7/17/2024 Yesterday Tomorrow
Proverbs 13 - 15
Proverbs 13
Proverbs 13:1 A wise son hears his father’s instruction,
but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good,
but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.
3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
5 The righteous hates falsehood,
but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.
6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,
but sin overthrows the wicked.
7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
8 The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,
but a poor man hears no threat.
9 The light of the righteous rejoices,
but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
10 By insolence comes nothing but strife,
but with those who take advice is wisdom.
11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,
but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself,
but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
that one may turn away from the snares of death.
15 Good sense wins favor,
but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.
16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
but a fool flaunts his folly.
17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
but a faithful envoy brings healing.
18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,
but whoever heeds reproof is honored.
19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 Disaster pursues sinners,
but the righteous are rewarded with good.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,
but it is swept away through injustice.
24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
but the belly of the wicked suffers want.
Proverbs 14
Proverbs 14:1 The wisest of women builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.
2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,
but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,
but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.
9 Fools mock at the guilt offering,
but the upright enjoy acceptance.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and the end of joy may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
15 The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless.
17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
but the rich has many friends.
21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?
Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the folly of fools brings folly.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.
26 In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
that one may turn away from the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is the glory of a king,
but without people a prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh,
but envy makes the bones rot.
31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
32 The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
but the righteous finds refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
Proverbs 15
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool despises his father’s instruction,
but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the hearts of fools.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
but he loves him who pursues righteousness.
10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
whoever hates reproof will die.
11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD;
how much more the hearts of the children of man!
12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.
13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD
than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,
but the path of the upright is a level highway.
20 A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.
22 Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and a word in season, how good it is!
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud
but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,
but gracious words are pure.
27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
but he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The LORD is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
and good news refreshes the bones.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.
What I'm Reading
Man Shall Not Live on the New Testament Alone
By David T. Lamb
What do Christians do with the Old Testament, with its weird laws, brutal violence, and unpredictable God? Some are confused by it, some are afraid of it, and some simply ignore it. Our confusion, fear, and avoidance of the Old Testament has led to a severe problem. Like a doctor examining a patient, Brent Strawn examines our Old Testament habits and makes a dire diagnosis that supplies the title of his new book: The Old Testament Is Dying: A Diagnosis and Recommended Treatment.
Strawn’s analysis is divided into three sections. The first two focus on the problem (Part 1: “The Old Testament as a Dying Language” and Part 2: “Signs of Morbidity”), while the final section offers a solution (Part 3: “Path to Recovery”). Strawn’s grave assessment should cause great concern to any who believe, along with Paul the apostle, that all Scripture is divinely inspired and profitable for teaching (2 Tim. 3:16). But his suggested treatment should be a source of great hope.
A Disappearing Language | Strawn bases his diagnosis on empirical data from a 2010 Pew Forum survey (inspired by Stephen Prothero’s 2007 book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know-And Doesn't). In addition, he draws on patterns of Old Testament usage in popular sermons, hymns, and songs, and in the The Revised Common Lectionary: Episcopal Edition
(a daily Bible-reading plan used by certain Protestant denominations). Despite widespread claims of religiosity among the US population, Strawn’s evidence strongly suggests that most American Christians are relatively ignorant of basic truths about the Bible, particularly the Old Testament—and that trends in sermons and worship are contributing to the problem. For the most part, the Old Testament is ignored, and even when it isn’t, only a narrow selection of familiar texts are read, sung, or taught.
To convey the severity of the problem, Strawn uses two helpful metaphors (medical and linguistic), and terminology from these realms permeate the book. While the book’s title emphasizes the medical analogy (the Old Testament as dying patient), the linguistic analogy plays a larger role in illustrating the book’s point. Strawn conceives of the Old Testament as a language that has been disappearing due to neglect and avoidance by the church. When people fail to learn the language in its full complexity, they end up essentially recreating it in a simplified, pidgin form.
In the middle of the book, Strawn looks at the problem from a different angle by focusing on three problematic groups: New Atheists, Marcionites, and “Happiologists” (Joel Osteen–types). New Atheists like Richard Dawkins misrepresent the Old Testament with flat, overly literal readings. Strawn insightfully points out some of the problems with Dawkins’s use of Scripture. Despite what Dawkins claims, Genesis 19 (an account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah) doesn’t present Lot in anything like a positive light. And while Genesis 22 is a difficult text, it is abundantly clear that Abraham was being tested and that ultimately God did not want him to sacrifice his son.
David T. Lamb, per Amazon | David T. Lamb is the Allan A. MacRae Professor of Old Testament at Biblical Theological Seminary.
Dave lived in Lexington (KY) long enough to become a Wildcat fan (age 1), lived in Downers Grove (IL) long enough to become a Cubs fan (age 5), and lived in Ames (IA) long enough to learn how to walk beans and de-tassel corn (age 18).
As a young man, he went west to Stanford (CA), where he studied economics (BA), industrial engineering (MS) and Bible (in InterVarsity). He witnessed “The Play” where the Cardinal band came on the field after the Cal player’s knee hit the ground (before lateraling the ball). He served on staff with InterVarsity (1986-1999) at Claremont, Redlands (CA), and Penn (PA).
Against her better judgment, Shannon agreed to marry him (1991), and together they created Nathan and Noah. One can never have enough advanced degrees, so he got an MDiv (Fuller Seminary), an MPhil, and DPhil (University of Oxford).
Since 2006, he has taught Old Testament at Biblical Theological Seminary. He loves to give others a love for God’s word.
David T. Lamb Books:
- 1 God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist?
- 2 Prostitutes and Polygamists: A Look at Love, Old Testament Style
- 3 The Historical Writings: Introducing Israel's Historical Literature
- 4 Righteous Jehu and his Evil Heirs: The Deuteronomist's Negative Perspective on Dynastic Succession
My God Remembers – Zechariah
By Charles L. Feinberg - January 1965
As for the names of the prophet, his father, and his grandfather, there is precious truth here as has been noted by many others. We can find warrant in the Word for such procedure for the Spirit Himself unfolds truth from the name of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:1, 2).
Hebrews 7:1–2 (NASB95) 1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.
The names together signify that Jehovah remembers, and He will bless at the set time, a message which contains in germ the theme of the book.
Hebrews 12:29 (NASB95) 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
more then the whole plan of redemption were unnecessary and unwarranted. Israel must know of the severity of God's wrath, so the prophet clearly stirs up their minds by way of remembrance.
Note that the prophet does not dwell on the Lord's displeasure against Israel, but goes on from that to speak of His tender love in the form of an Invitation:
Zechariah 1:3 (NASB95) 3 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the LORD of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.
The prominence of the name of Jehovah throughout the book is remarkable (8 times in 1:1-6. In this verse we find it three times, lending authentication and authority to the words of invitation. The word shubh is comparable to the New Testament metanoeo and there is more in mind than just the building of the temple. True, the nation had returned to God in a measure, but there was necessity for a more complete turning unto God. We are reminded that for the child of God in this time the exhortation of the Spirit is: "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you" (Jas. 4:8).
James 4:8 (NASB95) 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Positionally, we have been made nigh (Eph. 2:13),
Ephesians 2:13 (NASB95) 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
but experientially we need to be ever more near. With us, as with them, there is first the exhortation, then the expectation or the promise. This call to return dare not be passed over lightly, for it is the basic and fundamental plea of God throughout the Bible to all sinful men. Zechariah, then, like John the Baptist and our blessed Lord Himself at a later day, comes with the message: Repent.
Since there was danger that with Israel then as with their fathers formerly, this gracious invitation would go unheeded, Zechariah warned:
Zechariah 1:4 (NASB95) 4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not listen or give heed to Me,” declares the LORD.
Evil example is always strangely infectious (Mic.6:16; Psa. 78:57).
Micah 6:16 (NASB95) 16 “The statutes of Omri
And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed;
And in their devices you walk.
Therefore I will give you up for destruction
And your inhabitants for derision,
And you will bear the reproach of My people.”
Psalm 78:57 (NASB95) 57 But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers;
They turned aside like a treacherous bow.
In the short compass of about two dozen words we have the gist of all the messages of the pre-exilic prophets, hannebhi'im hari'shonim. They were essentially preachers of righteousness, and these words characterize their prophecies. To be sure, these words do not sum up all that these men of God said. One of the many such instances will suffice: "Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked return from his way and live; return, return from your evil ways, for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11; see also particularly Jer. 3:6-4:4, 7:3, 5; 18:11; 26:13).
Ezekiel 33:11 (NASB95) 11 “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’
Jeremiah 3:6–4:4 (NASB95) 6 Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did?
She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there.
7 “I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’;
but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 “And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also.
9 “Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
10 “Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the LORD.
11 And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12 “Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say,
‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD;
‘I will not look upon you in anger.
For I am gracious,’ declares the LORD;
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the LORD your God
And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the LORD.
14 ‘Return, O faithless sons,’ declares the LORD;
‘For I am a master to you,
And I will take you one from a city and two from a family,
And I will bring you to Zion.’
15 “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.
16 “It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again.
17 “At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the LORD,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of the LORD; nor will they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18 “In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.
19 “Then I said,
‘How I would set you among My sons
And give you a pleasant land,
The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’
And I said, ‘You shall call Me, My Father,
And not turn away from following Me.’
20 “Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover,
So you have dealt treacherously with Me,
O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.
21 A voice is heard on the bare heights,
The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel;
Because they have perverted their way,
They have forgotten the LORD their God.
22 “Return, O faithless sons,
I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the LORD our God.
23 “Surely, the hills are a deception,
A tumult on the mountains.
Surely in the LORD our God
Is the salvation of Israel.
24 “But the shameful thing has consumed the labor of our fathers since our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 “Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”
4:1 “If you will return, O Israel,” declares the LORD,
“Then you should return to Me.
And if you will put away your detested things from My presence,
And will not waver,
2 And you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’
In truth, in justice and in righteousness;
Then the nations will bless themselves in Him,
And in Him they will glory.”
3 For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,
“Break up your fallow ground,
And do not sow among thorns.
4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD
And remove the foreskins of your heart,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My wrath will go forth like fire
And burn with none to quench it,
Because of the evil of your deeds.”
Jeremiah 7:3 (NASB95) 3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.
Jeremiah 7:5 (NASB95) 5 “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor,
Jeremiah 18:11 (NASB95) 11 “So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.” ’
Jeremiah 26:13 (NASB95) 13 “Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will change His mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you.
After the Revolution
By Albert Mohler 6/1/2010
Welcome to the Brave New World of new media. Over the last two decades, we have experienced nothing less than a revolution in the ways that information is gathered, manipulated, published, and disseminated. And, as is the case with any development of this magnitude, Christians must give careful consideration to our responsibility in the context of this new digital age.
Years ago, Nicholas Negroponte of the MIT Media Lab declared the revolution as a shift from atoms to bits — digital bits of information shared computer to computer. Even in 1995, that looked like an overstatement. We now know that it was not. The old world of media was about paper, books, newsprint, and film. The new world is digital, appearing mainly on electronic screens. The great media transformation has been described as a shift from dead trees to live screens, opening unprecedented opportunities for the sharing of information.
Looking back, it is now clear that the development of print — the Gutenberg Revolution — was a major factor in the spread of the Reformation. Books and Bibles could now be printed in mass quantities, and printing presses could be easily hidden and hastily reassembled.
The printed word became the context for public conversation. Theological disputations, political debates, and philosophical arguments took shape in books, pamphlets, and other forms of printed media. Christians responded by placing a premium on literacy and engaging print media with a sense of missionary zeal.
A second revolution in communication came mainly in the twentieth century, with the development of the film industry and broadcast media. Once again, Christians quickly came to understand their responsibility to listen carefully to the public conversation that now shifted to radio, television, and cinema.
The third great transformation in modern communications is the Digital Revolution — the great shift of information and entertainment to the internet and an ever-expanding universe of digital appliances. The digital world is home to the new media, a constellation of new modes and technologies of communication. Once again, the public conversation has shifted in light of this revolution. The world has gone digital.
