Exodus 23
Treatment of othersverses 1-9
YOU shall not raise a FALSE report
put not your hand with the wicked to be
an unrighteous witness
YOU shall not follow a multitude to do EVIL
neither shall you speak in a cause to decline after many
to wrest judgment
neither shall you countenance a poor man in his cause
IF you meet your enemy’s ox or his ass going astray
you shall surely bring it back to him again
IF you see the ass of him that hate you lying under his burden
and would forbear to help him
you shall surely help with him
You shall not wrest the judgment of
your poor in his cause
Keep you far from a FALSE matter
and innocent and righteous slay you not
FOR I will not justify the wicked
You shall take NO GIFT – FOR the gift blinds the wise
and perverts the words of the righteous
Also you shall not oppress a STRANGER
FOR you know the heart of a stranger
seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt
Seventh year rest of landverses 10-13
Six years you shall sow your land
and shall gather in the fruits thereof
BUT the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie still
that the poor of your people may eat
and what they leave the
beasts of the field shall eat
In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard
and with your olive yard
Six days thou shall do your work
and on the seventh day you shall rest
that your ox and your ass may rest
and the son of your handmaid
and the stranger – may be refreshed
And in all things that I have said to you be circumspect
and make no mention of the name of other gods
neither let it be heard out of your mouth
Three required feasts of Israelverses 14-19
Three times you shall keep a feast to ME in the year
you shalt keep the feast of UNLEAVENED BREAD
(you shall eat unleavened bread seven days
as I commanded you
in the time appointed of the month Abib
for in it you came out of Egypt
and none shall appear before ME empty)
And the feast of HARVEST – the firstfruits of your labors
which you have sown in the field
and the feast of INGATHERING
which is in the end of the year
when you hast gathered in your labors
out of the field
Three times in the year all your males shall appear
before the Lord GOD
You shall not offer the blood of MY sacrifice with leavened bread
neither shall the fat of MY sacrifice remain until the morning
The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of
the LORD your God
You shall not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk
LORD sending HIS Angel to protect Israelverses 20-25
Behold – I send an ANGEL before you – to keep you in the way
to bring you into the place which I have prepared
BEWARE of HIM – and obey HIS voice – provoke HIM not
FOR HE will not pardon your transgressions
FOR MY name is in HIM
BUT IF you shall indeed obey HIS voice – and do all that I speak
THEN I will be an enemy to your enemies
and an adversary to your adversaries
FOR MINE ANGEL shall go before you – and bring you in to
the Amorites – Hittites – Perizzites – Canaanites – Hivites
Jebusites – and I will cut them off
You shall not bow down to their gods – nor serve them
nor do after their works
BUT you shall utterly overthrow them
and quite break down their images
And you shall serve the LORD your God
and HE shall bless your bread – and your water
And I will take SICKNESS away from the midst of you
LORD promises VICTORY in Promised Landverses 26-31
There shall nothing cast their young – nor be barren – in your land
the number of your days I will fulfill
I will send MY fear before you
and will destroy all the people to whom you shall come
and I will make all your enemies turn
their backs to you
I will send HORNETS before you – which shall drive out the
Hivite – Canaanite – Hittite – from before you
I will NOT drive them out from before you in one year
lest the land become desolate
and the beast of the field multiply against you
By little and little I will drive them out from before you
until you be increased – and inherit the land
I will set your bounds from the Red sea even
unto the sea of the Philistines
and from the desert unto the river
FOR I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand
and you shall drive them out before you
No treaties to be signed by Israelverses 32-33
You shall make NO covenant with them
nor with their gods
They shall not dwell in you land
lest they make you SIN against ME
FOR if you serve their gods
it will surely be a SNARE to you
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 You shall not raise a false report: put not your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. (7561 “wicked” [rasha] means condemned, guilty, criminal, deserving punishment, unrighteous, class of people who are evil, or ungodly)
DEVOTION: Here we are still dealing with lying. Those who are followers of God should have no part in a false report. We are to give an eye witness account that is correct and accurate at all times. Honesty is a word that describes those who are followers of the one true God.
Believers are not to be working hand in hand with those who disobey the standards of the LORD. They are to avoid working with or going to court with those who are trying to cheat someone out of something.
