Gen 37, 39-44

Genesis 37
37.3 Since the Hebrew word describing it is used only here, it is difficult to be certian which type of quality characterizes the coat. Egyptian painting of this period depict well-dressed Canaanites wearing long-sleeved, embroidered garments with a fringed scarf wrapped diagonally from waist to knee. --IVP BBCOT
37.3 But in truth it was not a "coat of many colors," but a tunic reaching down to the arms and feet, such as princes and persons of distinction wore,* and it betokened to Joseph's brothers only too clearly, that their father intended to transfer to Joseph the right of the first-born. We know that the three oldest sons of Leah had unfitted themselves for it - Simon and Levi by their cruelty at Shechem, and Reuben by his crime at the "watchtower of the flock." What more natural than to bestow the privilege on the first-born of her whom Jacob had intended to make his only wife? ——Alfred Edersheim in TBHOT
37.24 The cisterns wee usually pear-shaped reseboirs, having relatively small openings at the top and larger hoolowed-out areas below to hole the water--although some of them were simply round or square holes in the ground. --NM&CofB
...some cisterns were constructed so they could be co verd with a stone and still allwo water to run into the cistern when it rained. --NM&CofB The prophet Jeremiah was also imprisoned by Malchiah, Indg Zedekiah's son, in a cistern that had been dug in the courtyard of a prison. --NM&CofB
37.34 Sackcloth was a rough cloth made of camel's hair, goat hair, hemp, cotton, or flax. ...worn as a sign of mourning or pentince. --NM&CofB
37.36 ...was responsible for the security of the kig's prisoners and for executing their sentences upon them. He was also the official guardian of the person, or body, of the king--the chief of the king's bodyguard. --NM&CofB
37.35 arose to comfort him… What a pitiful scene with Joseph's hating murderous siblings trying to comfort dad.
But even his bitterest lamentation expressed the hope and faith that he would meet his loved son in another world - for, he said: "I will go down into the grave (or into Sheol) unto my son, mourning. ——Alfred Edersheim in TBHOT Except by an incidental reference to it in the later confession of his brothers (Genesis 42:21), we are not told either of the tears or the entreaties with which Joseph vainly sought to move his brethren, nor of his journey into Egypt. ——Alfred Edersheim in TBHOT
I can only imagine how hard and "cold-blooded" and heartless his brothers must have been to sell him, crying and sobbing for mercy, to the slave traders.


Skipping 38 in a study of Joseph


Genesis 39
39.2 The Lord was with him... This was the real key to his success.
39.3 His master saw tha the Lord was with him... Again the Lord, not just personal talent.
39.9 How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? After all the talk about Potipher and his responsibility to him, it is God that he is concerned about sinning against.
39:16. keeping the cloak. Besides the interesting parallel to Joseph’s brothers’ taking his cloak, it should be noted that here again the cloak is to serve to identify Joseph. Garments often contained indications of status, rank or office and therefore could be used in such ways. —IVP BBCOT
39.19 to laugh at me… tsachaq: to sport, play, make sport, toy with, make a toy of With the comments in verse 14, it is obvious that this word means more that just to laugh. There is a strong sense of alleged dishonor and ethnic superiority in the allegation.
39.20 sohar that is here translated prison more precisely means a round tower or fortress. ... A similar prison in the king's residence is mentioned in Jeremiah 32;2. ... At other times, the proson was in the residence of the king's officials... (Jeremiah 37:15) --NM&CofB
39.20 An attempt at adultery was to be punished with1000 blows, and rape upon a free woman still more severely. ——C.F Keil in CotOT
39.20 One indication of Potiphar’s understanding of the affair between Joseph and his wife may be in the choice of prison. Rather than being executed for rape (as dictated in, for instance, the Middle Assyrian laws), Joseph was put into a royal prison holding political prisoners. This may have been a bit more comfortable (as prisons go), but more importantly it will put him in contact with members of Pharaoh’s court (Gen 40:1–23). —IVP BBCOT 39.21 But the Lord was with him… I just love the "But God" and "But the Lord" verses.
39.21 But even so Joseph remained steadfast. And, as if to set before us the other contrast between sight and faith, the sacred text expressly states it: "But" - a word on which our faith should often lay emphasis - "Jehovah was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. ——Alfred Edersheim in TBHOT


