September 10, 2024 Tuesday
Isaiah 11 predicts a time when the world will be totally immersed in the knowledge of God. As the waters cover the sea, so shall the knowledge of God cover the earth. This all encompassing, inescapable knowledge of God will bring a complete and lasting peace.
Isaiah 12 In this chapter Isaiah promises that on that day, Israel will direct their attention to the Lord and thank Him for all He has done for them. They will acknowledge that He was rightfully angry with them. But they will also thank Him for restraining His anger and mercifully giving them comfort (Isaiah 12:1).
Psalm 106:6-18 focuses on Israel’s past sins and the need for God’s mercy:
Psalm 106:6-7
Confesses Israel’s guilt in the past and present, including the sins committed by their fathers
Psalm 106:8-12
Discusses God’s mercy and salvation of rebellious Israel, including the drying up of the Red Sea
Psalm 106:13-15
Discusses how God gave Israel leanness of soul because of their sins, and how they soon forgot His works
Psalm 106:18
States that something was counted as righteousness for all generations to come
Psalm 106 is a psalm of historical recital that highlights the need for repentance and forgiveness. It can be a reminder of our sins, the sins of our land, and the sins of our fathers, and that we should be humbled before God while still hoping for mercy.
Proverbs 10
The proverbs of chapter 10 are mostly aimed at comparing the consequences one can expect from leading a righteous life as opposed to leading a wicked life. The comparison term “but” is repeated in almost every verse.
These wise comments begin with a summary of how righteousness and evil result in different reputations (Proverbs 10:1–7).
Those who participate in godly wisdom have a better likelihood of success. They are less likely to invite revenge, punishment, or judgment because of their actions (Proverbs 10:8–19).
Those who learn godliness, and pass it along to others, can give valuable advice. In contrast, those who sneer at truth lead other people into disaster (Proverbs 10:20–32)
2 Corinthians 2: In this chapter, Paul explains the reason he delayed his return to Corinth from Macedonia. His first visit had ended painfully. An influential man in Corinth had apparently challenged Paul, perhaps about his authority over the church as a true apostle of Jesus. Paul left. He knew that if he returned as scheduled, it would create another painful visit.
Paul did not know if the rest of the church would side with the man who had sinfully rejected his authority or would side with him and correct the man with some form of discipline. So Paul stayed away until he could find out. He did not want to cause the Corinthians pain or for them to cause him pain, at least not until it was necessary. Instead, he wrote a painful letter to them in great sadness and distress, describing what they must do to make things right (2 Corinthians 2:1–4).
It becomes clear that the Corinthians did, in fact, side with Paul and against the man. The man’s sin in rejecting God’s authority through Paul was significant. They punished him, and he repented in sorrow. Some interpreters suggest the term used here might be better rendered as saying the church “scolded” or “reprimanded” the man. Paul urges them now to end the punishment, to forgive and comfort the man, and to reaffirm their love for him. Paul insists that forgiveness must happen in each direction in order to keep them from being tricked by Satan (2 Corinthians 2:5–11).
Paul briefly resumes the story of why he was delayed in returning to them. He sent the agonized letter to them with his co-worker Titus. They planned to meet up in Troas, so Titus could describe to Paul whether the Corinthians were with him or against him. Paul found an open door to the gospel in Troas, but he did not find Titus. Since his spirit was not at rest, he returned to Macedonia (2 Corinthians 2:12–13).
Paul suddenly breaks off the story to describe how Christians are like captives of a Roman general carrying incense in a victory parade through Rome. Christians, metaphorically, are “the aroma of Christ.” Those watching a Roman victory parade would interpret the incense differently, depending on whether they saw it as victory or defeat. In the same way, the “aroma” of Christ’s influence smells of death to those headed for eternal death in unbelief, and smells of life to those being saved by forgiveness of sin through faith in Christ.
Paul insists that only those who are truly Christians are sufficient to carry the aroma of Christ. He insists he and his co-workers are not false apostles, but sincere and truthful men sent by God to deliver His message (2 Corinthians 2:14–17).