The migration of information to digital formats happened with stunning speed, leaving newspapers, magazines, and the major television networks facing the possibility of extinction — at least in their present form. The impact of the revolution is still unfolding. The internet is now home to millions of weblogs (blogs) that drive the news and shape opinion often before the major media know what is happening, much less what to say about it. Webpages offer a seemingly endless stream of news, information, entertainment, analysis, gossip, and nonsense. The digital world flattens hierarchies. A teenager might be writing that blog that scoops a major news network on a major story. The great challenge for most of us is not access (the challenge of the old media) but adequate filtering. The digital world is all about open communication — the gatekeepers of old media are no longer in control. How do we find what we need and disregard all the rest?
The New Media world includes social media, as the world is increasingly and incessantly connected. The 350 million registered users of Facebook would, taken together, constitute one of the largest nations on earth. Twitter, the microblogging phenomenon, is now a major platform for instant news and analysis. Like every information revolution, the digital revolution and new media present Christians and the church with both enormous challenges and unprecedented opportunities.
In 1 Peter 3:15, the faithful Christian is described as “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” Christians must be engaged in the public conversation that goes on all around us. Like the old media of print and airwaves, the new media demand our attention — not just because they are the conduits of what is new, interesting, and entertaining — but because these are the media currently shaping the minds around us, igniting the interest of the public, establishing what our friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens understand as reality.
Like the Reformers who seized the opportunity afforded by the Gutenberg Revolution, we must see the world of new media as an arena for Christian truth-telling. Our engagement with new media is driven by impulses that are evangelistic, missiological, and grounded in apologetics.
We must be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” in the context of new media as well as the media platforms of old. We rightly treasure the printed book, but we are also aware that the public conversation is now largely online.
Like every information revolution, the rise of new media requires Christian discernment. At the same time, there is no way we can ignore this challenge and deny the revolution. We can hardly expect to explain the hope that is in us when we aren’t even part of the conversation.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary – the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.
Albert Mohler Books | Go to Books Page
May 19, 2024 Churches Praying For Israel
Isaiah 49:24-25 “Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? For thus says the LORD: ‘Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken and the prey of the tyrant be rescued for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.’”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we believe You can reveal the hostages’ location. We humbly ask You, Lord Jesus, to guide the IDF or anyone You choose to find the hostages and safely return them to their families. Please comfort the families of those who have been killed. Lord, please rescue the lost. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalm 91:4 “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray for the safety and protection of innocent civilians in Israel and Gaza. May they find refuge from danger. We ask for Your divine protection over this region. Keep women, children, and innocent people from being shields and tools for terrorists. Give them a way of escape. Shield the little children from harm’s way we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalm 121:7-8 “The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”
Prayer: Lord, we pray for Israel’s protection from harm. Please be with the IDF and the brave men and women who are in harm’s way. Lord, we ask that You shield them from their enemies and surround them with Your divine protection, to allow them to act effectively to bring peace to the region. We ask that You confuse and thwart the assaults of Israel’s adversaries. Lord, please defeat Israel’s enemies, but also convict them and redeem them. Lord, we also ask for your mercy to fall on Israel, Gaza, and the entire region. May all innocent ones be protected from harm. May all evildoers be stopped in their tracks by you, Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Prayer: Lord, we ask that You safeguard the religious freedom of all faith communities in Israel. Lord, we ask that You protect and open doors of conversation so that the gospel can be freely shared with Jews, Muslims, and atheists. While our desire is that all worship You as Lord and Savior, we do pray that religious persecution and animosity would cease, and that You would use religious freedom as a tool for peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, strengthen the people of Israel in times of adversity. Strengthen all those – whether in Israel, Gaza, or the surrounding region – who are seeking you and trying to do right as best they know how to do. Lord, I ask they find courage and strength in You. Lord, may they come to know You as their refuge and strength. May they rely on You amid their battles. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Prayer: God, we ask that you grant strength and courage to those working for peace. May your Holy Spirit empower them to pursue Your will. May they protect the innocent and put an end to evildoers. I pray that any action they take would not be from hatred or sin, but that they would rely on Your guidance to do what is right. Please show them what You want them to do and how You want them to do it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help the people of Israel to honor You in everything they do. May they see You more clearly through this adversity and draw close to You in their time of need. We ask that Israel would be a blessing to their neighbors, not a hinderance. We ask that You protect them from wicked nations. May they ultimately find their help and comfort in you, Lord Jesus. We ask that they would then be Your instrument of salvation, pointing others to Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Proverbs 11:14 “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we ask You to grant wisdom and discernment to Israel’s leaders, so they govern with integrity and seek Your guidance in every decision. Surround them with wise counsel and shut out the talk of evil or foolish men. Lord, we ask for leaders in Gaza who will truly look out for the interests of their people, and seek their welfare. We ask you to cause a change of heart in the leaders of Gaza so they will bless their people and not oppress them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Proverbs 21:15 “When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we come before you, asking that justice and fairness prevail in resolving this conflict. Lord, only You can give true justice. Each of our hearts is corrupt and biased. You see every wrong, You alone can correct and make every mistake right. May decisions in this war be honoring to You. Be with the leaders in this conflict and convict their hearts to pursue Your justice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jeremiah 30:17 “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’”
Prayer: Lord, we pray for emotional and psychological healing for those traumatized by this conflict. Restore hope and wholeness to them, and bring comfort to those who have experienced loss. Lord, bind up those who have been physically harmed, help them to recover both physically and emotionally. May You use what man intended for evil for good and for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask that You break free the people of Israel and Gaza free from burdensome yolks, and that they would surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Lord, please send your helpers to fight the spiritual darkness in this region. Please bring healing to the injured and brokenhearted. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ephesians 2:14 “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”
Prayer: Lord, we pray for healing and restoration in Israel and Gaza, and between Israel and Gaza. Lord, I ask that You heal past wounds and reconcile communities so that they may experience Your peace and wholeness. We ask for a new day to dawn in the Middle East, that is marked by Your presence. Lord, even in this conflict and confusion we trust that You are fulfilling Your plans and purposes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalm 46:9 “He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.”
Prayer: Father, we pray for an end to the violence and hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Lord, we ask You to open doors for dialogue and reconciliation. We ask that You bring this conflict to a swift and decisive conclusion and beat back the forces of darkness. We ask for Your justice and mercy to reign. We trust that all things work together for good, for those who are called according to Your purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalm 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you!”
Prayer: Father, grant peace within Israel’s borders. Let tranquility reign in Jerusalem and throughout the nation, and may Your peace surpass all understanding. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”
Prayer: Lord, bring unity among the diverse people of Israel and throughout the Middle East. May they stand together in peace, choosing life over death, despite their differences. But most importantly Lord, may they surrender their hearts to You Jesus, and so be empowered by Your love that they may love one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Prayer: Lord, please grant hope to those affected by conflict. We cannot imagine the horror this war has caused in so many lives. May the civilians and leaders hold fast to You alone as their source of hope. We ask that You display Your mighty hand in an unmistakable way and use this conflict to draw the lost to You and that there would be peace and reconciliation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Prayer: Dear God, we are grateful for your ultimate provision. You are the source of all things; You are our great provider. We humbly ask for Your mercy and guidance to secure humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict. We pray that as their basic needs are met, they may also come to know You as their Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Acts 5:31 “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for the Jewish believers in Israel and worldwide. Please burden the hearts of Jewish Christians to share with all Jews that You are the Messiah and Savior. Please grant favor to Messianic Jews and stir them up to encourage their neighbors to surrender their lives to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”
Prayer: Lord, please pour out Your Holy Spirit upon Israel and Gaza and ignite a spiritual revival, transforming lives with Your power and awakening hearts to Your truth. May countless come to faith in Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Get Real
By Keith Mathison 6/1/2010
I do not care for shopping malls. I have not reflected on the reasons for my dislike for any significant amount of time. It’s just a gut-level, visceral reaction I have when I enter one of these buildings. I like the main streets in small towns with local shops that have their own unique atmosphere. Malls seem to want to mimic small-town main streets in some ways, but with their cookiecutter franchises that are like the stores in every other mall in every other city, they are the exact opposite of small-town main streets. In fact, they have contributed to the gradual extinction of small-town main streets.
On those occasions when I do have to enter a mall, I often sit on one of the benches outside the store while my wife shops. It’s a good place to do some people watching, and there are some interesting characters inhabiting the malls. Not too long ago, while sitting on one of these benches in a local suburban mall, I turned and saw a bizarre sight. Several young boys, about eleven or twelve years old, were walking in my direction. It appeared that every one of them was trying to copy the fashion style of the so-called “gangster rappers.” They were wearing oversized baggy jeans with their boxer shorts exposed. They had their caps on sideways. It was the full getup. To top it off, it was evident that they were trying to appear menacing.
I couldn’t help the thoughts that went through my head in rapid succession: “Did your parents let you out of the house looking like that? Are you aware of the girls behind you giggling hysterically? Do you know you’d be a lot scarier without the Pokemon T-Shirts?” You get the point. They looked silly, but they didn’t know they looked silly. They were posers, pretending to be something they weren’t, and they were failing spectacularly.
Sadly, pre-teens are not the only ones who sometimes pretend to be something they are not. Many grown men and women who should know better do similar things. The clichéd mid-life crisis is a perfect example. How many times have you seen an overweight fifty-something-year-old man trying to look and act as if he is in his twenties again? Some men do not seem to realize that unbuttoning Hawaiian shirts halfway down their chests, wearing gold chains, and driving Corvette convertibles does not cause people to be transported back in time.
The same phenomenon exists in the church. I cannot begin to count the number of times I’ve visited or been told by others of churches that have adopted some kind of new worship service, not because it is who they are, but because they think it will make them more acceptable to a younger crowd. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but churches that do this do nothing other than make themselves look as silly as those twelveyear- olds in the mall. And the younger crowd isn’t fooled for a moment. Like a middle-aged man trying to hide his baldness with a comb-over, the truth is obvious to everyone.
This phenomenon is also evident in some pulpits. Occasionally one comes across preachers who embrace a manner of speaking that is completely unnatural for them. Some attempt to adopt the mannerisms and enunciation of preachers they admire and respect, even though such mannerisms and ways of speaking are not their own. Some put on airs. I’ve heard some go so far as to attempt accents that are unnatural to them when they preach. Impersonating a police officer is a crime. Impersonating a Victorian-era Englishman in the pulpit should be.
There is a potential danger in such behavior, aside from looking silly, because saying something in a way that is forced and artificial can very easily distract people from hearing what is being said. If the content of what is being said is a political speech, a classroom lecture, or something similar, the consequences may be minimal. If the content of what is being said is the gospel, the consequences may be eternal. There is no need to place such obstacles in the way of biblical truth.
The prophets and apostles came from all spheres of life. Some were priests. Some were farmers. Some were fishermen. And yet they proclaimed God’s Word. Peter and John, for example, did not pretend to be educated philosophers or Pharisees when they proclaimed the gospel (Acts 4:1–12). Their listeners recognized quite easily that they were “uneducated, common men” (4:13). Peter and John understood that their identity was not the important question their listeners needed to be thinking about. The truly important question their listeners needed to consider was the identity of Jesus.
Whether we were born black or white, rich or poor, let us be honest about who we are, recognizing that our true identity is found in Christ. Let us not place unnecessary stumbling-stones in the paths of unbelievers. Let us leave the playacting, pomposity, and pretentions to the experts in Hollywood, where bad impersonations are expected.
Per Amazon, Keith A. Mathison (MA, Reformed Theological Seminary; PhD, Whitefield Theological Seminary) is dean of the Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies and an associate editor of Tabletalk magazine at Ligonier Ministries. He is editor of When Shall These Things Be: A Reformed Response to Hyper-Preterism and associate editor of The Reformation Study Bible. He lives in Lake Mary, Florida, with his wife and children.
Keith Mathison Books:- 1 Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope
- 2 The Shape of Sola Scriptura
- 3 Given for You: Reclaiming Calvin's Doctrine of the Lord's Supper
- 4 From Age to Age: The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
- 5 Dispensationalism: Rightly Dividing the People of God?
