II Kings 8
Elisha predicts seven years of famineverses 1-2
Then spoke Elisha to the woman – whose son he had restored to life
saying
Arise – and go you and your household
and sojourn wheresoever you can sojourn
for the LORD has called for a famine
and it shall also come upon the land seven years
Gehazi tells king of woman whose child was raisedverses 3-4
And the woman arose – and did after the saying of the man of God
and she went with her household
and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years
And it came to pass at the seven years’ end
that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines
and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house
and for her land
And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God
saying
Tell me – I pray you – all the great things that Elisha has done
Woman there for her land returnedverses 5-6
And it came to pass – as he was telling the king how he had restored
a dead body to life – that – BEHOLD
the woman whose son he had restored to life
cried to the king for her house and for her land
And Gehazi said
My lord – O king – this is the woman and this is her son
whom Elisha restored to life
And when the king asked the woman – she told him
so the king appointed to her a certain officer
saying
Restore all that was hers
and all the fruits of the field since the day
that she left the land – even until now
Elisha in Damascusverses 7-8
And Elisha came to Damascus
and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick
and it was told him
saying
The man of God is come hither
And the king said to Hazael
Take a present in thine hand – and go
meet the man of God
and inquire of the LORD by him
saying
Shall I recover of this disease?
Hazael talks to Elishaverses 9-10
So Hazael went to meet him – and took a present with him
even of every good thing of Damascus
forty camel’s burden
and came and stood before him
and said
Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you
saying
Shall I recover of this disease?
And Elisha said to him
Go – say unto him – you may certainly recover
howbeit the LORD hath shown me
that he shall surely die
Elisha predicts actions of Hazaelverses 11-14
And he settled his countenance steadfastly
until he was ashamed
and the man of God wept
And Hazael said
Why weep my lord?
And he
answered
Because I know the evil that you will do unto the children of Israel
their strongholds will you set on fire
their young men will you slay with the sword
will dash their children
rip up their women with child
And Hazael said
But what – is your servant a dog
that he should do this great thing?
And Elisha answered
The LORD has shown me that you shall be king over Syria
So he departed from Elisha – and came to his master
who said to him
What said Elisha to you?
And he answered
He told me that you should surely recover
Hazael kills Ben-hadadverse 15
And it came to pass on the morrow – that he took a thick cloth
and dipped it in water – and spread it on his face
so that he died – and Hazael reigned in his stead
Jehoram an evil king over Judahverses 16-19
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel
Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah
Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign
thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign
and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem
And he WALKED in the way of the kings of Israel
as did the house of Ahab
for the daughter of Ahab was his wife
and he did evil in the sight of the LORD
Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake
as HE promised him to give him always a light
and to his children
Edom revolted against Judahverses 20-22
In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah
and made a king over themselves
So Joram went over to Zair – and all the chariots with him
and he rose by night
and smote the Edomites which compassed him about
and the captains of the chariots
and the people fled into their tents
yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day
Then Libnah revolted at the same time
History of Jehoram in Chroniclesverses 23-24
And the rest of the acts of Joram – and all that he did
Are they not written in
the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
And Joram slept with his fathers
and was buried with his fathers in the city of David
and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead
Ahaziah an evil king over Judahverses 25-27
In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel
did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign
two and twenty years old was Ahaziah
when he began to reign
and he reigned one year in Jerusalem
And his mother’s name was Athaliah
the daughter of Omri king of Israel
And he WALKED in the way of the house of Ahab
and did EVIL in the sight of the LORD
as did the house of Ahab
for he was the son-in-law
of the house of Ahab
Joram wounded in battle against Syriansverses 28-29
And he went with Joram the son of Ahab
to war against Hazael king of Syria
in Ramoth-gilead – and the Syrians wounded Joram
And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds
which the Syrians had given him at Ramah
when he fought against Hazael king of Syria
And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah
went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel
because he was sick
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 5 And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold the woman whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. (2416 “restored” [chay] means to be alive, to revive, recover, return to life, to flourish, or to restore the life of someone that is dead)
DEVOTION: Do you believe in coincidence? Here we have a woman who was away for seven years because of a famine coming back to Israel from the land of the Philistines. She came into the court of the king at the same time as Gehazi the servant of Elisha was explaining how he raised a boy from the dead.
