Ezekiel 14
LORD states condition of the elders verse 1- 3
THEN came certain of the elders of Israel unto me
and sat before me
AND the word of the LORD came unto me – saying
Son of man – these men have set up their idols in their heart
and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face
SHOULD I be inquired of at all by them?
LORD gives answer to their request verse 4- 5
THEREFORE speak unto them – and say unto them – Thus says the Lord God
Every man of the house of Israel that sets up his idols in his heart
and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face
and comes to a prophet
I the LORD will answer him that comes according
to the multitude of his idols
That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart
BECAUSE they are all estranged from ME through their idols
LORD wants all to repent and turn verse 6- 8
THEREFORE say unto the house of Israel
Thus says the Lord GOD
REPENT – and turn yourselves from your idols
and turn away your faces from all your abominations
FOR every one of the house of Israel
or of the stranger that sojourns in Israel
which separates himself from ME
and sets up his idols in his heart
and puts a stumbling block of his iniquity before his face
and comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning ME
I the LORD will answer him by MYSELF
I will set MY face against that man
and will make him a sign and a proverb
and I will cut him off from the midst of MY people
YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD
LORD going to judge false prophets verse 9- 11
And if the prophet be deceive when he hath spoken a thing
I the LORD have deceived that prophet
and I will stretch out MY hand upon him
and will destroy him from the midst of
MY people Israel
And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity
the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment
of him that seeks unto him
THAT the house of Israel may go no more astray from ME
neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions
BUT that they may be MY people – and I may be their God
says the Lord GOD
LORD going to send famine verse 12- 14
The word of the LORD came again to me – saying
Son of man – when the land sins against ME by trespassing grievously
THEN will I stretch out MINE hand upon it
and will break the staff of the bread thereof
and will send famine upon it
and will cut off man and beast from it
THOUGH these three men Noah – Daniel – and Job
were in it – they should deliver but their own souls by
their righteousness – says the Lord GOD
LORD going to send wild animals verse 15- 16
If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land – and they spoil it
so that it be desolate
that no man may pass through because of the beasts
THOUGH these three men were in it – as I live – says the Lord GOD
they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters
They only shall be delivered BUT the land shall be desolate
LORD going to send enemy armies verse 17- 18
OR if I bring a sword upon that land – and say
Sword – go through the land
so that I cut off man and beast from it
THOUGH these three men were in it
as I live says the Lord GOD
they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters
BUT they only shall be delivered themselves
LORD going to send pestilence verse 19- 20
OR if I send a pestilence into that land
and pour out MY fury upon it in blood
to cut off from it man and beast
THOUGH Noah – Daniel and Job were in it – as I live
says the Lord GOD they shall deliver neither son nor daughter
they shall but deliver their own souls
by their righteousness
LORD states that there is a reason for HIS actions verse 21- 23
For thus says the Lord GOD
How much more when I send MY four sore judgments upon Jerusalem
sword – famine – noisome beast – pestilence
to cut off from it man and beast?
YET – BEHOLD
therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth
both sons and daughters
BEHOLD – they shall come forth unto you
and you shall see their way and their doings
and you shall be comforted concerning the evil
that I have brought upon Jerusalem
even concerning all that
I have brought upon it
and they shall comfort you
when ye see their ways and their doings
and you shall know that I have not done
without cause all that I have done in it
says the Lord GOD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? (1875 “inquired” [darash] means to be sought, be consulted, to be approached, or let search)
DEVOTION: God knows the thought and intents of all human beings. HE cannot be fooled by a false pretense of someone coming to HIM to find out what the LORD required of these individuals.
Here we find that the leaders of the nation were coming to Ezekiel for advice as to what they should do in their present circumstances. They knew that judgment was coming. They knew that their sins were real. They knew all about the God of the Bible but they didn’t know HIM.
HE instructed Ezekiel to confront them about the false pretenses that they were coming to HIM concerning their future. They had no intentions of changing their ways.
They desired a quick answer. The LORD told Ezekiel to inform that that HE saw what was happening in their heart. They were not making HIM sovereign in their lives. They had false gods as sovereign in their lives. Their hearts were full of false teaching.
These false teachings regarding who the real God was to be in their live were causing them to stumble. Not only did they stumble over their false god but they were causing the people to follow their example.
Confrontation was the only answer that they received from the LORD through the ministry of Ezekiel.
