people fight over. Let's see if there are any other comments.

The last part of the Matthew is about a prophet not being accepted in his own hometown. In the meantime, the distinct reference to Jesus' siblings is made along with reference to his mother and presumed father. The brothers are even named: James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. This is a real sticking point for the Roman Catholics who claim Mary remained virgin her entire life.

Barry: The other important thing is that this may indicate Jesus' father, Joseph, may have already passed away. The comment is made "these are still with us", with maybe the implication that the father is not.

Helen: I'll have to think about that. I never saw it that way before.

Barry: It may be the first hint that Joseph was not still around and this would have been why Jesus handed Mary to John at the cross.


More later

 

Hi Clint!

Which site did you find where the Ark handles were not wooden? I went to the site you posted and the staves looked like they were made of acacia wood overlayed with gold as instructed in Exodus 25:13.

Did I miss something?


Sue

 

Thank you Clint for the website with graphics, I was coming here to ask if such a thing was available. The drawings really helped me to see what the items may have looked like. My Bible says shittim wood.Is this a heavy or light weight wood? and is it still in use these days, if so what for? What tree does it come from?
This is one of the few places I visit on BB at present, due to my studying / reading with this group..... and working full time....but I`m so enjoying the readings
Thanks to all who are doing such a lot of hard work to help the likes of myself in this venture.
Gwyneth

 

Thanks Clint, for your help once again. Yes I am using KJV for my study. I have a modern version and an older one. In work, I keep a Good News Bible to hand in case I get a chance to witness there. I enjoyed imagining the beautiful colours, designs and textures described in the latest Exodus readings. being an arty/crafty type
Gwyneth
edited ...missed a word out not much of a typist.....

 

One thing I learnt about the ark of God when I first became a Christian was the fact that it carried the commandments of God and that the Israelites had to lug it about through the wilderness.

Being a Christian and reading 1 John and the teaching that Gods commandments are not burdensome, made me realise how small and light it was and how it was shifted about by 4 people.

David