So here is the woman and her son coming into the presence of the king at the same moment to ask for her property back that she had left behind because of the famine.
The king wanted to hear her story and check out what Elisha had done. He saw the boy that was raised from the dead and told his officer to make sure that she received her property and all the fruits of the land since she left.
So she received the property and some money when she returned at just the right moment. God was in control of the timing. We are not in control of the timing in our life and need to allow the LORD to show us HIS provision for us on a regular basis.
There are no coincidences in the life of a believer. The LORD does everything in our life to help us grow in our likeness to Christ. HE will send famine. HE will cause us to move into different locations but HE will always know what is best for us in our maturity in HIM.
CHALLENGE: Don’t think that HE is not watching over you if you are one of HIS children.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. (7760 “stedfastly” [suwm] means to continue in a place, position, or situation, examine, direct toward, determine, fix, or to set in array)
DEVOTION: What would cause us to weep? Elisha was looking at a servant of the king of Syria and started to cry. The LORD had revealed to him what the future actions of this man were going to be. It broke his heart.
He saw many of the children of Israel being killed by this man who seemed to not care about even babies in the womb. He was going to kill the young men. He was going to dash children against walls. He was going to rip open pregnant women to kill their babies. He was going to be very cruel in the future to the nation of Israel.
God gave Elisha a vision. The Bible tells us that it came true right away. This servant went back to Ben-hadad and told him what Elisha had said and then within a few days put a cloth over Ben-hadad’s face and killed him to become king over Syria.
Today we find that there is a lot of fighting between Syria and Israel. The fighting between the nation of Israel and the countries around them has not stopped even to this day.
This world hates the LORD. They hate those who try to honor the LORD in this nation and every nation. There are many people who think that no one should be following the LORD in the military or in public schools and even in some churches.
The killing of Christians in countries that don’t believe in Jesus Christ is increasing. The times are not conducive to presenting the truth of the Word of God in many places.
We have the responsibility to spread the Word of God no matter the consequences. Those who oppose Jesus Christ think that they are honoring a false god by ending the lives of those who believe the Word of God. That should not stop us from witnessing.
Elisha cried because he knew of the future treatment of the children of Israel. We should be crying over those who are being mistreated today because of their belief in Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: It should not end with crying but with us going out and being a witness before it is too late.
: 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. (802 “wife” [‘ishshah] means a married woman, a man’s partner in marriage, female, woman, female, queen, or female spouse in a marriage union)
DEVOTION: Here we find that the person you marry can affect the life that you live together in relationship to others and to the LORD.
Jehoram was the king of Judah but he married the daughter of the king of Israel. The nation of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They worshiped false gods. The were not close to the LORD like the nation of Judah.
These two nations used to be one and so there was intermarriage between them and this is one of those occasions. The problem was that for Judah who tried to follow the LORD and for Israel or the ten tribes who did not follow the LORD. They had set up false places of worship so the people in Israel would not go to Judah to worship the LORD in Jerusalem.
Now we have the son of one of the kings of Judah marrying the daughter of one of the kings of Israel that led her husband away from worshiping the LORD. Instead they worshiped the idols of the nation of Israel that didn’t want to follow the LORD.
The wife makes a difference in how the family worships. This is true even today. If the wife is unsaved and the husband is saved or the other way around, it causes problems for the children.
In this case it affected a nation. The LORD wanted this nation to follow HIM as David followed HIM but that was not happening.
We need to realize that when we date someone who is not a believer it can cause problems for the children that are involved in the marriage. Two forces working against each other.
