Exodus 10

LORD explains purpose of plaguesverses 1-2

And the LORD said to Moses

Go in to Pharaoh – FOR I have HARDENED his heart

and the heart of his servants

that I might show these MY signs before him

And that you may tell in the ears of your son

and of your son’s son – what things I have wrought in Egypt

and MY signs which I have done among them

That you may KNOW how that I am the LORD

Warning of coming of plague of locust (six)verses 3-6

And Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh – and said to him

Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews

How long will you refuse to HUMBLE yourself before ME?

let MY people go – that they may serve ME

ELSE IF you refuse to let MY people go

BEHOLD – TOMORROW will I bring the LOCUST

into your coast

And they shall cover the face of the earth

that one cannot be able to see the earth

and they shall eat the residue of that

which is escaped which remained to you

from the HAIL

and they shall eat every tree

which grows for you out of the field

and they shall fill your houses

and the houses of all your servants

and the houses of all the Egyptians

Which neither your fathers – nor your father’s fathers have seen

since the day that they were on the earth to this day

And he turned himself and went out from Pharaoh

Pharaoh’s officials want Israel goneverse 7

And Pharaoh’s servants said to him

How long shall this man be a snare unto us?

let the men go – that they may serve the LORD their God

know you not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

Moses asked to compromiseverses 8-11

And Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh

and he said to them – Go – serve the LORD your God

BUT who are they that shall go?

And Moses said – We will go with our young – old – sons – daughters

flocks – herds will we go

FOR we must hold a feast to the LORD

And he said to them

Let the LORD be so with you – as I will let you go

and your little ones – look to it

FOR evil is before you

Not so – go now you that are MEN – and serve the LORD

FOR that you did desire

And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence

Plague of locustverses 12-15

And the LORD said to Moses

Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the LOCUSTS

that they may come up on the land of Egypt

and eat every herb of the land

even all that the HAIL has left

And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt

and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day

and all that night

and when it was morning – the east wind brought the LOCUSTS

And the LOCUSTS went up over all the land of Egypt

and rested in all the coasts of Egypt – very grievous were they

BEFORE them there were no such LOCUSTS as they

neither after them shall be such

FOR they covered the face of the whole earth

so that the land was DARKENED

and they did eat every herb of the land

and all the fruit of the trees which the

HAIL had left

and there remained not any green thing in the trees

or in the herbs of the field

through all the land of Egypt

Pharaoh asks for forgivenessverses 16-17

THEN Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste

and he said

I have SINNED against the LORD your God

and against you

Now therefore FORGIVE – I pray you – my SIN only this once

and entreat the LORD your God

that HE may take away from me this death only

Moses prays for removal of locustverses 18-20

And he went out from Pharaoh

and ENTREATED the LORD

And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind

which took away the LOCUSTS – and cast them into the Red sea

there remained not one LOCUST in all the coasts of Egypt

BUT the LORD HARDENED Pharaoh’s heart

so that he would not let the children of Israel go

Plague of darknessverses 21-23

And the LORD said to Moses

Stretch out your hand toward heaven

that there may be DARKNESS over the land of Egypt

even DARKNESS which may be felt

And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven

and there was a THICK DARKNESS in all the land of Egypt

THREE days – they saw not one another

neither rose any from his place for THREE days

BUT all the children of Israel had light

in their dwellings

Pharaoh tells Moses to leave without cattleverses 24

And Pharaoh called to Moses and said

Go you serve the LORD

ONLY let your flocks and your herds be stayed

let your little ones also go with you

Moses refuses to leave without cattleverses 25-26

And Moses said

You must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings

that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God

Our cattle also shall go with us

there shall not an hoof be left behind

FOR thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God

and we know not with what we must serve the LORD

until we come thither

Pharaoh sends Moses out of his presenceverses 27-29

BUT the LORD HARDENED Pharaoh’s heart

and he would not let them go

And Pharaoh said to him

Get you from me – take heed to yourself – see my face no more

FOR in that day you see my face thou shalt die

And Moses said

You have spoken well

I will see your face again NO MORE

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 2 And that you may tell in the ears of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and MY signs which I have done among them, that you may know how that I am the LORD. (5953 “wrought” [‘alal] means glean, done, to deal with, deal severly with, to take harsh actions with respect to someone or something, or to busy oneself)

