Genisis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
God created. First he created light, which he saw was good, and more than that he created day and night, effectively creating time.
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
God created on the second day. God created space and sky separating planets..?
9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
God created land.
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
God created life; plants both trees and flowering plants and all vegetation.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
God created the sun, the moon and all the stars in the sky.
20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
God created all the aquatic life and all birds and flying creatures.
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
God created all creatures that live on the land.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
What I see as very significant in this verse is the word 'us'. Clearly this means that there was someone that God was talking to. The Holy Spirit and Jesus! They are all God and have all been since the biginning three in one.
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God created us in His perfect image. Perfect and holy and sinless to have a perfect relationship with Him.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
God had given dominion over all creatures to man kind and he gave all vegetation as food for both humans and creatures.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
His creation was completed in the first six days, so He rested on the seventh day.
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
The rest of the chapter is about life in the Garden of Eden and the creation of Eve.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
So, this story starts before the sixth day and after the creation of land on the third day. God created Man from the dust of the Earth breathing life into him.
8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God made a place for the man to live. He made the garden and made everything that man needed. He made a relationship with God possible. He made food. He also made freewill in the human and made the option available in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
I don't know what to think of this geography... xP
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
He made the choice available to disobey, but also told of the consequences.
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
In an attempt to get Adam a helper, God brought each animal before him. Adam named each, but none was found suitable to be his helper.
21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
God had to create a new created being for Adam. God chose to make the new being out of a rib from Adam.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Life in Eden was perfect and there was no sin or shame or guilt.
D.Fa
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Isa 1-4
Isaiah 1-4
Isaiah is a book of prophecy written by Isaiah who lived in 8th century BC. (copied from wikipedia) "The book has 66 chapters: the first 39 chapters prophesy doom for a sinful Judah and for all the nations of the world that oppose God, while the last 27 prophesy the restoration of the nation of Israel and a new creation in God's glorious future kingdom."
Isaiah 1
1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
“I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its master,
the donkey its owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
God is calling out to the Earth and his creation and is sadened because they have turned away from him.
4 Woe to the sinful nation,
a people whose guilt is great,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the LORD;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.
5 Why should you be beaten anymore?
Why do you persist in rebellion?
Your whole head is injured,
your whole heart afflicted.
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head
there is no soundness—
only wounds and welts
and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged
or soothed with olive oil.
It's talking about how deep the problem of sin runs in the people and how painful the consequences. And there can be no healing except by God himself through Jesus' death on the cross and his conquering of death in His ressurection.
7 Your country is desolate,
your cities burned with fire;
your fields are being stripped by foreigners
right before you,
laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
8 Daughter Zion is left
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut in a cucumber field,
like a city under siege.
9 Unless the LORD Almighty
had left us some survivors,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 6:23). Sodom and Gomorrah were cities back in Genesis that were destroyed entirely because of how sinful the people were. Abraham asks God to spare the city if He would spare the cities from destruction if even 5 righteous people could be found in them and they were still burned with fire.
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
He calls out to us who could be compared to the wicked because we have sinned as well. He does not desire sacrifices because the only sacrifice required has already been sacrificed. God has sent His own son to be the sacrificial Lamb paying for all our sins.
Also, it is saying that God doesn't care for 'religion' meaning all the rituals and stuff that people do to please God. (Titus 3:5) "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
If you do not accept the gift that God has given you, if you are trying by your own strength, you will fall short. If you don't accept Jesus' redemption, you are still covered in your sin.
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
God decided to take the matter of our sin into His hands because we could do nothing about it. Jesus took our sins and gave us his righteousness. He offers this gift to everyone. (Rom 6:23) "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
31 The mighty man will become tinder
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to quench the fire.
Those who appear mighty, without God are sinners and his work leads to his own destruction.
Isaiah 2
2 In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
This is speaking about the end times. I don't know very much about the end times... (insert more info about end times)
3 Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
This verse is saying that they will turn their weapons into tools for work and that there will be no more war in the land, in God's new kingdom.
5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Another call to righteousness, but not just to be better, but rather to walk in the light of the Lord. (1 John 1:7) "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
6 You, LORD, have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
They are full of superstitions from the East;
they practice divination like the Philistines
and embrace pagan customs.