CHALLENGE: Christians should only marry other Christians. If this happens the children have a greater opportunity to become believers.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 19 Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give him always a light, and to his children. (559 “promised” [’amar] means appoint, commanded, intended, appointed, certify, declare, publish, or speak)
DEVOTION: The LORD is a God who makes HIS intentions known to HIS people. HE made a statement to David that he would have someone on the throne. HE was going to keep HIS word to him.
However, we find that the sons of David didn’t follow the LORD as faithfully as he did. Here we have a son who had married into the family of Ahab. Remember Ahab was married to Jezebel. She brought false worship of Baal into the nation of Israel. She had children who followed her example. This son of David had married into this heathen family. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
God was faithful to his intention of having a son of David on the throne of Judah. This intention proved to be one that caused the LORD grief. Do you think that this caught God by surprise? NO!!! HE knew the future and what was going to happen to the descendants of David. HE was/is faithful even when the chosen people were unfaithful. HE kept his word.
There was intermarrying between the king of Israel and the king of Judah. When the LORD says HE will do something, HE does it. The LORD is very longsuffering. If HE is willing to keep HIS promise to David and yet HE sees all the sins of David’s family, what is HE willing to do for us regarding HIS promises?
Should we sin to find out? NO! HE is willing to forgive our sins because of Christ’s death on the cross for us. Remember that there are two extremes that we need to avoid in our Christian life. We need to not believe in license, as this would cause us to sin more. We are not to believe in legalism, as this would cause us to obey external rules instead of having an internal relationship with the LORD. We are to practice the law of liberty.
This means that we are not sinning to see God forgive. It also means that we are not to just obey external rules. We are live in a proper relationship with the LORD and realize that we will not be perfect but will sin less. Keep close fellowship with HIM and confess our sins to HIM. We have a great God! Praise HIS name.
Intermarriage with those outside of Christ causes problems for the family, the church and the nation. Encourage all those in your family to only date those who love the LORD. As grandparents we pray for our grandchildren to find someone who loves the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Each parent should be praying for their children to find someone of the opposite sex that loves the LORD to marry. This is a real challenge today!!!
: 27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. (1870 “way” [derek] means journey, manner, path, direction, custom, behavior, conduct, highway, or mission)
DEVOTION: Relatives can lift you up or bring you down. Here we find that the king of Judah was the son-in-law of the Ahab, king of Israel. This king married into the family of Ahab from the tribe of Judah.
Family can make a difference in our actions. If we have a bad example when we are growing up, we will have a tendency to follow the bad example. If we marry into a family that doesn’t honor the LORD, we have a tendency to follow even the relatives of our wife or husband.
This king of Judah followed the example of his in-laws. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He was not willing to go against the grain of his wife’s family.
The LORD had to judge him according to his actions. HE will judge us according to our actions. It doesn’t matter what type of family we come from or marry into the LORD is going to judge us according to our own actions.
We can live for the LORD in the most heathen nation or family and be a witness to them by our actions. We can set an example for our children to follow other than the example of their grandparents.
God wants us to honor HIM with our life. That means that sometime we have to go against the grain. We can’t blame our upbringing or our in-laws for our sin. We have to realize that we can take our sin to the LORD and HE will forgive us when we make a commitment to HIS Messiah Jesus Christ.
Our culture has an influence on us as well as our family so we need to realize that we can’t blame our culture either. We are to serve the LORD even when it goes against the grain of what we have been taught by our family or our spouse’s family or out nation and sometimes even the church that claims to follow Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: Our path needs to be the straight and narrow which only a few follow.
