Exodus 1
Seventy souls started the nation in Egyptverses 1-7
Now these are the names of the children of Israel
which came into Egypt
every man and his household came with Jacob
Reuben – Simeon – Levi – Judah – Issachar – Zebulun – Benjamin
Dan – Naphtali – Gad – Asher
And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls
FOR Joseph was in Egypt already
And Joseph died – and all his brethren and all that generation
and the children of Israel were FRUITFUL
INCREASED ABUNDANTLY – MULTIPLIED
WAXED EXCEEDING MIGHTY
and the land was FILLED with them
New king that knew not Josephverses 8-10
Now there arose up a new king over Egypt
which knew not Joseph
And he said to his people
BEHOLD – the people of the children of Israel are more
and mightier than we
Come on – let us deal wisely with them – lest they multiply
and it come to pass – that – when there fall out any war
they join also to our enemies
and fight against us
and so get them up out of the land
Children of Israel treated as slavesverses 11-14
THEREFORE they did set over them TASKMASTERS to
afflict them with their burdens
And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities
Pithom and Raamses
BUT the more they AFFLICTED them
the more they multiplied and grew
And they were grieved because of the children of Israel
and the Egyptians made the children of Israel to
serve with RIGOR
and they made their lives bitter with HARD BONDAGE
in mortar – and in brick
and in all manner of service in the field
all their service
wherein they made them serve
was with RIGOR
Pharaoh tells midwives to kill male babiesverses 15-17
And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives
of which the name of the one was Shiphrah
and the name of the other Puah
And he said
When you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women
and see them upon the stools
IF it be a SON – THEN you shall KILL him
BUT IF it be a daughter – THEN she shall live
BUT the midwives FEARED God
and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them
BUT SAVED the men children alive
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives – and said to them
Why have you done this thing and saved the men children alive?
And the midwives said to Pharaoh
BECAUSE the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women
FOR they are LIVELY – and are delivered ere the
midwives come in unto them
God honors midwives for not killing male babiesverses 20-21
THEREFORE God dealt well with the midwives
and the people multiplied and waxed very mighty
And it came to pass – BECAUSE the midwives FEARED God
that he made them houses
Pharaoh orders all Egyptians to kill male babireverse 22
And Pharaoh charged all his people – saying
Every son that is born you shall cast into the river
and every daughter you shall save alive
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. (6031 “afflicted” [‘anah] means looking down, humbled, abase, browbeating, to depress, deal hardly with, force, hurt, or weaken)
DEVOTION: As we enter the second book of Moses, we find that the generation of Joseph and his brothers has died. There is a new king in Egypt that didn’t know Joseph. He looked at the children of Israel as a threat to his nation. He thought they might join the enemy.
While Joseph was alive the children of Israel were treated well. They had the best of land. They had the government of Egypt on their side. Things changed. Joseph died. A new Pharaoh began to reign that didn’t like the children of Israel. He told the people to deal hardly with them. The midwives were commanded to kill the male babies.
The children of Israel were treated as slaves instead of privileged people. What a turnaround for them. What happened? The children of Israel multiplied and grew. During a time of tribulation, they continued to grow. This caused the Egyptians to be grieved. No matter what they tried the children of Israel moved forward.
The Bible tells us that the LORD is with us in times of tribulations. HE was with the children of Israel. No matter what the king or taskmasters did, the children of Israel prevailed. The Hebrew midwives didn’t obey the king and they were blessed of the LORD with their own families.
Do we trust HIM to help us? The Egyptians had their understanding darkened because they didn’t catch the concept that God was helping the children of Israel. Do we catch the concept that in hard times God is still around. HE has promised to never leave us.
Remember that HE doesn’t take the tribulations away from us because they help us grow more Christ-like. HE does carry us through every tribulation. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: When everything seems to be going wrong, trust that the LORD knows what is going on and is right there with us. Blessings even come in times of humiliation.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor. (6531 “rigor” [perek] means without mercy, violence, slavery, harshness or excessive sternness, oppression, tyranny, ruthlessness, or brutality)
DEVOTION: How many reading these devotionals have ever had a job where it seemed that everyone that was in leadership over you didn’t like you because you were a believer in Jesus Christ?