Today we find many people trying to get ahead in this world by cheating everyone they can. There are many lawyers who advertise the importance of suing anyone you can for whatever you can. It is big business today. People are looking for a way to get money they don’t deserve any way they can.
God wants us to not be part of this group of individuals. HE didn’t want anyone one in the nation of Israel to be involved in these types of actions. It was dishonest and the LORD was going to deal with those who practiced such things.
Most of the time it was these lawsuits were against people who couldn’t afford to hire a lawyer of their own. They would just have to give up whatever possessions they had to settle the lawsuit.
Moses knew that the LORD heard the prayers of the poor when they were being taken advantage of those who were dishonest. HE was going to judge them for their actions.
These individuals might win a battle in court but pay the price the rest of their life. They won the battle but lost the war against the LORD and HIS standard.
CHALLENGE: Remember the LORD is watching over the poor who are taken to court by the unrighteous.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 8 And you shall take no gift: for the gift blinds the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous. (5557 “perverts” [caliph] means overthrow, to bring to ruin, to lead astray, to twist, misrepresent, to cause the downfall of, or distort)
DEVOTION: Friends are individuals who should not be bought with any price. Friends should be individuals that stay close no matter what they are offered to change loyalties. God wants believers to be friends with those who honest no matter what others offer them to be dishonest.
The LORD warns everyone that money does talk and its language is always evil. When money is the goal of an individual and they don’t care what they do to get it. God does care. HE is going to judge.
This verse says that money or any gift even a gift of friendship can cause people to lie and not tell the truth. We have to watch our motives. We have to watch what others try to do to get us to say something against another person. We have to watch the wiles of those who are following the devil rather than the LORD.
Too often we find young people wanting to be popular rather than righteous. If they can be part of the in crowd they tend to say and do whatever that crowd wants them to say or do.
Parents need to warn them that this might happen and help them to be strong when it comes to a choice to be part of a group or be independent from the group. Following a group can be very dangerous because it gets to the point where there is only the group standard and not the LORD’S standard of honesty and good treatment of all individuals.
God calls those who have cloudy vision ignorant of the truth.
CHALLENGE: It should be our prayer that our children do not become ignorant of the truth. It should be the prayer of children that they don’t fall into this trap. It should be the prayer of the church that proper warnings are given to help prevent ignorance to reign in their world.
: 13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. (8104 “circumspect” [shamar] means to hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to, take heed to self, look narrowly, observe, reserve, save self, or watch)
DEVOTION: How many of us like rules? This is a continuation of God’s instructions to the children of Israel regarding how they were to live for the LORD.
The LORD gives instructions regarding legal matters. HE gives instructions regarding treatment of enemies. HE gives instructions care of the land for farmers. HE gives instructions regarding feasts that all the male Israelites are to celebrate.
HE even gives them a special Spiritual leader in the wilderness wanderings: the Angel of the LORD. This again can be the pre-incarnate Christ. This leader seems to have the ability to pardon transgressions. HE has the name of God in HIM
A big part of HIS instructions came regarding false gods. The Israelites were not even to mention their names. They were to be hedged about with only the name of the LORD on their lips. They were to guard what they said. Their mouths were only to be used to praise the ONE true God. The name LORD means Jehovah. HE is the only God that the Israelites were to recognize.
Do we guard our mouths? Never even mention other gods. We need to watch who we honor with our voice. Who is the most important person in our life? Who do people hear us talking about in our conversations? Do they hear the name of Jesus? Is our sports team more mentioned than Jesus? Is our race driver more mentioned than Jesus? Is our favorite food mentioned more than Jesus? Is our car mentioned more than Jesus? Is our ______ mentioned more than Jesus?
Never put other things in front of God. When God gave the children of Israel rules, it was so that they knew what HE expected of them. We know what God expects of us when we read HIS word. It narrows our perspective to a Biblical perspective. Our Biblical perspective is called our worldview. Our worldview is different from the rest of society.
Today we see many things in our society that we wonder what is right and what is wrong. The Bible is the only book we can read that has those answers. Study the Word and it will narrow our perspective to God’s perspective. That is the only perspective we need.