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)
Book of the Chroniclesverse 23
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)
Inquire of the LORD for Ben-hadadverse 8
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judahverse 23
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 8, 10, 13, 18, 19
God – Elohim (Creator)verses 2, 4, 7, 8, 11
Sight of the LORDverses 18, 27
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)
Philistinesverses 2, 3
Damascus – Syriaverses 7-15, 28, 29
Edomverses 20-22
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Evilverses 12, 18, 27
Walked in the way of the kings of Israelverses 18, 27
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Man of Godverses 2, 4, 7, 8, 11
Promiseverse 19
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Gehazi – servant of Elishaverses 4, 5
Elisha in Damascusverses 7-13
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
14–15 Doubtless Elisha’s assurances to Hazael that he would be the next king of Damascus gave pretext to him that he had a mandate to be carried out. When he returned to the palace, he told his master the good news: the king would surely recover (v.14). However, the next day opportunity came to carry out the long-standing purpose. Having smothered the king, he assumed the throne (v.15). (Patterson, R. D., & Austel, H. J. (1988). 1, 2 Kings. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 200). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
8:14–15. Hazael … returned to Ben-Hadad and reported the encouraging prediction of his recovery. Rather than waiting for the Lord to arrange his accession to the throne through natural processes, as David had done, Hazael decided to seize the crown. So the next day he suffocated his master in a manner that made it look as if Ben-Hadad had died of natural causes. As Elisha had predicted Hazael was elevated to the throne (cf. v. 13).
Elijah may have previously anointed Hazael … as king (1 Kings 19:15) or the event just reported may have constituted that act with Elisha carrying out Elijah’s assignment. Hazael’s cruel domination of Israel was part of God’s discipline of His people for their idolatry. Hazael did not come from noble stock; on one Assyrian record Shalmaneser III called him “the son of a nobody” (David Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia. 2 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1926–1927, 1:246). Hazael reigned as king of Aram from 841 to 801 b.c. during the reigns of Joram, Jehu, and Jehoahaz in Israel, and Ahaziah, Athaliah, and Joash in Judah. (Constable, T. L. (1985). 2 Kings. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 553). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
Elisha stared at Hazael, as though reading his mind and heart, and then the prophet broke into weeping. The Lord had shown him some of the violence and bloodshed that Hazael would perpetrate, brutal acts that were normal practices in ancient warfare (15:16; Hos. 13:16; Amos 1:3–5). Hazael’s reply indicated that he recognized his subordinate status in the government and wondered where he would get the authority to do those things. In calling himself “the dog,” he wasn’t referring to a vicious nature—“Am I some kind of dog that I would do these things?”—but rather that he was a nobody, a humble servant of the king, a man without such great authority. Elisha’s reply stunned him: Hazael would have all the authority he needed because he would become king of Syria. The text doesn’t tell us, but this may have been the point at which Elisha anointed Hazael with the sacred oil. If so, then Hazael was the only king of Israel, the Northern Kingdom, to have the anointing of the Lord.
Even before Elisha announced Hazael’s great promotion, the prophet may have seen in Hazael’s heart his plan to murder the king. Or, did the prophet’s words stir up the desire in Hazael’s heart? Either way, Elisha wasn’t to blame for what Hazael decided to do. Hazael accepted the fact that he would be the next king, but he didn’t ask how this would come about. Elisha made it clear that the king would die, but not because of his illness. “If the king is going to die anyway,” Hazael might reason, “then why wait? Why not take his life now and become king much sooner?” When the human heart is bent on evil, it can invent all kinds of excuses. “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9, nasb).
When the king asked for Elisha’s message, Hazael gave him the first half and said, “You will surely recover.” In this, he told the truth, for the king would not die from his illness. But to make sure that the second half of the message was fulfilled, Hazael smothered him with a heavy wet cloth and seized the throne for himself. He ruled Syria for forty-one years (841–801 b.c.). (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be distinct (pp. 61–62). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor)
8:15 he died. Hazael took a bed furnishing, soaked it, and killed Ben-hadad by suffocation. Hazael became king. Upon Ben-hadad’s death, Hazael took the kingship of Syria and ruled ca. 841–801 b.c., during the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, and Jehoahaz in Israel and Ahaziah, Athaliah, and Joash in Judah. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Ki 8:15). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)
8:7–15 Ben-Hadad assassinated by Hazael. Elisha’s high standing in Aram is shown by Ben-Hadad’s extraordinary deference to him in v 9. In Hebrew Ben-Hadad’s question about his sickness is worded similarly to that of Ahaziah in 2 Ki. 1:2, inviting us to compare the two incidents. Both kings turned to a foreign god to discover the outcome, but whereas the Israelite king sought Baal-Zebul, the Aramean king sought the God of Israel!
