Bible interpretation

“Wisdom, a divine attribute”

anitag10 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:21:22 +0000

Proverbs 1:20-33 was written by Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. Solomon was the son of David and Bethsheba. He was born 1033 B.C. Solomon was “beloved of the Lord”. He was only eighteen when he received the throne from King David (1 Kings 1:28-53). While King of Israel, in a dream, God asked Solomon “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon answered, “give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9). Solomon received a wise and discerning heart from God because Solomon didn’t act selfishly and ask for things that would gratify his own being.

Proverbs 1:20-33 was written as a warning, not to reject Wisdom. Who do we get Wisdom from? If we reject Wisdom, we are rejecting, turning away from and being disobedient to God. In this passage Wisdom is personified as a divine attribute (characteristic) devoted to counsel, give advise and caution the Israelites. You can find her (Wisdom) wherever you find people gathering. The Israelites gathered in the gateways of the city, noisy streets and public squares. In this particular passage Wisdom is cautioning them not to be ignorant, not to reject the truth, to turn away from self gratification, and not to be a fool. If they rebuke what God has said to them they will experience misery, great misfortune and/or disaster. Wisdom is advising them to be obedient and listen to God and they will live safely and without fear.

Proverbs was originally written in Hebrew. Da’ath is the Hebrew word for knowledge. In the Hebrew lexicon it means to knowledge, perception, skill, discernment, understanding and wisdom. In the Strong’s lexicon it means knowledge. Chokmah is the Hebrew word for Wisdom. In the Hebrew lexicon it means wisdom. In the Strong’s lexicon skillful, wisdom, wisely, wit. Kciul is the Hebrew word for fools. In the Hebrew lexicon it means fool, stupid fellow, dullard, simpleton, and arrogant one. In the Strong’s lexicon stupid, silly, foolish.

Although the passage was originally written to the Israelites, it means the same thing to us today. If we rebuke God and don’t listen to him, we are fools. If we listen to him and are obedient to him he takes care of us and keeps us safe. That doesn’t mean nothing terrible will ever happen to us. Sometimes we do go through suffering and misery when we haven’t done anything wrong but out of the suffering comes triumph. God always keeps us safe. Knowing this we can have comfort without fear of harm.

“Unfailing Love”

anitag10 — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:07:02 +0000

The book of Psalms is full of musical poetry. The Psalms are full of deep emotions written down by the writer. Each one is unique and different. Psalm 6 in particular was written by David as a prayer of repentance to God. This was a time when David had sinned against God. David had slept with a married woman (Bethsheba) and she became pregnant. David sent her husband (Uriah the Hittite) into the frontline of a battle to die. Bethsheba bore David a son that died of sickness because of David’s sin. Later, David had to flee from Jerusalem in order not to be killed by his own son Absalom (2 Sam 11-15). David was at his weakest state and was looking for mercy and forgiveness from God.

Psalm 6 is a prayer of repentance to God from David. David had sinned against God and was lamenting over the absence of God in his life. David was feeling he was being reprimanded and punished for the sins he had committed. David prayed for forgiveness and the restoration of his blessings. “The blessings which we ask from God flow from the fountain of his goodness, and that we are then, and then only, delivered from calamities and chastisements.” David desired to be saved from death. He did not want to go to hell over the sins he committed. He wanted to keep living to give praise, gratitude and thanksgiving to God. David would cry in anguish night after night to the point his eyes showed his grief. Then David turned his grievance into trust and deliverance. “The Lord has heard my supplication, The Lord receives my prayer.” God forgave David for his own iniquities.

Psalm 6 was originally written in Hebrew. Umlal is the Hebrew word for weak. In Strong’s lexicon it translates sick or weak. In the Hebrew lexicon it translates to weak or feeble. David was not sick. I like the Hebrew lexicon translation better. Bakah is the Hebrew word for weeping. In Strong’s it translates weeping, dripping, overflowing, wept. In the Hebrew it translates to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears. Both of these translations are really good. They paint a good picture of what was happening to David when he was weeping.