It seems that in some workplaces if you are a believer those who don’t like your standard are looking for a way to criticize you every chance they get. It is hard to work under those circumstances.
The children of Israel were criticized and made to work harder than they ever had under the Pharaoh that knew Joseph. Now they were under taskmasters who wanted to afflict them any way they could.
They were never satisfied with the work the children of Israel did. They kept adding more demands on them for more work. Nothing was good enough for them.
In fact, there were no Israelites in management. They had to do the entire menial work that was available. There was no possibility of advancement to management.
This happens in many countries around the world today. It even happens here in America as people who believe in creation by God are not allowed to teach in major universities. If they have a dissertation that promotes Godly standards based on the Word of God they are not given jobs. If they have a standard of praying in Jesus name in the military they are not allowed to serve. If they try to have a Bible on their desk in a school or in the military they are asked to remove it.
In some countries those who are believers are not given promotions based not on their work but on their belief system. So Christians are persecuted in the work place. It seems to be getting worse in the last few years.
As believers it means that we have to keep doing our best without praise from those around us but we will receive a blessing from the LORD in spite of how those around us treat us.
CHALLENGE: Honor the LORD by doing the best job you can wherever you are working.
: 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and waxed very mighty. (6105 “mighty” [‘atsam] means to be powerful, to be countless, to make more powerful, numerous, vast, make strong, or multitude)
DEVOTION: Here we find that the leader of the nation of Egypt didn’t like the fact that the children of Israel were having more children than the Egyptians. He didn’t like the fact that in spite of fact that they were working as slaves they still became stronger and more in number than the Egyptians.
He wanted something done to end this state of affairs and he wanted all the male children killed but his actions were not stopping the actions of the LORD. This was true throughout history.
God’s people were blessed through good time and hard times. The church grew under persecution. Even when the Roman Empire tried to kill as many Christians as they could the church still moved forward.
Today we find that our world is changing faster than we can keep up with it. Those who are genuine believers are finding themselves disagreeing with many of the decisions made by those who are in power.
In some countries this means imprisonment and death but even in those countries the church continues to grow stronger. This happened in Egypt and it has happened in many countries around the world who have worse persecution than we have here in America.
However, many people who claims Christ are not staying true to the Word of God on many of the social issues and the LORD will have to judge us for those actions.
The children of Israel were not perfect, as we are not perfect, but they tried to serve the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Are we doing the same here as we should be as our lives are being challenged each day regarding our personal stands on issues that are important to God?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. (6105 “mighty” [ʿatsam] means 1 to be vast, be numerous, be mighty. 1a (Qal). 1a1 to be mighty. 1a2 to be numerous. 1b (Hiphil) to make strong, make mighty. 2 to shut (the eyes), close (the eyes). 2a (Qal) to shut (the eyes). 2b (Piel) to shut tightly (the eyes). [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: It seemed to be a contradiction in terms. Here on the one hand was the people of Israel in Egypt under slavery. That means that they were totally subjugated to the Egyptians and depended on them for their very sustenance. On the other hand, their numbers had made them formidable to the Egyptians. It is true that there is safety in numbers, and that we as Christians depend on the support of others to keep us strong in the Lord.
Was it true that the Israelites were mighty only because of their numbers? Probably what Moses is implying here is that the people were mighty in spirit as well. It was their worship of the LORD that made them mighty. You can have a large number of people all doing the wrong thing (as our culture has demonstrated) and therefore not be mighty.
God wants our might to be based on His might (Zechariah 4:6). That is why He wants to use our weaknesses for His glory (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). He wants us to be dependent upon Him in order to accomplish His will in the world. When we attempt to accomplish anything (including what we believe is His will) through our own efforts, we find that He does not bless this. He turned His weakness by being crucified on the cross into a mighty act of salvation for us.
We need to make sure that our might is found in the Holy Spirit. It is only by doing so that we can withstand the attacks of the world. Seeing God work through us and in us can be addicting!
CHALLENGE: Are you counting on anything other than God’s power to accomplish His will? If so, come before Him now and confess this, and ask Him to use His might rather than your own to accomplish His will. (MW)
: 21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that HE made them houses. (1004 “houses” [bayith] means family, children of their own, children, generation who are related by birth, or descendants)
DEVOTION: Midwives were women who helped those having babies bring them into this world. Today there are still natural births going on with midwives who are trained coming into homes to help pregnant women have babies.