Genesis 40
40:1 The cupbearer was a high-ranking member of a monarch’s court (see Neh 1:11). He would have to be a trusted individual, since his primary responsibility was to taste all of his lord’s food and drink and thus prevent his lord from being poisoned. —IVP BBCOT
40.8 Dream interpretations were usually carried out by experts who had been trained in the available dream literature. More information is available from Mesopotamia than from Egypt. Both the Egyptians and the Babylonians compiled what we call dream books, which contain sample dreams along with the key to their interpretation. Since dreams often depended on symbolism, the interpreter would have to have access to these documents preserving the empirical data concerning past dreams and interpretations. It was believed that the gods communicated through dreams but not that they revealed the meanings of dreams. If they were going to reveal the meaning, why use a dream in the first place? But Joseph held a different view. He did not consult any “scientific” literature, but consulted God. Nevertheless, he interprets along the same lines as some of the dream literature would have suggested. ---??
40.20 The Eastern kings celebrated their birthdays by holding feasts and granting pardons to offenders. --NM&CofB
40.23 It is only like human nature that, in the day of his prosperity, "the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him!" ——Alfred Edersheim in TBHOT


Genesis 41
41.8 Egyptian priests who supposedly understood and could interpret sacred writings. .. They were sought our for direction and assistance on any subjects that required knowledge far out of the ordinary. --NM&CofB
41.8 Egypt, as well as the Mesopotamian and Hittite kingdoms, developed guilds of magicians whose task was to interpret signs and dreams and to concoct remedies for various types of medical problems through magical means. —IVP BBCOT 41.14 Egyptians only allowed a beard and hair to grow as a sighn of mourning, which was the reverse of the custom of the Hebrews... --NM&CofB
Everyone's head is bald and wevery beard is cut off (Isiahah 5.2) The Egyptians normal custom was to shave for both for reasons of cleanliness. --NM&CofB
41.15 I wonder if the it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it was in contrast to the priests / magicians who would have to consult their books.
41.16 God will… The giving credit to God and confidence in Him are admirable.
41.16 His years of slavery and imprisonment had indeed taught him humility and patience. Instead of calling attenion to the failures o fthe other wise men and stressing his own powers, he actied with utmost courtesy and restraint, and directed all praise to God. —Henry Morris in TGR 41.38 in whom is the Spirit of God… I am intrigued by what kind of acknowledgement this might have been. I don't have a commentary that comments specifically on the linguistic implications of this phrase, but Calvin comes through with something. "It is also to be observed that Pharaoh, though he had been infatuated by his soothsayers, nevertheless honours the gifts of the Spirit in Joseph: because God, indeed, never suffers man to become so brutalized, as not to feel His power, even in their darkness. And therefore whatever impious defection may hurry them away, there still abides with them a remaining sense of Deity. Meanwhile, that knowledge is of little worth, which does not correct a man's former madness; for he despises the God whom with his mouth he proclaims: confused divinity. This kind of knowledge often enlightens profane men, yet not so as to cause them to repent." You've got to love John Calvin (however many petals are on your tulip) in places like this.
41.41 Slaves were often promoted in those days. ...Daniel --NM&CofB
41.42 A signet ring is a finger ring that bears an engraved seal. The ring was used much like a signature today, although seals are still sometimes used for important documents, and most often are impressed with a signet. .... A Pharaoh's ring carried the highest authority in Egypt and empowered subordinates to act for the God. --NM&CofB
41.43 The “second chariot” would have been a chariot that followed immediately after Pharaoh’s chariot in state processions, or was so designed that it designated that the one riding in it was second-in-command to Pharaoh. --NM&CofB 41.45 To complete all, on his naturalization Joseph's name is changed to Zaphnath-paaneah, which most probably means "the supporter of life," or else "the food of the living," although others have rendered it "the savior of the world," and the Rabbis, but without sufficient reason, "the revealer of secrets." Finally, in order to give him a position among the highest nobles of the land, Pharaoh "gave him to wife Asenath" (probably "she who is of Neith," the Egyptian goddess of wisdom^), "the daughter of Poti-pherah ("dedicated to the sun"), priest of On," that is, the chief priest of the ancient ecclesiastical, literary, and probably also political capital of the land,^* "the City of the Sun." This is the more noteworthy, as the chief of the priesthood was generally chosen from among the nearest relatives of Pharaoh. ——Alfred Edersheim in TBHOT The marriage arranged for Joseph allied him with one of the most powerful priestly families in Egypt. —IVP BBCOT 41.51 Joseph called the name... Joseph gave both of his sons Hebrew names that acknowledged God's faithfulness to him in Egypt, the land of his affliction.
——————————————
An interesting and significant aside in this account, it is observed that the two names for God are used quite selectively. Whenever Joseph was speaking to Egyptians about God, he used the name Elohim ("God"), as is befitting for those to whom God could be known only as mighty Creator and Sovereign (note Genesis 39:9; 40:8; 41:16, 25, 28, 32). Whenever the inspired writer of the narrative made comment about God's dealing with Joseph, however, he used the covenant name Jehovah ("Lord") as this was the redemptive name by which He had made Himself specially known to the people of His peculiar promises (note Genesis 39:2, 3, 5, 21, 23). —Henry Morris in TGR It should also be noted that the name Jehovah was probably not revealed until Moses met with God on Mt. Sinai in Exodus. So Joseph would speak with the name that God had revealed so far and the author of Genesis, Moses, would use the name Jehovah where it was fitting in his inspired narrative.