We can learn a lot of things by reading the Psalms. In Psalm 6 we can learn to go to God no matter what is going on in our lives. When we feel there is no means of delivering us from affliction, and when all seems desperate or hopeless, then we are delivered by the power of God contrary to all expectation. God is always with us. He is always there waiting for us to talk to him. He so desires to have a relationship with us no matter who you are or what you have done. God has an unfailing love. It is only us that separates us from him.

“The adulterous wife, Israel”

anitag10 — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:26:51 +0000

The Book of Hosea is the first book of the minor prophets in the Old Testament. Hosea’s prophetic years spanned from 784 to 723 BC. He lived around the same time that Amos did in Israel and that Isaiah and Micah did in Judah. Hosea prophesied in the kingdom of Israel and continued after the first captivity of the northern kingdom by Assyria. It was a time when Jeraboam II was on the throne and Israel was at the peak of its earthly splendor which led to its decline and fall. Israels sins brought them great national disasters. Hosea’s prophesies were a message from God to Israel to reveal “Israel is Jehovah’s adulterous wife, repudiated, but ultimately to be purified and restored”.

In Hosea 6:6-7 God is telling Israel he desires mercy and faith rather than sacrifices and burnt offerings. He desires for the people to have knowledge of him which produces love and holy fear and provides faith and reverence toward him. (The outward worship of God, and all legal ceremonies, are included under the name of sacrifice and burnt-offerings.) The Israelites were arrogant and boasted in vain about their sacrifices. They rejected Gods knowledge and neglected the spiritual aspect of worshipping God. Don’t get me wrong, God did desire sacrifices and burnt offerings but with the right attitude and heart. God wants us to have mercy, faith, love, and reverence toward him. As Calvin’s commentary says it, “My design was, when I appointed the sacrifices and the whole legal worship, to lead you so to myself, that there might be nothing carnal or earthly in your sacrificing; but ye have corrupted the whole law; you have been perverse interpreters; for sacrifices have been nothing else among you but mockery as if it were a satisfaction to me to have an ox or a ram killed. You have then transgressed my covenant; and it is nothing that the people say to me, that they have diligently performed the outward ceremonies, for such a worship is not in the least valued by me.” In Hosea 7, the prophesy is a continuation of verse 6. Israel had violated the covenant and betrayed God by performing sacrifices and burnt offerings as aif they were an every day chore.

Hosea was originally written in Hebrew. Abar is the Hebrew word for transgress. In Strongs and in the Hebrew lexicon abar means to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress. The Hebrew lexicon broke down the translations for easier reading and understanding. Bagad is the Hebrew word for treacherous. In Strongs it means to deal deceitfully, offend, transgress, or unfaithful. In the Hebrew lexicon bagad means to act treacherously, faithlessly, deceitfully, or offend. They both have very good translations.

The prophecy in Hosea 6:6-7 today has the same meaning. God desires our worship to be from our hearts and he desires our attitudes to be in the right place. He desires us to have knowledge of him to develop love and have holy fear toward him. God wants us to spiritually worship him. The circumstances are different today. We are not Israel. We don’t perform sacrifices or burnt offerings but we do outwardly worship God rather it be through our lives, singing praises to him, praying, etc. We also have ceremonies we perform. We celebrate Christmas and Easter for example. Are our hearts and attitudes in the right place when we are celebrating these occasions or are we doing it for ourselves, to make us look good from the outside? I think that even though we are not Israel, we can still be the adulterous wife.

“Be wise, don’t be a fool”

anitag10 — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:12:00 +0000

The gospel of Matthew was written, of course, by Matthew. He was a disciple of Jesus Christ. The book was most likely written 60-65 A.D. before the destruction of Jerusalem. It was written to the Jewish Christians of Palestine to prove that Jesus was and is the promised Messiah, and that in him the ancient prophecies have been fulfilled. This book is “the Gospel of the Kingdom”. The kingdom of heaven is used 32 times.

