Through the Bible in one year - Day 51

Psalm 51:9-10

Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

The psalmist here asks God to hide his face from our sins, and in so doing to create a clean heart, and a right spirit within [us]. This is a prayer, I expect, we could all pray each morning and again at the end of the day, as we are all probably in need of God's intervention on our behalf. Both the psalmist and the other writers today recognize God's saving intentions, and his desire for us to be in a right relationship with him. There are ample reasons to says thank you and to give God praise.

70 people went with Jacob to Egypt – this was the remnant that God saved from the famine. Joseph sets them apart in a land where they can flourish as shepherds, and this they did, in the best land Egypt had to offer. This rebuilding is echoed in 2 Chronicles when we see Joash rebuilds the temple – Josephs rebuilding is of God’s people, Joash rebuilds God’s house. BUT, Joash doesn’t keep the faith – and ends in disgrace and is assassinated. This is becoming a sad theme.

This building up of God’s people is what Paul is doing today in our Acts reading. Many were unhappy with this ‘new’ Gospel and tried to have him arrested, yet the Roman authority said matters of faith needed to be dealt with by the religious and not the courts. I could ponder that concept for a while, especially in our current environment. Too often we as the faithful do not resolve our differences among ourselves – we do not do the difficult task of struggling with the issues, rather we abdicate our responsibility and try, like these Israelites to have some outside arbiter. I think I have to agree with the judge in this case; it is for the faithful to reconcile; let us through God’s grace do that.

Today’s readings: Psalm 51, Genesis 46-47:12, 2 Chronicles 24, Acts 18:1-22