There were these women in Egypt that helped Israelite women bring babies into the world. In this case they were Egyptian women helping Israelite women have babies.
Pharaoh called these midwives in to make sure that all male babies were killed. They didn’t do it because they believed in God. Not the false gods of Egypt but the God of the Israelites which is the God of the Bible.
God blessed them because they obeyed HIM rather than Pharaoh. They gave an excuse that the Israelite women were tougher than the Egyptian women because they gave birth before they arrived. It was a lie and Pharaoh knew it but didn’t do anything about it because the LORD prevented it.
These women were blessed of the LORD with children. Apparently, midwives didn’t have children of their own. This way they could have the time to help others have children while they didn’t have any at home.
CHALLENGE: Now things were different the LORD opened their womb, so that, they could have children of their own as a reward for keeping the male babies alive of the Israelites.
: 22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, “Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.” (6680 charged” [tsavah] means command, order, commission, instruct, appoint, decree, or direct)
DEVOTION: Joseph is dead. All of those of his generation were dead. The new Pharaoh didn’t know Joseph. Things had changed in Egypt regarding the children of Israel.
Remember that God had told them that HE would give them the Promised Land after 430 years. Well the time period was coming to the end for the children of Israel in Egypt.
However, we find that people get used to something and don’t want to move to a new location. They were comfortable in Egypt. Things had gone well for them in Egypt. The nation had increased in size greatly.
One way to cause the nation not to increase was to kill all the men. In many nations today they are killing all the girl babies. They only wanted the men but now they are finding out that there are no women to have the babies for the next generation. They are sending their men to other nations to find wives.
Pharaoh thought that if all the men babies were killed the Israelites would marry the Egyptians and then the two nations would be mixed and there would be no problem.
The Israelites were only marrying Israelites to keep the nation pure. This is the way the LORD wanted it. It was those who believed in HIM that were fruitful and increasing abundantly. The seed of Jacob or Israel were staying true to the LORD and HIS commands.
Now Pharaoh was not only dealing with the midwives but was commanding all the people to cast boy babies into the river. He wanted all the Egyptians to be against the Israelites. A civil war was about to happen. Egyptian against Israelites was coming to a head.
Who was going to win??? We know the rest of the story. With God all things are possible. Victory was assured.
CHALLENGE: Promises made by the LORD are always kept. HIS timing is always perfect. Our maturity is at stake.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God (Elohim)verses 17, 20, 21
God dealt well with midwivesverse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Egyptverse 1
New king in Egypt that didn’t know Josephverses 8-22
Deal wisely
Taskmasters to afflict them
Make them build cities
Pithom and Raamses
Grieved because of children of Israel
Pharaoh
Wanted all Hebrew sons cast into river
Midwives of Hebrew womenverses 15-21
Shiphrah and Puah
Ordered to kill male babies
Feared God more than king of Egypt
Claimed Hebrew women more lively
than Egyptian women
God gave them children
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew males killedverses 16, 22
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Fear Godverse 17, 21
Israel(Old Testament people of God)
Names of the children of Israelverses 1-4
Reuben
Simeon
Levi
Judah
Issachar
Zebulun
Benjamin
Dan
Naphtali
Gad
Asher
Joseph
Loins of Jacob = 70 soulsverse 5
All died of that generation
Children of Israel verses 7-20
Fruitful
Increased abundantly
Multiplied
Waxed exceeding mighty
Afflicted
Lives bitter with hard bondage
More afflicted the more they multiplied
Served with rigor
Multiplied and waxed mighty
Hebrewverse 16
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Died: whole generationverse 6
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QUOTES regarding passage
17–21 The midwives “feared God” (v.17) more than they feared the king of Egypt. If they were not Hebrews but Egyptians in nationality, their God-fearing ways reveal the presence of God’s common grace and the residue of earlier divine revelation that their ancestors shared but had gradually left in whole or part (cf. “the fear of God” in Abraham with the Philistines, Gen 20:11; the Amalekites in their savage attack, Deut 25:18; and the wicked in general, Mal 3:5). The midwives were “religious” in that they had respect for life. But if the midwives were Hebrew women (see Notes), the “fear of God” was then a response of faith, just as Abraham’s act of offering Isaac had been a response to the command of God in Genesis 22:8, 12. Even though these women lied to Pharaoh (which the Bible, as is often the case, does not stop to specifically condemn at this point), they are praised for their outright refusal to take infant lives. Their reverence for life reflected a reverence for God. Thus, God gave them bāttîm (“houses” or “families,” v.21; cf. Ruth 4:11; 2 Sam 7:11–12; 1 Kings 2:24 [NIV, “dynasty”], 33 for the same figurative expression). The midwives may also have attempted to avoid answering Pharaoh’s question directly, and therefore they commented on what was true without giving all the details (vv.18–19). (Kaiser, W. C., Jr. (1990). Exodus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 306). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