The LORD asked a question that had an answer that needs to be understood today. HE asked if those who were faking their belief in HIM should be able to come into HIS presence with their requests. The answer was NO!!
God wants us to repent of our sins first before we come with any request for blessing. HE wants a proper order to be followed by those who are HIS children. First there needs to be confession. Second we can ask HIM for direction in our life.
If the order is broken HE will not answer. HE is holy. HE has to have requirements for those who follow HIM. To be a follower means work. Works don’t earn salvation but they continue to establish fellowship with the LORD.
Too often we want our blessings without any confession of sin. God waits for confession before HE will answer the prayers of those who genuinely want to follow HIM.
CHALLENGE: Do we expect God to look over our sins just because we claim to be followers of HIM? If we are genuine followers we will examine ourselves and confess sin and then make our request to HIM.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 8 And I will set MY face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of the people; and you shall know that I AM the LORD. (4912 “proverb” [mashal] means byword, ethical maxims, song of jest, mocking, negative connotation, ingenious comparison, byword, taunt, ridicule, or object of scorn.)
DEVOTION: There seems to be two meanings to this word. It is used in a positive sense and in a negative sense. The proverbs of the LORD are good. The people who are not honoring the LORD are given a different meaning. It is a negative meaning.
They are individuals who are not honoring the LORD. They are following their own path which is away from the LORD. The LORD wants us to learn truth through the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Here we find that there is a majority of people who are not learning from the LORD but are listening to false prophets who tell them that everything is good and that their sins will not bother the LORD.
This group of people are lying to the people and the people like to be lied too and so they go their merry way thinking because they have talked to someone who calls themselves a prophet they are OK. Wrong thinking!!
God is against those who listen to people who tell them they can do as they please and still have a proper relationship with HIM. HE makes this plain throughout the Word of God. HIS face is against such individuals. If HIS face is against them then they are ripe for judgment which the children of Israel were going through at this time.
Change is what is necessary to please the LORD. These people didn’t want to change. They didn’t want to repent. They didn’t want to pray properly. So the LORD judged them properly with four types of judgment. We know that judgment is coming as we enter eternity. Those who are following the LORD properly will spend eternity in heaven. Those who are not following will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.
CHALLENGE: We have a choice to make. We have to ask ourselves who we are following. Are we genuinely following the LORD or are we following false prophets or teachers? The Word of God gives us the answer!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 22 Yet, behold therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and you shall see their way and their doings: and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. (5164 “comforted” [nacham] means to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, have compassion, or be moved to pity.
DEVOTION: The leader came to Ezekiel for him to pray for them. However, the LORD gave a message to him regarding the idols these leaders had in their heart. They were showing outward signs of repentance but inwardly they were still worshiping their false gods.
Ezekiel was to confront them with these facts. The LORD still wanted them to repent and turn back to HIM. HE wanted them to learn from their sins. If they didn’t repent HE was going to judge them for their false beliefs.
The LORD speaks of four types of judgment. HE is going to send famine. HE is going to send wild animals. HE is going to send enemy armies against them. Finally, HE is going to send an epidemic. All four of these warning are going to be ignored by the people.
Even if Noah, Daniel and Job had lived in Jerusalem at the time, HE would not have spared the city. They were too far-gone. HIS long-suffering was over. HE would spare these three men but the rest would fall.
These last two verses instruct us about those who survived the four judgments. They would join the other exiles in Babylon. Then the people who had been in Babylon would look at the ways and actions of those who survived and realize that the LORD needed to condemn those who were living in Jerusalem. They were totally evil.
The remnant would return after the seventy years that Jeremiah prophesied concerning the captivity. God keeps HIS promises to HIS people. There is always a remnant who are faithful followers of the LORD.
If judgment begins at the house of the LORD, where do we fit into God’s plans? Are we going to be part of a remnant when the LORD judges our nation? Are we listening to the LORD and repent? Are we going to turn from our personal idols that take priority over the Creator of the universe? Are we going to stop following the world’s example and follow the LORD? Are we going to be moving closer to the LORD?
CHALLENGE: There are many Pharisees in our churches today. There is a remnant in all Bible believing churches that genuinely love the LORD. Where do we fit?
