Exodus 15
Moses song: Defeat of Egyptiansverses 1-5
Then SANG Moses and the children of Israel this SONG unto the LORD
and spake saying
I will SING unto the LORD – FOR HE hath TRIUMPHED gloriously
the horse and his rider hath HE thrown into the sea
The LORD is my STRENGTH and SONG
and HE is become my SALVATION
HE is my God – and I will prepare HIM an habitation
my father’s God – and I will exalt HIM
The LORD is a man of war
the LORD is HIS name
Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath HE cast into the sea
his chosen captain also are drowned in the Red sea
The depths have covered them
they sank into the bottom as a stone
Moses song: Power of Godverses 6-12
YOUR right hand – O LORD – is become glorious in POWER
YOUR right hand – O LORD – hath dashed in pieces the enemy
And IN the greatness of YOUR excellency YOU have overthrown
them that rose up against YOU – YOU sent forth YOUR wrath
which consumed them as stubble
And with the blast of YOUR nostrils the waters were gathered together
the floods stood upright as a heap
and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea
The enemy said – I will pursue – I will overtake – I will divide the spoil
my lust shall be satisfied upon them
I will draw my sword – my hand shall destroy them
YOU did blow with YOUR wind – the sea covered them
they sank as lead in the mighty waters
WHO is like unto YOU – O LORD – among the gods?
WHO is like YOU – glorious in HOLINESS
fearful in PRAISES – doing WONDERS?
YOU stretched out YOUR right hand
the earth swallowed them
Moses song: God’s unfailing loveverses 13-19
YOU in YOUR MERCY hast led forth the people
which YOU have REDEEMED
YOU have GUIDED them in YOUR strength unto
YOUR holy habitation
The people shall hear – and be AFRAID
sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina
THEN the dukes of Edom shall be amazed
the mighty men of Moab
trembling shall take hold upon them
all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away
Fear and dread shall fall upon them
by the greatness of YOUR arm they shall be as still as a stone
till YOUR people pass over which YOU have PURCHASED
YOU shall bring them in – and PLANT them in the mountain of
YOUR INHERITANCE – in the place – O LORD
which YOU hast made for YOU to dwell in
in the SANCTUARY – O LORD
which YOUR hands have ESTABLISHED
The LORD shall REIGN for ever and ever
for the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariot
and with his horsemen into the sea
and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea
upon them
BUT the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea
Miriam’s song: God triumphed gloriouslyverses 20-21
And Miriam the PROPHETESS – the sister of Aaron
took a timbrel in her hand
and all the women went out after her with
timbrels and with dances
And Miriam answered them
SING ye to the LORD
FOR HE hath TRIUMPHED gloriously
the horse and his rider hath HE thrown into the sea
First test in the wildernessverses 22-26
So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea
and they went out into the wilderness of Shur
and they went THREE days in the wilderness
and found NO WATER
And when they came to Marah
they could not drink of the waters of Marah
FOR they were BITTER
THEREFORE the name of it was called Marah
And the people MURMURED against Moses saying
What shall we drink?
And he CRIED unto the LORD
and the LORD showed him a tree
which when he had cast into the waters
the waters were made SWEET
THERE HE made for them a statute and an ordinance
and THERE HE proved them – and said
IF you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God
and will give ear to HIS commandments
and keep HIS statutes
I will put NONE of these DISEASES upon you
which I have brought upon the Egyptians
FOR I am the LORD that HEALS you
Camping at Elimverse 27
And they came to Elim – where were twelve wells of water and threescore and ten palm trees and they encamped there by the waters
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and HE is become my salvation: HE is my God, and I will prepare HIM an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt HIM. (7311 “I will exalt” [ruwm] means to be high above, to reach high, to lift high, be exalted, lofty, or let triumph)
DEVOTION: Look at the words in this part of this song of praise to the LORD. The first word we should look at is the word “LORD.” Moses realized that the LORD or Jehovah was the “I AM” that met him while he was caring for sheep. HE said HE would deliver the children of Israel and HE did. HE kept HIS promise. Moses was weak but the LORD gave him confidence.
Next we see the word “strength” and we are told in the New Testament that we can do all things through “Christ who gives us strength.”