Genesis 42
42.18 for I fear God... I wonder how common an expression like this was among pagan rulers and / or officials. I can't see Joseph saying something that would give him away, but I have a hard time seeing Pharaoh or high Egyptian official saying something like that.
42.21 this distress has come upon us… It is interesting how distress in our circumstances so often remind us of God's role as judge and avenger.
42.25 Coined money was not invented and put into common use until the sixth century b.c. Thus precious metals, gems, spices, incense and other luxury items were bartered by weight. Their relative value would also depend on scarcity. Silver was used throughout antiquity as a common item of exchange. Since Egypt lacked native silver deposits, this metal was particularly desirable as a standard for business transactions. —IVP BBCOT
42.25 The second bag or sack mentioned here was probably the bag that was often used by shepherds and travelers to carry their personal supplies while on a short journey—it would normally hold enough supplies for a day or two. It was usually made of animal skins and carried across the shoulders, much like a woman’s purse today. --NM&CofB 42.28 What is this that God has done to us? I don't sense a lot of true repentance and spiritual sensitivity in this statement. It is a question that is often asked when bad things happen.
42.36 Exactly what satisfaction he thought his father could get out of killing two of his grandsons, after already losing his sons, is hardly clear. —Henry Morris in TGR :o)


Genesis 43
43.10 The animal was then skinned, dressed, cut into pieces, and the pieces carried on trays to the cooking area, where it was immediately prepared for dinner so that there wasn’t sufficient time for the meat to begin to go bad. Since there was no way to preserve meat in those days, the animal was not killed until it was time to cook it. In our verse-text Joseph orders his steward to “slaughter an animal and prepare dinner (slay, and make ready, KJV), so that little time passed between the slaughter and the eating. --NM&CofB
43:11 The gifts that were sent by Jacob to Joseph represent the costliest and thus the most pleasing items available. Only the balm, honey/syrup and nuts would have been actual products of Canaan. The spices and myrrh were imported and thus were precious gifts intended to buy favorable treatment from Pharaoh’s representative. —IVP BBCOT
43.31 The frequency with which the word is mentioned indicates that bread, not vegetables or meat, was the basic food of ancient people. It is probably for this reason that in most Bible translations several of the seven Hebrew words for bread are translated food or meal. --NM&CofB 43.32 The Egyptians also detested what they considered the lawless ways of wandering shepherds who had no fixed home, and moved from place to place with each change of the season in search of food, water, and grazing land. --NM&CofB


Genesis 44
44.34 It seems that a true change of heart has taken place in Judah, which is pretty remarkable after his charming performance in chapter 38. I have often wondered why chapter 38 was in the Bible. The contrast it presents to the present Judah could be part of the reason.