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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)
Idols on heart the LORD will not hear verse 3, 4
Enquire of God by prophet verse 4, 7
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 2, 12
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 2, 4, 7- 9, 12,
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 4, 6, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23
GOD – Jehovah verse 4, 6, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23
Lord GOD verse 4, 6, 11, 14, 16,18, 20, 21, 23
I the LORD will answer him that comes
according to the multitude of his idols verse 4
Inquire of God verse 7
I the LORD will answer him by MYSELF verse 7
God will set HIS face against = punishment verse 8- 10
will make him a sign and a proverb
I will cut him off from the midst of
MY people and you shall know
that I am the LORD
I the LORD have deceived the prophet
I will stretch out MY hand on him
and will destroy him from the
the midst of MY people Israel
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 11
Punishment of God verse 13- 22
I will break the staff of the bread
I will send famine
I will cut off man and beast
Four sore judgments: sword, famine,
noisome beast, pestilence verse 21
I have not done without cause all that I have
done it Jerusalem – says the Lord God verse 23
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)
Stranger that sojourns in Israel verse 7
Noah – righteous verse 14, 16, 18, 20
Daniel – righteous verse 14, 16, 18, 20
Job – righteous verse 14, 16, 18, 20
Though these three men live – if Israel sin
Land shall be desolate
Man and beast will be cut off
Not deliver sons and daughters
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Idols in their heart verse 3- 7
Stumblingblock of their iniquity verse 3, 4, 7
Iniquity verse 3, 4, 7, 10
Estranged from God verse 5
Abominations verse 6
Separate self from God verse 7
Deceived verse 9
False prophet verse 9
Go astray verse 11
Polluted verse 11
Transgressions verse 11
Sin verse 13
Trespassing grievously verse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Inquire verse 3, 7
Prophet verse 4, 7, 9
Answered prayer verse 4
Repent verse 6
Turn from idols and abominations verse 6
Separate self to God verse 7
Know that I am the LORD verse 8
Righteousness verse 14, 20
Deliverance verse 16, 18, 20
Remnant verse 22
Comforted verse 22, 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Elders of Israel verse 1
Son of man = Ezekiel verse 1, 3, 13
Elders sat before him
Word of the LORD came to him
Should I be inquired of at all by elders?
Prophet verse 4, 7
House of Israel – every man verse 4- 7, 11
God’s people: Israel verse 9, 11
Bear the punishment of their iniquity verse 10
Punishment of the prophet shall be
even as the punishment of him
that seeks him verse 10
Land shall be desolate because of sin verse 16
Jerusalem verse 21, 22
Remnant shall be left verse 22
You shall be comforted concerning
the evil that I have brought
upon Jerusalem verse 22
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
So instead of giving these elders the information they desired, God instructed Ezekiel to give them the information they needed—God’s attitude toward their idolatry. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Eze 14:1–6). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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14:1–3 elders … came. These leaders came insincerely seeking God’s counsel (v. 3; cf. Ps 66:18), as God reveals to the prophet, who thus saw through their facade and indicted them for determining to pursue their evil way and defy God’s will. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Eze 14:1–3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Before any of these elders uttered a word, God Himself spoke to Ezekiel, declaring that He who seeth not as man seeth but discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart, had already judged these men as those who had set up their idols in their own hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquities before their faces. Why, then, should they come to a prophet of God to inquire of him? They had no desire to do the will of God; therefore they had no title to seek relief from Him. As long as conditions continued as they were, there could be no answer of peace. Jehovah declared that all those of the house of Israel who had set up idols in their hearts and who persisted in their iniquities, which had thus become a national stumbling-block, deserved no answer, save an answer in judgment in accordance with the idolatry that they had pursued. God would deal with them as He saw them to be inwardly, not in accordance with their lip profession as they pretended to reverence Him. (Ironside, H. A. (1949). Expository notes on Ezekiel, the prophet. (88). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Finally, the Lord turned to the prophets whose false visions and deceptive proclamations had misled the elders and people. If these false prophets were enticed to prophesy in any way other than that which God had given through Ezekiel, it would only be because God had permitted it (v.9a). God ultimately controls all things, even false prophets. He used them to condemn themselves and their listeners through their apostate proclamations (cf. v.6; 1 Kings 22:18–23). These prophets would receive the same punishment God would mete out to the fickle inquirers, for the iniquity of each was the same: idolatry (vv.9b–10; cf. v.8; 13:9). The Lord was never fickle. He consistently brought judgment on the idol worshipers in order to restore them to himself. Likewise, this judgment on the prophets was given so that the Israelites might no longer wander away from their Lord and defile themselves but that they might come into the relationship God had always desired them to have with him as his people. This relationship was continually expressed in the OT through the covenant formula: “They will be my people, and I will be their God” (v.11; cf. Exod 19:5–6; Lev 26:12; Jer 7:23; 31:33; Ezek 11:20; 37:28). God would remove the false prophets and leaders so that his people might be those who truly followed his ways as revealed in the Mosaic covenant. (Alexander, R. H. (1986). Ezekiel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, pp. 805–806). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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14:7–8. Ezekiel then widened the scope of his message. Verse 7 is identical to verse 4b except that in verse 7 the warning applied also to any alien living in Israel. The “alien” (gēr) was a resident alien in Israel who had accepted Israel’s ways and was responsible to obey God’s Law (Lev. 16:29–30; 17:12–16; 18:26; Num. 15:13–16; Isa. 56:3–8; Ezek. 47:22–23).