Elisha’s message to the sick king of v 10 can be read in two very different ways: either ‘Go and say to him, “You will certainly live”, but Yahweh has shown me that he will certainly die’, or ‘Go and say, “You will certainly not live”, for Yahweh has shown me that he will certainly die’. The problem stems from the fact that in Hebrew the words ‘not’ and ‘to him’ differ only slightly. While the main text contains the former, the latter is offered in the margin as the correct reading. Most translators follow the margin here, on the basis that the more difficult reading is more likely to be correct. The change to ‘not’ can readily be explained by a copyist wanting to avoid the impression that Elisha had lied. A change in the opposite direction cannot be explained so easily.
The reason for the false message is left obscure, but v 10 probably expresses the tension between what Elisha knew of Ben-Hadad’s illness and what he knew of Hazael’s intentions: the sickness itself was not fatal, but Ben-Hadad would die nevertheless because Hazael planned to murder him and take the throne. Elisha did not say that God had chosen Hazael to be king in Ben-Hadad’s place, merely that he would be, and that he would cause great suffering in Israel.
However we must not forget that Elijah was earlier instructed to anoint Hazael as king over Aram (1 Ki. 19:15), and although no actual anointing takes place in the present passage it must be seen as in some sense fulfilling that instruction. On the other hand, the two references to Hazael have very different emphases. In 1 Ki. 19:17 he was merely to play a part in removing the worship of Baal from Israel, whereas in Elisha’s vision (and in subsequent events) Aram’s oppression of Israel reached devastating severity under his rule. (Bimson, J. J. (1994). 1 and 2 Kings. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 368). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press)
Ver. 15. And it came to pass on the morrow, &c.] In such haste was Hazael to be king, as the prophet said he would be: that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died; not that Benhadad took or ordered such a cloth to be dipped and laid on his own face, to allay the violent heat in him; but Hazael did this, and perhaps under such a pretence; but his real design was to strike in the heat, or suffocate him; for such a thick cloth, one of the bed-cloths, made of goats hair, as is supposed, being dipped in water, would suck in a great deal; and being laid on his face, would press hard, and he not able to throw it off, it would let in much water into his mouth and nostrils, and suffocate him, without leaving any marks of violence, which might render his death suspicious: and Hazael reigned in his stead, having an interest in the army, of which he was general, and perhaps had done some exploits which had recommended him to the regard of the people. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 796–797). 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!!)
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is a ‘better covenant, which was established on better promises.’ (Hebrews 8: 6). (Quiet Walk)
MYSTICISM
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16
John has gone on repeatedly writing about the love of God, and you notice how he never tires of doing so. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). Now [verse 16] he repeats it again. This is because he knew that in his own day and age there were all those so-called mystery religions or curious cults that talked about the love of God; and they all tried to teach that you can know the love of God directly. That is always the characteristic of mysticism; what finally condemns mysticism is that it bypasses the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything that bypasses Christ is not Christian. I do not care what it is, however good, however uplifting or noble; it is Christ who is the manifestation of the love of God, says John.
I do not hesitate, therefore, to aver and to add strongly as follows: I must distrust any emotion that I may have within me with respect to God unless it is based solidly upon the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him God manifested His love. “God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Therefore, I say that I must never attempt by any means or method to get to know God or to try to make myself love God except in and through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I must avoid every other direct approach to God, every direct dealing with God.
A Thought to Ponder: Anything that bypasses Christ is not Christian. (From The Love of God, pp. 145-146 by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
That Lovin’ Feeling (by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine. SONG OF SOLOMON 1:2
When Barbara and I were working on our book “Rekindling the Romance”, I went online and typed “romance” in the Google search engine. Guess how many of the top 10 sites listed were for married couples? One!