Fri 090612 am Job 28-31

Job 28 Job continued

1-10 Man discovers hidden things.
11-22 Man can't buy or find wisdom.
23-27 God knows wisdom

Job 29 Job again takes up his discourse

1-6 Things were good when God's favor was on me.
7-17 I awed the wise, helped the helpless, and stopped the unrighteous.
18-25 I was on top of the world.

Job 30

1-8 Description of those who Job used to disdain.
9-15 They have the upper hand against me.
16-18 I am in anguish.
19-23 God has turned against me and I am going to die.
24-31 I am in darkness and affliction.


Job 31

1-4 I am committed to righteousness. Isn't punishment for the wicked?
4-8 If I have walked with falsehood...
9-12 If I have been enticed by another woman...
13-15 If I have ignored a servant's complaint....
16-24 If I have withheld from the poor...
25-28 If I have trusted riches...
29-32 If I rejoiced at the fall of my enemies...
33-34 If I concealed my transgressions...
35-40 I would accept my fate if I had done wrong

This chapter provides a great Bible study or sermon series. If Job is one of the most righteous men in the OT, then these seven benchmarks of personal righteousness should be worth considering:
1. Integrity/honesty--I have not walked in falsehood.
2. Lust/adultery--My heart has not been enticed toward a woman.
3. Respect/justice--I have note rejected the cause of my servant.
4. Charity/generosity--I have not withheld from the poor.
5. Idolatry/covetousness-- I have not made gold my trust.
6. Malice/"ill will"--I have not rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me.
7. Secret sins/hypocrisy--I have not concealed my transgressions as others do.
What I have not researched is the Hebrew language and poetic structure that might cast a different light on how the chapter should be divided.

Thurs 090611 pm Job 25-27

Job 25 Bildad
Nobody can be right before God.


Job 26 Job
1-4 Have you ever really helped anybody?
5-14 God is overwhelming. (Interestingly enough, even over the Babylonian god Rahab in verse 12)


Job 27
1-6 I will not stop holding my righteousness.
7-12 What is the hope of the Godless when judgement comes?
13-23 Thought he prosper for a while, the wicked will eventually be judged.

Wed 090610 am Job 22-24

Job 22

1-11 Nobody can please God. You are not righteous.
12-20 You say God God does not judge. Will you keep the ways of the wicked.
21-30 Agree with God. He saves the lowly.

Job 23

1-9 I know God would hear my argument and acquit me, but I can't find him.
10-12 I have followed Him.
13-17 I terrifies me that the almighty does not change his ways.

Job 24

1 Why doesn't God act?
2-12 The poor, widows, and fatherless suffer and God doesn't punish anyone.
13-17 The rebel, murderer, and adulterer love the darkness.
18-25 God supports the mighty. Prove me wrong.

Mon 090608 am Acts 24

Acts 24

24. 2&10 It is interesting to see how both sides try to butter Felix up.
24.22 Felix having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way... Being well informed is usually a big plus. :o)
24.25 It is intriguing that Paul was reasoning with him about righteousness, self-control and the coming judgment. The last one is easy to understand, but the second one seems a little unusual.

Thurs 090528 pm Job 16

Job 16

1-6 You are crummy advisors. What is this were the other way around.
7-14 God has worn me out.
15-22 I need my witness in heaven to argue my case for me.

Wed 090526 am Acts 7 Psa 31 2Pt2

Acts 7
7.5 promised
7.17 time of promise grew near
7.22 mighty in words and deeds... Now that is a man's man.
7.25 but they did not understand How often do we miss the boat on what God wants to do because we are "thick skulled" and do not understand?
7.34 I ... have heard their groaning...
7.39 in their hearts they returned to Egypt... I that we would keep our hearts out of the fleshpot of Egypt and focused on that promised city whose founder and maker is the Lord.
7.51 I must confess that I do not fully understand why he turned to rebuke them at this point in his sermon.


Chrysostom in Homilies on the Acts of Apostles 17
This is the boldness of speech that belongs to a man who is carrying the cross.
Boldness of speech is success; anger is failure; Therefore, if we should aspire to boldness, we mus be free from anger, in case anyone should attribute our words to anger.


