3/20/12

Its not the "how", but rather the doing!!!


I confess: I have been a star trek fan since the original series.  And, of all the various TV shows, I think I like the "...Next Generation" the best.  Frankly, it seems the most realistic to me (if you will allow me to actually use those two concepts together).  This picture caught my attention because I have been thinking a lot about computer "tablets" lately.  My wife has a new one and a good friend at church actually bought an Ipad.  Tablets are marvelous gadgets and I think what I like the most about mine is that it replaces a standard paper Bible(s).  Because of the true portability factor, it is a vast improvement over the laptop, which is itself an improvement over the desktop.  How things have changed over the past forty years!!!  But, no matter how you read it, the word of God stays the same and has true value...


WEB: II Timothy Chapter 3

[14] But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. [15] From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. [16] Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,

The day you actually learn that you can't know everything, can't do everything is a tough day indeed!!!  However, its a great day as well, because knowing your limitations is a very healthy step towards accurate self knowledge.  This in turn leads to a proper perspective of life and ultimately to God.  Whether you learn God's word from a parchment, a codex (bound book) an e-mail, twitter or tablet, its power to mold human beings remains omnipotent, just like its author.  Personally, I like the Kindle fire, but hey, that's just me.  Choose whatever you want, but make sure you use it.... you will be glad you did!!!!

Mar. 20 Exodus 34, 35


Mar. 20
Exodus 34, 35

Exo 34:1 Yahweh said to Moses, "Chisel two stone tablets like the first: and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.
Exo 34:2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.
Exo 34:3 No one shall come up with you; neither let anyone be seen throughout all the mountain; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mountain."
Exo 34:4 He chiseled two tablets of stone like the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai, as Yahweh had commanded him, and took in his hand two stone tablets.
Exo 34:5 Yahweh descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Yahweh.
Exo 34:6 Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, "Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,
Exo 34:7 keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children's children, on the third and on the fourth generation."
Exo 34:8 Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.
Exo 34:9 He said, "If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us; although this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance."
Exo 34:10 He said, "Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been worked in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among which you are shall see the work of Yahweh; for it is an awesome thing that I do with you.
Exo 34:11 Observe that which I command you this day. Behold, I drive out before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Exo 34:12 Be careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare in the midst of you:
Exo 34:13 but you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and you shall cut down their Asherim;
Exo 34:14 for you shall worship no other god: for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
Exo 34:15 Don't make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest they play the prostitute after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and one call you and you eat of his sacrifice;
Exo 34:16 and you take of their daughters to your sons, and their daughters play the prostitute after their gods, and make your sons play the prostitute after their gods.
Exo 34:17 You shall make no cast idols for yourselves.
Exo 34:18 "You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib; for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt.
Exo 34:19 All that opens the womb is mine; and all your livestock that is male, the firstborn of cow and sheep.
Exo 34:20 The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb: and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. No one shall appear before me empty.
Exo 34:21 "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.
Exo 34:22 You shall observe the feast of weeks with the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of harvest at the year's end.
Exo 34:23 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord Yahweh, the God of Israel.
Exo 34:24 For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither shall any man desire your land when you go up to appear before Yahweh, your God, three times in the year.
Exo 34:25 "You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passover be left to the morning.
Exo 34:26 You shall bring the first of the first fruits of your ground to the house of Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk."
Exo 34:27 Yahweh said to Moses, "Write you these words: for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
Exo 34:28 He was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
Exo 34:29 It happened, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mountain, that Moses didn't know that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him.
Exo 34:30 When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him.
Exo 34:31 Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them.
Exo 34:32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them all of the commandments that Yahweh had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
Exo 34:33 When Moses was done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
Exo 34:34 But when Moses went in before Yahweh to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and he came out, and spoke to the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
Exo 34:35 The children of Israel saw Moses' face, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Exo 35:1 Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, "These are the words which Yahweh has commanded, that you should do them.
Exo 35:2 'Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh: whoever does any work in it shall be put to death.
Exo 35:3 You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.' "
Exo 35:4 Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which Yahweh commanded, saying,
Exo 35:5 'Take from among you an offering to Yahweh. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, Yahweh's offering: gold, silver, brass,
Exo 35:6 blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair,
Exo 35:7 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
Exo 35:8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,
Exo 35:9 onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
Exo 35:10 " 'Let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that Yahweh has commanded:
Exo 35:11 the tabernacle, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
Exo 35:12 the ark, and its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen;
Exo 35:13 the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the show bread;
Exo 35:14 the lampstand also for the light, with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light;
Exo 35:15 and the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle;
Exo 35:16 the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of brass, it poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base;
Exo 35:17 the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;
Exo 35:18 the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords;
Exo 35:19 the finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.' "
Exo 35:20 All the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
Exo 35:21 They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and brought Yahweh's offering, for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all of its service, and for the holy garments.
Exo 35:22 They came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought brooches, earrings, signet rings, and armlets, all jewels of gold; even every man who offered an offering of gold to Yahweh.
Exo 35:23 Everyone, with whom was found blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, and sea cow hides, brought them.
Exo 35:24 Everyone who did offer an offering of silver and brass brought Yahweh's offering; and everyone, with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.
Exo 35:25 All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.
Exo 35:26 All the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats' hair.
Exo 35:27 The rulers brought the onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastplate;
Exo 35:28 and the spice, and the oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
Exo 35:29 The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to Yahweh; every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work, which Yahweh had commanded to be made by Moses.
Exo 35:30 Moses said to the children of Israel, "Behold, Yahweh has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
Exo 35:31 He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
Exo 35:32 and to make skillful works, to work in gold, in silver, in brass,
Exo 35:33 in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of skillful workmanship.
Exo 35:34 He has put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
Exo 35:35 He has filled them with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship, and of those who make skillful works.

"THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES" Chapter Nine by Mark Copeland

"THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES"

                              Chapter Nine

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER

1) To reflect upon the inevitability of death, and the uncertainty of
   life

2) To consider how time and chance happens to all

3) To appreciate the importance of a joyful, diligent life, and heeding
   the words of the wise

SUMMARY

The Preacher continues to share counsel gleaned from observations on
life made during his search for meaning.  He noted that all things come
alike to all, it matters not that you are righteous or wicked.  One
thing that certainly happens to all is death, after which one is soon
forgotten and has no share in this life (things done "under the sun"). 
Should one therefore despair?  No, the Preacher again encourages us to
live joyfully, especially with the wife of our youth, and to work
diligently in what time we have in this life.  Once you die, you won't
be able to continue your efforts in the grave.  This is our portion in
life, and God has already accepted our works (1-10).

The Preacher also observed that time and chance happens to all, and that
evil times come suddenly.  The uncertainty of life can be softened with
the aid of wisdom, which the Preacher praises as better than strength
and the weapons of war.  Thus the words of the wise should be heard,
even when spoken softly, or coming from a poor man (11-18).

OUTLINE

I. ENDURING THE INEVITABILITY OF DEATH (9:1-10)

   A. DEATH HAPPENS TO ALL (1-6)
      1. It happens to both the righteous and the wicked
         a. While the righteous are in God's hands
         b. And the sons of men are full of evil
      2. While we live, there is hope; when we die...
         a. We know nothing of what goes on here on earth
         b. Others' memory of us soon fades

   B. ENJOY LIFE (7-10)
      1. While death is inevitable, we should still enjoy life
      2. Live joyfully with the wife God has given you
      3. Work diligently while you are here; you won't be able to do
         anymore after you die

II. ENDURING THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE (9:11-18)

   A. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED (11-12)
      1. Time and chance happens to all
         a. Being swift and strong does not mean you will always win
         b. Being wise, understanding, and skillful does not always
            ensure food, riches, or favor
      2. Sometimes death will come unexpectedly, like animals caught in
         a trap

   B. ESTEEM WISDOM (13-18)
      1. The Preacher saw how wisdom saved a city
         a. Even though found in a poor man
         b. Even though the man was soon forgotten
      2. Therefore he praises the value of wisdom
         a. As better than strength, though a poor man's wisdom is often
            despised
         b. As better than weapons of war, though spoken quietly by the
            wise

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER

1) What are the main points of this chapter?
   - Enduring the inevitability of death (1-10)
   - Enduring the uncertainty of life (11-18)

2) What did the Preacher consider about the righteous and the wise? (1)
   - They and their works are in the hand of God

3) What two observations did he make regarding the righteous and the
   wicked? (2-3)
   - All things come alike to all
   - One thing happens to all

4) What one event does he discuss that happens to everyone? (3-5)
   - Death

5) What two things does he see in the hearts of men? What happens to
   them? (3)
   - Evil, madness; they die

6) Who still has hope?  Why? (4-5)
   - Those who are living
   - For they know they will die

7) What is said of the dead? (5-6)
   - They know nothing, they have no more reward
   - The memory of them is forgotten
   - Their love, hatred, and envy have perished
   - They no longer have a share in things done "under the sun"

8) What does the Preacher counsel the living to do? (7-10)
   - Eat and drink your food with joy
   - Adorn yourself with good apparel
   - Live joyfully with the wife of your youth
   - Work diligently

9) What reasons does he give for such counsel? (7-10)
   - God has already accepted your works
   - That is your portion in life
   - There is no work, device, knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave

10) What other observations did the Preacher make about life? (11-12)
   - Time and chance happen to all men, despite their strength, wisdom,
     or skill
   - Evil times often come suddenly upon men

11) What observations did he make about the value of wisdom? (13-18)
   - Wisdom is better than strength
   - A poor man's wisdom is often despised
   - Quiet words of the wise should be heard rather than the shout of a
     ruler of fools
   - Wisdom is better than weapons of war