Thirdly, we have a song being sung here to thank the LORD for what HE has done so far in their journey. We need to be singing songs regularly to the LORD. Not just on Sunday. Well, at least on Sunday because if we look around in some churches very few are singing with their whole heart to the LORD.
Fourth we need to realize that the LORD is the only one who can truly deliver us from each trial we face in our life. We have to turn to HIM for guidance to get us through anything that HE allows in our life. Most of the time, it is our sin that has caused our need for deliverance. HE says that “if we confess our sins HE is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us.”
Fifthly, HE wants us to acknowledge HIM as our God to others. We are to be a witness to the rest of the world that we are a follower of Jesus Christ. This is done when we praise HIM in front of others.
Finally, if we come from a family of believers, we have the faith of our father. Here we have Moses giving a testimony that he came for a background where his parents acknowledge God to them. They were taught at an early age about the great God we serve.
CHALLENGE: We can thank our father for this training if our home was one that knew God truthfully. If we didn’t grow up in a home where the father was leading toward loving the LORD, we can start one.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 Who is like to YOU, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like YOU, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (6382 “wonders” [pele’] means miracle, something unusual, something that causes feelings of wonder, admirable, distinguished, or hard to understand)
DEVOTION: The Bible acknowledges that there are many false gods in the world. Some are made with wood, stone or precious metals in our world. There are many nations that have false gods made of natural material that people go to temples to worship and give gifts on a regular basis.
Here in America we have many false gods that we worship like possessions, money, sports, movie stars and careers. Many people in this nation replace the ONE TRUE GOD with a false god.
Moses is writing a song and his sister is singing the song to give glory to God for all HE has done in helping they cross the Red Sea on dry land. He wants the LORD to know how much he appreciates HIM for all HE has done so far in their life.
Remember that Moses didn’t want to go back to Egypt. He came up with a lot of excuses as to why he couldn’t serve the LORD. God answered all his excuses and gave him power to defeat the Egyptians. This is a praise song of thanksgiving.
How often we sing praised to the LORD after HE has done a great thing in our life. We should be a people who are singing praises seven days a week.
I personally don’t sing well but I do make a joyful noise to the LORD throughout the week to tell HIM I appreciate what HE is doing in my life. I think HE hears my songs ON KEY while most hear my singing OFF KEY.
CHALLENGE: HE wants to hear our praise all the time. HE knows our hearts better than our voices.
: 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
(5031 “prophetess” [nebiy’ah] means inspired woman, a prophet’s wife, poetess, endowed with gift of song, gifted woman or a woman who speaks or proclaims the message of a deity)
DEVOTION: What do we think of women in ministry? Does God never allow women to serve HIM? NO!! However, HE gives special offices to women. Women are not second class citizens in God’s family. They have their responsibilities and men have their responsibilities. The problems come when women want to take over those areas assigned to men.
God create women to be a help-mate for men. Today we find that even in Christian circles there is the thought that women don’t need men. Our society is telling women that they don’t have to be married to have children. They don’t need men to support them. The concept of the man being the head of the home has become a laughing matter to some.
Here we have Moses writing and singing a song of praise to the LORD for the great victory over the Egyptians. He praises the LORD for HIS Power and HIS love for HIS children. It is a great song of praise.
Next we have Miriam writing a song and singing with the other women a song of praise to the LORD in response to Moses’ song. Miriam is called a inspired woman or a poetess or a gifted woman in this passage. She is part of the leadership team with Moses and Aaron. It seemed to be a family time.
The children of Israel had just watched the LORD swallow up the armies of Egypt in the Red sea. They had just walked across the Red sea on dry ground. They had been following the cloud by day and the fire by night. They had all the wealth of Egypt in their possession. They were excited. They were praising the LORD.
All the children of Israel were singing the praises to the LORD. Miriam was willing to be used of the LORD to write a song and sing a song of praise to the LORD for HIS deliverance from the Egyptians. God gifts and uses women who are willing to serve HIM. The LORD has some guidelines for women in their service to HIM. The LORD has some guidelines for men who are in HIS service.
We have to follow the Biblical guidelines for each gender. Each of us has to be willing to be used of the LORD on Biblical grounds. Once we become politically correct, we are not following the LORD but society and that is always wrong.