1:17–19. However, the midwives, fearing God (cf. v. 21) more than the laws of an earthling, though a monarch (cf. Acts 5:29), did not obey the command. So they (Shiphrah and Puah, Ex. 1:15) were called in to answer for their misconduct. These midwives answered that the Hebrew wives delivered so quickly that before the midwives could arrive, the babies were already delivered. Apparently, this implies that the baby boys were hidden by their parents so that it was impossible for Shiphrah and Puah to kill them. The answer seems illogical; actually, the midwives may have simply responded slowly to house calls. Evidently Pharaoh did not punish them for their inability to effect his policy. (Hannah, J. D. (1985). Exodus. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 109). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Step #2—Killing the Jewish boys at birth (vv. 15–21). If this plan had succeeded, Pharaoh would have wiped out the Hebrew people. The future generation of men would be dead and the girls would eventually be married to Egyptian slaves and absorbed into the Egyptian race. But Genesis 3:15 and 12:1–3 said that God would not permit such a thing to happen, and He used two Jewish midwives to outwit Pharaoh.
This is the first instance in Scripture of what today we call “civil disobedience,” refusing to obey an evil law because of a higher good. Scriptures like Matthew 20:21–25; Romans 13; and 1 Peter 2:11 admonish Christians to obey human authorities; but Romans 13:5 reminds us that our obedience must not violate our conscience. When the laws of God are contrary to the laws of man, then “[w]e ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). You see this exemplified not only in the midwives but also in Daniel and his friends (Dan. 1; 3; 6) and the apostles (Acts 4–5).
Were the midwives lying to Pharaoh? Probably not. The babies were born before the midwives arrived because Shiphrah and Puah had told their assistants to be late! God blessed the two leading midwives for putting their own lives on the line in order to save the Jewish nation from extinction. However, He honored these two women in a strange way: He gave them children at a time when it was dangerous to have children! Perhaps all their children were daughters, or perhaps God protected their sons as He protected Moses. However, this blessing from God shows how precious children are to the Lord: He wanted to give these two women His very best reward, so He sent them children (Ps. 127:3). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1998). Be delivered (pp. 11–12). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub)
Ver. 17. But the midwives feared God, &c.] And therefore durst not take away the life of an human creature, which was contrary to the express law of God, Gen. 9:6: and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them; knowing it was right to obey God rather than man, though ever so great, or in so exalted a station: but saved the men-children alive; did not use any violence with them, by stifling them in the birth. The scheme was so barbarous and shocking, especially to the tender sex, to whom it was proposed, and so devoid of humanity, that one would think it should never enter into the heart of man. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 320). London: Mathews and Leigh)
17. But the midwives feared God. Moses does not mean that they were then first affected with the fear of God; but he assigns this reason why they did not obey his unjust command, viz., because reverence towards God had greater influence with them. And certainly, as all our affections are best directed by this rein, so also it is the surest shield for resisting all temptations, and a firm support to uphold our minds from wavering in seasons of danger. Now, they not only dreaded this crime as being cruel and inhuman; but because purer religion and piety flourished in their hearts; for they knew that the seed of Abraham was chosen of God, and had themselves experienced that it was blessed; and hence it was natural to feel, that it would be an act of very gross impiety to extinguish in it the grace of God. We must also observe the antithesis between the fear of God and the dread of punishment, which might have deterred them from doing right. Although tyrants do not easily allow their commands to be despised, and death was before their eyes, they still keep their hands pure from evil. Thus, sustained and supported by reverential fear of God, they boldly despised the command and the threatenings of Pharaoh. Wherefore those, whom the fear of men withdraws from the right course, betray by their cowardice an inexcusable contempt of God, in preferring the favour of men to his solemn commands. But this doctrine extends still more widely; for many would be more than