Are we hedging our life around the Word of God? How important is our doctrine to our everyday life? Teaching/doctrine is very important to the LORD. HE spends many words on teaching HIS children want to believe and how to act.
CHALLENGE: How good is your hedge around your mouth? Do your children understand that you are obeying the LORD’S standard with your mouth?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 25 And you shall serve the LORD your God, and HE shall bless your bread, and your water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of you. (4245 “sickness” [machaleh] means disease, infirmity, an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning, or a state of illness)
DEVOTION: Obedience brings blessing throughout the Word of God. Here we find the LORD making promises to the children of Israel if they will be obedient to HIS commands.
This promise will come to the children of Israel if they will not follow the gods of the lands that they will conquer through the strength of the LORD. They were not to bow down to the false gods. They were not to serve these false gods. They were not to follow the worship ceremonies of these false gods.
In fact, they were to overthrow them and break all their images throughout the land of promise. Any time they came across a false god they were to utterly destroy it. Remember these false gods had groves where they were built. They were in the homes of the people they were to conquer. They had temples built that needed to be destroyed. So there were places of worship in the woods, in the fields and in the towns wherever they went. All of them had to be destroyed immediately if the children of Israel wanted the blessings of the LORD.
God promised them food and water to meet all their needs on the basis of obedience. HE even promised that HE would not send the plagues that Egypt suffered if they would be obedient.
Promises were made to Israel as a nation that would give them peace and fruitfulness in response to their obedience.
We are not given the same promises but greater promises by the LORD Jesus Christ. The book of Hebrews informs us that today we have better promises than God gave to the children of Israel if we are obedient to HIS commands.
Are we being obedient to the LORD today in our churches and homes? Is our nation honoring the LORD with their decisions? We know the answer to these questions. Can things improve? What is necessary for them to improve?
CHALLENGE: Our prayer should be that the LORD would show us personally how we can better serve HIM, our family and our world.
: 32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. (1285 “covenant” [bâriyth] means 1 covenant, alliance, pledge. 1a between men. 1a1 treaty, alliance, league (man to man). 1a2 constitution, ordinance (monarch to subjects). 1a3 agreement, pledge (man to man). 1a4 alliance (of friendship). 1a5 alliance (of marriage). 1b between God and man. 1b1 alliance (of friendship). 1b2 covenant (divine ordinance with signs or pledges). 2 (phrases). 2a covenant making. 2b covenant keeping. 2c covenant violation. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: Have you ever made a promise to someone that you did not carry out? For many of us, this was with our children. They were sure that we promised to do something for or with them, but then failed to complete this activity. It is also commonplace in our world today for people to sign contracts, only to back out of them and not honor their word when the going gets tough. This accounts for the widespread use of bankruptcy in our culture. Another example of a promise is that made with one’s marriage vows. One promises to stay married “until death do us part,” only to get divorced when one thing or another causes them “to fall out of love” with one another.
God was in the habit of making promises as well. The first promise that He made that was based on His own character was that with Noah. Another was with Abraham, where He promised to bless all the nations of the earth through Abraham’s descendants, the Jews. (Of course, He did this through the person of Jesus Christ.) Now, God is back to making a promise or a covenant with the children of Israel through Moses. He wants the children of Israel to be His exclusive people through following His rules and commandments. That is why the first commandment was to have no other gods in place of the LORD.
God foresaw the fickleness of the children of Israel, and knew that they would be tempted to leave Him and follow after the gods of the Canaanite peoples in the Promised Land. Here He is warning them not to make any covenants or promises to follow these other gods. This would invariably lead (as it did) to compromise in their personal purity and holiness, followed by God’s judgment and punishment. Whenever we compromise in the Christian life, we are bound to be disciplined by God.
CHALLENGE: Is there any area of your life where you are following God half-heartedly at present? If so, repent of this and seek to follow Him with your whole heart.