7 Their land is full of silver and gold;
there is no end to their treasures.
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land is full of idols;
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their fingers have made.
9 So people will be brought low
and everyone humbled—
do not forgive them.
When man turned away from God, he gave them over to their sinful desires. In Romans there is a passage that speaks of what happened when sin entered the world and what happened to the people. (Rom 1:21-25) "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen." Having rejected the Lord, the people turned to idol worship, wether it be false gods, money, possesions, relationships. But these people will end up being judged as we all will except they will not have Jesus paying for their sins because they have rejected Him and gone their own way.
10 Go into the rocks, hide in the ground
from the fearful presence of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty!
11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled
and human pride brought low;
the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
Those who think of themselves to be great will be humbled when they see how great God really is.
12 The LORD Almighty has a day in store
for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted
(and they will be humbled),
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty,
and all the oaks of Bashan,
14 for all the towering mountains
and all the high hills,
15 for every lofty tower
and every fortified wall,
16 for every trading ship[d]
and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low
and human pride humbled;
the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
18 and the idols will totally disappear.
God has a plan for everything and for everyone. He also has a punishment ready for those whom would prefer to pretend they were god or those idols who are worshiped falsely. When God comes to establish his kingdom, all other idols will fall.
19 People will flee to caves in the rocks
and to holes in the ground
from the fearful presence of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth.
20 In that day people will throw away
to the moles and bats
their idols of silver and idols of gold,
which they made to worship.
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks
and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth.
It seems that people will be scared when God comes.
22 Stop trusting in mere humans,
who have but a breath in their nostrils.
Why hold them in esteem?
Humans were created by God, but are imperfect. Why should you worship the imperfect when the perfect God has already made everything so that you may come to know Him..?
Isaiah 3
1 See now, the Lord,
the LORD Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
both supply and support:
all supplies of food and all supplies of water,
2 the hero and the warrior,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty and the man of rank,
the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.
When the day comes, God will no longer wait. He will judge and take away his support to those who have rejected him.
4 “I will make mere youths their officials;
children will rule over them.”
Their rulers will be poorly equiped to lead.
5 People will oppress each other—
man against man, neighbor against neighbor.
The young will rise up against the old,
the nobody against the honored.
There will be fighting between the people.
6 A man will seize one of his brothers
in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
take charge of this heap of ruins!”
7 But in that day he will cry out,
“I have no remedy.
I have no food or clothing in my house;
do not make me the leader of the people.”
They will look for leaders and even those people will not be confident or prepared. They will have no solution.
8 Jerusalem staggers,
Judah is falling;
their words and deeds are against the LORD,
defying his glorious presence.
9 The look on their faces testifies against them;
they parade their sin like Sodom;
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
They have brought disaster upon themselves.
Those who are sinful will perish.
10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.
11 Woe to the wicked!
Disaster is upon them!
They will be paid back
for what their hands have done.
In the end the righhteous will be saved and the wicked will perish.
12 Youths oppress my people,
women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;
they turn you from the path.
Relying in themselves, the people will go their own way.
13 The LORD takes his place in court;
he rises to judge the people.
14 The LORD enters into judgment
against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder from the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people
and grinding the faces of the poor?”
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
When He judges he will ask about the things you have done without Him.
16 The LORD says,
“The women of Zion are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,
flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
the LORD will make their scalps bald.”
People will have placed much time and effort into material and will be proud and boasting about their possesions.
18 In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.
God will take them away, all the idolized material possesions.
24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench;
instead of a sash, a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;
instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;
instead of beauty, branding.
25 Your men will fall by the sword,
your warriors in battle.
26 The gates of Zion will lament and mourn;
destitute, she will sit on the ground.
God will take away all good things from those who reject Him.
Isaiah 4
2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
Those who remained in the Lord will be justified and cleansed by God and He will protect them and give them a place to live.
D.Fa
Disclaimer: Isaiah is a book of prophecy. Prophecies can be interpreted in many different ways and many have not yet come to fruition, so it is harder to determine exactly what will happen. In any case, my opinion may not be the correct one. Also, I have not done years of study on these passages, these are just my thoughts on what some verses may mean.