- 6 A Reformed Approach to Science and Scripture
- 7 Not a Chance: God, Science, and the Revolt against Reason
- 8 When Shall These Things Be?: A Reformed Response to Hyper-Preterism
Jesus AD
By Robert Jeffress 2023
Jesus AD
We saw earlier that Jesus came at a fraught time in Israel’s history. But He also came at an ideal time. The Pax Romana, or Roman peace, meant there was no existential threat for people to worry about. They had the luxury of being able to focus on spiritual matters. The intricate road system the Romans built facilitated the spreading of the gospel. Most of the people in the world spoke the same language, Koine Greek, which made sharing the gospel and writing the New Testament much easier. The polytheism, or worship of many gods, that had been a part of Roman and Greek culture was giving way to a renewed interest in monotheism, the worship of one God. And four hundred years of spiritual drought among the Jewish people was coming to an end as a renewed interest in Scripture was starting to take hold.
The stage was set.
God’s perfect timing ensured that Jesus’s message would resonate, travel, and transform. The movement that started in a small village in occupied Israel more than two thousand years ago changed the world like nothing else before or since.
That’s the big-picture view of Jesus’s work after His life on earth. What’s more important is the practical application: what His life means for us today. God the Son, the third core belief of Christianity, presents us with two unique opportunities and challenges.
Jesus Presents Us with a Decision to Make
Some people believe Tom Hanks is the greatest actor in Hollywood. Some people believe James Buchanan is the worst president in US history. Both statements make for interesting conversation starters. In certain circles, they might even trigger spirited debate. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t really matter how we respond. There are no consequences for our belief or unbelief.
At the opposite end of the consequence spectrum, we have this quote from Jesus: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). Spiritually speaking, that puts the ball in our court.
As Paul explained in Colossians 1:15–20, Jesus has proven Himself to be sufficient for us. Paul was writing to Christians who were tempted to believe that Jesus was not enough, that they needed something else: Jesus plus good works. Jesus plus the Old Testament law. Jesus plus a certain philosophy.
Paul reminded the Colossians of Jesus’s credentials: Jesus existed before the world was made. He created the universe. The wind and waves obey Him. He sustains the universe. He holds everything together and keeps it from spinning into chaos.
Paul explained that Jesus was and is the head of the church. He is the “firstborn from the dead” (v. 18) — the first person to be raised in a new body that was free from sin, that would never grow sick or die. The Greek word for “firstborn” (prototokos) is the word from which we get our English word prototype. Our resurrected bodies will be modeled on Jesus’s resurrected body.
Paul pointed out that Jesus is central to salvation. Through Him, God reconciled us to Himself. With our sin, we made a unilateral decision to leave our relationship with Him. We chased after other things and other people. God would have been completely justified in ending His relationship with us. He could have said, “You want to be separated from Me? Why not go ahead, then, and spend the rest of eternity separated from Me?” That would have been a just decision. But God loves us too much for that to happen. He took the first step toward reconciliation by sending His Son to die for us (Rom. 5:8). Jesus made it possible for us to have peace with God. His death was sufficient payment for our sins.
Paul’s point was this: if Jesus Christ is sufficient to create and sustain the universe, to deliver us from the power of death, and to restore our relationship with God, don’t you think He’s sufficient to entrust with our lives?
Jesus’s statement is unequivocal: I am the way. His résumé gives us no reason to doubt Him. We must decide whether to accept His truth—to embrace it and build our lives on it—or to reject it. And from God’s perspective, any response other than fully accepting it is rejecting it.
Jesus Presents Us with a Future to Embrace
Putting our faith in God the Son opens a new future to us and unlocks a new perspective on the world around us. As we wrap up this look at the third core belief of Christianity, let’s consider three things that happen when we align ourselves forever with Jesus Christ.
First, we accept that we’re only travelers in this world. If you’ve enjoyed an extended stay in a foreign locale, you know the sense of dislocation that can set in. No matter how hard you work to embrace local customs, you’re still a foreigner. You don’t quite belong, not like the citizens of that region. Your citizenship lies elsewhere.
Paul said that, as Christians, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). That makes this world our foreign locale. That realization creates both an opportunity and a responsibility for us. The opportunity is knowing that everything we experience and endure in this world is temporary, a drop in the bucket of eternity. Knowing that there’s an end to our struggles can give us the perspective we need to thrive in the midst of them.
On the flip side, because of the temporary nature of this world, we have no reason to get too attached to the things in it, especially if they interfere with our walk with Christ. We have to guard against getting bogged down by earthly pursuits when there are so many opportunities to pursue things of eternal significance.
Second, we put our treasure in things above. Figuratively speaking, we look at life through a jeweler’s loupe. An experienced jeweler isn’t dazzled by a diamond’s sparkly exterior. Instead, she examines the stone closely, with a neutral gaze. By looking through a loupe, she’s able to see tiny cracks in the surface of the diamond, as well as blemishes and imperfections that are invisible to the naked eye. She gets a sense of the diamond’s true value.
Likewise, with a Christlike perspective, we can see the cracks and imperfections in the things of this world that are considered valuable. Popularity is fleeting. Money doesn’t buy happiness. Power corrupts. Comfort is a trap.
We can also spot the things that are truly valuable. Serving others changes lives. Studying God’s Word pays enormous dividends. Pursuing His will for our lives results in ultimate fulfillment and joy.
Third, we experience the beautiful tension Paul talked about. In his letter to Philippian believers, Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake” (1:21–24).
On the one hand, we eagerly anticipate the things we can do for God on earth and celebrate the blessings we experience here. On the other hand, we recognize that the glory that awaits us in heaven is far greater than anything we could ever hope to experience here on earth.
In other words, we celebrate the win-win of our existence — the existence made possible by God the Son.
Read The Psalms In "1" Year
Psalm 76
Who Can Stand Before You?76 To The Choirmaster: With Stringed Instruments. A Psalm Of Asaph. A Song.
1 In Judah God is known;
his name is great in Israel.
2 His abode has been established in Salem,
his dwelling place in Zion.
3 There he broke the flashing arrows,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah
4 Glorious are you, more majestic
than the mountains full of prey.
5 The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil;
they sank into sleep;
all the men of war
were unable to use their hands.
6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both rider and horse lay stunned.
By John Walvoord
Exhortation to Israel and Babylon to Recognize God
Isaiah 46:1–13. Bel, a deity of Babylon, is described as bowing down, and Nebo, another deity, “stoops low” (v. 1 ). The Babylonians carried images of these gods in some of their triumphant festivals, but by contrast, God carried Israel (vv. 3–4 ). Israel was urged to remember God as the One who declared the end from the beginning (vv. 8–10 ), whose purpose would be fulfilled (v. 10 ). God would bring salvation to Israel (vv. 11–13 ).
The Gods of Babylon
Isaiah 47:1–15. The destruction of Babylon, the “Virgin Daughter of Babylon,” was predicted (v. 1 ). Babylon was compared to a slave woman grinding flour with the millstones (vv. 2–4 ). The judgment of God on Babylon was painted in graphic terms (vv. 5–15 ). Her astrologers would not be able to save her (vv. 13–15 ).
God Keeps His Promises
Isaiah 48:1–22. Israel would resist acknowledging God and would break her oaths given to Him (vv. 1–6 ). God promised to continue to refine Israel (vv. 7–11 ). God again asked Israel to remember how much greater He is than any idol and prophesied that He would fulfill His purpose (vv. 12–15 ). In exhorting her to leave Babylon and return to her Promised Land, God reminded her of all He had done for her, but predicted that unless she followed Him, she would not find peace (vv. 16–22 ). These prophecies are fulfilled in history and prophecy.
Israel’s Coming Redemption
The general theme of Isaiah 49–57 is that the Servant of the Lord would ultimately be Israel’s protector and deliverer. In these chapters, sometimes servant refers to Israel herself, but in other instances to Jesus Christ as the Servant of the Lord, who would be Israel’s deliverer.
Isaiah 49:1–7. The Servant will be called by the Lord before He is born (v. 1 ). The ministry of the Servant will be to bring Israel back to God (vv. 5–6 ). In the prediction of the coming salvation by the Servant, He is also declared to be “a light for the Gentiles” (v. 6 ), referred to in Luke 1:79; 2:32; cf. Isa. 42:6. Though “despised and abhorred by the nation” in His first coming ( 49:7 ), He will bring Israel back to God in the millennium.
Isaiah 49:8–13. The prediction is made that the Servant will be triumphant in fulfilling God’s covenant with His people (v. 8; cf. Jer. 31:31–34 ). Israel will come from all directions to be restored to her Promised Land ( Isa. 49:12 ). This is fulfilled in history and prophecy.
The Certainty of Israel’s Restoration
Isaiah 49:14–26. In spite of these prophecies, however, Israel will feel she was forsaken (v. 14 ). God assured her that this was not the case and that He would not forget her (vv. 15–18 ). Though Israel returned from Babylon as a small nation, when finally regathered by Christ at His second coming she will be a large nation (vv. 19–21 ). Then her land will seem too small for her (v. 20 ). The return of the children from the captivity, however, foreshadows the ultimate gathering of the nation as a whole, an event which is yet to come (v. 20 ). The triumph of Israel will be recognized by the Gentiles (vv. 22–24 ). In the process of her deliverance and God’s judgment on her oppressors, God will reveal Himself as Israel’s “Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob” (v. 26 ). This is fulfilled in history and prophecy.
The Servant Obedient in Humiliation
Isaiah 50:1–11. God described Himself as a husband who had temporarily divorced his wife because of sin (v. 1 ). Israel was referred to as one sold as a slave. The One who was speaking was the Servant of the Lord. God’s power is such that He could redeem them out of any situation (v. 2 ). The submission of the Servant to the will of God led to His rejection and ridicule (v. 6; Matt. 27:28–30; Mark 14:65; 15:19–20; Luke 22:63 ). Those who want to follow the Servant of the Lord in obeying God should trust in the Lord instead of in their own light ( Isa. 50:10–11 ). This prophecy was fulfilled in the first coming of Christ.
God Able to Fulfill His Promises to Israel
Isaiah 51:1–23. Israel was exhorted to look at Abraham and Sarah, and to the Lord as the One who would fulfill the promises of blessing. The description of the situation corresponds to the millennial kingdom, when there will be universal joy and righteousness (vv. 3–5 ). God’s salvation will last forever (v. 6 ). God was extolled as the One who would be able to bring the ransomed back to Zion (v. 11 ). God, who is her Creator, will comfort Israel (v. 12 ). His power is greater than the power of Israel’s oppressor (vv. 12–15 ). The cup of God’s wrath drunk by Israel will be given to her oppressor (vv. 17–23 ). This prophecy is fulfilled in history and prophecy.
The Coming Salvation of God
Isaiah 52:1–6. Though God dealt with trouble in this way, Israel was exhorted to look forward to God’s restoration. When restored, Israel will know that the Lord has done it. This will be fulfilled in the millennium.
Isaiah 52:7–12. The scene described goes beyond the restoration of Israel after the captivities and envisions the millennial earth and Jerusalem as its central city (vv. 8–10 ). This will be done for all the nations to see.
The Suffering Servant to Be Exalted
Isaiah 52–53:12. In the process, the Servant of the Lord will suffer ( 52:13 ), a prediction of the sufferings of Christ in connection with His crucifixion. The result will be, however, that blessings will extend to many nations (v. 15; cf. Rom. 15:21 ).
The great messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53 is devoted to the description of the death of Christ. Portions of this section of Isaiah are quoted in the New Testament. Israel’s rejection of Jesus was pictured (v. 1; cf. John 12:38; Rom. 10:16 ). He had no outward beauty, and He was despised and not esteemed ( Isa. 53:2–3 ). Those in Israel who understood that Christ had died for them recognized that He took their infirmities on Himself (vv. 4–6; cf. Matt. 8:17 ). The Servant was afflicted because of Israel’s transgressions. The truth was summarized in Isaiah 53:6: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” The Servant was compared to a lamb being brought to the slaughter because He did not open His mouth. His death made it impossible for Him to have physical descendants (vv. 7–8; Acts 8:32–33 ). His “grave” was “with the wicked” but also “with the rich” ( Isa. 53:9; 1 Peter 2:22 ). The Servant died in the will of God because “his life” was made “a guilt offering” ( Isa. 53:10 ). This prophecy was fulfilled in Christ’s death, with the blessing to be fulfilled in the millennium ( Mark 15:3–4, 27–28; Luke 23:1–25; John 1:29; 11:49–52; Acts 8:28–35; 10:43; 13:38–39; 1 Cor. 15:35; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 2:21–25; 1 John 1:7–9 ).