Psalm 31 Written by David and refers to being in a besieged city (v. 21). It is crying out to God for help without strong imprecatory verses. This psalm has some good verses about the Lord delivering and taking refuge in Him.
31.3 rock ... fortress
31.6 I hate
31.14 But... This is a great word after three verses of describing his distress.
31.15 Your times are in my hands. That is a good thought for us to have in mind.
31.19 It is interesting and instructive that those who fear You are the same ones who take refuge in You.


2 Peter 2
2.1 denying the Master Who bought them... That is such a great expression of our Saviors great love, dying to provide salvation for those He knows will reject him.
2.4 angels
2.5 ancient world ... flood
2.6 Sodom and Gomorrah
2.7 righteous Lot rescued
2.12 blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant... O how quick we are to criticize what we don't understand.
2.14 they entice unsteady souls... That will preach.
2.19 slaves of corruption
2.22 the true proverb... What makes us do that?

Tues 090526 pm Acts 12 Job 14-15

Acts 12
12.3 The cold, calculating nature of Herod is breathtaking.
12.9 thought he was seeing a vision... It is amazing how easy it is for us to mix reality with visions even today.
12.12 many were gathered together praying... It is interesting, one, that many were praying. That is probably an infrequent phenomena in today's churches. Two, they had gathered together. I am thinking about the value of praying with other saints.
12.25 he did not give glory to God... God save us from practical atheism.

Job 14 Job
1-6 Men's days have a determined limit and are full of trouble.
7-12 When a man is dead, he is dead.
13-17 I wish I could die and wait for the resurrection.
18-22 You destroy the hope of man.

Job 15 Eliphaz
1-13 You are talking foolishly against God.
14-16 Can man be pure?
17-35 The wicked do not suceed and are punished.

Mon 090525 pm Job 9-11

Job 9 Job
1-3 God is too wise to win against.
9-12 God is too powerful to oppose.
13-21 He wins every disagreement.
22-24 God destroys the wicked and blameless.
25-35 I need an arbitrator.


Job 10 Job
1 -2 I will make my complaint.
2-10 You made me and now have destroyed me.
11-17 You have hidden your love.
18-22 Why did you let me be born into such unhappiness.


Job 11 Zophar
1-6 God should enlighten you and show you your sin.
7-12 Are you smart as God?
13-20 If you put your iniquity away, you will be happy.

Sat 090516 pm Neh 10

Nehemiah 10


10.28 separated themselves from the people of the lands to the Law of their God... This is an interesting phrase. So, they left people to follow the Law of their God. We should separate from people who keep us from serving the Lord. Earlier in Nehemiah they were buying and selling with other people, so it doesn't mean no contact. What is probably in view here is being unequally yoked in a way that makes it difficult to foll0w what the Lord wants us to do.
Obligations of the Covenant
10.31 not intermarry, not buy on the Sabbath
10.32 yearly 1/3 shekel to temple
10.34 priests cast lots to bring wood for sacrifices
10.35 bring first fruits
10.36 bring firstborn sons and cattle
10.37 priest with the Levites when they collect tithes in towns and bring it to the temple


Read the rest of Nehemiah, but don't have time to journal about it.

Wed 090513 pm Neh 9-12

Nehemiah 9
9.3 read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped... This would be an interesting format for a church service.
9.6-8 You alone are Lord
9.9-15 You saw the affliction of our fathers
9.16-21 our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck
9.22-31 you gave them the kingdoms
9.32-37 hardship ... that has come upon us
9.38 all this we make a firm covenant in writing... I have always thought of stuff like this to be gimmicky, but as I think about it after this verse, I can see how it enhances the accountability.


Nehemiah 10
10.1 the names
10.31 boycotting :o)


Nehemiah 11
11.3 chiefs of the people
11.4 sons of Judah
11.7 sons of Benjamin
11.10 priests
11.15 Levites
11.19 gatekeepers
11.22 overseer of the Levites
11.25 the villages


Nehemiah 12
The dedication must have been quite an extravaganza. Two choirs, all the leaders, etc...

Tues 090512 pm Jude

Jude
3 I found it necessary... This is an interesting insight into the process of inspiration.
4 marked out for this condemnation
4 for the faith Yes, doctrine does matter.
11 the way of Cain ... the error of Balaam
14 It would have been interesting to hear some of Enoch's preaching.