If an Israelite or an alien dared to presume on God while harboring idolatry, God would answer in judgment. I the Lord will answer him Myself (cf. 14:4) and make him an example and a byword. He would be a “byword” in the sense that people would know about him and talk about him (cf. 23:10; Job 17:6; 30:9; Ps. 44:14; Jer. 24:9; Joel 2:17). God would cut him off from His people. God would respond with actions, not words. He would move against that idolatrous person to kill him. This harsh action would be an example to others. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Ezekiel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1253). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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He called them to repent (Ezek. 14:6–11). Repentance is a change of mind; it means turning from sin and turning to the Lord. The Jewish exiles needed to change their minds about idols and the sin of worshiping idols, and then turn to the Lord who alone is worthy of worship. God would judge each sinner personally and deal with each one personally (v. 7), and some of them He would use as examples to warn the other exiles (v. 8).
A casual reading of verse 9 would give the impression that it was the Lord’s fault that people were worshiping idols, but that isn’t the case. Everybody in Israel knew the Ten Commandments and understood that it was a sin to make and worship idols (Ex. 20:1–6). Even if someone very close to them enticed them to practice idolatry, they were not to yield (Deut. 13). God permitted these enticements to test the people to make sure they were loyal to Him. Of course, God knows what’s in the human heart, but we don’t know our own hearts, and these tests help us to stay humble before the Lord and walk in the fear of the Lord. An illustration of this truth is seen in 1 Kings 22. God permitted a lying spirit to work in the minds of the false prophets to convince Ahab to go into battle. Micaiah, the true prophet, told the assembly what would happen, but they rejected the truth and put their trust in lies. God spared the life of the king of Judah but took the life of wicked King Ahab.
When people will not receive “the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” God may “send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, so that they all may be condemned” (2 Thes. 2:10–11, nkjv). It’s the condition of the person’s heart that determines the response to the Lord’s test, for God deals with people according to their hearts (Ps. 18:26–27). The attitude of the lost world today is that there are no absolutes, and therefore there can be no “truth.” Satan is the liar and the deceiver and he has blinded the minds of people so that they believe lies and reject the truth of God. We must do all we can to share the truth of the Word with a blind and deaf world, trusting the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and ears and save them by His grace. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be reverent (pp. 65–66). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor/Cook Communications.)
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We may think it is just a matter of chance when one man receives the testimony of the Lord and turns to Him in repentance and faith and seeks to walk in His truth, while others are carried away by false systems, many of which have become most popular in our own days. In the first instance it is the Spirit of God Himself who reveals to man his need, and then shows how Christ has met that need; whereas, in the other case, when people have refused the truth of God and resisted the Holy Spirit, He allows their minds to be blinded and permits them to be deluded by false teachings which, if followed to the end, result in their everlasting doom.
Our Lord Jesus warned against blind leaders of the blind, both of whom fall into the ditch at last. To Ezekiel God declared that the people who followed after that which was false should bear their iniquities, and the punishment of the pretended prophet should be even as that of those who trusted in his messages. (Ironside, H. A. (1949). Expository notes on Ezekiel, the prophet. (pp. 89–90). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 8. And I will set my face against that man, &c.] And look him out of countenance, notwithstanding all his daring impudence and presumption in coming to a prophet of the Lord, and inquiring of him by him, when guilty of gross idolatry; which must needs be the case, when the face of God is set against a man. The Targum renders it, my fury, or wrath; and indeed that is what is meant; when God sets his face against a man, he pours out his wrath, or inflicts punishment on him; see Psal. 34:16. Jarchi’s note is, “as a man that says I am at leisure from all business, and I will attend to this;” laying aside all other business, wholly giving himself up to one thing, on which he is set. Dreadful is a man’s case, when the Lord thus sets himself against him! And will make him a sign and a proverb; a spectacle of horror to look at, because of his misery; and a proverb, to be took up, and spoke of, as Zedekiah and Ahab were, Jer. 29:22: and will cut him off from the midst of my people; by a sudden death, which the Jews call death from heaven, or by the immediate hand of God; and which is answering by himself, as in the preceding verse: and ye shall know that I am the Lord; that is, those that remain, are not cut off, but are reclaimed by these examples from idolatry, and are brought to repentance, the remnant among them that should be saved; these should know and acknowledge the Lord was omniscient, and knew the hypocrisy of those men above described; and was omnipotent, and could make good his threatenings, and inflict deserved punishment; and that he was holy, just, and true, in all his ways. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 60). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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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!!)