DEVOTION: What is one of the reasons we have the Old Testament given to believers in God? The LORD has a purpose in history. HE knows the beginning from the end. HE knows what is going to happen every moment of every day from the beginning of Creation until the final Great White Throne judgment for those who reject Christ. HE knows what is going to happen in eternity.

Here we have a teaching moment for the children of Israel. The LORD tells them why HE is doing what HE is doing in Egypt. HE is doing it a testimony to the children and grandchildren what will be born after this even. The parents are to give them a history lesson on what happened in Egypt before they came to the Promised Land.

These events will be passed down from one generation to another. They will be written down by Moses. They will be taught in every home. The feasts that they celebrate will be lessons on what the LORD has done in history.

History is important to God as a teaching agent. Today we have many people trying to rewrite history. They are trying to confuse students in schools regarding what really took place in history.

The Bible has a lot of true history in it to teach the truths about who God really is because in the church of today there are many speakers who say they are followers of Jesus Christ but not teaching the truths that are taught in the Bible.

True genuine believers want to know the truth of what happened in history. These events are recorded with the purpose of us training our children to know who the God of the Bible really is in history.

CHALLENGE: Those without Christ will not have an excuse because all will be given a chance to choose to be followers of Jesus Christ or not. Present the facts of history and let them know who the LORD is in history.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 7 And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: know you not yet that Egypt is destroyed? (6 “destroyed” [abad] means to perish, get lost, be exterminated, not exist, or ruined)

DEVOTION: Well we are into the sixth plague and the servants of Pharaoh are saying “Enough is enough.” They are ready to let the children of Israel go but only the men.

They want Pharaoh to agree to let all the men go out and sacrifice to their God. Notice that they refer to God as only the God of the Hebrews. They don’t recognize the LORD as their God at all.

These servants are concerned that Egypt will no longer exist if the plagues continue to come for the LORD God of the Hebrews. They want their nation to still be around after the children of Israel leave.

Today we are running across the same type of thinking regarding the Christians in our world. The thinking is that the world would be better off if all the Christians were taken out of the nations of the world. There is a rising number of nations around the world that are trying to kill every Christian they see because that is not the main religion of the nation. They don’t want to be tolerant of any other beliefs but their own.

So we find nations who think they would be better off if all the Christians were either killed or moved into another nation. The problem that is happening now is that there are very few nations that are standing up for those who believe in Christ.

Our nation used to claim to be a nation that obeyed the commands of the Bible. The Ten Commandments were put up in many courtrooms and are even in the Supreme Court of the United States. Many of our laws were written based on the ethic of the Bible.

So throughout history we find that those who believed in the ONE TRUE GOD of the Bible have not received a friendly welcome. Remember the people of Europe first came to this nation for religious freedom. It is being taken away little by little. It is subtle. The constitution says that we have the freedom of religion while those in office are trying to change it to freedom to worship. Big difference!!!

The true belief in the God of the Bible has not been popular every often. We are not here to be popular. We are here to spread the message of the Gospel to all those who will listen.

CHALLENGE: Concentrate on the message we are to give to the people around us. Let the LORD handle the persecution.

: 17 Now therefore forgive, I pray you, my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only. (5375 “forgive” [nacah] means to lift, accept, advance, ease, pardon, or spare.)

DEVOTION: Have you ever been tempted to compromise? What would you would be willing to give up to get what you want? What are your standards? Are they Biblical?

Here we have Moses continuing to confront Pharaoh, so that, the children of Israel could leave Egypt. Pharaoh has seen the plagues of blood, frogs, lice, swarms of flies, cattle dying, boils, and hail. Now the LORD is threatening with locust.