Look at the last verses of this chapter. The attitude of the children of Israel changed quickly. They came to a place with no water and complained. They didn’t understand WHO was really leading them. They moved from praise to murmuring in three days.
Do we have a tendency to move from praise to murmuring with the LORD? Should this be our habit? Our old nature is selfish and lazy. We and the children of Israel were only thinking of their own personal comfort, rather than, the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Can we break this pattern???? It takes a daily closeness to the LORD!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 26 And said, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in HIS sight, and will give ear to HIS commandments, and keep all HIS statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you. (7495 “heals” [rapha] means physician, cure, surgeon, doctor, become fresh, or make whole)
DEVOTION: Divine healing has been a hot topic throughout the history of believers. It was thought by some in the Old Testament that sickness only came to those who were sinners. Those who were saints were always healed. The “friends” of Job believed this theory.
Today we have false teachers going around telling believers that if they are faithful to the LORD they will have health and wealth. The problem is that the only ones who seem to get wealthy are these false teachers. They tend to give false hope to people who are sick. They have caused a real problem in the church because many who are trying to live a faithful life for the LORD do get sick.
Sickness was one of the signs that is given to those believers who took communion without examining themselves. God does use sickness to correct some believers. All sickness is not result of sin. God gave Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble. Some sickness is for the glory of God.
Here the children of Israel are promised if they are faithful to the LORD HE will heal them of any sickness during their travels to the Promised Land. We realize that they were not faithful to the LORD during their travels so there was times of sickness and death in the camp because of their disobedience.
Today the LORD still can heal anyone who is sick if it is HIS will. Sometimes it is not HIS will. We have to accept the fact that some sickness is for our good and for our testimony to HIS grace if HE heals us. We need to not have the thought that all sickness is caused by sin in a believer’s life. HIS goal is obedience in the life of every believer whether they are sick or not.
CHALLENGE: Examine yourself during times of sickness to see if it is for your benefit to walk closer to the LORD. Don’t always think it is because of sin in your life. God is still the GREAT PHYSICIAN!!!!
: 27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. (5869 “wells” [ʿayin] means 1 eye. 1a eye. 1a1 of physical eye. 1a2 as showing mental qualities. 1a3 of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.). 2 spring, fountain. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship].)
DEVOTION: Finally they arrived at the oasis in the desert. They had traveled a long distance while following God, and He had led them to a place where there was water. In fact, there was more than enough water, since there were twelve springs of water at this oasis. Imagine how amazed they would be when they discovered that there was exactly one spring for each tribe! No need to share with another tribe in order to get their fill. He could have provided only one well (sometimes He did), and He could have provided fifteen wells. Only God would have provided in the exact quantity that they needed at this time, and led them to the oasis where the wells existed.
Have you ever had an experience where God provided exactly the right amount of something (like money) that you needed just when you needed it most and turned to Him to trust in Him? God puts us in these circumstances to see if we will truly trust Him to provide. For us it was the experience of trusting Him to bring us a buyer for our house after we had already accepted new employment in another city.
God is the God of both the big picture and of the small details. He knows that we need to learn to trust Him in both the major areas of our lives as well as the minor areas which often fill our concerns. That is why He tells us to pray for our daily bread—so that we will bring our desires and needs to Him on a regular basis for things that we could easily obtain ourselves.