Mon 090511 am Acts 10 & Neh 7-8

Acts 10
10.4 What is is Lord? So, how did he know who the angels was? This is an amazing story of God's grace.
10.7 devout soldier It seems that there was a group of them around Cornelius.
10.10 fell into a trance This is an interesting glimpse into some of the workings of a prophet.
10.17 perplexed You think!?
10.28 I should not call any person common or unclean I am not sure that this is the proper context, but it reminds me to be charitable and engaging with all kinds of sinners.
10.39 went about doing good Great description of the Savior and hopefully of me too.
10.46 speaking tongues and extolling God Not sharing his faith with others, since it seems all present were believers and "extollng God" would not be a normal description of witnessing. The tongues were still tongues, not gibberish, and were a sign to Jews of what God was doing.


Nehemiah 7
7.2 faithful and God-fearing man I like that.
7.5 my God put it into my heart...
7.7-72 These long passages of numbers of people, etc. are a curiosity to me.


Nehemiah 8
8.1 Ezra the scribe
8.2 Ezra the priest
8.5 all the people stood. That is why we like to stand for Scripture reading at TBC, but we limit ours to 20-25 verses at the longest.
8.8 This verse is my preaching purpose statement.
8.9 Ezra the priest and scribe So, in verses 1-3, what was the significance of switching titles between priest and scribe?
8.17 for from the days of Joshua the son of Nun they had not done so It is amazing that they had not celebrated the feast of tabernacles for that long.

Sat 090509 pm Twelve characteristics of a beautiful woman

Twelve characteristics of a beautiful woman from 1 Peter 3.1-6.
1. soul winner ( 1 )
2. doer ( 1 )
3. pure ( 2 )
4. respectful ( 2 )
What it's not ( 3 ) hair, jewelry, clothing
5. gentle (meek) ( 4 )
6. quiet ( 4 )
7. holy ( 5 )
8. faith (hope) ( 5 )
9. submissive ( 5 )
10. obeyed ( 6 )
11. good ( 6 )
12. courage ( 6 )

Fri 090508 am Neh 2-6

Nehemiah 2

2.4 So I prayed to the God of heaven. Praying on the fly.
2.8 for the good hand of my God was on me. A good acknoledgement that it was from God when he found favor. I wonder if it is good in the sense that God is good, or in the sense that it was God's good (favorable) not bad (unfavorable) hand.
2.20
The God of heaven will make us prosper... Soveriegnty
we His servants will arise and build... Man's responsibility
but you will have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem. Biblical separation from the world
Now that will preach.

Nehemiah 3

Elishaib the high priest
men of Jericho
Zaccur
Hassenaah
Meremoth
Meshullam
Zadok
Tekoites (but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord. Bums!!!)
Joiada
Melatiah, Jadon, men of Gibeon and Mizpah
Uzziel
Hanahiah
Rephaiah
Hattush
Malchijah and Hasshub
Shallum (he and his daughters You go girls!!!)
Hehemiah
Levites
Rehum
Hashabiah
Bavvai
Ezer
Baruch
Mmeremoth
priests, the men of the surrounding area
Azariah
Binnui
Palal
Pedaiah
Tekoites
Priests, each opposite his own house
Zadok
Shemaiah
Hanaiah
Meshullam
Malchijah
the goldsmiths and the merchants

Now that is just a lot of people working on the wall.

Nehemiah 4

4.1 Sanballat... Sticks and stones, etc.
4.6 for the people had a mind to work...
4.15 God had fristrated their plan
4.16-23 Working and watching (guarding)

Nehemiah 5

5.4 We have borrowed money for the kings's tax...
5.6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry...
5.9 Ought you not to walk in the fear of the Lord?
5.15 But I did not do so, because of the fear of the Lord.

Nehemiah 6

6.9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.
6.16 they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

Thurs 090508 pm Ez 10 - Neh 1

Ezra 10
10.1 Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping... another confession on national sins
10.12-13 Nor is this a task for one day or for two. These verses should be memorized and taken to heart by every church administrator and pastor. Don't rush things. Evaluate how complicated things are and how long it might take.