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)
Three timesverse 14
Feast of unleavened breadverse 15
Month Abib
Came out of Egypt
Feast of harvestverse 16
Feast of ingatheringverse 16
Three times a year males before Lord GODverses 17, 18
Offer blood sacrifice with unleavened bread
First of the first fruits offered to LORD your Godverse 19
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
I will not justify the wickedverse 7
Lord (Adonai)verse 17
GOD (Jehovah)verse 17
Lord GODverse 17
LORD (Jehovah)verses 19, 25
God (Elohim)verses 19, 25
LORD your Godverse 19
MY name is in HIMverse 21
Do all that I speakverse 22
I will be an enemy to your enemy verse 22
I will be an adversary to your adversariesverse 22
I will cut off adversariesverse 23
MINE Angel will go before Israelverse 23
LORD your Godverse 25
Fear of God before enemiesverse 27
I will send hornetsverse 28
I will not drive out enemies in one yearverses 29, 30
I will deliver the inhabitants of the landverse 31
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Angelverses 20-23
Keep in the way
Bring to prepared place
Beware of HIM
MY name is in HIM
Go before Israel
Obey HIS voice
Provoke HIM not
Father’s name is in HIM
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)
Enemyverses 4, 22, 27
Strangerverses 9, 12
Land of Egyptverses 9, 15
Adversariesverse 22
Amoritesverse 23
Hittiteverses 23, 28
Perizzitesverse 23
Canaaniteverses 23, 28
Hiviteverses 23, 28
Jebusitesverse 23
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
False reportverse 1
Wickedverses 1, 7
Unrighteous witnessverse 1
Evilverse 2
Slant your judgmentverse 3
Hateverse 5
False matterverse 7
Bribesverse 8
Pervert wordsverse 8
Oppress a strangerverse 9
Other godsverses 13, 24, 32, 33
Offer leavened breadverse 18
Seethe a kid in his mother’s milkverse 19
Transgressionsverse 21
Bow down to false godsverse 24
Serve false godsverses 24, 33
Covenant with nationsverse 32
Sinverse 33
Snareverse 33
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Help the poorverses 3, 6, 11
Bring back enemy’s animalverse 4
Help carry burdenverse 5
Help innocentverse 7
Righteousverses 7, 8
Let land rest in seventh yearverse 11
Sabbath rest for people (refreshed)verse 12
Be circumspectverse 13
Obeyverses 21, 22
Overthrow false godsverse 24
Break down images of false godsverse 24
Serve the LORD your Godverse 25
Bless bread and waterverse 25
Take sicknessverse 25
Increased populationverse 26
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Six years gather fruit
Seventh year rest the landverses 10, 11
Poor and beasts of field eat in seventh yearverse 11
Six day work weekverse 12
Seventh day rest from workverse 12
Three feast a year for Israelverses 14, 17
Feast if Unleavened breadverse 15
Feast of harvestverse 16
Feast of ingatheringverse 16
God cause other nations to fearverse 27
Inherit the landverse 30
Boundaries verse 31
Red Sea to Sea of Philistines
Desert to river
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
No covenant was to be made with these people (though the Gibeonites did succeed in making one, Josh 9:3–15). The potential snare of their gods, practices, and worship was too great; thus there was to be no peaceful coexistence between these nations and Israel in Canaan. (Kaiser, W. C., Jr. (1990). Exodus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 447). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
23:31–33. Then the Lord prescribed the borders of the Promised Land. The Red Sea in this case is the part of the Red Sea now known as the Sea of Aqaba (probably to form the nation’s southeastern boundary). The Sea of the Philistines would be the western boundary (the Mediterranean Sea), the desert the southern boundary, and the Euphrates River the northern (or northeastern) boundary. This territory was occupied during the time of Solomon (1 Kings 4:21) though much of it was not fully under Israel. Pockets of the enemy still lived in the land as vassals to Israel (cf. Deut. 11:24 and see comments on Deut. 1:7). Yet the presence of these enemies in the land was a constant menace to Israel, as God had predicted. Joshua 9:3–15 records a violation of God’s command not to make a covenant or treaty (cf. Ex. 34:12) with any of the foreign peoples in the land of Canaan. Failure to drive … out the enemy (23:31) would result in their causing Israel to sin primarily through their idolatry. Israel’s later history certainly proved this to be true. (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. 145). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The angel here is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Angel of the Covenant (Ex. 14:19). Only He can pardon transgressions and only in Him is the wonderful name of the Lord. God had prepared a place for His earthly people (23:20) just as Jesus is preparing a place for His heavenly people (John 14:1–6). If they followed the Lord, He would meet all their needs and defeat all their enemies.