In passage Matthew 11:16-19 Jesus is teaching and preaching in the towns of Galilee. Jesus had just gotten done talking to John’s disciples and he turned to speak to the crowd that was with him. Jesus asks the crowd “To what can I compare this generation?” He is talking about the people living at that time. The people of that generation are like children in the marketplace. A marketplace is where goods were displayed for sale, and where public assemblies and trials were held. The children were judging others in this passage. That generation was judging John saying He had a demon. They also judged Jesus saying he is a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. You cannot judge a person by their appearance. You have to be wise and watch the actions of that person and what comes forth through the actions. Through wisdom alone, it would have been revealed that John was a prophet and Jesus is the Son of God and the messiah they had been waiting for. Who do we get wisdom from? GOD!

The book of Matthew was originally written in Greek. Agora is the greek word for Marketplace. In the Lexicon the definition is any assembly, especially of the people, for public debating for elections, trials, buying and selling, and all kinds of business, or market place, street. In the Strong’s it means town-square, marketplace or street. They both have similar meanings but for the time that Jesus walked the earth, I believe the lexicon has the more accurate definition. It gives you a better idea of what was going on in the marketplace. Hamartolos is the greek word for sinner. In the Lexicon the definition is to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin-devoted to sin, a sinner, not free from sin, pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked, all wicked men, specifically of men stained with certain definite vices or crimes, tax collectors, heathen. In the Strong’s it means sinful, sinner. Again, I believe the lexicon has the more accurate definition for that era.

We can apply the original meaning of the parable of the little children today by NOT judging. We definitely cannot compare the marketplace from then to now. When I think of a marketplace, I think of the grocery store. That is so different that the marketplace back then. We now go to courts or specific meeting places for debates or trials. All I have to say is be wise and don’t be a fool. Don’t judge at all. Really, it is God’s responsibility to do that, not ours. I know that it is difficult not to. It is human nature to observe everything around us and gain an opinion on what we see. Through God’s holy spirit, wisdom and knowledge we don’t need to judge. It takes practice though to get into the habit of not judging. Pray to God and read the bible daily to keep you on the right track.

How Humble Art Thou!!

anitag10 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:14:45 +0000

The book of John was written by John the Apostle. It was probably written in 78 AD, nearly 30 years after Mark, Matthew and Luke. John was in Ephesus and Jerusalem had been destroyed. It was written mainly to Christians to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and by believing he is the Son of God you can have eternal life. “It was the Gospel for the Church, to cultivate and cherish the spiritual life of Christians, and bring them into the closest relations to the divine Saviour. It gives the inner life and teachings of Christ as revealed to his disciples. Nearly two-thirds of the whole book belong to the last six months of our Lords life, and one-third is the record of the last week“.

In John 13:1-5, Jesus knew God had given him power over all things, that he was going to be leaving this world and go to be with the Father. Jesus expressed the extent of his love to his disciples through a humble service of foot-washing. The time was just before Passover dinner in Jerusalem, the night Jesus was betrayed. Jesus already knew that Judas Iscariot was going to betray him. Jesus took off his outer garment which left him with his tunic (shorter garment, like a long undershirt). When Jesus tied the linen cloth around his waist he was doing something that would be required of a gentile slave. It was Jewish tradition then to perform a ritual cleansing prior to the Passover meal. The only issue was they had to walk along dusty roads get to where the Feast was taking place, which meant by the time they got there, their feet were dirty. Not even the Jewish slaves performed this menial task. Slaves were looked down upon in the Ancient days (Tyndale N.T. Commentary; Colin Kruse; pg 278-283). Jesus didn’t think he was above performing a menial service. Foot-washing was something wives did for their husbands, children for their parents, and disciples for their teachers. The intent of the passage is to demonstrate the love and great humility Jesus has. You also have to go further into the passage (John 13:13-17) to learn the lesson behind the foot-washing. The lesson was that NO servant is greater than his master, nor is the messenger greater than the one who sent him. We are not to think of anything as below us so we can promote God’s Glory. We call Jesus Lord, Savior, and Master. We cannot be better than Jesus and Jesus acted as a slave when he performed the foot-washing. This lesson relates to the Book of John because it brings us closer to who Jesus was.