Nehemiah 1
1.5 God who keeps covenant and steadfast love...
1.6 I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing sins of the people the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my Father's house have sinned. I am okay with confessing everybody's sins, but not as thrilled to own them as my own. It is a sign of perspective and insight to see how we have gotten caught up in the sins our church, culture, family, etc.
1.11 O Lord let your ear be attentive... Asking God to listen and answer. Hmmm, what a concept.

Thurs 090507 pm 1Pt 3-5 & Eph 5

1 Peter 3
3.1
obey the Word
conduct
3.2
respectful and pure conduct
3.4
the hidden person of the heart
gentle and quiet spirit
3.5
holy women ... hoped in God
submitting to their own husbands
3.6
do good
do not fear anything
3.7
an understanding way
showing honor
heirs with you
prayers
3.10 Psalm 34.12-16
3.17 if that should be God's will... So suffering for good can be God's will. That is a challenging statement to get your mind around.
3.22 has gone


1 Peter 4
4.1 arm yourselves with the same way of thinking... Now that is the challenge.
4.8 above all, keep loving... So love is more important than self-control and being sober-minded ...hmmmm.
4.10 whoever speaks ... whoever serves ... in order that in everything... It all fits together and comes together.


1Peter 5
5.5 -6 Humble yourselves... I am thinking about these verses in light of the times in Chronicles when some of the kings did or did not humble themselves before God or one of His prophets.
5.7 He cares...


Ephesians 5
5.1 imitators of God is a big concept to think about.
5.10 try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. This is part of Tulsa Bible Church's motto. "Pleasing God and making disciples..." This is kinda like WWJD and brings to like that there is some thought that needs to be given to the subject.
5.14 an intriguing quote
5.22-33 I have the habit of highlighting references to Christ and other individuals, etc. in my Bible reading. As I marked this passage, it struck me just how many times Christ (13 x's in 11 verses) and the Church (9 x's) is mentioned in these verses.

Thurs 090507 am Ez 10 - Neh 1 & 1 Pt 2

Ezra 10

10.3 again the expression those who tremble at the commandment of our God What would it involve and be like to be known as a people who tremble at the commandment of our God?

10.13 nor is this a task for one day or for two. If more church leaders understood this concept, a lot of unnecessary problems in churches could be avoided.


Nehemiah 1
1.5 who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who...
1.8 remember Asking God to do what He has promised is a good approach.


1 Peter 2
2.8 disobey the Word, as they were destined to do... Interesting thought
2.11 sojourners... An important concept for believers.
2.14 ...by doing good, you should put to silence... This reminds me of the advice my son's soccer coach told the team. When the other team plays dirt, get them back by scoring points. We prove our critics wrong with our actions, not our arguements.
2.21 for to this you have been called... This must be a typo or something with a narrow first century cultural application, right?

Wed 090509 am Ezra 9

Ezra 9

9.4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel... This prompts me to think about whether I take God's word that seriously. The word trembled tells me that God really means business when he says something.
9.6-15 An example of a prayer of repentance.
9.6 He starts in second person.
9.8 Refers to God in third person.
9.10 Back to second person.
9.12 never seek their prosperity that you may be strong... An interesting thought ... that the world's prosperity weakens the saint.
9.13 have punished us less than we deserved... This is an idea that needs to take root in our thinking.
I what is with the third person in the middle of the prayer is all about. Did he stop praying for a couple verses or is third person appropriate for pray at times. I have always thought of pray as talking to God and not about God.

Tues 090505 pm Ezra 5-8

Ezra 5
5.1 Haggai and Zechariah You tell'm!
5. 5 A pen pal chapter. :o)


Ezra 6
6.2 That must have been some record system.
6.9 God of heaven This name seems to appear predominantly in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel.
6.21 from the uncleaness of the peoples of the land... I am thinking about what the uncleanesses are of the people in my land.


Ezra 7
7.10 set his heart great verse.
7.11 a man learned... While I am not an especially brainy guy, it seems from this verse that being really smart and educated is a great asset for the Lord's work.
7.27 ...Who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king... This is a great prayer for others.


Ezra 8
8.1-14 reminds me of the saying, "We count people because people count."
8.22 I was ashamed to ask... The practical side of faith and believing what you said God could / would do.