His spiritual offspring would spring from His death and resurrection ( Isa. 53:10 ). His ultimate victory over the wicked is described in verses 11–12 (cf. Luke 22:30 ).
The Future Glory of Israel
Isaiah 54:1–17. The future glory of Israel and Jerusalem was portrayed in graphic language. She was compared to a barren woman who nevertheless has many children (v. 1 ). She was told to spread out and settle in various cities because of her increased descendants. God described Himself as her “husband — the LORD Almighty is his name — the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer” (v. 5 ). Though Israel was abandoned for a moment, God promised to keep His everlasting covenant and shower her with everlasting kindness and compassion (vv. 7–8 ). His treatment of Israel will be like His treatment of Noah, and His “unfailing love for you will not be shaken” (vv. 9–10 ). The fact that God will not need to rebuke Israel again (v. 9 ) described her millennial kingdom.
Jerusalem will be as a city built of precious stones (vv. 11–12 ), which is similar to the description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21–22. The reference is, however, to the city of Jerusalem in the millennium rather than the eternal state ( Isa. 54:11–12 ). In the closing verses of the chapter, Israel is declared to be free from tyranny and terror, and God Himself will be her defender against attack (vv. 14–17 ).
The Promise of Salvation
Isaiah 55:1–13. An invitation was extended to all who were thirsty and who had no money to come and partake of wine and milk without price or cost (vv. 1–2 ). God will make an everlasting covenant with Israel as He did with David (v. 3 ). In the enforcement of this invitation, God reminded Israel that she should listen to and seek the Lord while He may be found (vv. 3–7 ). The closing verses of the chapter continue to set forth the wonder of God’s care in nature as well as in the proclamation of His Word that will not return empty (vv. 8–11 ). The prophecy promises that Israel will have great joy in the coming kingdom. All nature will join in rejoicing at God’s blessing (vv. 12–13 ).
All of the blessings described in this chapter are related in verse 3 to “an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Just as the promises of David and the promises of his kingdom are everlasting and sure to be fulfilled, so Israel’s expectation of her restoration and joy in the future millennium were prophesied.
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The Continual Burnt Offering (Luke 5:8)
By H.A. Ironside - 1941
July 17
Luke 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ESVThe miraculous draught of fishes told Peter that he was in the presence of the Creator. This at once manifested his own sinful state and led to his taking the place of repentance at the Savior’s feet. Though he cried, “Depart from me,” it was grace drawing him to the only One who could meet his need. Instead of departing Jesus met him in loving kindness and compassion, and gave him the word of assurance, “Do not be afraid.” It is those who own their sinfulness who find mercy. Peter had joined the goodly fellowship of Job, David, and Isaiah, all of whom, when consciously in the presence of God, took the place of self-judgment and found forgiveness and cleansing. The place of confession is the place of blessing.
When I consider the way I have spent this life that God created and graciously allowed me to live ... when I consider how God has blessed me, despite me ... when I consider God's patience, long-suffering and mercy toward me ... when I consider that Jesus Christ suffered terribly for me, knowing what a wretch I would be ... I can only whisper, Lord, please forgive me.
God could not pass the sinner by,
His sin demands that he must die;
But in the cross of Christ we see
How God can save, yet righteous be.
The sin alights on Jesus’ head,
‘Tis in His blood sin’s debt is paid;
And Mercy can dispense her store.
Stern Justice can demand no more.
The sinner who believes is free,
Can say, “The Saviour died for me;”
Can point to the atoning blood,
And say, “This made my peace with God.”
--- A. Midlane
The Continual Burnt Offering: Daily Meditations on the Word of God
The Institutes of the Christian Religion
Translated by Henry Beveridge
7. I come now to the crowning point--viz. that the sacred Supper, on
which the Lord left the memorial of his passion formed and engraved,
was taken away, hidden, and destroyed, when the mass was erected. While
the supper itself is a gift of God, which was to be received with
thanksgiving, the sacrifice of the mass pretends to give a price to God
to be received as satisfaction. As widely as giving differs from
receiving, does sacrifice differ from the sacrament of the Supper. But
herein does the wretched ingratitude of man appear,-- that when the
liberality of the divine goodness ought to have been recognised, and
thanks returned, he makes God to be his debtor. The sacrament promised,
that by the death of Christ we were not only restored to life once, but
constantly quickened, because all the parts of our salvation were then
completed. The sacrifice of the mass uses a very different
language--viz. that Christ must be sacrificed daily, in order that he
may lend something to us. The Supper was to be dispensed at the public
meeting of the Church, to remind us of the communion by which we are
all united in Christ Jesus. This communion the sacrifice of the mass
dissolves, and tears asunder. For after the heresy prevailed, that
there behoved to be priests to sacrifice for the people, as if the
Supper had been handed over to them, it ceased to be communicated to
the assembly of the faithful according to the command of the Lord.
Entrance has been given to private masses, which more resemble a kind
of excommunication than that communion ordained by the Lord, when the
priestling, about to devour his victim apart, separates himself from
the whole body of the faithful. That there may be no mistake, I call it
a private mass whenever there is no partaking of the Lord's Supper
among believers, though, at the same time, a great multitude of persons
may be present.
8. The origin of the name of Mass I have never been able certainly to
ascertain. It seems probable that it was derived from the offerings
which were collected. Hence the ancients usually speak of it in the
plural number. But without raising any controversy as to the name, I
hold that private masses are diametrically opposed to the institution
of Christ, and are, therefore, an impious profanation of the sacred
Supper. For what did the Lord enjoin? Was it not to take and divide
amongst ourselves? What does Paul teach as to the observance of this
command? Is it not that the breaking of bread is the communion of body
and blood? (1 Cor. 10:16). Therefore, when one person takes without
distributing, where is the resemblance? But that one acts in the name
of the whole Church. By what command? Is it not openly to mock God when
one privately seizes for himself what ought to have been distributed
among a number? But as the words, both of our Saviour and of Paul, are
sufficiently clear, we must briefly conclude, that wherever there is no
breaking of bread for the communion of the faithful, there is no Supper
of the Lord, but a false and preposterous imitation of the Supper. But
false imitation is adulteration. Moreover, the adulteration of this
high ordinance is not without impiety. In private masses, therefore,
there is an impious abuse: and as in religion, one fault ever and anon
begets another, after that custom of offering without communion once
crept in, they began gradually to make innumerable masses in all the
separate corners of the churches, and to draw the people hither and
thither, when they ought to have formed one meeting, and thus
recognised the mystery of their unity. Let them now go and deny their
idolatry when they exhibit the bread in their masses, that it may be
adored for Christ. In vain do they talk of those promises of the
presence of Christ, which, however they may be understood, were
certainly not given that impure and profane men might form the body of
Christ as often as they please, and for whatever abuse they please; but
that believers, while, with religious observance, they follow the
command of Christ in celebrating the Supper, might enjoy the true
participation of it.
9. We may add, that this perverse course was unknown to the purer
Church. For however the more impudent among our opponents may attempt
to gloss the matter, it is absolutely certain that all antiquity is
opposed to them, as has been above demonstrated in other instances, and
may be more surely known by the diligent reading of the Fathers. [657]
But before I conclude, I ask our missal doctors, seeing they know that
obedience is better than sacrifice, and God commands us to listen to
his voice rather than to offer sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22),--how they can
believe this method of sacrificing to be pleasing to God, since it is
certain that he does not command it, and they cannot support it by one
syllable of Scripture? Besides, when they hear the apostle declaring
that "no man taketh this honour to himself, but he that is called of
God, as was Aaron," so also Christ glorified not himself to be made an
high priest, but he that said unto him, "Thou art my Son: this day have
I begotten thee" (Heb. 5:4, 5). They must either prove God to be the
author and founder of their priesthood, or confess that there is no
honour from God in an office, into which, without being called, they
have rushed with wicked temerity. They cannot produce one iota of
Scripture in support of their priesthood. And must not the sacrifices
be vain, since they cannot be offered without a priest?
10. Should any one here obtrude concise sentences of the ancients, and
contend, or their authority, that the sacrifice which is performed in
the Supper is to be understood differently from what we have explained
it, let this be our brief reply,--that if the question relates to the
approval of the fiction of sacrifice, as imagined by Papists in the
mass, there is nothing in the Fathers to countenance the sacrilege.
They indeed use the term sacrifice, but they, at the same time, explain
that they mean nothing more than the commemoration of that one true
sacrifice which Christ, our only sacrifice (as they themselves
everywhere proclaim), performed on the cross. "The Hebrews," says
Augustine (Cont. Faust. Lib. 20 c. 18), "in the victims of beasts which
they offered to God, celebrated the prediction of the future victim
which Christ offered: Christians now celebrate the commemoration of a
finished sacrifice by the sacred oblation and participation of the body
of Christ." Here he certainly teaches the same doctrine which is
delivered at greater length in the Treatise on Faith, addressed to
Peter the deacon, whoever may have been the author. The words are,
"Hold most firmly, and have no doubt at all, that the Only-Begotten
became incarnate for us, that he offered himself for us, an offering
and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour; to whom, with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, in the time of the Old Testament, animals
were sacrificed, and to whom now, with the Father and the Holy Spirit
(with whom there is one Godhead), the holy Church, throughout the whole
world, ceases not to offer the sacrifice of bread and wine. For, in
those carnal victims, there was a typifying of the flesh of Christ,
which he himself was to offer for our sins, and of the blood which he
was to shed for the forgiveness of sins. But in that sacrifice there is
thanksgiving and commemoration of the flesh of Christ which he offered
for us, and of the blood which he shed for us." Hence Augustine
himself, in several passages (Ep. 120, ad Honorat. Cont. Advers.
Legis.), explains, that it is nothing else than a sacrifice of praise.
In short, you will find in his writings, passim, that the only reason
for which the Lord's Supper is called a sacrifice is, because it is a
commemoration, an image, a testimonial of that singular, true, and only
sacrifice by which Christ expiated our guilt. For there is a memorable
passage (De Trinitate, Lib. 4 c. 24), where, after discoursing of the
only sacrifice, he thus concludes: "Since, in a sacrifice, four things
are considered--viz. to whom it is offered, by whom, what and for whom,
the same one true Mediator, reconciling us to God by the sacrifice of
peace, remains one with him to whom he offered, made himself one with
those for whom he offered, is himself the one who offered, and the one
thing which he offered." Chrysostom speaks to the same effect. They so
strongly claim the honour of the priesthood for Christ alone, that
Augustine declares it would be equivalent to Antichrist for any one to
make a bishop to be an intercessor between God and man (August. Cont.
Parmen. Lib. 2 c. 8). [658]
11. And yet we deny not that in the Supper the sacrifice of Christ is
so vividly exhibited as almost to set the spectacle of the cross before
our eyes, just as the apostle says to the Galatians, that Jesus Christ
had been evidently set forth before their eyes, when the preaching of
the cross was delivered to them (Gal. 3:1). But because I see that
those ancient writers have wrested this commemoration to a different
purpose than was accordant to the divine institution (the Supper
somehow seemed to them to present the appearance of a repeated, or at
least renewed, immolation), nothing can be safer for the pious than to
rest satisfied with the pure and simple ordinance of God, whose Supper
it is said to be, just because his authority alone ought to appear in
it. Seeing that they retained a pious and orthodox view of the whole
ordinance--and I cannot discover that they wished to derogate in the
least from the one sacrifice of the Lord--I cannot charge them with any
impiety, and yet I think they cannot be excused from having erred
somewhat in the mode of action. They imitated the Jewish mode of
sacrificing more closely than either Christ had ordained, or the nature
of the gospel allowed. The only thing, therefore, for which they may be
justly censured is, that preposterous analogy, that not contented with
the simple and genuine institution of Christ, they declined too much to
the shadows of the law.
