American Bible Society "Today's Reading" Archives " Matthew 5:1"

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Genesis xi:one-13:4 ~ Matthew five:1-26 ~ Psalm 5:1-12 ~ Proverbs i:24-28
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One-time Testament - Today in Genesis chapter 11 we read about the tower of Babel!  You tin view the location of the belfry at a high level below:

I probably should non confess this, only I volition - verse iv made me smile and laugh at myself a bit, which really shouldn't be funny.  This verse reminded me of myself at times: "Let'southward build a cracking city with a tower that reaches to the skies--a monument to our greatness!" This verse is obviously not 1 that made God happy, every bit we see in subsequent verses.  And I guess I take to inquire myself - are there times my life or areas of my life where I am attempting to build something that volition be a "monument to my greatness"?  And I'm afraid that the answer is as well oftentimes yes.  Or it surely has been in the past.  I pray that I'thou turning over the want to "exist great" over to God more than and more these days.  I pray that I am not seeking glory for myself - but seeking glory for God.  But, I am afraid that sometimes I revert dorsum to wanting to build a "monument to my greatness" in my piece of work or volunteer activities or maybe even personal relationships.  And this is pride.  It was this pride that brought about the building of the tower of Babel - and it was because of pride that God stopped the building of the tower by giving the human being race different languages.  In your life today - are you seeking to build monuments of greatness for yourself?  Or are you instead seeking to only glorify God?  Below is an oil on console painting of the "Tower of Babel" by Pieter Bruegel, circa 1563:

Today is a large twenty-four hour period in our readings!  We are introduced to Abram & Sarai!  Genesis chapter 12 is significant in that it transitions our Old Testament readings from beingness about the world at large to being primarily near a specific human being, Abram, his family, and his descendants.  Verses 2 and 3 are an amazing promise from God to Abraham: "I volition cause you to get the father of a peachy nation. I will bless you and make yous famous, and I will brand you a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you lot. All the families of the globe will exist blest through yous."  This is a powerful promise that nosotros will see played out throughout the residual of our Old Testament readings - and into the New Attestation this promise continues and is fulfilled in Jesus - and continues in u.s.a. as spiritual descendants of Abram today.  I heard somewhere once that ane way to paraphrase this promise is "I volition bless you, and so that you volition be a approval to others."  And I think about that today for our ain lives.  If we have been blest by God, is it possible that we accept been blessed in part and then that nosotros will be a blessing to others?  Do you believe that you been blessed by God?  Are you passing along that approving to others in your life?

The cursory story of Abram and Sarai in Egypt is a foreshadowing of what we volition run across later in Genesis and into Exodus - the descendents of Abram going into Egypt to escape a severe famine - and then ultimately leaving Egypt to the north "with all their household and belongings" (verse 20).  I besides was intrigued in our Matthew readings a couple of days ago that Jesus as a child went into Egypt, when Mary & Joseph fled Herod'due south decree to kill all boys 2 & under around Bethlehem.  Egypt plays quite a supporting role in the Bible!  Below is a map of Abram's journey that we read about today:

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Genesis titled "The Unity of Unbelief" is at this link , "The Telephone call of Abram" is at this link , and "When Organized religion Fails" is at this link .

New Testament - Okay... equally I said in a higher place, today is a big day my friends!  We are starting the Sermon on the Mount!  Whoo-hoo! (are you auspicious here with me?? :)  And as we do, let me encourage you in a few ways on what we'll be reading here.  First of all, personally, these iii chapters of Matthew (v, 6, 7) accept been transformative for me over the years.  Before I had faith in Jesus, I would continually read these chapters and I kept thinking to myself - "This guy has got some wisdom!  I like what he's saying!"  And I practise believe that the Spirit was no doubt working on me as I read these chapters.  So, I do ask that y'all would exist sensitive to the Spirit equally you read The Sermon on the Mount.  What is the Spirit speaking to you as yous read?  Which verses are really jumping out at y'all - maybe making you call up about some areas of your life that might need some tidying up...  I know that this happens to me every fourth dimension I read the Sermon on the Mount.  It's probably because of reading chapter 5 today, and the Beatitudes, that I went into my pride / Belfry of Babel matter above...  :)

Here's my other big request for you as you read through the Sermon on the Mountain - and really all of the gospels.  Endeavor to experience what you lot are reading as something more than than but "historical" teachings or "historical" readings.  Try to envision yourself maybe downward at your local park and maybe imagine that Jesus was actually at that park surrounded past a bunch of your neighbors and imagine that you heard Jesus actually saying these words to you and your neighbors - today.  Would this change your perception of what you are reading?  Or, maybe imagine that indeed Jesus is not just at your local park - only in your very dwelling proverb these words to you.   And truly - He is - as you are reading the Bible you are hearing directly from Jesus.  I just want to encourage you that the words you read here in the Sermon on the Mount are incredible spiritual food.  And I don't think we can come dorsum to these three chapters of Matthew often enough. I pray that you lot volition let the Spirit of Jesus speak straight into your heed and your centre every bit you read and meditate on the meanings of these 3 chapters of the gospel of Matthew...

