Friday, July 20, 2012

2 Chronicles 10

10.3  they sent...  It seems R. and his people were waiting for this moment.
10.5  This is one of those scream at the TV moments.
10.8  but he rejected...  I hadn't noticed or taken note of the fact that he rejected the wise adviser before he even heard his punk friends.  Seems to indicate his lack of sense.
10.15  so the king did not listen...  Bad move.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Hebrews 4ff

2.1  Therefore we must give the more earnest heed...
3.1 Therefore...consider...Christ... 
3.7  Therefore...do not harden your hearts...
3.10  Therefore I was angry with that generation...

4.1 seem to have...  So you wouldn't be able to tell for sure with some people.
4.1  Therefore...let us fear lest...
4.11  Let us therefore  be diligent...
6.1  Therefore...let us go on to perfection...
8.1  Now this is the main point...  This sounds like an important verse.





Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Ecclesiasties 7-12

7.1   a good name...  This concept seems to be implicit in many of the Proverbs, too.
7.3  another truth that is also reinforced in the NT passages like Romans 5, James 1, and 1 Peter 1.
7.8  These proverbs give evidence of much richer meaning if all the connections could be made.
7.21  another good reminder
8.13  I would like to think about the difference between "fear God" and "fear before God" sometime.
9.16  wisdom is better than strength...  especially in light of the fact that your strength usually goes first.
10.8-9   dangers of stated activities. (1) Digging a pit was an activity designed to catch a large animal. With that purpose in mind, the pit was disguised, making it possible that one could stumble into it oneself. (2) When a stone wall was dismantled, or when a breach was made in a wall for a gate, a farmer could unwittingly disturb a snake who had taken up residence among the cool stones. (3) The quarrying of rocks referred to here is probably not that done by professionals, because the other activities are all normal agrarian activities. The verb is used for quarrying but is also used in more general contexts that deal with uprooting or taking something out. Alternatively then, this line could refer to a farmer clearing stones from his field. Injury could come from dropped rocks, hernias or scraped arms. (4) Finally, the dangers inherent in splitting logs are easily recognizable. The axhead could fly off the handle or glance off the wood, resulting in serious injury.     ---Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary : Old Testament (electronic ed.) (Ec 10:9). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
10.17  Feasting for strength is an idea I will have to mull over for a while.
11.8  Romans 8.19-23 
12.1  I think that young people would be well served to ponder the second couplet of this verse as well as the first.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Ecclesiates

1.14  vanity and grasping for the wind...
1.17  grasping for the wind...  
2.17  all is vanity and grasping for the wind...
2.21  an interesting take on money we leave behind instead of sending ahead.
4.8  ...for whom do I toil?  This is a great question to ponder with implications beyond the context of this passage.
5.13  Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.
6.7  This reminds me of the saying, "You catch what you chase."  You can't satisfy your soul by feeding your body.

Proverbs 12 Speech and Deeds Part 2

4. Two Subunits on Speech and Deeds (12:1-28)
     (a) The First Subunit (1-14)  Introduction (1-3), Speech and One's Household (4-7), Deeds and Property (8-12), Janus Conclusion: Words and Deeds (13-14)
     (b) The Second Unit (12.15-28) Introduction (15), Wise and Foolish Speech (16-23), Diligent Work and Good speech (24-27), Conclusion (28) 
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"Chapter twelve consists of two subunits of proverbs of equal length dealing with speech and deeds (vv. 1-14, 15-28).  Each half begins with an educational aphorism contrasting the teachableness of the wise with the incorrigibility of the fool  (vv. 1-15) to encourage the son to accept the teachings that follow.  Each half concludes with a synthetic proverb--a rare phenomenon in Collection IIA...

Each subunit is divided into partial subunits that commence with an aphorism broadly characterizing the righteous and wicked and is drawn to a conclusion with aphorisms that affirm the permanence of the former and the impermanence of the latter: vv.1-3, 4-7, 8-12 (vv. 13-14 are a concluding janus), and vv. 16-19, 20-23, and 24-28.
"
       ---Bruce Waltke in NICOT  
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Introduction (15)
15 
The way of a fool seems right to him, 
but a wise man listens to advice.
Wise and Foolish Speech (16-23)
16                                    but
A fool                           a prudent man
shows                            overlooks
his annoyance             an insult.
at once,   
17                                             but
A truthful witness           a false witness
gives                                        tells
honest testimony,                lies.  
 18                                      but
Reckless              (2)  of the wise
words                      (1)   the tongue
pierce                              brings
like a sword,                  healing.  
19                                 but
Truthful lips          a lying tongue
endure                        lasts
forever,                      only a moment.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20                                but
There is                     - - -
deceit                         joy
 in the hearts         - - -
of those who            for those who
plot                            promote
evil,                           peace.  
21                                       but
No harm                    (3)  of trouble.
befalls                        (2)  have their fill
the righteous,           (1)  the wicked  
22                                 but
The LORD                  He
detests                       delights
lying lips,                  in men who are truthful.  
22lying lips... Words. 
22truthful...  Deeds.

23                                 but
- - -                               the heart of
A prudent man         fools
keeps                          blurts out
his knowledge           folly.
to himself,            
23  Notice how the similarity between vv. 16 and 23 fame this section.

Diligent Work and Good speech (24-27)
24                                  but
Diligent hands           laziness
will rule,                      ends in slave labor.  
25                                           but
An anxious heart                a kind word
weighs a man down,          cheers him up.  
26                                           but
                                                the way of 
A righteous man                 the wicked
is cautious                            - - -
in friendship,                       - - -
- - -                                         leads them astray.  
27                                       but
The lazy man                  the diligent man
does not roast                 prizes
his game,                         his possessions. 
Conclusion (28) 
28
In the way of righteousness         along that path
there is life;                                      is immortality.
28  This a a good word for the person addressed in verses 1 and 15.