Today’s Bible Reading
March 14
Old Testament I
Exodus 31
31:3 filled him with the Spirit of God:
This wonderful phrase is indicative of the work of the Holy Spirit during Old Testament times. We are familiar with the “filling of the Spirit” that came upon the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2) and brought into being the new community of faith, the church. But we often neglect the work of the Spirit among the Israelites. Passages such as this one help us to see the continuity of God’s work among His people through the ages. In this case, the Spirit empowered uniquely gifted people to design and build a tabernacle befitting a holy and magnificent God.
This scripture is the establishment of the fact that wisdom, knowledge and understanding belongs to God and we should feel free to ask Him if we are lacking any in our business, investment, and plans e.t.c. God is able to give us wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
31:15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
31:17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.
There’s controversy of having Sunday services on sabbath day or if the day is meant for total rest (no business or work), but we will be focusing on a different aspect in this exposition.
On the seventh day God rested and was refreshed (Exodus 31:17)
It’s okay to rest when you have worked. If God could rest, God is trying to tell us it’s okay for us to rest too after working. There’s no glory in overworking yourself. Take time to rest.
31:18 an end of speaking
When Moses returned to the people, the Spirit of God directed him to recall the amazing complex of details, ideas, and concepts of holy worship. The two tablets of the Testimony, similar to ancient treaties, bore the Ten Commandments on each tablet. Both tablets were kept together before God in His holy tabernacle. The stone emphasized the permanence of the Word of God. The finger of God is a bold anthropomorphism (a quality of God expressed as a human characteristic) that underscores the divine origin of the Law. Scholars of religion have long spoken of Israel’s religious ideas as its unique contribution to civilization, much as the Greeks developed philosophy and the Romans displayed a genius for organization and empire-building. Yet such a comparison misses the point of Scripture. The Ten Commandments were not the product of man, but the revelation of the Lord.
Old Testament 2
Psalms 79 & 80
Psalm 79, a lament of the community (see Ps. 80), was written in response to an attack on the city of Jerusalem and the sacking of the holy temple. In these respects this psalm is similar to Ps. 74. It is possible that the event behind the psalm was the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians; however, it may have been an earlier, less final devastation.
The development of the poem is as follows:
a lament for the devastation of Jerusalem (vv. 1–4);
a call for God to punish the enemies of Judah and Jerusalem (vv. 5–7);
a plea for forgiveness and deliverance (vv. 8–10);
a prayer for God to help His people and judge their enemies (vv. 11, 12);
a vow of praise in anticipation of the Lord’s deliverance (v. 13).
Psalm 80, a lament of the community, has especially powerful imagery.
The psalm is marked by two metaphors for Israel in its relation to God:
the flock of the Good Shepherd;
the vine of the True Vinedresser. Both of these metaphors are used by Jesus of His people in the NT (John 10; 15). This is one of Asaph’s psalms (Ps. 50; 73–83) and is set to the tune “The Lilies” (Ps. 45; 69).
The structure of the poem is as follows:
a call for the Shepherd of Israel to restore the distressed (vv. 1–3);
a complaint concerning the Lord’s anger against His people (vv. 4–7);
the metaphor of a vine (vv. 8–13);
an appeal for God to return, revive, and restore Israel (vv. 14–19).
New Testament
Acts 18:23 - 19:20
There is a place of growth for every believer. The bible recorded, Alexandria was an eloquent man, MIGHTY in Scriptures, he had been instructed in the way of the Lord, he was fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the lord…notice the word used next isn’t “but”, it says “though”.. which means his trait not to preach more accurately isn’t an inadequacy or was he condemned for it. There’s always a place of growth, Alexandria wasn’t condemned as written here.
He wasn’t discouraged by Aquila and Priscila, they called him privately to explain the way of God to him more accurately.
It wasn’t just Aquila and Priscilla, the other brethren also supported Alexandria that they gave him a letter of recommendation when he was going to meet the disciples, and the bible recorded when he got there, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace.
Imagine if they had condemned him, he wouldn’t have been able to help those people.
Let’s learn to be graceful like Aquila, Priscilla & the brethren.
19:4 Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus
19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
19:6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke
This passage talks about two types of baptism. Alexandria only knew about the water baptism of John, which is accurate. More accurately, is the baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is very important. It’s recorded in John 4:24; that God is Spirit and those who will worship him will worship Him in truth and in Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer can not be overemphasised. One of which is the Holy Spirit is our comforter.
19:3 Baptism was a ritual used by the Jews as a picture of cleansing and purification. Gentiles who converted to Judaism would go through the rite of purification as their first act of worship. They would dip themselves in water as a sign of being cleansed from their old way of life. Before entering into the temple to worship, Jews would dip themselves in ritual bathing pools to show their desire for purification. But the dipping performed by John the Baptist was a call for repentance rather than mere ritual cleansing. His baptism was a call to people to turn to God and to identify with the coming Messiah who would forgive their sins (see Matt. 3:1–12).
19:5 in the name of the Lord Jesus: This phrase was a declaration of ownership, an identification with Jesus as Lord and Savior of one’s life.
19:6 laid hands on them: The Holy Spirit was received without the laying on of hands in 10:44–48. By laying on his hands here, Paul was demonstrating his apostolic authority. He was also affirming the unity of the new church in Ephesus with the church in Jerusalem, whose members were also empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in foreign languages (2:4, 11). This speaking in tongues was a sign to others that they were part of the body of Christ (see 1 Cor. 14:22).
Action Point
Ask God for wisdom knowledge and understanding for yourself or for your friend or for your children
Have time to rest
Determine to excel in your chosen field
Let’s learn to be graceful like Aquila, Priscilla & the brethren.
Give people a chance to grow, don't be quick to condemn.
Tarry for the power of the Holy Spirit (believe in your heart, prepare your heart, ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit. God is more willing to fill you than you know)
Quote
As the sun can be seen only by its own light, so christ can be known only by his own spirit
-Robert Leighton
Just as the right relationship with christ generates a christian, so the proper relationship with the Holy Spirit breeds a spiritual man
-Watchman Nee
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding
-Proverbs 2:6
If any of you lacks wisdom you should ask God
-James 1:5
Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates it because he wants you stressed and occupied
-Daystar
The Christian ministry is difficult, and we must not be lazy or trite. However, we often place burdens upon ourselves and make demands upon ourselves that are not according to the will of God. The more I know God and understand His perfect work on my behalf, the more I am able to rest.
-Paul Washer
When is a revival needed? When carelessness and unconcern keep the people asleep.
-Billy Sunday
True revival is that divine moment when God bursts upon the scene and displays his glory
-Del Febsenfeld Jr
Prayer Points
Thank God for his blessings
Thank God for HIs Grace
Thank God for being your perfection
Thank God for the gift of brethren
Pray for forgiveness of sins & ask God for mercy
Pray for the power of Holy Spirit
Pray for the gift of Holy Spirit
Pray for wisdom, knowledge and understanding
Pray for the spirit of obedience
Pray for the spirit to be graceful to others
#BibleInAYearChallenge
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