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Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah. (Quiet Walk)
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CHRIST IS CENTRAL
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Matthew 11:25
How ridiculous it is for people to talk about arriving at God apart from our Lord! God has committed everything to Him. Christ is central; Christ is absolutely essential. He once put it in these words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). This is the content of the revelation. He, Jesus of Nazareth, claimed that He was none other than the Son of God who had come to earth, and He said that He had done so because God had sent Him. Men and women had sinned against God and were therefore under His wrath; so God would have to punish their sin, and that would mean death and separation from God. So our Lord came, sent, He said, by God in order to deal with that problem.
So these, He says, are the things that have been “hid…from the wise and prudent, and…revealed …unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). Christ is the Son of God, and He has come into this world not only to teach and to work miracles. The real purpose of His coming was that He might die on the cross. God sent Him, says the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in order to “taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9). He said He came to bear the sins of mankind in His own precious body on the cross on Calvary’s Hill. There He was punished for our sins. That is the message; that is the thing that “babes” have understood. These things are as simple as that, that God in Christ was making a way of salvation through the cross.
Therefore what have we to do? We have nothing to do but to believe that and to accept it as a free gift. For God’s way of salvation is that all my sins and failure and shame have been put upon the Son and dealt with and punished.
A Thought to Ponder: God in Christ was making a way of salvation through the cross.
(From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 116-117 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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She Shall Be Praised
“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30)
Proverbs 31 is identified as “the words of King Lemuel” (v. 1). Since it is divided into two distinct parts, some have proposed that it has two different authors. The first part (vv. 1–9) consists of “the prophecy that his mother taught him” (v. 1), while the second part (vv. 10–31) describes “a virtuous woman” (v. 10). Perhaps it is better to understand the woman as Lemuel’s mother, for “her children rise up and call her blessed” (v. 28).
“Many daughters have done virtuously” (v. 29, same word as in v. 10). Recognizing that the only other woman described as “virtuous” in the Bible was Ruth (Ruth 3:11) gives us more complete insight into such a woman’s character. The woman described in Proverbs 31 is one who has achieved in all its fullness the glories of her womanhood, both in the home as wife and mother and in her community. Not only do her children bless her, but her husband has absolute confidence in her (v. 11), appreciates the bounty that she brings (v. 12), has the freedom to be an effective leader in the community (v. 23), and praises her virtue to others (v. 28).
Without question, the key to her accomplishments is found in our text. Her fear of the Lord blossoms into such inner beauty and diligence that, by wisdom and devotion, she so trains her children and so lovingly provides for her husband’s needs that when they leave the home she has fashioned and have occasion to speak of her, their words will be blessing and praise.
On this day when so many of us remember and are thankful for our godly wives and/or mothers, let us rekindle our own fear of the Lord and by so doing develop similar qualities and habits. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Christ’s Call TO REFORM the Church by John MacArthur
This is a danger for every believer, and every church – particularly those like Ephesus, that can easily slip into loveless patterns of piety and service. (p. 67)
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There was still time to repent and return to the love that once marked their relationship with the LORD. (p. 68)
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Break the cycle of cold, mechanical service to the Lord, and reestablish the habits of loving devotion. (p. 68)
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But considering the great heights that the Ephesians had fallen from, it’s a powerful encouragement to know that the fall is not permanent, that our love can be renewed and our relationship restored. (p. 89)
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The implication is that these letters were never intended to have a single audience or a short shelf life. They stand as warnings to all believers and all churches everywhere, throughout all of church history. (p. 70)
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Just as we must heed Christ’s words of warning to HIS churches, we need to rest in the security of our salvation, knowing that nothing – not even our own sinful failures – can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8: 38,39)
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We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.