12. Any who will diligently consider, will perceive that the word of
the Lord makes this distinction between the Mosaic sacrifices and our
eucharist--that while the former represented to the Jewish people the
same efficacy of the death of Christ which is now exhibited to us in
the Supper, yet the form of representation was different. There the
Levitical priests were ordered to typify the sacrifice which Christ was
to accomplish; a victim was placed to act as a substitute for Christ
himself; an altar was erected on which it was to be sacrificed; the
whole, in short, was so conducted as to bring under the eye an image of
the sacrifice which was to be offered to God in expiation. But now that
the sacrifice has been performed, the Lord has prescribed a different
method to us--viz. to transmit the benefit of the sacrifice offered to
him by his Son to his believing people. The Lord, therefore, has given
us a table at which we may feast, not an altar on which a victim may be
offered; he has not consecrated priests to sacrifice, but ministers to
distribute a sacred feast. The more sublime and holy this mystery is,
the more religiously and reverently ought it to be treated. Nothing,
therefore, is safer than to banish all the boldness of human sense, and
adhere solely to what Scripture delivers. And certainly, if we reflect
that it is the Supper of the Lord and not of men, why do we allow
ourselves to be turned aside one nail's-breadth from Scripture, by any
authority of man or length of prescription? [659] Accordingly, the
apostle, in desiring completely to remove the vices which had crept
into the Church of Corinth, as the most expeditious method, recalls
them to the institution itself, showing that thence a perpetual rule
ought to be derived.
13. Lest any quarrelsome person should raise a dispute with us as to
the terms sacrifice and priest, I will briefly explain what in the
whole of this discussion we mean by sacrifice, and what by priest.
Some, on what rational ground I see not, extend the term sacrifice to
all sacred ceremonies and religious acts. We know that by the uniform
use of Scripture, the name of sacrifice is given to what the Greeks
call at one time thusia, at another prosphopa`, at another teletne`.
This, in its general acceptation, includes everything whatever that is
offered to God. Wherefore, we ought to distinguish, but so that the
distinction may derive its analogy from the sacrifices of the Mosaic
Law, under whose shadows the Lord was pleased to represent to his
people the whole reality of sacrifices. Though these were various in
form, they may all be referred to two classes. For either an oblation
for sin was made by a certain species of satisfaction, by which the
penalty was redeemed before God, or it was a symbol and attestation of
religion and divine worship, at one time in the way of supplication to
demand the favour of God; at another, by way of thanksgiving, to
testify gratitude to God for benefits received; at another, as a simple
exercise of piety, to renew the sanction of the covenant, to which
latter branch, burnt-offerings, and libations, oblations, first-fruits,
and peace offerings, referred. Hence let us also distribute them into
two classes. The other class, with the view of explaining, let us call
latpeutiko`n, and sebasticho`n, as consisting of the veneration and
worship which believers both owe and render to God; or, if you prefer
it, let us call it eucharistiko`n, since it is exhibited to God by none
but those who, enriched with his boundless benefits, offer themselves
and all their actions to him in return. The other class let us call
propitiatory or expiatory. A sacrifice of expiation is one whose object
is to appease the wrath of God, to satisfy his justice, and thereby
wipe and wash away the sins, by which the sinner being cleansed and
restored to purity, may return to favour with God. Hence the name which
was given in the Law to the victims which were offered in expiation of
sin (Exod. 29:36); not that they were adequate to regain the favour of
God, and wipe away guilt, but because they typified the true sacrifice
of this nature, which was at length performed in reality by Christ
alone; by him alone, because no other could, and once, because the
efficacy and power of the one sacrifice performed by Christ is eternal,
as he declared by his voice, when he said, "It is finished;" that is,
that everything necessary to regain the favour of the Father, to
procure forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and salvation, that all
this was performed and consummated by his one oblation, and that hence
nothing was wanting. No place was left for another sacrifice.
14. Wherefore, I conclude, that it is an abominable insult and
intolerable blasphemy, as well against Christ as the sacrifice, which,
by his death, he performed for us on the cross, for any one to think of
repeating the oblation, of purchasing the forgiveness of sins, of
propitiating God, and obtaining justification. But what else is done in
the mass than to make us partakers of the sufferings of Christ by means
of a new oblation? And that there might be no limit to their
extravagance, they have deemed it little to say, that it properly
becomes a common sacrifice for the whole Church, without adding, that
it is at their pleasure to apply it specially to this one or that, as
they choose; or rather, to any one who is willing to purchase their
merchandise from them for a price paid. Moreover, as they could not
come up to the estimate of Judas, still, that they might in some way
refer to their author, they make the resemblance to consist in the
number. He sold for thirty pieces of silver: they, according to the
French method of computation, sell for thirty pieces of brass. He did
it once: they as often as a purchaser is met with. We deny that they
are priests in this sense--namely, that by such oblations they
intercede with God for the people, that by propitiating God they make
expiation for sins. Christ is the only Pontiff and Priest of the New
Testament: to him all priestly offices were transferred, and in him
they closed and terminated. Even had Scripture made no mention of the
eternal priesthood of Christ, yet, as God, after abolishing those
ancient sacrifices, appointed no new priest, the argument of the
apostle remains invincible, "No man taketh this honour unto himself,
but he that is called of God, as was Aaron" (Heb. 5:4). How, then, can
those sacrilegious men, who by their own account are murderers of
Christ, dare to call themselves the priests of the living God?
15. There is a most elegant passage in the second book of Plato's
Republic. Speaking of ancient expiations, and deriding the foolish
confidence of wicked and iniquitous men, who thought that by them, as a
kind of veils, they concealed their crimes from the gods; and, as if
they had made a paction with the gods, indulged themselves more
securely, he seems accurately to describe the use of the expiation of
the mass, as it exists in the world in the present day. All know that
it is unlawful to defraud and circumvent another. To do injustice to
widows, to pillage pupils, to molest the poor, to seize the goods of
others by wicked arts, to get possession of any man's succession by
fraud and perjury, to oppress by violence and tyrannical terror, all
admit to be impious. How then do so many, as if assured of impunity,
dare to do all those things? Undoubtedly, if we duly consider, we will
find that the only thing which gives them so much courage is, that by
the sacrifice of the mass as a price paid, they trust that they will
satisfy God, or at least will easily find a means of transacting with
him. Plato next proceeds to deride the gross stupidity of those who
think by such expiations to redeem the punishments which they must
otherwise suffer after death. And what is meant by anniversaries and
the greater part of masses in the present day, but just that those who
through life have been the most cruel tyrants, or most rapacious
plunderers, or adepts in all kinds of wickedness, may, as if redeemed
at this price, escape the fire of purgatory?
16. Under the other kind of sacrifice, which we have called
eucharistic, are included all the offices of charity, by which, while
we embrace our brethren, we honour the Lord himself in his members; in
fine, all our prayers, praises, thanksgivings, and every act of worship
which we perform to God. All these depend on the greater sacrifice with
which we dedicate ourselves, soul and body, to be a holy temple to the
Lord. For it is not enough that our external acts be framed to
obedience, but we must dedicate and consecrate first ourselves, and,
secondly, all that we have, so that all which is in us may be
subservient to his glory, and be stirred up to magnify it. This kind of
sacrifice has nothing to do with appeasing God, with obtaining
remission of sins, with procuring justification, but is wholly employed
in magnifying and extolling God, since it cannot be grateful and
acceptable to God unless at the hand of those who, having received
forgiveness of sins, have already been reconciled and freed from guilt.
This is so necessary to the Church, that it cannot be dispensed with.
Therefore, it will endure for ever, so long as the people of God shall
endure, as we have already seen above from the prophet. For in this
sense we may understand the prophecy, "From the rising of the sun, even
unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the
Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and
a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, said the
Lord of hosts" (Malachi 1:11); so far are we from doing away with this sacrifice. Thus Paul beseeches us by the mercies of God, to present our bodies "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," our "reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1). Here he speaks very significantly when he adds, that this service is reasonable, for he refers to the spiritual mode of worshipping God, and tacitly opposes it to the carnal sacrifices of the Mosaic Law. Thus to do good and communicate are called sacrifices with which God is well pleased (Heb. 13:16). Thus the kindness of the Philippians in relieving Paul's want is called "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God" (Phil. 4:18); and thus all the good works of believers are called spiritual sacrifices.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library / Public Domain
Institutes of the Christian Religion
- Reflection Never Forgotten
- End of Prophecy
- Forgiveness
#1 Todd Pickett | Biola University
#2 Andy Draycott | Biola University
#3 Hashim Garrett, Charles Williams | Biola University
Devotionals, notes, poetry and more
6/1/2014 Contending for Peace and Purity
I spent my first year of college at a second-degree separatist school that was founded by the Bible Presbyterian Church. The men who founded the college were colleagues of Carl MacIntyre, Allan MacRae, J. Gresham Machen, and Bob Jones Jr. These stalwarts of the faith fought for the fundamentals of the faith against the rising tide of liberalism for a good portion of the twentieth century. My professors had been their students, and I am grateful to God to have been one of theirs. They were thoroughgoing fundamentalists — staunchly committed to the fundamentals of the faith, the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, and the pure preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were willing to separate from anyone who compromised the fundamentals of the faith, and they were willing to separate from anyone else who was unwilling to separate from those who compromised the fundamentals of the faith. As a first-year college student preparing for ministry, I respected these men not only because they contended earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, but because they were some of the most godly, loving, and gracious men I have ever known.
On one occasion, in the midst of wrestling through the implications of second-degree separationism, I went to see one of my professors to gain his counsel about the Southern Baptist church where I served on staff. At one point in our conversation, I asked him, “Sir, at some point don’t we simply need to recognize that within the church there are just different strokes for different folks?” I’ll never forget the way he looked at me with his penetrating eyes and a warm grin: “Yes, just as long as those strokes are biblical.”
For nearly twenty years, I have seriously considered his words and the principles of separation that he instilled within me. Both then and now, I have found that I am more aligned with the principles of separation and association with J. Gresham Machen than anyone else. Dr. Machen pursued right association for the sake of the unity and peace of the church with as much earnestness as he pursued necessary separation for the sake of the purity of the church and the gospel. For there cannot be true peace and unity in the church without purity. God calls us not only to contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 3) but to eagerly maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). Both are necessary, but it takes wisdom from above to do both in a biblical way that glorifies God.
Like Machen, Francis Schaeffer, who early in his ministry was part of the Bible Presbyterian Church, taught that the church should practice two things simultaneously: orthodoxy of doctrine and orthodoxy of visible community. As we strive for both, God calls us to contend earnestly on our knees in prayer and to stand up and speak the truth in love for the sake of the name of Christ and the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church of Christ.
click here for article source
Dr. Burk Parsons (@BurkParsons) is editor of Tabletalk magazine, senior pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., a visiting lecturer at Reformed Theological Seminary, and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow. He is editor of John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology.
Ligonier coram Deo (definition)
by Bill Federer
Bartolome’ de Las Casas, the “Apostle of the Indies,” died this day, July 17, 1566. He was one of the first Christian missionaries known for his devotion to the oppressed and enslaved natives of Latin America. His work Apologetic History of the Indies, published in 1530, exposed the oppression of the Indians in the forced labor and influenced Madrid to enact New Laws to protect them. Bartolome’ de Las Casas stated: “The main goal of divine Providence in the discovery of these tribes … is …the conversion and well-being of souls, and to this goal everything temporal must necessarily be … directed.”
American Minute
Compiled by Richard S. Adams
Prayer is an attitude of the heart.
--- Dr. Larry Dossey
Prayer Is Good Medicine: How to Reap the Healing Benefits of Prayer
Until today (1888), no people has succeeded in establishing national dominion in the Land of Israel. No national unity, in the spirit of nationalism, has acquired any hold there. The mixed multitude of itinerant tribes that managed o settle there did so on lease, as temporary residents. It seems that they await the return of the permanent residents of the land.