Once again, the Lord warned them about the sin of idolatry, worshiping the false gods of the nations around them, the nations that they would defeat. If Israel devoted themselves wholly to the Lord, He would go before them, confound their enemies, and enable them to conquer the land. Indeed, the “terror of God” did go before Israel and weaken the people in the land (Josh. 2:11; Ex. 15:16). The “hornet” in 23:28 could well have been the insect that we know, because the people of the East respect the hornet (Deut. 7:20; Josh. 24:12). The Hebrew word is similar to the word for Egypt (zirah/mizraim), so some students believe that the reference is to the Egyptian armies that frequently invaded Canaan before the Jews arrived. In Isaiah 7:18, Egypt is compared to a fly and Assyria to a bee.
It took Joshua and his army about seven years to conquer the land, and the victory was followed by a “mopping up” operation. God planned that they take the land gradually so they could control things, but some of the tribes never did fully conquer the territory that was assigned to them (Jud. 1–2). God set the boundaries of the land (Gen. 15:18–21), and they were reached during the time of David and Solomon (2 Sam. 8:1–14; 1 Kings 4:20–25), but when the nation divided, they began to lose territory to their enemies. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1998). Be delivered (p. 127). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
23:32 make no covenant. International diplomacy, with its parity or suzerainty treaties, was not an option open to Israel in dealing with the tribes living within the designated borders of the Promised Land (Dt 7:1, 2). All these treaties were accompanied by the names of the nations’ gods, so it was fitting to deliver a charge not to make a treaty (covenant) with them, nor to serve their pagan gods. The situation with other nations outside the land being given to Israel was different (cf. Dt 20:10–18). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ex 23:32). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
23:32, 33 The word covenant here describes a binding agreement that recognizes the rights of each party. Israel was forbidden to make such treaties lest they be corrupted by the perverse customs of their neighbors. their gods: Principally, Baal and other fertility gods. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Ex 23:32–33). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 33. They shall not dwell in thy land, &c.] The land of Canaan, given by God for an inheritance, and now would be in the possession of the Israelites; and therefore were not to suffer the old inhabitants to dwell with them in it, at least no longer than they could help it; they were to do all they could to root them out: lest they make thee sin against me; by their ill examples and persuasions, drawing them into idolatry, than which there is no greater sin against God, it being not only contrary to his law, his mind, and will, but directly against his nature, being, perfections, and glory: for if thou serve their gods, or for thou wilt serve; this would be the consequence of their dwelling in the land, they would draw the Israelites into the worship of their idols, to which they were naturally prone; and should they commit idolatry, it will surely be a snare unto thee: idolatry would be the cause of their ruin and destruction, they would be snared by it, as fishes in a net, or birds and beasts by traps and gins; or for it will be a snare, that is, the Canaanites dwelling among them would be a snare to draw them into their idolatry, and so into ruin. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 457–458). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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!!)
Livin’ in the Anthropocene: Stewardship or Exploitation?
Geologists divide the earth’s history into what are known as “periods,” which in turn are divided into “epochs.” The best-known period is probably the Jurassic, while we are said to be living today in the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period. Bet you didn’t know that!
Now, however, some scientists are calling the age we’re living in the “Anthropocene,” that is, the “new human age.”
And that is not a compliment. It’s intended to draw attention to humanity’s “dramatic impact on the planet.” It’s a way of expressing the “feeling that monumental events and dynamics capable of changing the Earth’s geologic realities [are] unfolding under our feet.”
Just as previous periods left “distinctive paleontological, chemical, or physical signatures” in rocks, the promoters of the “Anthropocene” insist that this current epoch will leave signatures “every bit as distinctive as those used to define the past geological epochs.” (ICU)
THE DEMAS WAY by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.
2 Timothy 4:10
The world is opposed to Christians, and it shows its opposition by means of hatred. Yea, says Paul to Timothy, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). But the world has another way of showing its opposition. That is what I would call the Demas way: Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. The world does not care very much how it attacks Christ’s followers. If by throwing them into prison it can wrest them from Christ, it will do so; but if that does not work, it will try some other method.