CHALLENGE: Trust God to meet one need in a precise way, so that you can glorify Him for His extraordinary care and provision. (MW)
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)
Moses’ song of celebrationverses 1-19
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Moses cried out to the LORD for waterverse 25
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sangverses 1, 21
Song unto the LORDverse 1
Praise: HE has triumphed gloriouslyverses 1, 21
Sanctuaryverse 17
Sing unto the LORDverse 21
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Statuteverse 25
Ordinanceverse 25
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1-3, 6, 11, 16-19, 21, 25, 26
LORD is strength and songverse 2
LORD is salvationverse 2
God (Elohim)verses 2, 26
LORD is a man of warverse 3
Right hand glorious in powerverse 6
Wrath of Godverse 7
Glorious in holinessverse 11
Fearful in praisesverse 11
Doing wondersverse 11
Mercyverse 13
Holy habitationverse 13
Greatness of YOUR armverse 16
Lordverse 17
LORD shall reignverse 18
Triumphed gloriouslyverse 21
LORD showed Moses a treeverse 25
LORD your Godverse 26
I am the LORD that healsverse 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 3, 19
Horse of Pharaoh
Enemy (Egyptians)verses 6, 9
Palestinaverse 14
Afraidverse 14
Dukes of Edomverse 15
Mighty men of Moabverse 15
Trembling
Inhabitants of Canaanverses 15, 16
Melt away
Fear and dread
Wilderness of Shurverse 22
Found no water
Marah: water was bitter
Egyptians verse 26
Elim – twelve wells & 70 palm treesverse 27
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Enemy of the LORDverses 6, 9
Lustverse 9
godsverse 11
Murmuredverse 24
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Singing praises to the LORDverses 1, 21
Triumph over worldverse 1
Strengthverse 2
Songverse 2
Salvationverse 2
Exalt Godverse 2
Mercyverse 13
Redeemedverse 13
Guidedverse 13
Purchasedverse 16
Sanctuaryverse 17
Provedverse 25
Hearken to the LORDverse 26
Do right in HIS sightverse 26
Give ear to HIS commandmentsverse 26
Keep all HIS statutesverse 26
Promise: No diseases if obedientverse 26
Healingverse 26
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverses 1, 22-27
Murmured against
Cried to the LORD
Showed a tree by the LORD
Children of Israelverse 1
Miriam the prophetessverses 20, 21
Sister of Aaron
Took timbrel in hand
Sing unto the LORD
Murmured against Mosesverse 24
Camped in Elimverse 27
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
LORD reigns for ever and eververse 18
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QUOTES regarding passage
7–8 Part B: Confession. The first line of four bicola recalls the phrase “highly exalted” of the introit (gāʾōh gāʾāh, v.1). In the “greatness of your majesty” (ûḇerōḇ geʾôneḵā), you “pulled them down” (hāras [NIV, “threw down”]; usually of demolishing buildings), those “risers up against you” (qāmeyḵā [NIV, “opposed you”]; here of those who wanted to destroy the building of God [KD, 2:52]). God, with the burning heat of his wrath and a fiery look from the pillar of cloud, “consumed them like stubble”—a simile also found in the Egyptian war lore (Cook, p. 311). The “strong east wind” of 14:21 is here represented in theological terms as “the blast of your nostrils” (berûaḥ ʾappeyḵā; cf. Ps 18:15), thus confirming the divine agency behind the wind. The result was that the “waters piled up” and the “running, surging, flowing ones” stood “like a heap” (nēḏ; cf. Ps 78:13). (Later on the Jordan River will also “heap” up [Josh 3:13, 16].) Meanwhile the waves “congealed” (qāpeʾû), as if turned to solid ice. This was the power of God that Israel confessed. (Kaiser, W. C., Jr. (1990). Exodus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, pp. 394–395). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
15:7–11. This second section details the crushing of the Egyptians by God. These verses stress the mighty power of God (the greatness of Your majesty, v. 7) in controlling the elements and in using them to destroy His adversaries. The blast of Your nostrils (v. 8) refers to the wind that parted the sea, and the words You blew with Your breath (v. 10) refer to the wind that collapsed the billowed water; these are poetic anthropomorphisms. The Egyptians, confident of victory (v. 9), arrogantly charged against Israel, but in the minutest expense of divine energy God utterly destroyed them (they sank like lead; cf. v. 5, “they sank … like a stone”). Recognition of God’s mighty works led Moses to extol the Lord’s uniqueness: Who is like You? (Cf. Pss. 35:10; 71:19; 77:13; 89:6; 113:5; Micah 7:18.) No one is like Him in holiness and glory. (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. 132). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