preposterously wise, whilst, under pretext of due submission, they obey the wicked will of kings in opposition to justice and right, being in some cases the ministers of avarice and rapacity, in others of cruelty; yea, to gratify the transitory kings of earth, they take no account of God; and thus, which is worst of all, they designedly oppose pure religion with fire and sword. It only makes their effrontery more detestable, that whilst they knowingly and willingly crucify Christ in his members, they plead the frivolous excuse, that they obey their princes according to the word of God; as if he, in ordaining princes, had resigned his rights to them; and as if every earthly power, which exalts itself against heaven, ought not rather most justly to be made to give way. But since they only seek to escape the reprobation of men for their criminal obedience, let them not be argued with by long discussions, but rather referred to the judgment of women; for the example of these midwives is abundantly sufficient for their condemnation; especially when the Holy Spirit himself commends them, as not having obeyed the king, because they feared God. (Calvin, J., & Bingham, C. W. (2010). Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony (Vol. 1, pp. 32–34). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software)
The midwives “fear” or “revere” God and so cannot carry out the king’s order. When the king sees that his plan has failed, he summons the midwives to determine why Hebrew male babies are being born. They tell him that the Hebrew women deliver so quickly, unlike Egyptian women, that by the time the midwives arrive, the babies are already born. It would appear that the midwives deliberately twist the truth in the interest of preserving life. We may be inclined to question the ethics of these women, but clearly their action is approved by God who rewards them for reverencing him and preserving life rather than obeying Pharaoh and destroying life.
The midwives are rewarded with families (v. 21). Occasionally in the ancient Near East, barren women served as midwives. If this is the case here, these faithful women are rewarded with children which Scripture regards as a gift from God (Ps. 127:3–5). For barren women in particular giving birth is cause for great joy (Gen. 21:6–7; 1 Sam. 1:1–2:10; Luke 1:6–14, 57–58). Pharaoh turns next to a more diabolical scheme, ordering that Hebrew male babies be thrown into the Nile at birth (v. 22). (Hoffmeier, J. K. (1995). Exodus. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 41). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Did Israelite midwives normally not have children? Apparently, they did not. The evidence from the ancient world is sketchy, but these verses are worded in such a way as to suggest strongly that most midwives were women who had not been blessed with children of their own, thus enabling them to spend the required long hours out of the house both day and night that would otherwise have been difficult for women with children. (Stuart, D. K. (2006). Exodus (Vol. 2, p. 82). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
A coalition of more than 100 religious leaders and theologians, including some registered Democrats, sent an open letter to the Democratic platform committee Friday, urging it to reject taxpayer funding of abortion and to embrace policies that support “legal protection for pre-born children.”
The committee is expected to release its proposed platform in the coming weeks.
The letter was organized by Democrats for Life and includes signatures from former Fuller Theological Seminary president Richard Mouw, Baylor University professor George Yancey, National Latino Evangelical Association President Gabriel Salguero, and seven individuals associated with Notre Dame.
The current Democratic platform, the letter says, supports “abortion extremism.”
“Some of us are registered Democrats and some of us are not, but we appreciate the Democratic Party’s stated commitment to human rights, equality, and fairness,” the letter says. “Accordingly, we urge the Democratic Party to embrace policies that protect both women and children: legal protection for pre-born children, improved prenatal care for women in need, especially women of color, alternatives to abortion, and a comprehensive culture of life free from violence, poverty and racism.”
The letter specifically urges the platform committee to reject taxpayer funding of abortion. The 2016 Democratic Platform called for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, a federal legislative provision that bars public funds from being used for most abortions.
The letter also encourages the party to broaden its tent to pro-lifers, including those running for office. Tennessee state Rep. John DeBerry, who was ousted from the state Democratic Party in part because of his pro-life views, signed the letter. He is an ordained minister.
“We call upon you to recognize the inviolable human dignity of the child, before and after birth,” the letter says. “We urge you to reject a litmus test on pro-life people of faith seeking office in the Democratic Party. Crucially, we urge you to end the explicit support in your platform for abortion extremism, such as taxpayer-funded abortion in America and overseas, opposed by 60% and 76% of voters.”