Pharaoh wants to know who will go to the feast unto the LORD. Moses tells him everyone. Pharaoh tells Moses that only the men could go. Moses refused to compromise.

The locust came and devastated the land. Pharaoh’s officials have already told him that he should let the children of Israel go. He continues to refuse. He had hardened his heart to anything that Moses would request in the name of the LORD. After he had hardened his heart the LORD gave up on him and let his heart remain hardened.

When we do things wrong, we want to be forgiven most of the time. Sometimes we say we are sorry for something we did and don’t mean it. Pharaoh was saying he was sorry for not letting the children of Israel go but he really wasn’t. Here we have a heathen Pharaoh asking Moses to pardon his sin against the LORD. He only wanted the locust to go.

Once they were gone, he didn’t care if he lied to Moses. Sometimes we ask God to forgive us and once we feel HIS forgiveness we go and do the same thing again.

When we repent of our sins we need to turn around and go in a different direction. There are sins that seem to keep coming into our lives that are very hard to fight but HE is able to deliver us. HE wants us to keep coming to HIM for pardon. HE never tires of us, if we mean business with HIM.

Remember when we ask HE grants it and restores our fellowship with HIM. Pharaoh didn’t mean business. There are many people who think that they are followers of Christ but when they ask to be pardoned they don’t mean it.

The world wants to offer us compromise at every turn. Pharaoh continued to want Moses to compromise. He continues to offer Moses an opportunity to worship the LORD partly. Moses continues to refuse.

CHALLENGE: Know what the LORD expects of you and stand on that standard, if it is Biblical. Sometimes we can convince ourselves that we are keeping a Biblical standard when it is a personal preference. Meditate on the Word of God to find HIS standard!!!

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. (215 “light” [‘owr] means daylight, dawn, the visual sensation of light in contrast to darkness, sun, or shine)

DEVOTION: We are the children of the Light. The light of the world is Jesus. We sing a song in church “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” Jesus stated that HE is the Light of the World to HIS disciples.

The plague of darkness was in the land of Egypt. It was a darkness that could be felt. The servants of Pharaoh didn’t like the darkness but it was a sign of their spiritual state as well as their physical state.

This darkness lasted three days. Remember that throughout the Word of God three days are significant. Jesus Christ was in the grave three days and three nights.

We are the only ones in our world who have Jesus lighting our path. All those who have rejected Jesus Christ are dead in trespasses and sins. They are not walking in the light as we are in the light of Jesus Christ.

There is a division again between the children of Israel and the Egyptians. The land of Goshen had light while the rest of the nation was sitting in darkness. This is true today too.

Christians are living their life with the knowledge that they are; walking in the light every moment of every day. Jesus is walking beside every believer. HE is allowing the Holy Spirit to chasten those who are straying from the path.

CHALLENGE: How much light are you walking in today? Is the path getting brighter each day as you mature in the LORD?

: 26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither. (5647 “serve” [ʿabad] means 1 to work, serve. 1a (Qal). 1a1 to labor, work, do work. 1a2 to work for another, serve another by labor. 1a3 to serve as subjects. 1a4 to serve (God). 1a5 to serve (with Levitical service). 1b (Niphal). 1b1 to be worked, be tilled (of land). 1b2 to make oneself a servant. 1c (Pual) to be worked. 1d (Hiphil). 1d1 to compel to labor or work, cause to labor, cause to serve. 1d2 to cause to serve as subjects. 1e (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])

DEVOTION: Here Moses is contrasting two kinds of service. The Israelites at this point in time are slaves in the land of Egypt, and are forced into service of the Egyptians. On the other hand, they had continued in their worship of the LORD, and had not committed to worshipping the gods of Egypt. Moses points out that they needed to serve the LORD, which was a higher calling than the service of Egypt.