Isaiah is a book of prophecy written by Isaiah who lived in 8th century BC. (copied from wikipedia) "The book has 66 chapters: the first 39 chapters prophesy doom for a sinful Judah and for all the nations of the world that oppose God, while the last 27 prophesy the restoration of the nation of Israel and a new creation in God's glorious future kingdom."
Isaiah 1
1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
“I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its master,
the donkey its owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
God is calling out to the Earth and his creation and is sadened because they have turned away from him.
4 Woe to the sinful nation,
a people whose guilt is great,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the LORD;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.
5 Why should you be beaten anymore?
Why do you persist in rebellion?
Your whole head is injured,
your whole heart afflicted.
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head
there is no soundness—
only wounds and welts
and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged
or soothed with olive oil.
It's talking about how deep the problem of sin runs in the people and how painful the consequences. And there can be no healing except by God himself through Jesus' death on the cross and his conquering of death in His ressurection.
7 Your country is desolate,
your cities burned with fire;
your fields are being stripped by foreigners
right before you,
laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
8 Daughter Zion is left
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut in a cucumber field,
like a city under siege.
9 Unless the LORD Almighty
had left us some survivors,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 6:23). Sodom and Gomorrah were cities back in Genesis that were destroyed entirely because of how sinful the people were. Abraham asks God to spare the city if He would spare the cities from destruction if even 5 righteous people could be found in them and they were still burned with fire.
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
He calls out to us who could be compared to the wicked because we have sinned as well. He does not desire sacrifices because the only sacrifice required has already been sacrificed. God has sent His own son to be the sacrificial Lamb paying for all our sins.
Also, it is saying that God doesn't care for 'religion' meaning all the rituals and stuff that people do to please God. (Titus 3:5) "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
If you do not accept the gift that God has given you, if you are trying by your own strength, you will fall short. If you don't accept Jesus' redemption, you are still covered in your sin.
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
God decided to take the matter of our sin into His hands because we could do nothing about it. Jesus took our sins and gave us his righteousness. He offers this gift to everyone. (Rom 6:23) "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
31 The mighty man will become tinder
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to quench the fire.
Those who appear mighty, without God are sinners and his work leads to his own destruction.
Isaiah 2
2 In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
This is speaking about the end times. I don't know very much about the end times... (insert more info about end times)
3 Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
This verse is saying that they will turn their weapons into tools for work and that there will be no more war in the land, in God's new kingdom.
5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Another call to righteousness, but not just to be better, but rather to walk in the light of the Lord. (1 John 1:7) "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
6 You, LORD, have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
They are full of superstitions from the East;
they practice divination like the Philistines
and embrace pagan customs.
7 Their land is full of silver and gold;
there is no end to their treasures.
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land is full of idols;
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their fingers have made.
9 So people will be brought low
and everyone humbled—
do not forgive them.
When man turned away from God, he gave them over to their sinful desires. In Romans there is a passage that speaks of what happened when sin entered the world and what happened to the people. (Rom 1:21-25) "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen." Having rejected the Lord, the people turned to idol worship, wether it be false gods, money, possesions, relationships. But these people will end up being judged as we all will except they will not have Jesus paying for their sins because they have rejected Him and gone their own way.
10 Go into the rocks, hide in the ground
from the fearful presence of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty!
11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled
and human pride brought low;
the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
Those who think of themselves to be great will be humbled when they see how great God really is.
12 The LORD Almighty has a day in store
for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted
(and they will be humbled),
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty,
and all the oaks of Bashan,
14 for all the towering mountains
and all the high hills,
15 for every lofty tower
and every fortified wall,
16 for every trading ship[d]
and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low
and human pride humbled;
the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
18 and the idols will totally disappear.
God has a plan for everything and for everyone. He also has a punishment ready for those whom would prefer to pretend they were god or those idols who are worshiped falsely. When God comes to establish his kingdom, all other idols will fall.
19 People will flee to caves in the rocks
and to holes in the ground
from the fearful presence of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth.
20 In that day people will throw away
to the moles and bats
their idols of silver and idols of gold,
which they made to worship.
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks
and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth.
It seems that people will be scared when God comes.
22 Stop trusting in mere humans,
who have but a breath in their nostrils.
Why hold them in esteem?
