Our Scripture Discussion for 08-21-2011

Our scripture discussion for today is Ezekiel 39:25-29 of the KJ Bible.
Eze 39:25-29 [KJV]

(25)  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;

(26)  After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
(27)  When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
(28)  Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
(29)  Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

Overview: The 39^th chapter “is a continuation of the prophecy of the destruction of Gog” and concludes with the Jews release from captivity and God revealing Himself to them through the Holy Spirit. It is noted that their captivity was a result of “their sins and transgressions”. [Gill] In this book, “Gog is the “chief prince” and leader of the attacking armies”[1]

Verse 25-28:

God will gather together the twelve tribes of Israel, who were scattered and enslaved because of sin, into one land. In their shame, they were “not able to lift up their face.” [Gill quoting Jarchi] Jacob’s captivity is contrasted with the Babylonian since God’s mercy was shown only “on the house of Judah.” Now God will redeem them all since they will “publicly repent” of their idolatry and will honor His name. [Gill, Clarke]


Verse 29:
God promises never to leave them again because He “poured” his “spirit” on them. “This was the beginning of the fulfillment.” “[T]he outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.” [Barnes]

Gill feels “this refers not to the effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but to one that is yet to come, when the Jews will be converted in the latter day…” [Gill]

References

Barnes: Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible.
Clarke: Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible.
Gill: John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible ; Dr. John Gill (1690-1771)
[1] Who are Gog and Magog? Extracted 2011-08-19; http://bibleq.info/answer/1944/

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Our scripture discussion for today: Act 2:42-47

(42)  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

(43)  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

(44)  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

(45)  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

(46)  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

(47)  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. [KJV]

Overview: Pentecost had come, the Holy Spirit imbued them, and they had gathered together in Jerusalem where the gift of tongues came upon the apostles who testified of the risen Christ Jesus to a crowd. At the end, 3,000 became believers.

Verse 42:

In this context, “fellowship” is taken to mean the group putting all their funds together to share expenses since they had been far from home for a long while.[PNT] VWS & Barnes note it is occasionally translated as “communion”. Clarke says the Greek means religious community. This is supported by verses 44 and 45.

There is scholarly disagreement on whether the “breaking of bread” means the Lord’s Supper or cracker bread eaten at many Hebrew meals. This type of cracker bread was broken, not cut. MHCC says it was the Lord’s Supper and while several note that “the Syriac” means “eucharist,” Barnes concludes it’s really not clear. JFB feels that is was not a Eucharistic meal. The bread in verse 46 is more likely the common meal. Some say that breaking bread was a sign of “intimacy or friendship”. Clarke explains that the master of the house performed the ritual as part of a pre-meal blessing. This may mean that even less well-known diners shared in it as well.

Verse 47:

There is much scholarly discussion about the tense used in the phrase “such as should be saved.” Barnes feels is merely a description of those in the crowd “who were about to be saved.” Clarke, Gill, PNT, and others feel it implies that not all are saved, only those “redeemed from their sins and baptized into the faith of Jesus Christ”. RWP and VWS speak about the continuity or “progressive condition” of salvation. That is past, present, and future.

PNT notes this is the first time the newly created “church” is mentioned. However, JFB and Clarke support my translation pet peeves by noting that “to the Church” is missing in the “most ancient manuscripts” (BC, Coptic, Sahidic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Vulgat).

References

Barnes: Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible.

Clarke: Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible.

JFB: A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown.

MHCC: Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible.

PNT: The People's New Testament (1891) by B. W. Johnson.

RWP: WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas Robertson.

VWS: John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible.

Online Safety Tip By Dr. Oz

I read this and it applies to adults as well as youth.

5 tips to keep teens safe online (Examiner, August 3, 2011, p. 25)

Doing goofy things online— even if you’re not a politician — can get you into plenty of trouble. With one click, you or someone you love can send a harsh word, a wild photo or worse into cyberspace, where it will stay forever—and one day come back to haunt you.

If you see your children or grandchildren spending more time on Facebook than face to face with you, you’re right to be worried they might wind up in a situation they’ll regret. The Internet’s like a tattoo on your forehead — visible for all to see and almost impossible to remove.

So, here are some tips from our new book, “YOU: The Owner’s Manual for Teens,” that can help keep your loved ones safe online:

1. Don’t email when angry. Really! Don’t hit “send” until you’re calm. You can’t take back what’s in print.
2. Put photos to the Grandma test. Don’t upload any pics you wouldn’t want your grandmother, a college admissions officer or a future employer to see. Because they will.
3. Keep personal info private. Don’t reveal your school, where you live or any detail making it easy for strangers to find you. That goes double for photos of your private parts. Don’t send them to anyone, even best friends.
4. Don’t friend someone you don’t know. When in doubt, leave ‘emout. Do you really want a stalker on your page?
5. Feeling cyber-bullied? Or harassed? If something doesn’t feel right, tell a parent or school guidance counselor. You don’t have to take it!

Maryland’s Tax Free Shopping

Maryland is relieving purchasers of the usual 6% sales tax, August 14-20, 2011, for clothing and footwear that is less than $100 each item. “That means qualifying apparel and footwear $100 or less are exempt from the Maryland 6% sales tax. Accessory items are not included.”

See this web site for more details including a FAQ Adobe PDF document: http://www.marylandtaxes.com/ShopMD_2011/default.asp

Source:

“Tax Free School Supplies Offer School Savings for 2011 Sales Tax Holidays”

http://www.maximizingmoney.com/shopping/tax-free-school-supplies-offer-school-savings/