Bible Reading Challenge Blog

There are a couple of places in these Scriptures that deserve a little closer attention. We find the mention of shepherds who had charge over the sheep and who weren’t really doing their jobs, so God was going to jump in and do the job for them. But then we see another Scripture in the midst of this that Jesus uses to describe what is going to happen to his disciples once he is arrested and then crucified. We read that if you strike down the shepherd the sheep will scatter, and that is exactly what happens in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is arrested and all the disciples scatter and run away, one without his clothes on.

Then we have Psalm 84 that has that wonderful phrase that better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. There is a song that should be inserted in this blog right here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Fj9bbEmVk

Like many of these readings we have to find that one familiar section that we can look at and upon which we can expound. Zechariah 9:9-13 is that section because we use it just about every year to describe Palm Sunday. We see in this Scripture that a king will ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. Notice it states the animal and then describes that same animal, but Matthew has Jesus riding two animals, which is very confusing. It is only one animal and this Scripture in Zechariah proves it. But we do know that this Scripture describes very clearly what Jesus does. Jesus knows this Scripture and so in some ways plays it out.

I know that we read a lot of chapters today, 6 in total, but there is one that I wanted to lift up and that is Zechariah 4:1 which states in the NRSV – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” This is a phrase that we could all follow and live by. Here is a song that might be helpful for this post.

We continue along in the same theme of praises for the community which finds itself in Thessalonica. Throughout both of these books, the first and the second, we do see that Paul states that he prays continuously for them. This is a like a red thread throughout these books is the support and help that the founder of the church does for the church even if he is not there to be with them. He is in prison, and even describes himself as an old man, but nevertheless what he is able to do is to pray for them while he is in prison.

There is that one train of thought that is somewhat disturbing in chapter three which the early Puritan settlers took to heart. Paul talks about idleness and states that those who do not work hard, should not receive any food. The exact quote, and it is a quotation and so Paul gets it from somewhere else, is “those who are unwilling to work should not eat.” I mean, he isn’t wrong…

It has been a long time since I read Philemon, and how refreshing was that? A book of the Bible where the author is happy with the recipients of the word that is written to them. We have read consistently the disobedience of the Israelites in basically every book of the Old Testament. We read in Corinthians about how short they have fallen from that which God wanted from them. But here in Thessalonians, Paul can’t help but sing their praises. He uses them as an example of faith that other communities ought to emulate. We also get him explaining to them what the story is with the end times and why there is a delay and what to do during the delay. They were expecting it at any time, and as their loved ones were dying around them he tells them it is okay to grieve, but not like people without hope.

Philemon, the single chapter, is Paul reminded the person, Philemon, about Onesimus who seemed to be a slave and was asked to be welcomed back into the fold because he is now no longer a slave, at least should no longer be a slave, but a brother in Christ.

We close out Daniel with a recognition that Daniel is very aware that he is in need of God, to the point where he states that he did not understand how God remains faithful to humanity even as people turn their backs continually against the Lord. The Psalms reflect how we have all disobeyed God and yet God continues to provide and give that which we need. But we do find ourselves in history turning out backs to God and God never leaving us or forsaking us. Isn’t that the main theme in the Psalms, God continually supporting us and being faithful even in our own unfaithfulness. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

We find the classic story of Daniel and the lion’s den where we see that Daniel, no matter what, was going to follow God’s commands and leading. Every time that I read this story I am reminded of the discipline that Daniel had in his prayers over 3 times a day and wonder why we don’t have that same consistent discipline. It should not be difficult to find three times in the day when we pray and recognize that the creator God is the one who gave us life and is the one who provides all things for us. Psalm 75 is also a celebration that reminds us that we are to worship the living God because he has given us life, for the very same reason that Daniel celebrated God, because he consistently recognized that God had given him life.

Daniel is one of the favorite books of the Bible for people simply because of the story of the lion’s den. But there is so much more to it. There is a real similarity between Daniel and Joseph, each rising up to the ranks in a foreign land and gaining the trust of the foreign rulers. They both were also gifted by God to interpret dreams which in one case saves their lives and in another case predicts the fall of the king in a day’s time. I did just notice that when the men were thrown into the furnace Daniel was not in there with them. It was his three friends who were thrown into the fire because they refused to bow down to the golden god that was created. But their steadfastness and God’s faithfulness turned the king around and made him pronounce a decree that no one should ever slander the Jews again.

Short book of the Bible is Malachi. It is also one of those books that is filled with condemnation for Israel because they are no offering to the Lord that which ought to be offered. This is specifically true in the offerings where the people are choosing to give to the Lord that which is not worth anything at all, the blind animals, the lame, those that nobody wants. The questions comes what would happen if they offered these animals to an earthly ruler. The answer is clear, swift retribution.

The phrase that is well known is the command in chapter 3 to bring the full tithe into the storehouse. The question arises if God will be cheated. The answer is clearly no, but as people we think that this is possible, that somehow when we give to God of our tithe we can do less because we actually doubt if God is present or if he really cares or if he even notices that we have done this. Nobody at the level of his church, his receiving agent, is holding us accountable so we really are able to do that which we want. The key is to allow people to understand that what we want should be what God wants, and so the tithe would never become an issue.