Nosotros read the Beatitudes today!  I would love to share with you the Beatitudes from Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of the Bible called The Message.  I really like the way he looks at the Beatitudes -
""Yous're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you lot at that place is more of God and his dominion.
"You're blest when you feel you've lost what is most love to you lot. Only then can yous exist embraced by the One most dear to you lot.
"You're blessed when you're content with just who yous are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
"You're blest when you've worked upwards a good appetite for God. He'southward food and potable in the all-time repast y'all'll always consume.
"You're blest when you lot care. At the moment of being "carefull,' you find yourselves cared for.
"You're blessed when yous become your within earth--your mind and middle--put right. Then y'all can come across God in the outside earth.
"You're blessed when you tin show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you actually are, and your place in God's family.
"You're blessed when your delivery to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives yous even deeper into God'southward kingdom."   - Matthew 5:iii-ten The Bulletin

I know verses 17 & eighteen probably are interpreted in different ways - merely a friend of mine has encouraged me when in dubiousness, just stick to the text, which is wise.  And so, let's look at the Jesus' words hither in this text - "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did non come to abolish the constabulary of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them.  I clinch y'all, until sky and earth disappear, even the smallest particular of God'southward constabulary will remain until its purpose is achieved."   What does the reading of this text say to you?

And now that we've looked at the text... I need to dive into a commentary on these verses... :)   I'm quoting this from Tyndale's Ane Year Bible Companion book - which I have constitute to be a very helpful commentary to our daily readings:  "In the Old Testament, there were 3 categories of law:  ceremonial, civil, and moral.  1.  The ceremonial law was related specifically to Israel'south worship.  Its main purpose was to bespeak forward to Jesus Christ; these laws are therefore no longer necessary after Jesus' death and resurrection.  Yet, the principles backside these laws - to worship and love a holy God - still utilise.  2. The ceremonious law applied to daily living in State of israel and these laws cannot exist followed specifically today in our modern society and culture.  But the principles behind theses laws are timeless and should guide our bear. 3.  The moral police (such equally the 10 Commandments) is the direct command of God, and requires obedience.  The moral law reveals the nature and will of God, and it yet applies today."   So, there you have information technology from one evangelical commentary.  I know probably different people reading this web log are going to translate these verses a bit differently.  This framework of these three categories of laws higher up and their fulfillment in Jesus I personally have found helpful and agree with.  One other commentary I constitute related to these verses says this: "Christ does not terminate the law. Practise we then brand void the law through religion? God forestall; we plant the law. (Romans three:31) The police will e'er be there to betoken out what sin is, but the police force is not the focus, Christ is the focus. Only He tin can cleanse, and sanctify and change the heart and heed."  Once again, I know this tin be a hot topic to say the least.  I'm sure some comments will go up on this, which is great.  Favor I have to ask everyone - are there any practiced books or studies or websites that yous tin recommend that discuss Jesus & his relation to the Erstwhile Attestation law?  I'thou definitely interested in studying more on this in 2008.  Thank you for posting upwardly in the Comments section below some recommendations!

Bible.org'south commentary on our readings today in Matthew titled "The Beatitudes" is at this link and "A Pinch of Salt in the Recipe for Persecution" is at this link .

Psalms - I love Psalm 5 poesy 3: "Heed to my vocalisation in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly."  This is a great reminder to pray in the mornings - earlier nosotros start the hustle and hurry of the mean solar day.  I know that many of you are reading the Ane Year Bible readings in the morning, which I think is a great way to offset your twenty-four hours!  I do see a huge positive deviation in my twenty-four hours if I do pray to God in the forenoon and pray specifically nearly the upcoming solar day - and pray for others that I will interact with that mean solar day every bit well.  Praise God for the morning!

Really, while I'grand talking almost the morning here, let me go off on a tangent if you lot don't heed... :)  I honestly accept lived much of my life as a "nighttime owl."  I went to bed tardily and woke up belatedly.  And I had all kinds of proficient "reasons" of why I was a night owl.  But, I will be honest here - I don't think being a night owl was good for me.  I honestly believe there is so much wisdom in the old adage of "early on to bed, early on to rise, helps make a person salubrious, wealthy and wise."  I personally think that being a dark owl was a lack of discipline on my office.  I don't mean to say all this to brand you other nighttime owls out there feel guilty...  :)  But, I exercise want to encourage you, in that if you call up y'all are stuck being a dark owl the residue of your life, I don't call back information technology is true.  I believe you can make the transition to being a morning person.  I am an example of someone who has transitioned from being a late-night person to an early-to-bed person.  (well, yes, I'thou still a bit in the transition phase sometimes it seems...)  And I am here to tell you, mornings rock!  Early mornings are so beautiful and peaceful!  They really are an amazing time of the day to connect with God...   Praise God for the morning!

Proverbs - Our readings in Proverbs 1:24-28 today is a great reminder to not ignore an opportunity to proceeds wisdom when the opportunity comes, or we may regret it later.  Is wisdom knocking on your door today?  Volition y'all let Wisdom enter in?

Worship God:  Psalm five:iii reminded me of the wonderful worship vocal "A New Hallelujah" by Michael Due west. Smith:

Can you sing "A New Hallelujah" to God? Click here to sing!

Please join me in memorizing ii verses of Scripture today:
"You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14,16 NIV

Comments from Y'all and Questions of the Twenty-four hours:  Based on our Psalm five reading today, what do y'all do in the forenoon to set your mind and heart on God?  Is it prayer, reading the Bible, reading other devotions?  If you wouldn't mind posting upwards in the Comments section below, I'd dearest to hear what others are doing?  It e'er encourages me - and oftentimes gives me other ideas of things I might desire to exist doing equally well.  Thank you!  Likewise, what verses or insights stand up out to you in today's readings?  Please mail upwardly by clicking on the "Comments" link beneath!

God bless,
Mike

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Source: https://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/2009/01/january-5th-one.html

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