The letter continues: “79% of voters oppose elective abortion on demand, including, but not limited to, many people of faith. They deserve a home in the Democratic Party.”
The letter referenced a January Marist Poll.
Scripture supports a pro-life view on abortion, the letter says.
“Inspired by the Christian faith, we note that the Bible calls on us to speak up in favor of those who do not have a voice (Proverbs 31:8-9; Matthew 25:45). We also note that life begins at fertilization (Psalm 22:10-11; Galatians 1:15; Luke 1:41; Psalm 139:13-15; Jeremiah 1:5),” the letter says. “Finally, we note that abortion takes the life of the innocent, which is against Scripture (Exodus 20:13; 2 Kings 17:17; Deuteronomy 5:17; Revelation 22:15; Psalm 106:38; Proverbs 6:17).
“Informed by human reason, we recall that 95% of biologists affirm the biological view that life begins at fertilization. Likewise, we recall the opinion of leading scholars, who have rejected Roe v. Wade as ‘bad constitutional law.’ We recall that denying personhood to the pre-born child has disturbing parallels to Dred Scott vs. Sandford. Sadly, the US is just one of seven countries, alongside North Korea, to allow the horrific practice of elective late-term abortion after 20 weeks.”
Significantly, the letter says it is not taking a position on particular candidates or parties.
“However, we have an obligation to speak truth to power in the face of injustice and inequality,” the letter says. “The law should consider the convictions of all citizens and the principles from which they are derived. The Christian faith invites us to play a particular role in moving the conscience of the American people to end unjust discrimination against certain classes of people, as in previous civil rights movements.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/LightFieldStudios
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Psalms 37
The righteous will receive eternal life, while the wicked ultimately will be destroyed.
INSIGHT
Serving the Lord does not always pay temporal dividends. The righteous still experience misfortune, financial reversals, physical illnesses, natural disasters, and persecution. At the same time, the unrighteous often prosper, enjoying wealth, fame, honor, and health. David realizes God’s justice wins in the end. So do not be discouraged in doing right, even when the unrighteous prosper. Do not be tempted to copy them. “Depart from evil and do good” (v. 27). “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way” (v. 34). “Mark the blameless man” (v. 37). “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord” (v. 39).
LIMITATION TO THE PROMISE
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
We now note what we might call the limitation to this promise. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” In the original that is emphasized by placing “to them that love God” at the commencement of the sentence. “We know that to them that love God all things work together for good.”
The promise is definitely limited. It is not universal as to the people included. The popular idea of the love of God is the very antithesis of this. That idea says that He is regarded as promising to bless all in exactly the same way. That He does so in His providential dealings with mankind in general is true. But following that, there is a great fundamental division and distinction everywhere in the Bible between the saved and the unsaved, between those who have entered into a covenant relationship with God in salvation through Jesus Christ and those who have not, or, to use the words of our text, “those who are the called” and those who have not been called.
Salvation is the result of the operation of special grace, and there are special promises to those who have received this grace. The gospel has but one word to speak to those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to exhort them to repent and to believe. It holds out to them no special promises until they have done so. Indeed it threatens them with disaster. It does not tell them that “All things work together for good” for the reason that it tells them that they are “condemned already.” Special promises and comforts and consolations are not to be obtained directly. They are the consequences and results of salvation. They are offered only to those who “love God.”
A Thought to Ponder: Salvation is the result of the operation of special grace.
(From Why Does God Allow War? pp. 119-121, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
He Shall Judge the World
“Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” (Psalm 96:13)
Those men and women who reject or ignore the wonderful offer of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ need somehow to realize the eternal consequences of their foolishness. Jesus Christ was not just a religious teacher in Israel 2,000 years ago but is the very God who created them, the Second Person of the triune Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). God the Father “created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9) and therefore “hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22).
And on what basis will He judge us? Our text tells us that “righteousness” and “truth” are the criteria. The problem is that “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). However, the Lord Jesus was incarnate truth and righteousness, and God “hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ has made eternal salvation available freely to us. There is no other way. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
But how do we know that all this is not just a peculiar doctrine of one particular religion?
Here is how: God “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). By defeating death itself, Christ has vindicated His claim to be the Judge of all!
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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