God’s weapons are described (vv. 6–10). “The Lord is a man of war” who doesn’t fight with conventional weapons. Using human characteristics to describe divine attributes, the singers declare that His right hand is glorious in power, His majesty throws His opponents down, and His anger consumes them like fire eats up stubble. The breath from His nostrils is the wind that blew back the waters and congealed them so they stood like a wall. When the overconfident Egyptian soldiers thought to catch up with the Jews, God simply breathed and the waters returned and drowned the army. What a mighty God is He! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1998). Be delivered (p. 72). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
Ver. 7. And in the greatness of thine excellency, &c.]. Christ has an excellency in him, a greatness of excellency, a superlative one; he has a more excellent name and nature than the angels, being a divine Person; and a more excellent ministry, as man and Mediator, than any of the sons of men, as prophet, priest, and King; and is superlatively excellent in his operations, has wrought out a most excellent righteousness, offered up a more excellent sacrifice than ever was offered, and obtained a great, glorious, and excellent salvation for his people; in consequence of which is what is next asserted: thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee; against his person and his people, who are in such strict union with him as to be reckoned as himself; and those that rise up against them, he reckons as rising up against him, or as his enemies; and both the one and the other are overthrown by him, as were those that rose up against him in person when on earth, as Herod, Pontius Pilate, the people of the Jews, with the Gentiles, and as will be antichrist and his followers, and all the spiritual enemies of the people of God: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble; the wrath of the Lord God Almighty is like fire, and wicked men are as chaff and stubble; and as those cannot stand before fire, but are suddenly and quickly consumed with it; so neither can the wicked, the enemies of Christ and his people, stand before the wrath of the Lamb, when the great day of it is come, but must be presently destroyed by it; see Isa. 51:20. and 27:4; Rev. 6:17. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 394). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
7.] the greatness of thine excellency, literally, the abundance of thine exaltation or height.
thou overthrowest] The word is commonly used of pulling down buildings, so Judg. 6:28; 1 Kings 19:10; Isa. 14:17, and frequently. In the reff. the sense is as here. The expression, sending forth wrath or anger is found in Ezek. 7:3. The allusion is perhaps to the looking of Jehovah through the pillar of fire on the Egyptian host, ch. 14:24. The whole similitude is illustrated by Isa. 9:18; 10:17; see also Isa. 5:24; Neh. 1:10. (Alford, H. (1872). The Book of Genesis and Part of the Book of Exodus (p. 287). London: Strahan & Co.)
FROM MY READING:
HE IS NOT SILENT NEW: The State of Preaching Today by R. Albert Mohler, Jr
The State of Preaching Today:
First, contemporary preaching suffers from a loss of confidence in the power of the word.
Second, contemporary preaching suffers from an infatuation with technology
Third, contemporary preaching suffers from embarrassment before the biblical text
Fourth, contemporary preaching suffers from an emptying of biblical content
Fifth, contemporary preaching suffers from a focus on felt needs.
Sixth, contemporary preaching suffers from an absence of gospel
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(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!!)
The percentage of a church member’s income given to the church dropped to 2.3 percent in 2011 (the latest year for which numbers are available), down from 2.4 percent in 2010, according to the Empty Tomb study.
In 1968, church members gave an average of 3.1 percent of their income.
What v. 26 called for was loyalty and obedience: loyalty in the sense of a willingness to pay close attention to what God’s will was and to want above all else to please him by doing what he thinks is right (“listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes”—also a hendiadys, a way of ensuring clarity by making the same point twice with different wordings) and obedience by not failing to “pay attention to all his commands and keep all his decrees” (another hendiadys—one concept stated with two different wordings). God’s expectation was sweeping. His people must give him full, not partial, loyalty and obedience. If he wanted it, they were to do it.