Humans were created by God, but are imperfect. Why should you worship the imperfect when the perfect God has already made everything so that you may come to know Him..?
Isaiah 3
1 See now, the Lord,
the LORD Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
both supply and support:
all supplies of food and all supplies of water,
2 the hero and the warrior,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty and the man of rank,
the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.
When the day comes, God will no longer wait. He will judge and take away his support to those who have rejected him.
4 “I will make mere youths their officials;
children will rule over them.”
Their rulers will be poorly equiped to lead.
5 People will oppress each other—
man against man, neighbor against neighbor.
The young will rise up against the old,
the nobody against the honored.
There will be fighting between the people.
6 A man will seize one of his brothers
in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
take charge of this heap of ruins!”
7 But in that day he will cry out,
“I have no remedy.
I have no food or clothing in my house;
do not make me the leader of the people.”
They will look for leaders and even those people will not be confident or prepared. They will have no solution.
8 Jerusalem staggers,
Judah is falling;
their words and deeds are against the LORD,
defying his glorious presence.
9 The look on their faces testifies against them;
they parade their sin like Sodom;
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
They have brought disaster upon themselves.
Those who are sinful will perish.
10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.
11 Woe to the wicked!
Disaster is upon them!
They will be paid back
for what their hands have done.
In the end the righhteous will be saved and the wicked will perish.
12 Youths oppress my people,
women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;
they turn you from the path.
Relying in themselves, the people will go their own way.
13 The LORD takes his place in court;
he rises to judge the people.
14 The LORD enters into judgment
against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder from the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people
and grinding the faces of the poor?”
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
When He judges he will ask about the things you have done without Him.
16 The LORD says,
“The women of Zion are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,
flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
the LORD will make their scalps bald.”
People will have placed much time and effort into material and will be proud and boasting about their possesions.
18 In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.
God will take them away, all the idolized material possesions.
24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench;
instead of a sash, a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;
instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;
instead of beauty, branding.
25 Your men will fall by the sword,
your warriors in battle.
26 The gates of Zion will lament and mourn;
destitute, she will sit on the ground.
God will take away all good things from those who reject Him.
Isaiah 4
2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
Those who remained in the Lord will be justified and cleansed by God and He will protect them and give them a place to live.
D.Fa
Disclaimer: Isaiah is a book of prophecy. Prophecies can be interpreted in many different ways and many have not yet come to fruition, so it is harder to determine exactly what will happen. In any case, my opinion may not be the correct one. Also, I have not done years of study on these passages, these are just my thoughts on what some verses may mean.
Prov 1
Proverbs 1
1-7
The first seven verses are a basic introduction with a purpose for the book. It says in verse 2 that the book is:
"2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight; "
and it goes into a bit more detail about what people at different places should get out of it.
"7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
I feel like this is an important verse. Like, truth comes from God, so if you are disregarding God than your are disregarding truth.
8-19
The next passage is speaking to his son, instructing him not to do as sinful men even when enticed.
"8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. "
This is a similar verse to the commandment "honor your father and your mother" (Exo 20:12) but it is refering more to what they teach you in specific. Why would your parents teach you anything to harm you. Also, the first part if God is our father and we are His children it is an instruction to pay attention to the Bible, I guess..? xP
" 10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
...
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood."
What I see from these verses is a young man being warned of temptation and the consequences. The sinful men try to tempt him with peer pressure and greed, but the warning is that if we do evil like the sinful men then we will be on the path to destruction.
"17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it."
In 17 it is saying that if you can see the temptation than it should be easy to avoid. The other two verses say that even though they are out to do harm to others, they are actually doing themselves harm by doing evil and will buy their own death. "for the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). But also, just being tempted is not a sin. 15 says 'do not set foot on their path', he is not on it yet, just by being tempted. Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matt 4. He never sinned.
20-33
These last verses are of someone, refered to as wisdom, speaking to 'you who are simple'. Wisdom is calling out to them and calling them to repent of their ways, but they do not accept, they choose to live the way the have been. So wisdom gives them over to what they want. If they don't want wisdom, then wisdom will do nothing for them. In 29 it says that they "did not choose to fear the LORD" which had not directly been mentioned until now. The last four verses are again that the wicked walk on the path to destruction, 'but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (33)
This, I think, is like when Jesus came to the world. He came and taught and yet people did not accept Him, they even crucified Him. This leaves two groups of people.