Demas hath forsaken me for the love of ease, love of the things of the world, its wealth, its position, its so-called pomp and show, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. How many good men have been ruined by that! Prosperity can be very dangerous to the soul, and the world is prepared to use that. If direct opposition will not work, it will pamper us, it will dangle these things before us and thus try to wean us from Christ. So it is not surprising that He asked the Father to keep us in His name.
Another way in which the world does the same thing is by what may be described as the Barnabas method. We are told in Acts 15 that a dispute had taken place between Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas wanted to take his relative John Mark on their second missionary journey, but Paul said that he would not have him. Paul felt that John Mark had let them down and deserted them when they had taken him on their previous journey and that he was not therefore the man to accompany them. Here we have worldly relationships, such as family relationships, interfering in God’s work. It is the tendency not to judge things in a spiritual way.
A Thought to Ponder
The world does not care very much how it attacks Christ’s followers.
During his 1962 visit to Mexico, Bill Ashe helped fix windmill hand pumps at an orphanage. Fifteen years later, inspired by a deep desire to serve God by helping provide clean water to villages in need, Bill founded a nonprofit organization. He said, “God awoke me to ‘make the most of the time’ by finding others with a desire to bring safe drinking water to the rural poor.” Later, having learned about the global need for safe water through the requests of thousands of pastors and evangelists from more than 100 countries, Bill invited others to join the ministry’s efforts.
God welcomes us to team up to serve with Him and others in various ways. When the people of Corinth argued over which teachers they preferred, the apostle Paul affirmed his role as a servant of Jesus and a teammate of Apollos, fully dependent on God for spiritual growth (1 Corinthians 3:1-7). He reminds us that all work has God-given value (v. 8). Acknowledging the privilege of working with others while serving Him, Paul encourages us to build each other up as He transforms us in love (v. 9).
Though our mighty Father doesn’t need our help to accomplish His great works, He equips us and invites us to partner with Him. By Xochitl Dixon (Our Daily Bread)
GOOD ANGELS
…as the angels of God in heaven.
Matthew 22:30
We must see what we are told about good angels. We are told that they dwell in heaven. We are to be “as the angels of God in heaven,” our Lord says. The statement in Matthew 18:10 reads, “…their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” It is clear, therefore, that the dwelling-place, the place of existence, of these good angels is in heaven around the throne of God.
What is the business or purpose of these good angels? We are told that they spend their time adoring God and the Lamb. We read in Revelation 5 that they are singing His praise and worshiping Him and adoring Him. That is what they delight in. That is what, as it were, they live for.
There is something else that the angels are very busy doing. I have never read this next point without having a still more glorious understanding of my salvation. We are told that they spend a good deal of their time looking into this question of our salvation. Let me give you my authority. Peter, talking about our salvation, says, “which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12). It is something so marvelous and so wonderful that these created angelic spirits, always in the presence of God, are, as it were, looking on at this thing that is most astonishing to them and that surpasses everything else.
The angels not only behold the face of God, they are not only looking into salvation, but they are looking at us. In 1 Corinthians 11:10 Paul uses these words: “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.” A woman should have her head covered to show that she is under the authority of the man; and in addition to that, Paul says, she should be covered because of the presence of the angels. In other words, when Christians gather together in prayer, the angels of God are present.
A Thought to Ponder
Good angels spend their time adoring God and the Lamb.
(From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 109-110, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The Joy of the Lord
“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
Jerusalem’s wall had been completed, God’s Word had been honored, and there was a great day of rejoicing. The real joy in the hearts of the people, however, was not their joy—it was the joy of the Lord. They rejoiced because He rejoiced, and they shared His joy.
The Lord’s joy is satisfied when His love is received and His purposes fulfilled. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
To attain His joy, He must first redeem from the penalty of sin and death those whom He had created in His own image. Therefore, He “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
There will be a great day of rejoicing in the age to come when all the redeemed will be presented “faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24). Until that day, however, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).
Joy is in the Lord’s heart whenever His saving grace is received by a believing sinner. That same joy is likewise experienced by each believer whose testimony of life and word brings such a sinner to God.
Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). His joy is our joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Two angels talking about two other angels in a cartoon: Most of the new arrivals seem incapable of conversation. They just stare at their hands in despair. (They are trying to do games on their computer without a computer! None in heaven)
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