The book of John was originally written in Greek. Lention is the greek word for “towel” . In Strong’s concordanance it means “linen” cloth, apron, or towel. In the Lexicon it means the towel or apron with which servants put on when about to work. Mathetes is the greek word for disciple. In Strong’s it means a learner, pupil, disciple. In the Lexiconit means a learner, pupil, disciple. Nipter is the greek word for basin. In Strong’s it means a ewer, bason (bason is another word for basin). In the Lexicon it means a vessel for washing the hands and the feet, a basin. All the translations are good. I didn’t see any huge differences between them.

The passage has the same meaning today as it did. We are not to think of ourselves as better than anyone else. There is a difference in the historical context though. The culture’s are different today. Today it is not the slave that is looked down upon, it is slavery that is looked down upon. Thank GOD! I do think that we look down at people that might not have as high an education as we do, make as much money as we do, etc. As far as foot-washing goes, I don’t think that it is a ritual prior to eating passover but some people and churches will perform foot-washing to demonstrate humility. We don’t have to perform just foot-washing to demonstrate humility though. When’s the last time you performed a menial task for your co-worker, spouse, friend or neighbor?

“Live by the Spirit”

anitag10 — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:51:05 +0000

Paul founded the Christian churches in Galatia, a Roman province, and wrote a letter to them called Galatians. The churches seem to have been composed of Jewish and gentile converts. They were under the influence of the Judaizing teachers. These teachers were trying to combine the laws of Judaism with the rites of Christianity. They were teaching the gentile Christians that they were not saved unless they obeyed the Jewish laws. Laws such as circumcision, eating special foods, and celebrating the Jewish holidays. The teachers were also teaching that Paul did not have God’s authority so he shouldn’t be listened to. They had succeeded in persuading a majority of the churches to adopt their views. This epistle was written to counteract what the Judaizing teachers were trying to teach. Paul writes that his authority is from God and that we cannot be saved from our sins by obeying the law.

Paul’s intent in Galatians 5:16-26 was to let the Christians know that “it is not by putting oneself under the law that one has power against sin. It is the Spirit (given in virtue of the ascension of Christ our righteousness, to the right hand of God) who is the Christian’s strength.” Paul teaches that the flesh and the Spirit conflict with each other. If we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the law. If we live by the Spirit, naturally we demonstrate the fruit and we automatically abide by the laws so we are not slaves to trying to live by the laws. This passage fits into the whole letter that Paul wrote because, remember, the letter was written to inform the Galatians that they are NOT saved from their sins by obeying the law but by living by the Spirit. You will find the fruits of the Spirit in this passage.

Galatians was originally written in Greek. The word “Spirit” in Gal 5:16 in greek is pneumo. In the Strong’s concordance means God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy Spirit. In the lexicon it means the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son. Both are accurate translations. The word “the fruit” in Gal 5:22, in greek is karpos. In the Strong’s the word means literally or figuratively – fruit. In the lexicon it means that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result. The lexicon translation is more accurate because Paul was writing about what comes from the Spirit.

We can apply the principles taught by Paul in the passage Gal 5:16-26 today by knowing the fruit of the Spirit and the acts of sinful nature. Being aware of both will bring awareness to ourselves rather we are walking in flesh or by the Spirit. It is important to know the fruit of the Spirit because “Those who bear these fruits find no law interfering with them” and “The fruits named in Gal 5:22-23 are not our fruits, but the fruit of the Spirit in us. If we bear these fruits, we show that we have the Spirit within us.” It means the same thing today as it did when Paul wrote the letter, the only difference is that it may not be Judaizing teachers teaching those things today. It could be your priest, pastor, neighbor, even a friend or relative. It is not through the laws that we inherit the kingdom of God. It is through living by the Spirit under its guidance and direction that dwells within us that we inherit the kingdom of God.