--- Professor Sir John William Dosson
Modern Science in Bible Lands ... With maps and illustrations.
We ought not to be in too much of a hurry here
to speak piously of God’s will and guidance.
It is obvious, and it should not be ignored,
that it is your own very human wills that are at work here,
celebrating their triumph;
the course that you are taking at the outset
is one that you have chosen for yourselves…
--- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison (Dietrich Bonhoeffer-Reader's Edition)
... from here, there and everywhere
The Requirement of Kavvanah
How many of these readings require kavvanah? To begin (le’khat’ḥilah), one must avoid any distractions and intend what he recites throughout all these readings. But what of be’di’avad, if one read them but paid no attention: must he repeat them or is he, in such a situation, excused from repeating them and regarded as if he had fulfilled this mitzvah?
The Talmud records three opinions of the Tannaim. R. Akiva maintains that the entire first section, but not the other two, requires kavvanah. R. Eliezer restricts the requirement to the first two verses of the first paragraph, and R. Meir—to the first verse, that of the Shema alone. (6)
(6) Berakhot 13a.
What is the underlying rationale of these various points of view? My revered teacher, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, o.b.m., offers the following interpretation: (7) Rambam explains the Talmud’s order of the three sections and the priority given to the first by underscoring the larger themes of the first section, that of the Shema. “The portion of Shema is recited first,” he writes, “because it contains [the themes of] the unity of God (‘the Lord is One’), His love (‘you shall love the Lord your God’), and the study of Torah (‘you shall teach them,’ etc.), which is the great principle upon which all else depends.” (8) The second paragraph speaks of all the other commandments of the Torah, as does the third, which mentions, in addition, the exodus from Egypt. These three principles implicit in the Shema section are the major constituents of kabbalat ‘ol malkhut shamayim, the submission to the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the essence of the Shema.
(7) I recall hearing this lecture, which was published later in his Sheurim li’Zekher Abba Mari zal (Jerusalem: 1983), vol. I, pp. 20ff.
(8) Hilkhot Keriat Shema, 1:2.
This interpretation throws light on the tannaitic dispute as to how far we go in demanding kavvanah. R. Akiva is the most straightforward in insisting upon kavvanah for the complete first portion of the Shema; after all, the third of these principles, the study of Torah, appears in the fourth verse of the first section, and it makes eminently good sense to require kavvanah for more than the first verse or two. Hence, one must exercise kavvanah for the entire first section. The other two opinions, however, remain problematic. Rabbi Soloveitchik’s response is that R. Eliezer must hold that the two central themes of unity and love are sufficient to qualify as “accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven,” and therefore it is adequate to achieve kavvanah for the first two verses, which reflect these themes. By the same token, R. Meir must consider the theme of the unity of God of such overarching importance that attention paid to this one verse of the Shema qualifies as “accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven” and thus as having recited the Shema with the minimum necessary intention. Moreover, by having kavvanah for only part of the first paragraph—the two verses for R. Eliezer and the first for R. Meir—and thereby succeeding to kabbalat ‘ol malkhut shamayim, one fulfills the requirement of affirming all three principles, perhaps because the lesser are somehow implied in the larger principles, which are not only more fundamental but also more comprehensive.
Now, while this pattern is structurally attractive and rings true, it remains to be explained why, according to R. Eliezer and R. Meir, the first or first two principles imply the remaining themes. How, for instance, does the unity of God include, according to R. Meir, the love of God and the study of Torah?
I venture the following amplification of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s thesis: It is not that the earlier principle or principles imply the latter, but that they lead to them. Thus, R. Eliezer will hold that if one affirms the unity and love for God, this will invariably lead him to the study of Torah. More than a millennium after R. Eliezer, Rambam defined the love of God as inextricably bound up with the knowledge of God (see chapter 10); the same holds true for the very closely related commandment to study the Torah. For R. Meir, unity implies love (see chapter 6) and, hence, at one remove, the study of Torah as well.
The Shema: Spirituality and Law in Judaism
Thanks to Meir Yona
CHAPTER 12.
Many Tumults Under Cumanus, Which Were Composed By Quadratus. Felix Is Procurator Of Judea. Agrippa Is Advanced From Chalcis To A Greater Kingdom.
1 Now after the death of Herod, king of Chalcis, Claudius set Agrippa, the son of Agrippa, over his uncle's kingdom, while Cumanus took upon him the office of procurator of the rest, which was a Roman province, and therein he succeeded Alexander; under which Cumanus began the troubles, and the Jews' ruin came on; for when the multitude were come together to Jerusalem, to the feast of unleavened bread, and a Roman cohort stood over the cloisters of the temple, [for they always were armed, and kept guard at the festivals, to prevent any innovation which the multitude thus gathered together might make,] one of the soldiers pulled back his garment, and cowering down after an indecent manner, turned his breech to the Jews, and spake such words as you might expect upon such a posture. At this the whole multitude had indignation, and made a clamor to Cumanus, that he would punish the soldier; while the rasher part of the youth, and such as were naturally the most tumultuous, fell to fighting, and caught up stones, and threw them at the soldiers. Upon which Cumanus was afraid lest all the people should make an assault upon him, and sent to call for more armed men, who, when they came in great numbers into the cloisters, the Jews were in a very great consternation; and being beaten out of the temple, they ran into the city; and the violence with which they crowded to get out was so great, that they trod upon each other, and squeezed one another, till ten thousand of them were killed, insomuch that this feast became the cause of mourning to the whole nation, and every family lamented their own relations.
2. Now there followed after this another calamity, which arose from a tumult made by robbers; for at the public road at Beth-boron, one Stephen, a servant of Caesar, carried some furniture, which the robbers fell upon and seized. Upon this Cumanus sent men to go round about to the neighboring villages, and to bring their inhabitants to him bound, as laying it to their charge that they had not pursued after the thieves, and caught them. Now here it was that a certain soldier, finding the sacred book of the law, tore it to pieces, and threw it into the fire. 14 Hereupon the Jews were in great disorder, as if their whole country were in a flame, and assembled themselves so many of them by their zeal for their religion, as by an engine, and ran together with united clamor to Cesarea, to Cumanus, and made supplication to him that he would not overlook this man, who had offered such an affront to God, and to his law; but punish him for what he had done. Accordingly, he, perceiving that the multitude would not be quiet unless they had a comfortable answer from him, gave order that the soldier should be brought, and drawn through those that required to have him punished, to execution, which being done, the Jews went their ways.
3. After this there happened a fight between the Galileans and the Samaritans; it happened at a village called Geman, which is situate in the great plain of Samaria; where, as a great number of Jews were going up to Jerusalem to the feast [of tabernacles,] a certain Galilean was slain; and besides, a vast number of people ran together out of Galilee, in order to fight with the Samaritans. But the principal men among them came to Cumanus, and besought him that, before the evil became incurable, he would come into Galilee, and bring the authors of this murder to punishment; for that there was no other way to make the multitude separate without coming to blows. However, Cumanus postponed their supplications to the other affairs he was then about, and sent the petitioners away without success.
4. But when the affair of this murder came to be told at Jerusalem, it put the multitude into disorder, and they left the feast; and without any generals to conduct them, they marched with great violence to Samaria; nor would they be ruled by any of the magistrates that were set over them, but they were managed by one Eleazar, the son of Dineus, and by Alexander, in these their thievish and seditious attempts. These men fell upon those that were in the neighborhood of the Acrabatene toparchy, and slew them, without sparing any age, and set the villages on fire.
5. But Cumanus took one troop of horsemen, called the troop of Sebaste, out of Cesarea, and came to the assistance of those that were spoiled; he also seized upon a great number of those that followed Eleazar, and slew more of them. And as for the rest of the multitude of those that went so zealously to fight with the Samaritans, the rulers of Jerusalem ran out clothed with sackcloth, and having ashes on their head, and begged of them to go their ways, lest by their attempt to revenge themselves upon the Samaritans they should provoke the Romans to come against Jerusalem; to have compassion upon their country and temple, their children and their wives, and not bring the utmost dangers of destruction upon them, in order to avenge themselves upon one Galilean only. The Jews complied with these persuasions of theirs, and dispersed themselves; but still there were a great number who betook themselves to robbing, in hopes of impunity; and rapines and insurrections of the bolder sort happened over the whole country. And the men of power among the Samaritans came to Tyre, to Ummidius Quadratus, 15 the president of Syria, and desired that they that had laid waste the country might be punished: the great men also of the Jews, and Jonathan the son of Ananus the high priest, came thither, and said that the Samaritans were the beginners of the disturbance, on account of that murder they had committed; and that Cumanus had given occasion to what had happened, by his unwillingness to punish the original authors of that murder.
6. But Quadratus put both parties off for that time, and told them, that when he should come to those places, he would make a diligent inquiry after every circumstance. After which he went to Cesarea, and crucified all those whom Cumanus had taken alive; and when from thence he was come to the city Lydda, he heard the affair of the Samaritans, and sent for eighteen of the Jews, whom he had learned to have been concerned in that fight, and beheaded them; but he sent two others of those that were of the greatest power among them, and both Jonathan and Ananias, the high priests, as also Artanus the son of this Ananias, and certain others that were eminent among the Jews, to Caesar; as he did in like manner by the most illustrious of the Samaritans. He also ordered that Cumanus [the procurator] and Celer the tribune should sail to Rome, in order to give an account of what had been done to Caesar. When he had finished these matters, he went up from Lydda to Jerusalem, and finding the multitude celebrating their feast of unleavened bread without any tumult, he returned to Antioch.
7. Now when Caesar at Rome had heard what Cumanus and the Samaritans had to say, [where it was done in the hearing of Agrippa, who zealously espoused the cause of the Jews, as in like manner many of the great men stood by Cumanus,] he condemned the Samaritans, and commanded that three of the most powerful men among them should be put to death; he banished Cumanus, and sent Celer bound to Jerusalem, to be delivered over to the Jews to be tormented; that he should be drawn round the city, and then beheaded.
8. After this Caesar sent Felix, 16 the brother of Pallas, to be procurator of Galilee, and Samaria, and Perea, and removed Agrippa from Chalcis unto a greater kingdom; for he gave him the tetrarchy which had belonged to Philip, which contained Batanae, Trachonitis, and Gaulonitis: he added to it the kingdom of Lysanias, and that province [Abilene] which Varus had governed. But Claudius himself, when he had administered the government thirteen years, eight months, and twenty days, died, and left Nero to be his successor in the empire, whom he had adopted by his Wife Agrippina's delusions, in order to be his successor, although he had a son of his own, whose name was Britannicus, by Messalina his former wife, and a daughter whose name was Octavia, whom he had married to Nero; he had also another daughter by Petina, whose name was Antonia.
by D.H. Stern
will himself cry, but not be answered.
14 A secret gift allays anger,
and a bribe under the cloak the strongest fury.
Complete Jewish Bible : An English Version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B'Rit Hadashah (New Testament)
A Daily Devotional by Oswald Chambers
The miracle of belief
My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words. --- 1 Cor. 2:1–5.
Paul was a scholar and an orator of the first rank; he is not speaking out of abject humility, but saying that he would veil the power of God if, when he preached the Gospel, he impressed people with his “excellency of speech.” Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the efficacy of Redemption, not by impressiveness of speech, not by wooing and winning, but by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of the Redemption comes through the preaching of the Gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher. The real fasting of the preacher is not from food, but rather from eloquence, from impressiveness and exquisite diction, from everything that might hinder the Gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God—“as though God did beseech you by us.” He is there to present the Gospel of God, not human ideals. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get anywhere near Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the Gospel will end in making me a traitor to Jesus; I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.
“I, if I be lifted up …, will draw all men unto Me.”.
--- John 12:32.
My Utmost for His Highest
the Poetry of RS Thomas
Mother and Son
At nine o'clock in the Morning
My son said to me:
Mother, he said, from the wet streets
The clouds are removed and the sun walks
Without shoes on the warm pavements.
There are girls biddable at the corners
With teeth cleaner than your white plates
The sharp clatter of your dishes
Is less pleasant to me than their laughter.
