Well I know I'm a few days behind on my postings because I was in PA for the 4th of July and for my cousin Katie's wedding. Saturday was my first day that I missed my reading for a day. Today's post will cover what I read on Friday and Saturday and I'll double up the next few days.
Genesis 20/21
- Abraham again told Sarah to say she was his sister to King Abimelech.
- God came to Abimelech in a dream and said he would He would kill Abimelech for taking Sarah as his wife, but Abimelech pleaded with God saying that he was innocent because he did not know Sarah was married to Abraham, a true statement which caused God to spare his life.
- Why would Abraham fear the king and lie to him again since he obviously trusted God also?
- Does God count Abraham's statement, "She is my sister" as a lie since she is his half brother, so he is not totally lying?
- Why does God again bless Abraham's lying with all kinds of goods from the king?
- Why would King Abimelech even want Sarah as his wife? (I know she was beautiful but she is also around 90 years old and too old to bare children)
(Genesis 21)
- Isaac is born as promised when Abraham is 100 and Sarah is 90.
- Sarah is jealous and want Abraham to get rid of his other son Ishmael.
- Why does God tell Abraham to listen to Sarah and send Hagar away when she has done nothing wrong?
- Hagar takes Ishmael into the wilderness and she puts him under a tree and walks away leaving him to die. (He is about 14 now).
- An angel promises to protect her and her son thus fulfilling an earlier promise to make Ishmael's line great too.
- Hagar, who was an Egyptian, found Ishmael an Egyptian wife.
- Abimelech made Abraham swear that he had dealt kindly with Abraham because he saw that God's blessing was on Abraham. (When God acts, others are aware of it)
- Abraham told Abimelech of some disagreement over a well, which Abimelech was unaware of and Abraham gave him 7 ewe lambs to indeed state that this well was his.
Nehemiah 9/10
- For six hours the people listened as the Book of the Law was read to them.
- For six more hours the people confessed their sins and worshipped (this shows much dedication and a focused spirit on the part of the people)
- The people recounted the constant blessing and mercy God showed His people even though they continually fell away from His commandments for them.
- God was faithful in giving Abraham's descendants the land He promised, but they sinned and it was taken away.
- God met the people through Moses, and their response was to give credit to a golden calf. He still forgave them and when they cried out to Him, He blessed them. He still kept the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire to lead them, when He could have taken those guides away because of their sin.
- When God blessed the people, they would celebrate and thank Him, but then they would turn away from Him, His commandments, and prophets because they would think "they" had done these things, taking God out of the equation.
- They are aware that even presently, the people are being punished for their disobedience because everything they have belongs to the Assyrians.
(Nehemiah 10)
- They made a covenant to God to be faithful.
- Obadiah, Mica (Ar these the prophets who wrote the OT books of the Bible?)
- They people made an oath with a curse before God to follow the Laws of Moses.
- Two things they promised was not to let their children intermarry or to buy/sell goods on the Sabbath. They would keep that day holy)
- The people promised to keep all appointed feasts and to bring the first fruits of their crops and livestock to the House of the Lord. (God gets the first portion of everything. This shows faith that He will provide even more to His people)
- What is a "wood offering"?
- Levites receive all tithes and take them into the House of the Lord.
Matthew 19/20
- Matthew 19, I did out of order. For some reason, I did Matthew 19 instead of Matthew 16
(Ch. 20)
- This is the 2nd first shall be last parable in Matthew
- The laborers hired the first hour agree to work for a denarius. The middle hired people agreed to work for what "seemed fair".
- The last group of laborers received equal pay for working 1/12 as much as the first group.
- The master asked them why they were upset since it was what they agreed to. They were mad because the master was generous. ( I should not be upset at people for getting the same thing I get for doing less...jealousy is NOT an admirable trait)
- Jesus tells the disciples a 3rd time that He will be killed and be raised the 3rd day.
- James and John's (the disciples) mother brings her 2 sons to Jesus and requests they sit at His right and left, but He says that He cannot agree to that, but they can drink the cup.
- What does Jesus mean about sharing the cup?
- Jesus again says that the first shall be last and the last first. Jesus says that even He came to serve, not be served. The humble will be rewarded.
- 2 blind men were screaming for Jesus to heal them though the crowds said to shut up. This only caused them to cry out louder. Their faith was strong. Jesus healed them.
Acts 19/20
- Paul went to Ephesus and asked the disciples there if they had received the Holy Spirit and they said they didn't know there was one.
- Paul baptized them with the Holy Spirit.
- How could these men be "disciples" and preaching if they didn't have the Holy Spirit?
- How did they come to be believers and not have the Spirit?
- Paul spoke to the people of Asia for 2 years.
- Paul was healing many people. Even touching his clothes healed people. 7 Jewish high priests were attempting to do this too in Jesus' name, but the evil spirits said they never heard of those priests and beat them.
- How do the evil spirits know who Paul and Jesus are? Where do they get this knowledge?
- Other magicians who heard about this incident with the 7 priests, burned their magic books and became believers because they were afraid and saw the power of Jesus' name.
- Paul wanted to go to Rome.
- Demetrius, a silversmith, said that his job would not exist if people stopped believing in idols, so he start a riot. He used their god Artemis to stir up the people.
- Paul's friends urged him to stay away and Alexander, a Jew, entered the riot and said that Paul's men were not blasphemers of Artemis, and they had done nothing wrong. The people of the town could be charged with rioting. This ended the conflict.
(Ch.20)
- Paul spent 3 months in Greece.
- He left a took 7 men two being Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus.
- A man fell out of the window, and died but Paul restored him.
- Paul intentionally bypassed Asia in order to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost.
* I finally figured out why the author uses "we". I forgot that the author of Acts is Luke, so whenever Luke was actually there he uses "we". Yay!
- Paul assembles all of the believers in Ephesus and tells them that this will be the last time they see his face. He must go elsewhere to preach the Gospel and ultimately suffer for it, which he is eager to do.
- He reflects on what he has taught them about the Gospel for 3 years and he warns them about people, even some among them, who will twist the gospel and cause people to not believe.
- He also charges them to take the Gospel to those around them.
- He needs his time with them in prayer and there are many tears as he departs.
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