Those who reject him:
"30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them; "
and those who accept Him:
"33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."
In Jesus we have hope that He will return and make His new kingdom where there is no pain, no disease, no sin. God is good and his plan for us is good too.
Ya. Wisdom literature is hard. xP
D.Fa
1-7
The first seven verses are a basic introduction with a purpose for the book. It says in verse 2 that the book is:
"2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight; "
and it goes into a bit more detail about what people at different places should get out of it.
"7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
I feel like this is an important verse. Like, truth comes from God, so if you are disregarding God than your are disregarding truth.
8-19
The next passage is speaking to his son, instructing him not to do as sinful men even when enticed.
"8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. "
This is a similar verse to the commandment "honor your father and your mother" (Exo 20:12) but it is refering more to what they teach you in specific. Why would your parents teach you anything to harm you. Also, the first part if God is our father and we are His children it is an instruction to pay attention to the Bible, I guess..? xP
" 10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
...
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood."
What I see from these verses is a young man being warned of temptation and the consequences. The sinful men try to tempt him with peer pressure and greed, but the warning is that if we do evil like the sinful men then we will be on the path to destruction.
"17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it."
In 17 it is saying that if you can see the temptation than it should be easy to avoid. The other two verses say that even though they are out to do harm to others, they are actually doing themselves harm by doing evil and will buy their own death. "for the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). But also, just being tempted is not a sin. 15 says 'do not set foot on their path', he is not on it yet, just by being tempted. Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matt 4. He never sinned.
20-33
These last verses are of someone, refered to as wisdom, speaking to 'you who are simple'. Wisdom is calling out to them and calling them to repent of their ways, but they do not accept, they choose to live the way the have been. So wisdom gives them over to what they want. If they don't want wisdom, then wisdom will do nothing for them. In 29 it says that they "did not choose to fear the LORD" which had not directly been mentioned until now. The last four verses are again that the wicked walk on the path to destruction, 'but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (33)
This, I think, is like when Jesus came to the world. He came and taught and yet people did not accept Him, they even crucified Him. This leaves two groups of people.
Those who reject him:
"30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them; "
and those who accept Him:
"33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."
In Jesus we have hope that He will return and make His new kingdom where there is no pain, no disease, no sin. God is good and his plan for us is good too.
Ya. Wisdom literature is hard. xP
D.Fa
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Ps 1-3
Psalm 1-3
Psalm 1 is a contrast between the wicked and those who do not do as the wicked.
1:1-3
"1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers."
What I am drawing from these verses is not that there are two types of people, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23) so it is not sinners and non-sinners, but more that there are two ways to live your life, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matt 7:13-14) the way of the wicked which leads to destruction or in the way everlasting following what God wants for your life and having a personal relationship with Him which leads to life. A person who follows the narrow path is described as delighting in the law and meditating on it day and night. The results are that they continue to bear fruit and their leaves do not wither. If a leaf withers it can no longer photosynthsis and grow from the energy provided from the sun, but dies. Without daily submiting to God, we fall away back to our old selfish ways, the broad path and die spiritually. But if we follow the narrow path, with God we can do anything. (John 15:5) "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."
Psalm 2 is about how rulers gather together and do not believe in Him, but God is greater and could easily destroy them, but offers to adopt them as sons and would give them whatever they ask for.
7 I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
I feel like this has to do with after Jesus paid for our sins. When Jesus died he took all our sins on His shoulders and gave us His righteousness. (John 1:12) "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" and 8 is God saying that he will give us what we ask of him (Matt 7:7) "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" of course we recieve when we are children of God living in his word and walking on the narrow path, but he says he will give us the world.
12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
I see this as a warning to those who don't know Him personally as well as a guarentee to those who do. Kiss his son could mean love Jesus and believe in Him this would not happen if you were on the way that leads to destruction of which God hates. God is powerful enough to destroy all sin, He has flooded the world, He could right this second destroy all sin from the world, those of whom have trusted in Jesus' payment for their sin however are free from this and currently God's grace and love for us is what keeps His wrath from being fulfilled. He is giving you the oppourtunity to come to Him.