The day is building; before its bright walls
Fall in dust, let me go
Beyond the front garden without you
To find glasses unstained by tears,
To find mirrors that do not reproach
My smooth face; to hear above the town's
Din life roaring in the veins.
Selected poems, 1946-1968
Book 4, Psalm 104, 105
… The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In the time-to-come, I
shall give glory and majesty to the king Messiah, as is said For Thou meetest him with choicest blessings …
Glory and majesty dost Thou lay upon him (Ps. 21:4, 6).
And God gives glory and majesty not only to the king
Messiah, but also to every man who labors diligently in the Torah. For in the verse The works of the Lord are great,
sought out of all them that have pleasure therein
(Ps. 111:2), the works of the Lord means the Torah, as it is said
“And the tables were the work of God” (Ex. 32:16).
Tom Huckel, The Rabbinic Messiah (Philadelphia: Hananeel House, 1998), Ps 111:2.
The Sins of God’s People: Part 2
W. W. Wiersbe
As Malachi continued his message, the people continued their resistance to God’s truth. They had already argued with him about God’s love (1:2), God’s name (v. 6), and God’s teaching about marriage and divorce (2:14), and now they would argue about three other matters: the justice of God, giving to God, and serving God. People who argue with God rarely receive blessings from God. It’s when our mouth is stopped and we submit to His will that we can experience the grace of God (Rom. 3:19).
But Malachi didn’t stop preaching; he went on to deal with these “sins of the saints.”
1. Questioning God’s Justice (Mal. 2:17–3:6)
“You have wearied the Lord with your words,” the prophet said; and they replied, “How have we wearied Him?” (2:17, NIV) Of course, God never gets weary in a physical sense because God doesn’t have a body (Isa. 40:28), but He does grow weary of some of the things His people say and do. The hypocritical people in Israel wearied God with their iniquities (43:24), and the Jewish remnant in Malachi’s day wearied Him with their words.
Their words were cynical and skeptical. “We came back to the land, rebuilt the temple, and restored the worship,” they said, “and look at the difficulties we’re experiencing! Why isn’t God keeping his promise? Where are all the blessings He promised through His prophets?” It was the age-old problem of “Why do the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper?” Job and his friends wrestled with it, and so did Asaph (Ps. 73), Jeremiah (Jer. 12), and Habakkuk.
But these skeptical Jews had forgotten the terms of the covenant and the conditions laid down by the prophets: if the people obeyed God’s law, God would bless them with all they needed. But they were divorcing their wives, marrying pagan women, offering defiled sacrifices, robbing God of tithes and offerings, and complaining about having to serve the Lord! For God to bless people like that would mean approving of their sins. The Jews didn’t need justice; they needed mercy!
Malachi answered their question “Where is the God of justice?” by speaking about two messengers.
“My messenger”—John the Baptist (Mal. 3:1a). As we’ve seen, the name Malachi means “my messenger”; and the messenger referred to in this statement we know as John the Baptist. Speaking of John the Baptist, Jesus said, “For this is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face who will prepare Your way before You’ ” (Matt. 11:10, NKJV; see Mark 1:2 and Luke 7:27).
While Malachi was the last of the writing prophets, John the Baptist was the last and the greatest of the Old Covenant prophets. (Keep in mind that the Old Covenant was not ended by the birth of Jesus in the manger but by the death of Jesus on the cross. John’s ministry took place at the close of the old dispensation, so strictly speaking, he was an Old Testament prophet.) To John was given the unique privilege of ministering at the close of the old dispensation and the beginning of the new, and it was John who presented Jesus to Israel (John 1:29–31). Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, John was born into a priestly family but was called of God to be a prophet. He was also a martyr, for he gave his life in the work God called him to do (Matt. 14:1–12).
The Prophet Isaiah had also written about John’s ministry (Isa. 40:3–5; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4–6; John 1:23). The image is that of people preparing a way for the king to come, leveling the roads and removing the obstacles so that the king might enjoy an easy and comfortable trip. John prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus by preaching the Word to the crowds, urging them to repent of their sins, baptizing them, and then introducing them to Jesus.
But how does this answer the question, “Where is God’s justice for His people?” When Jesus Christ came and died on the cross, He completely satisfied the justice of God. He paid the penalty for the sins of the world and vindicated the holiness of God. Nobody can ever truthfully say, “God isn’t just!” The cross of Christ is proof that the same God who ordained “the law of sin and death” (Gen. 2:15–17; Rom. 6:23; 8:2–4) also “took His own medicine” (to quote Dorothy Sayers) and willingly died for sinners. Because of Calvary, God is both “just and justifier” of all who trust Jesus Christ (3:26).
The messenger of the covenant”—Jesus Christ (Mal. 3:1b–6). The first prophecy refers to our Lord’s first coming in grace and mercy, but this prophecy speaks of His second coming in judgment. When He comes, He will prove that God is just by purifying His people and judging rebellious sinners. Jesus Christ is the “Messenger of the Covenant” in that He fulfilled all the demands of the covenant in His life, suffered the penalties in His death, and rose from the dead to usher in a New Covenant of grace (Jer. 31:31–40; Matt. 26:26–30; Heb. 8:6–13). All the covenants in Old Testament history unite in pointing to Jesus Christ and His marvelous work of redemption.
An unannounced coming (Mal. 3:3). Messiah’s second coming will be sudden and unexpected, and its purpose will be the judging of sinners and the establishing of His kingdom on earth. “But of that day and hour, no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matt. 24:36, NKJV). “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman” (1 Thes. 5:3).
An unprepared people (Mal. 3:1). The phrase “whom you delight in” suggests that the Jews in Malachi’s day were hoping that “the Day of the Lord” would come soon, not realizing what a terrible day it would be for the whole earth. His listeners were like the people in the days of Amos the prophet who had the same false confidence that they were ready for the promised “Day of the Lord.” Amos warned them, “Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! Why do you long for the Day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light” (see Amos 5:18–20).
When the Jewish remnant of that day read the prophets, they saw only the promises of blessing and not the warnings of judgment. They rejoiced in the prophecies of the coming King and His glorious kingdom, but they overlooked the prophecies that described worldwide terror when the wrath of God is poured out on sinners. (Some of the old editions of the Bible made this same mistake in their chapter headings. If the chapter was about blessing, the caption read “God’s blessing on the church,” but if it was about judgment the heading said, “God’s judgment on the Jews.” Yet the Bible tells us that “judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17).) These Israelites were not unlike some Christians today who talk about the coming of the Lord as though seeing Him will be more like beholding a visiting celebrity and basking in his or her glory. Standing at the judgment seat of Christ will be an awesome experience, even though we know that we have a place reserved for us in heaven.
An unclean nation (Mal. 3:2b–4). Malachi asked, “But who may abide in the day of His coming?” and then described what Messiah would do when he came: He would purify the Jewish nation, especially the priests, and bring swift judgment to the sinners who arrogantly disobeyed His Law.
In the Law of Moses, God provided three ways for people and things to be cleansed and made acceptable to God: water, fire, and blood. There is no mention here of blood because Jesus Christ died for sinners at His first coming. But he would wash the unclean nation like a launderer washes dirty clothes. He would purify the tribe of Levi the way a jeweler purifies precious metal in his furnace. “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zech. 13:1).
Once the nation is cleansed, and the priests are purified, then they can become an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord (Mal. 3:4), and He will be pleased with them. The priests in Malachi’s time were offering sacrifices that were unacceptable (1:7–8), and the priests themselves were unacceptable, but in that great day, God’s Messenger would make His people “living sacrifices” that would be acceptable to the Lord (Rom. 12:1).
An unsparing judgment (Mal. 3:5). This list of sinners gives us some idea of the kind of practices that were going on in Malachi’s time and will be going on in the end times. All of them are contrary to God’s Law. Sorcery is forbidden because it means trafficking with demons (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 20:27; Deut. 18:14). The “satanic revival” that’s going on today indicates that many people aren’t heeding God’s warnings as they dabble in witchcraft and other demonic practices. In fact, witchcraft is a legal religion in many places.
“False swearers” describes people who commit perjury by lying while under oath. Perjury violates the third commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (v. 7), and the ninth commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (v. 16). Trust is the “cement” that holds society together, and when that cement crumbles, society falls apart. If we can’t trust one another’s words and promises, then how can we live and work together safely?
The oppressing of the poor and needy is a sin that the prophets condemned with vehemence, and it needs to be condemned today. God has a special concern for widows and orphans who are exploited and laborers who don’t receive their wages (Ex. 22:22–24; Lev. 19:10; Deut. 10:17–19; 24:14–15, 19–32; 27:19; Ps. 68:5; Isa. 1:17, 23: Jer. 7:6; James 5:1–8).
An unchanging God (Mal 3:6). What was the reason for these social abuses? The people who committed them had no fear of the Lord. They thought that God was like themselves, that He would close His eyes to their sins and not judge them for breaking His law. “You thought that I was altogether like you, but I will reprove you” (Ps. 50:21, NKJV).
The Jews should have been grateful that God was unchanging in His nature, His purposes, and His promises, for if He were not, He would have consumed them for their sins. Twice Moses used this truth about God as his argument when he interceded for the nation (Ex. 33:12–23; Num. 14:11–21). The same principle applies to believers today, for 1 John 1:9 states that God is “faithful and just to forgive our sins.” God is faithful to His promises and just toward His Son who died for our sins that we might be forgiven. (See also Num. 23:19; Deut. 4:31; and James 1:17.)
Malachi has proved that God is just. Now he discusses the fact that the people are unjust in the way they’ve robbed God of what rightfully belongs to Him.
Be Amazed (Minor Prophets): Restoring an Attitude of Wonder and Worship (The BE Series Commentary)
D’RASH
/Aḥaron aḥaron ḥaviv, “The very last is dearest,” means that we save the best for last. All of us do this when we save the sweets for dessert, the last course of the meal. Adults will often remind children, “Eat your meal so that you can have dessert,” just as we tell the adults, “Leave room for dessert.” It’s rare that we forget the cake that will follow the main course.
Elsewhere in the Midrash, we are told that even God saved the best for last in creating Shabbat, the Sabbath, as the seventh and final day of the week. The tradition tells us that God thought of Shabbat first but delayed creating it until all the other days of the week were complete. Shabbat is, in the words of the Shabbat hymn “Lekhah Dodi,” paraphrasing the Midrash:
סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה
Sof ma’aseh b’maḥashavah teḥillah.
Last created, first in thought.
In the Mekhilta, the oldest rabbinic Midrash on Exodus, Rabbi Elazar ben Ḥananiah gives a practical use of the concept of “The very last is dearest” by teaching: “Remember the Sabbath day continually from the first day of the week. If a good portion happens to come your way, prepare it for use on the Sabbath.” The great sage Hillel did this by saving the best food he found during the week for use on the next Shabbat. If, later in the week, he found something better, he set the first aside, saying that the new and better food was reserved for Shabbat.
The problem is that we can start out with good intentions at the beginning of the week but lose interest as the week wears on. Perhaps this is why the axiom is אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן חָבִיב/Aḥaron aḥaron ḥaviv, with the word אַחֲרוֹן/aḥaron, “last,” repeated twice. What we have translated as “The very last is dearest” literally means, “The last, the [very] last is dear.” The Rabbis may have been saying that not only do we have to keep the last in mind (the first use of the word אַחֲרוֹן/aḥaron), but we also have to remember to keep the last in mind (the second mention of the word אַחֲרוֹן/aḥaron).
Shabbat is our weekly dessert. We can remind the children: “Work hard during the week so that you can have the week’s icing on the cake, Shabbat.” And we can also tell the adults: “Leave room in the week for a special day, a day of sweetness and joy, for the last and therefore the most precious day of all, Shabbat.”
ANOTHER D’RASH
“This must be my lucky day!” quipped Gad, whose Hebrew name meant “luck.”
“And don’t forget how fortunate I am—I whose very name signifies ‘fortune,’ ” added Asher.
“What are you two so happy about?” asked their half-brother Naphtali.
“For the first time that either of us can ever remember, Abba has put us first. We are to march at the head of the family! Today, everyone follows us!”