Paul points out that this is a metaphor for our spiritual lives, for when we were sinners, we were slaves to sin. Therefore, it was our obligation or service to sin. However, once we received Christ, we were no longer slaves to sin but have been liberated to serve God as His slaves. We need to lives this out as a daily reality in our lives.

In our increasingly secular and unbelieving culture, we may be face to make choices like the early disciples did. This included refusing to obey the Jewish authorities when they were commanded to not preach the name of Jesus (Acts 4:16-22). More and more people are trying to silence God’s people and say that they are not allowed to have certain moral values, because they are intolerant or phobic with regard to certain behaviors such as homosexuality. There may come a time when we need to be willing to suffer for our faith rather than compromise with the world. In other words, we need to decide who it is that we are going to serve (Joshua 24:15).

CHALLENGE: Be willing to serve God wholeheartedly and suffer for doing what is right when you serve God.

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)

Sacrificesverse 25

Burnt offeringsverse 25

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)

Pharaoh asks Moses to prayverse 17

Moses prayed for Pharaohverse 18

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Serve the LORDverses 3, 11, 26

Feast unto the LORDverse 9

Sacrificesverse 25

Burnt offeringsverse 25

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD (Jehovah)verses 1-3, 7-9, 11, 12, 13, 16-21, 24-27

I have hardened Pharaoh’s heartverses 1, 20, 27

Reason for headened hearts:

That I might show signs

MY signsverse 2

Signs given so that Israel might know

That HE is the LORDverse 2

God (Elohim)verses 3, 7, 8, 16, 17

LORD God of the Hebrewsverse 3

LORD their Godverse 7

LORD your Godverses 8, 16, 17

Created a strong east wind to remove locustverse 19

LORD our Godverses 25, 26

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)

Pharaohverses 1, 3-29

Heart hardened by LORD (3x)

Refuse to humble

Told locust are coming

Called Moses back

Asked Moses to pray for locust to leave

Wanted Moses to go but leave livestock

Told Moses he didn’t want to see his face

Servants of Pharaohverse 1

Hearts hardened by LORD

Egyptverses 2, 7, 12, 14, 22

Locustverses 12-19

Red seaverse 19

Darknessverses 21-24

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Hard heartverses 1, 20, 27

Refuse to humbleverses 3, 4

Compromise: let men goverses 7, 11, 24

Evilverse 10

Sinnedverses 16, 17

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Testimony of work of God to childrenverse 2

Know the LORDverse 2

Humbleverse 3

Serve the LORDverses 3, 7, 8, 11, 24, 26

Forgiveverse 17

Prayerverses 17, 18

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Mosesverses 1-29

Signs

Tell your sons and grandsons about signs

Snare to Egyptians

Told to stretch out his hand:

Locust coming

Prayed for locust to leave

Bring darkness into Egypt

Aaronverses 3 , 8, 16

Hebrewsverse 3

People of Godverses 3, 4

Feast to the LORDverse 9

Light in Goshenverse 23

Sacrificesverse 25

Burnt offeringsverse 25

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Dieverse 28

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QUOTES regarding passage

1–2 For the first time we are told that Egypt’s officials were also as obstinate as Pharaoh; therefore the Lord (the pronoun “I” is repeated in Hebrew for emphasis) had hardened them all (v.1). But Moses was to find a lesson in this divine work of hardening. There follows, then, another theological preface to the eighth plague (vv.1–2), just as Pharaoh had been served in 9:14–16 with a similar lesson prior to the seventh plague. The lesson for Israel was to be twofold: (1) to educate succeeding generations in how the Lord “made sport” (see Notes) of the Egyptians and performed his miracles in their land and (2) to thereby bring Israel to faith in the Lord. Evidence for this recital of their miraculous deliverance from Egypt can be seen in Psalms 77:11–20; 78:43–53; 105:26–38; 106:7–12; 114:1–3; 135:8–9; 136:10–15, as well as reminders such as Deuteronomy 4:9. (Kaiser, W. C., Jr. (1990). Exodus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 365). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)

God sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh to influence him to the freedom of Israel. They were sent continuously. Moses was a good worker. Aaron was a good speaker. They wrought miracles. But wicked men will not yield their unbelief, their sin, to the best Christian talent, to the most faithful Christian service; but by rejecting the servants of God they become hard in heart. Hence, God did not harden the heart of Pharaoh by a sovereign decree, by omnipotence, so that the king could not obey His command, but by ministries appropriate to salvation, which were calculated to induce obedience, and the constant neglect of which was the efficient cause of this sad moral result. There was no alternative but the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. God could not withdraw his demand for the freedom of Israel. It was not consistent with the ordinary methods of the Divine government to remove the king by death; nor would this have answered the purpose, for probably his successor would have been equally rebellious. Hence there was none other course open than the hardening of Pharaoh, which was the outcome of his own rebellion, and which would prove to be his eternal ruin. Lessons: 1. That man has the ability to resist the saving ministries of heaven. 2. That when man resists the saving ministries of heaven he becomes hard in heart. 3. That hardness of heart is itself a natural judgment from God. 4. That hardness of heart will finally work its own ruin. (Adamson, W. (1892). Illustrations to Chapter 9. In Exodus (p. 199). New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

Ver. 1. And the Lord said unto Moses, go in unto Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, &c.] Or, as some render it, though I have hardened his heart; or otherwise it would seem rather to be a reason he should not go, than why he should; at least it would be discouraging, and he might object to what purpose should he go, it would be in vain, no end would be answered by it; though there was an end God had in view, and which was answered by hardening his heart, and the heart of his servants; whose hearts also were hardened until now; until the plague of the locusts was threatened, and then they relent; which end was as follows: that I might shew these my signs before him; which had been shewn already, and others that were to be done, see ch. 7:3 or in the midst of him, in the midst of his land, or in his heart, see ch. 9:14. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 360). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

1. And the Lord said. Moses passes on to another plague, whereby God took vengeance on the treachery and obstinacy of the wicked king; viz., that He gave over the remaining produce of the year, which He had spared, to be eaten and devoured by locusts. And this was no ordinary punishment, to destroy Egypt by dearth and famine, when all their corn had perished. But, before Moses proceeds to this, he again relates that he was the proclaimer of this plague, and that God had announced to him the reason why Pharaoh had so often resisted to his own injury. Therefore God says, that He had hardened his heart, in order that he might shew forth these miracles and evidences of His power; for if Pharaoh had been humbled, and had yielded immediately, the contest would have been superfluous; since what would be the object of contending with a conquered and prostrate enemy? The obstinacy of the tyrant, then, in so often provoking God, opened the way to more miracles, as fire is produced by the collision of flint and iron. Thence also the silly imagination is refuted, that the heart of Pharaoh was no otherwise hardened than as the miracles were set before his eyes; for Moses does not say that his heart was divinely hardened by the sight of the signs, but that it pleased God in this manner to manifest His power. Hence also we gather, that whatever occurred was predestinated by the sure counsel of God. For God willed to redeem His people in a singular and unusual way. That this redemption might be more conspicuous and glorious, He set up Pharaoh against Himself like a rock of stone, which by its hardness might afford a cause for new and more remarkable miracles. Pharaoh was, therefore, hardened by the marvellous providence of God with this object, that the grace of His deliverance might be neither despicable nor obscure. For God regarded His own people more than the Egyptians, as immediately appears, “that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son,” &c. For far more abundant material for thanksgiving and for celebrating the memory of their deliverance was afforded, by the fact of the Israelites having seen God’s arm stretched forth so often from heaven, and with so many prodigies. Had they been redeemed by any ordinary method, the praise due to God would soon have been forgotten. It was proper, then, that their posterity should be thus instructed by their fathers, that they might have no doubts as to the author of so illustrious a work. But it is here required of the fathers, who had been eyewitnesses of the signs, that they should be diligent and assiduous in teaching their children; and on these also, care and attention in learning is enjoined, that the recollection of God’s mercies should flourish throughout all ages. The practical effect of this doctrine is seen in Psalms 44 and 105. (Calvin, J., & Bingham, C. W. (2010). Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony (Vol. 1, pp. 193–194). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

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!!)

IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE by Os Guinness

This is not the place for a Christian critique of the place of technology in the future. Suffice it to say that we must resist all forms of idolatry of technology and guard against three feature in particular. First, technology contains a gnostic tendency that emphasizes information and the mind and therefore downplays the body. (It is telling that the future promised us by the scientist-kings is always a matter of minds, intelligence and information, and never with anything to do with bodies.} Second, technology has a tendency to automate so much of life that it undermines human agency and responsibility. Third, technology, with its seeming neutrality, tends to rule out questions of right and wrong from consideration. But technology’s very status as an idol reminds us that modernity magnifies evil, so that even the techno-utopias of tomorrow will suffer from the same crooked timber of humanity that has dogged all human endeavor since the fall. (p. 199)

T.S. Eliot saw the beginning of what we are now facing, and raised the questions:

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? (p. 201)

Song of Solomon 1
Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.
INSIGHT

Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and “undefiled.” In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: “No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage.” The Song of Solomon gives us God’s perspective on marriage and love.

(Quiet Walk)

OUR LORD AND SCRIPTURE

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:17-18
The most vital testimony about the authority of the Bible that we must adduce is the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Read your Gospels, and notice the way in which He constantly quotes the Old Testament. Notice the way in which He assumed that it is authoritative, that it puts a matter beyond argument and beyond any dispute whatsoever. He just says, “It is written,” and that is final (see, for example, Luke 19:46; John 6:45). He obviously accepted the Old Testament in toto as authoritative, final, and supreme.
There are also certain specific statements that He made: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18). And in a sense that is the whole of the Old Testament–Moses and the prophets. “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Then you will find Him, for example, saying, “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female” (Matthew 19:4). That quotation alone is sufficient to show that our Lord regarded what we read in the early chapters of Genesis as being authoritative for the whole question of man and woman and their appearance in the world. So if you begin to play fast and loose with the authority of the Scriptures and with the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, you are of necessity involved in difficulties about the person of the Lord Himself.
A Thought to Ponder
The most vital testimony about the authority of the Bible is the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. (From God the Father, God the Son, p. 31, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

With Christ
“For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
The book of Colossians begins with a stirring exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Creator (1:16) and Sustainer of all things (v. 17). He is the Head of the church and preeminent in all things (v. 18). He is fully God (v. 19) and yet Redeemer (v. 20). On the other hand, believers, before they were reconciled, are described as “alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works” (v. 21).
It comes as somewhat of a surprise, then, in chapters 2 and 3 to see that we are inexorably linked with Christ. Our lives and destinies are His—our identification with Him is total. We are not just reconciled, we are with Him in all things.
Notice, first, that we are “buried with him in baptism” (2:12). Furthermore, we are “quickened together [i.e., made alive] with him,” no longer “dead in [our] sins” (v. 13), and “risen with him” (v. 12). Just as surely as God “raised him from the dead,” we are born again; given new life. Obviously, since we are “risen with Christ, [we should] seek those things which are above” (3:1). Our priorities should be His godly priorities (v. 2), for “Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (v. 1), and we are there.
Next, we are told that our “life is hid with Christ in God” (v. 3). To be hidden in Christ is to be totally immersed, covered, our sins concealed, our identity masked within His; indeed, remade into His. God accepts Christ and us, as well, as we are hidden in Him. The next verse amplifies this identification with the term “Christ…our life” (v. 4).
This identification will not be in vain, for when He “shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (v. 4). As our text teaches, we are “complete in him,” for He is fully God, and we are with Him in all things.

(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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