Psalm 3 is about David and I see him relying in God for everything. For protection, for life, for deliverance from persecution.
8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
From the Lord comes deliverance, He has given us life and everything He does is for the greater goal.
Ya. That is it for now. I guess. xP
Ttyl
D.Fa
Psalm 1 is a contrast between the wicked and those who do not do as the wicked.
1:1-3
"1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers."
What I am drawing from these verses is not that there are two types of people, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23) so it is not sinners and non-sinners, but more that there are two ways to live your life, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matt 7:13-14) the way of the wicked which leads to destruction or in the way everlasting following what God wants for your life and having a personal relationship with Him which leads to life. A person who follows the narrow path is described as delighting in the law and meditating on it day and night. The results are that they continue to bear fruit and their leaves do not wither. If a leaf withers it can no longer photosynthsis and grow from the energy provided from the sun, but dies. Without daily submiting to God, we fall away back to our old selfish ways, the broad path and die spiritually. But if we follow the narrow path, with God we can do anything. (John 15:5) "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."
Psalm 2 is about how rulers gather together and do not believe in Him, but God is greater and could easily destroy them, but offers to adopt them as sons and would give them whatever they ask for.
7 I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
I feel like this has to do with after Jesus paid for our sins. When Jesus died he took all our sins on His shoulders and gave us His righteousness. (John 1:12) "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" and 8 is God saying that he will give us what we ask of him (Matt 7:7) "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" of course we recieve when we are children of God living in his word and walking on the narrow path, but he says he will give us the world.
12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
I see this as a warning to those who don't know Him personally as well as a guarentee to those who do. Kiss his son could mean love Jesus and believe in Him this would not happen if you were on the way that leads to destruction of which God hates. God is powerful enough to destroy all sin, He has flooded the world, He could right this second destroy all sin from the world, those of whom have trusted in Jesus' payment for their sin however are free from this and currently God's grace and love for us is what keeps His wrath from being fulfilled. He is giving you the oppourtunity to come to Him.
Psalm 3 is about David and I see him relying in God for everything. For protection, for life, for deliverance from persecution.
8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
From the Lord comes deliverance, He has given us life and everything He does is for the greater goal.
Ya. That is it for now. I guess. xP
Ttyl
D.Fa
Why Is the Old Testament Awesome..?
So, you may be wondering why this blog exists (unless you read my other blog and remember a very out of place small short idea somewhere a while ago..?) and so this post will explain.
I am Christian. I have only been Christian for a few years, and so far I have not read the whole Old Testament, so this year I am going to read all of it. I got a Bible reading plan from Bibleplan.org.
This blog will be more about my thoughts and what conclusions I draw from the passages I read, but also about how the passage relates to the gospel..? You see, I went to this seminar at Campus For Christ's Winter Conference East about Why the Old Testament is awesome and on top of the fact that there are cool stories, every story points to Jesus whether by a character that is imperfect but is perfected in Jesus or some foreshadowing or prophesy or something. Jesus even says that the scriptures bear witness of Him. John 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, because byou think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me;"
So, ya. I in no way intend that everything I say will be perfect interpretation, and I am more than happy if you comment about them or your own opinions of the passage.
So, ya.
I'll begin right away and post everyday hopefully.
Ttyl.
D.Fa
PS. I will be using NIV for almost everything involved in this blog.
I am Christian. I have only been Christian for a few years, and so far I have not read the whole Old Testament, so this year I am going to read all of it. I got a Bible reading plan from Bibleplan.org.
This blog will be more about my thoughts and what conclusions I draw from the passages I read, but also about how the passage relates to the gospel..? You see, I went to this seminar at Campus For Christ's Winter Conference East about Why the Old Testament is awesome and on top of the fact that there are cool stories, every story points to Jesus whether by a character that is imperfect but is perfected in Jesus or some foreshadowing or prophesy or something. Jesus even says that the scriptures bear witness of Him. John 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, because byou think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me;"
So, ya. I in no way intend that everything I say will be perfect interpretation, and I am more than happy if you comment about them or your own opinions of the passage.
So, ya.
I'll begin right away and post everyday hopefully.
Ttyl.
D.Fa
PS. I will be using NIV for almost everything involved in this blog.
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