Notes from my Bible Study for January 5, 2010

Passages Read Today: Psalm 4, Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 5, Luke 2:22-52

Psalm 4 - I love this Psalm! It gives us such a proper understanding of how to respond when people speak lies about us.

I have a friend who has had such terrible lies spread about him over the years. I remember asking him once, "Why don't you just set the record straight? Why not go after the people who are spreading lies about you? You could have your attorney threaten to sue them for defamation of character."

He responded, "Brian, it wouldn't be worth it. I'd be playing into their game. God is watching over me. He knows the truth, and He will reveal the truth in time."

This man was a great example of verse four - "Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent."

Sometimes it is so tough to be silent. When everything in you wants to scream at the person who has hurt you, remember the words of David. And, if you live by those words maybe like David, and my friend, you'll be able to say verse eight with a pure heart, claiming it as your verse:

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Genesis 5 - I have to admit, genealogies aren't my favorite reading, but this one fascinates me! I love it because of the way that it tells how old each father was when he became a father with the child mentioned in the genealogy. So, we can conclude based upon this passage that from the time Adam was created, until the time Noah was born was 1056 years. Noah was born 126 years after Adam died.

We can also infer that Methuselah, the oldest man to ever live at 969 years, died in the year of the flood. He was Noah's Grandpa. I wonder if he was a godly man in his generation, and if God spared him by allowing him to die before the flood came.

There is a fascinating article about long life before the flood here: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2008/06/04/did-people-live-over-900-years. It's worth reading.

1 Chronicles 5 - You can see the pagan influence beginning to set into these generations of Israelites. There is a taking on of the name Baal in the naming of son of the sons. God's chosen people were abandoning him for false gods.

Luke 2:22-52 - There aren't many glimpses that we get of the child, Jesus in Scripture. This is one of them. I love the wise and tender words of Simeon the priest. In a day when Jewish religious leaders would not even consider a Gentile worthy of dignity, Simeon said that Jesus would be a light for revelation to the Gentiles. These are srtong words.

Once again we see Mary in her state of pondering as the chapter ends. Jesus had just been at the temple. His parents didn't even realize that he was gone, due to the fact that they were traveling with a large group for Passover. I love that even as a twelve year old boy, Jesus was about His Father's business.