Dan took a swallow of water from the leather-skin bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “How stupid can two people be? Don’t you understand, you sons of Zilpah? Our ‘loving’ father has placed you at the head of the family so that if we are attacked by our Uncle Esau, you and your mother will be the ones slaughtered, and our precious half-brother Joseph and his mother Rachel will have a chance to escape. Today, there is no luck or good fortune in being first. Last is where you want to be.”
“You’re not being fair, Dan. Abba doesn’t want to see any of us hurt. Joseph is at the rear because he’s just a little boy. We’re older and we can take care of ourselves and help defend the family if it comes to a fight with Esau,” retorted Asher.
Naphtali jumped into the argument, taking up where his brother Dan left off. “Then why aren’t Reuben and Simeon up front? They’re older than we are. We’re just teenagers; they’re grown men. I’ll tell you why: Because they are sons of Leah, whereas we are only sons of the handmaidens. Once again our father has shown that he plays favorites. The son of Rachel he worships. The sons of Leah he admires. The sons of Bilhah and Zilpah he treats like dirt.”
“I don’t agree with you, Naphtali. Yes, Abba loves Rachel the most of all his wives. But we are still the fruit of his loins. His seed created us. We look more like him than Joseph does. I can’t believe a father doesn’t love all his children.”
Dan fired back, “Did Abba give you or Gad a many-colored coat? Naphtali and I didn’t get one. Only Joseph did. And as for looking like our father, maybe that’s exactly the point! When he looks at us he sees himself. Perhaps that’s why he doesn’t love us; we remind him of someone he can’t stand—himself!”
“Dan is right,” Naphtali added. “We come from the second-class wives. We remind our father that, being born after Esau, he was a second-class son. And the only way he could overcome that was through deceit and trickery. To get where he is today, Abba had to lie to his blind father. He was manipulated by his mother, chased away from home by his brother, cheated by his uncle. He can’t be very proud of himself. Even the name he carries—Jacob, “the heel”—is a reminder that he is lowly and insignificant. He looks at us and sees himself, and wants no part of the children of Bilhah and Zilpah. But he looks at Joseph, son of his beautiful and beloved wife, and he sees what he never became: handsome, self-assured, powerful. That’s why he favors his eleventh son so much and why he does everything he can to make Joseph his favorite.”
Suddenly, off in the distance, a few miles ahead, the brothers saw a cloud of dust. Then they saw their father run in the direction of what was, no doubt, Esau and his armed men. “Remember your places!” Jacob shouted as he passed. Gad and Asher grabbed their weapons and went to stand at the head of the family that Jacob had left behind. The two brothers turned around and saw little Joseph, far back, safe, the last—and dearest—of the children.
Searching for Meaning in Midrash: Lessons for Everyday Living
July 17
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened… and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
--- Matthew 11:28–30.
What has sin done for you that you should desire it? (John A. Broadus, “Come unto Me,” downloaded from the Web site of Blessed Hope Ministries of Shiloh Church, Gainesville, Georgia, at members.aol.com/blesshope, accessed Aug. 21, 2001.) It brought death and woe into the world. It has filled the earth with suffering and sorrow. It has made it necessary that Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, should suffer and die to make atonement for it. It has brought on you much unhappiness now and many fears for the future. By your sins you have incurred the just anger of him who made you—already they rise mountain high, and still you go on in your sinfulness, “storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath” (Rom. 2:5). You shudder when you think of death, you tremble when you think of God, for you know well that you are not prepared to die, that you cannot meet your Maker and Judge in peace. And not only has sin brought on you all these sufferings and fears, but you cannot rid yourself of it.
It has made you unhappy, filling you with craving, unsatisfied desires; it has bound you with cords you cannot burst; it has brought on you the indignation and wrath of almighty God, which you cannot atone for. Isn’t it then a burden of which you would like to be relieved? If so, hear the Savior’s own invitation and go to him. He will take off the heavy load that crushes you, and you will find rest for your souls. He will intercede in your behalf before God, he will take away your guilt by the sacrifice he has offered, he will wash away all your iniquity and cleanse you from your sin.
Do you fear that God is angry with you and will not hear your prayer? It is true, God is angry with the wicked, and the sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord. You may not mock the offended majesty of God by going to him in your own name and trusting in your own righteousness. But you may go to Jesus—you are invited to go to him. He is the appointed mediator between God and you. Go and ask him to intercede for you. And then through him draw near to the throne of grace. Make mention of his merits, plead his atoning sacrifice, rely wholly on what he has done, and God’s anger is turned away—he will hear, he will pardon, and your soul will live. If then you are burdened with a sense of your unworthiness, go to Jesus, and you will not go in vain.
--- John A. Broadus
Take Heart: Daily Devotions with the Church's Great Preachers
The Martyrs of Scilli July 17
The northern shores of Africa teemed with Christians during the second century, but all were at risk. In 180 seven men and five women were captured carrying “the sacred books, and the letters of Paul, a just man.” On July 17, 180 they appeared before the Roman proconsul Saturninus in Carthage. Charges against them were read: “Whereas Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Donata, Vestia, Secunda, and the rest have confessed they live in accordance with the religious rites of the Christians, and when an opportunity was given them of returning to the usage of the Romans they persevered in their obstinacy, it is our pleasure they should suffer the sword.”
Speratus, hearing the charges, shouted, “Thanks be to God!”
Nartzalus said, “Today we are martyrs in heaven. Thanks be to God!”
The proconsul was bewildered by their reaction and by their claim that Christianity was the only true religion. “We too have a religion,” he said, “and ours is a simple one. We swear by the fortune of the emperor. You should do the same.”
Speratus replied, “I do not recognize an empire in this world. I serve that God whom no man has seen or can see. The Lord I acknowledge is the Emperor of all kings and all nations.”
Donata added, “Honor to Caesar, but reverence to God alone.”
“We reverence no one except our God in heaven,” said another.
Saturninus, still perplexed, asked, “Would you like time to think it over?”
“What is the use?” replied Speratus. “The matter is as plain as can be.”
And it was. The early Christians expected persecution. The Savior had died on the cross, the Twelve had suffered for their faith, and no generation since had escaped pain and bloodshed. In 95 Domitian executed his own family members who espoused Christianity. In 107 Simeon, Bishop of Jerusalem, was killed. In 110 Ignatius died. Polycarp was martyred in 155. In 165 Justin Martyr was scourged and killed. In 177, 48 Christians perished in France.
And in 180 the twelve from Scilli were marched out and beheaded.
It is exactly as the Scriptures say, “For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered.” In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us.
--- Romans 8:36,37.
On This Day 365 Amazing And Inspiring Stories About Saints, Martyrs And Heroes
Daily Readings / CHARLES H. SPURGEON
Morning - July 17
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.” --- 1 Thessalonians 1:4.
Many persons want to know their election before they look to Christ, but they cannot learn it thus, it is only to be discovered by “looking unto Jesus.” If you desire to ascertain your own election;—after the following manner, shall you assure your heart before God. Do you feel yourself to be a lost, guilty sinner? go straightway to the cross of Christ, and tell Jesus so, and tell him that you have read in the Bible, “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.” Tell him that he has said, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Look to Jesus and believe on him, and you shall make proof of your election directly, for so surely as thou believest, thou art elect. If you will give yourself wholly up to Christ and trust him, then you are one of God’s chosen ones; but if you stop and say, “I want to know first whether I am elect,” you ask you know not what. Go to Jesus, be you never so guilty, just as you are. Leave all curious inquiry about election alone. Go straight to Christ and hide in his wounds, and you shall know your election. The assurance of the Holy Spirit shall be given to you, so that you shall be able to say, “I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him.” Christ was at the everlasting council: he can tell you whether you were chosen or not; but you cannot find it out in any other way. Go and put your trust in him, and his answer will be—“I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” There will be no doubt about his having chosen you, when you have chosen him.
“Sons we are through God’s election,
Who in Jesus Christ believe.”
Evening - July 17
"Let not one of them escape." --- 1 Kings 18:40.
When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of all the people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take the priests of Baal, and sternly cried, “Let not one of them escape.” He took them all down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. So must it be with our sins—they are all doomed, not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must die. Spare it not for its much crying. Strike, though it be as dear as an Isaac. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon his own Son. With stern unflinching purpose must you condemn to death that sin which was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to overcome sin given you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts, because Christ Jesus has promised to be with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin, and recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence of God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself, and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian is oft becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us fly to our God, he is a consuming fire; he will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy, and to a holy revenge against those iniquities which are hateful in his sight. Go forth to battle with Amalek, in his strength, and utterly destroy the accursed crew: let not one of them escape.
Morning and Evening
July 17
UNDER HIS WINGS
William O. Cushing, 1823–1902
He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge. (Psalm 91:4)
Daily living is often filled with unexpected dangers. We never know what lies ahead as we begin each new day. How does a person cope with uncertainty and have the stability to live victoriously? For the Christian, daily security is having an unwavering confidence that God is in absolute control and personally involved in every detail of life. The only condition is that we must be willing to accept His help and remain close to Him wherever He leads. Jesus taught this truth to the people of His day; He longed to gather them to Himself even as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings when there is an impending storm. The human tragedy then and still today is that people are generally unwilling to accept His gracious offer (Luke 13:34).
The author of this hymn text, William Cushing, wrote these words as an expression of Psalm 17:8 — “Hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.” After pastoring several large churches, Cushing suddenly was told that he could no longer preach. He had lost the power of speech. Broken in spirit, he cried out to God with the words of the psalmist. God answered by giving him the gift of writing. In all, William Cushing wrote more than 300 Gospel hymns, which have had an even wider spiritual influence than his years of successful pastoring. “Under His Wings” first appeared in Ira Sankey’s Sacred Songs No. 1, published in 1896. It has continued to be a favorite hymn of comfort among God’s people.
Under His wings I am safely abiding; tho the night deepens and tempests are wild, still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me; He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow! How the heart yearningly turns to His rest! Often when earth has no balm for my healing, there I find comfort and there I am blest.
Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment! There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er; sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me; resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings, who from His love can sever? Under His wings my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.
For Today: Deuteronomy 33:27; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; Isaiah 12:2; Matthew 23:37.
Realize anew that God Himself desires to protect you and provide for your best welfare. Thank Him for this blessing. Go forth with this musical truth ---
Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions
Martin Luther | (1483-1546)
Sect. LXXXVIII. — IT now then remains, that perhaps some one may ask — Why then does not God cease from that motion of His Omnipotence, by which the will of the wicked is moved to go on in evil, and to become worse? I answer: this is to wish that God, for the sake of the wicked, would cease to be God; for this you really desire, when you desire His power and action to cease; that is, that He should cease to be good, lest the wicked should become worse.
Again, it may be asked — Why does He not then change, in His motion, those evil wills which He moves? This belongs to those secrets of Majesty, where “His judgments are past finding out.” Nor is it ours to search into, but to adore these mysteries. If “flesh and blood” here take offence and murmur, let it murmur, but it will be just where it was before. God is not, on that account, changed! And if numbers of the wicked be offended and “go away,” yet, the elect shall remain!
The same answer will be given to those who ask — Why did He permit Adam to fall? And why did He make all of us to be infected with the same sin, when He might have kept him, and might have created us from some other seed, or might first have cleansed that, before He created us from it? —
God is that Being, for whose will no cause or reason is to be assigned, as a rule or standard by which it acts; seeing that, nothing is superior or equal to it, but it is itself the rule of all things. For if it acted by any rule or standard, or from any cause or reason, it would be no longer the will of GOD. Wherefore, what God wills, is not therefore right, because He ought or ever was bound so to will; but on the contrary, what takes place is therefore right, because He so wills. A cause and reason are assigned for the will of the creature, but not for the will of the Creator; unless you set up, over Him, another Creator.
The Bondage of the Will or Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Lecture 1, Survey of OT and NT
2, NT, Apocrypha and Medieval Periods
3, Liberalism on Miracles
4, Response to Liberal Rejection of Miracles
5, Jesus' Miracles Over the Natural Realm
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