What advantage came from such loyalty and obedience? Perfect divine protection. The promise of v. 26, “I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you,” however, often has been misunderstood, taken as if it were a general guarantee that faithful believers cannot get sick or that if they do, they will always be healed in this life. Part of the tendency to misunderstanding comes from translation choices. The best translation of these sentences probably would be: “Any illness I brought on the Egyptians”, I will not bring on you. For I am Yahweh, your doctor.” The promise here was not that Yahweh would never allow those who place their faith in him to get sick. It was that the Israelites would be free from having to worry about the plagues. God averred that he would not become angry at them in such a way as to subject them to the miseries he had subjected the Egyptians to—if they were indeed loyal and obedient. His promise to serve as their doctor/healer also was not a promise that if anyone among them ever got sick he would immediately heal that person. It was instead an assertion that it was to him they must turn for healing if they found themselves afflicted as a result of sin. The story of the healing from snakebites in Num 21:1–9 is exactly the sort of situation envisioned in these words. (Stuart, D. K. (2006). Exodus (Vol. 2, pp. 367–368). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
26. I will put none of these diseases upon you: presumably the diseases ‘put upon’ the Egyptians refer in the first place to the plagues in general, but in particular to the turning of the water into blood, which made it undrinkable. Israel will never find the water that God supplies unpalatable: he is YHWH their healer. (Cole, R. A. (1973). Exodus: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 136–137). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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15:26 the Lord … your healer. Since this is what He is, Jehovah-Rapha, obedience to divine instruction and guidance will obviously bring healing, not the consequence of plagues like those visited upon Egypt. This promise is limited in context to Israel, most likely for the duration of the Exodus only. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ex 15:26). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Jeremiah 31 God establishes a covenant with the children of Israel to write His Law on their hearts. INSIGHT
The primary theme of nearly all the Prophetic Books is warning of judgment for sin. The prophets proclaim the Word of God as their basic ministry, but from time to time, the Lord reveals to them a specific message for the children of Israel. If they do not turn from their sin, a specific judgment will follow. It is comforting to see, however, that in nearly all instances the judgment is to be followed by restoration. God’s judgment on His children is not for retaliation but to get His children to turn from their sin to Him.
(Quiet Walk)
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THE ATTRIBUTES OF GODBefore the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Psalm 90:2 We will now consider some of the attributes of God. And by attributes I mean some of the perfections of God, or to put it another way, some of the virtues of God. Peter says in his first epistle, “…that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (2:9). That is it. The Christian is meant to show forth the attributes of God–the perfections, the excellencies of God. Here is another definition of God’s attributes: They are the things about God, certain aspects of His great and glorious eternal nature, that He has been pleased to reveal to us, and that, in a measure, we can lay hold of. All sorts of classifications have been suggested. Some have said that the division should be into the natural attributes of God and the moral attributes of God–that is, into attributes that belong to God in and of Himself and those that have a kind of moral implication. Well, it does not matter very much what we may call them. I would suggest some classification like this: first, the attributes of absolute personality that belong to God, and second, the moral attributes of God. God is a personality in an absolute sense. Now, what are the attributes that belong to His personality? They are, of course, expressive of His eternal being, and the first one, therefore, that we have to note is the eternity of God, and with it the immutability of God. God is without beginning and without ending; He is everlasting. You will find a great statement of that in Psalm 90: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (verse 2). You will find it in the same way in Psalm 102. His eternity is something that we just assert and at which we wonder. (Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Understanding Ownership “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) The doctrine of creation is not merely a “scientific” debate. The opposite concepts of natural and evolutionary development versus the fiat creation of an omnipotent, omniscient, and transcendent Being impact every facet of our worldview. God owns the earth; He is its Creator (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1-2; Revelation 4:11; and hundreds of other passages throughout the Bible). Christians who revere the biblical revelation of God are not to be in conflict with this most basic of all doctrines. God owns the living creatures that inhabit the earth (Psalm 50:10). He owns the metals that establish monetary value in the earth (Haggai 2:8). He claims ownership over our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19). He even states ownership of our very souls (Ezekiel 18:4). Nothing is excluded from the sphere of His ownership and kingship (1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Isaiah 45:12; Colossians 1:16-17). And we are to manage God’s resources as stewards of the Owner. Lucifer’s error was that he thought he could become like the Owner, usurping all the rights and privileges of the Creator (Isaiah 14:12-14). Israel’s error was similar; they behaved as if their possessions were their own property (Malachi 3:8-10). The prodigal son claimed for himself the right of ownership and treated the money as if it were his own (Luke 15:12-14). The unfaithful steward made no effort to be productive (Matthew 25:24). We have been delegated authority over the creation itself (Genesis 1:28), are required to be faithful with the “mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2), and are expected to administer “the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). May God preserve us from self-serving stewardship. (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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A Thought to Ponder The Christian is meant to show forth the attributes of God–the perfections,the excellencies of God. From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 59-60.
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