Makes you wonder if romance has become an endangered experience after marriage. Is it like the way the late comedian Minnie Pearl put it? “Gettin’ married’s a lot like gettin’ into a tub of hot water,” she said. “After you get used to it, it ain’t so hot.”
Believe me, it doesn’t have to be that way. Sure, there are a lot of barriers to romance in your marriage—primarily the hectic pace of your lives. But you married each other to become intimate partners, not traffic controllers, and that requires time just being together.
Barbara and I certainly felt the tug in our own lives when our schedules got crowded and the kids started adding up. With six children constantly chirping with needs, we found that we had to plan regular date nights just to get away by ourselves. Frankly, if we hadn’t had this touch point in our lives, our marriage could have easily dissolved into two high-performance people doing their own thing. Existing individually without really sharing life.
When our children were little, we would either get a babysitter or we’d plan a fun date at home after the kids had gone to bed. Sometimes we’d create our own restaurant atmosphere, complete with candlelight and a gourmet meal we’d prepared together. When we finally sat down to eat, we’d just focus on one another.
Don’t let the romance slip out of your life. It isn’t dependent on the newness of your marriage but only on the freshness of your heart, the tenacious desire not to let the crush of life keep you from having a crush on each other.
DISCUSS
How could a weekly date night become a reality for you and your spouse?
Jesus appears to His disciples again to reassure them and to build their faith.
INSIGHT
Without a shepherd, the sheep scatter. After Jesus’ death, His disciples scatter and the fishermen return to the sea. They simply do not know what to do next.
After an evening of unfruitful fishing, they return to shore to find Jesus there with breakfast ready. We see a picture of Peter and Jesus, eating together in perfect harmony. Bear in mind, this is the man who denied that he ever knew Jesus. This incident adds weight to Jesus’ statement that the one can love greater who has been forgiven for the greater sin.
The Lord is mindful of our frame and knows that we are but dust. You must not let sin fester in your forgiveness. (Quiet Walk)
THE CROSS TEACHES HOW TO SUFFER
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.
1 Peter 2:21
Christ teaches us how to live, and He also teaches us how to suffer. Because we live in a world of suffering and we need to be taught how to suffer, He teaches us how to suffer. The cross teaches us how to suffer—not only how to live morally and ethically, but how to suffer. “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” come to us all: people misunderstanding us, injustices done to us, the failure of trusted friends, people in whom we reposed every confidence letting us down, disappointments, loneliness, physical pain. How do you stand up to these things? These are the things that come to all of us. How do we meet them—how do we live? Read what the apostle Peter says about this: “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously: who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:21-24)
There is the only way—the cross. Christ experienced misunderstanding, injustice, the treachery of friends, loneliness, even his disciples forsaking Him and fleeing from Him. In the dark night, they all forsook Him. And so no experience can ever fall to your lot but that he has gone through it. The treachery, the misunderstanding, the abuse, the injustice, the loneliness, the agony, the sweat.
In every pang that rends the heart,
The Man of Sorrows had a part.
Michael Bruce
Yes, in the light of the fact that He has been made in the likeness of sinful flesh and “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” He is able to help us.
A Thought to Ponder
No experience can ever fall to your lot but that Christ has gone through it.
(From The Cross, pp. 213-215, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Jehovah
“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.” (Hebrews 1:10)
The primary name for God in Scripture is the majestic name Jehovah, occurring nearly 7,000 times. The early Jews were reluctant to use that name for fear of using it lightly (Exodus 20:7) and substituted the word Adonai (meaning Master or Lord) in its place. Our English versions have followed suit, using the term “Lord” for Jehovah (small or all caps to distinguish it from Adonai, or Lord). Thus, the name Jehovah appears only four times in the King James and causes us at times to miss the full impact of the passage.
This is especially true in the New Testament quotations from Old Testament passages that used the name “Jehovah” for which “Lord” has been substituted. Now in the English versions the name “Lord” appears. If “Jehovah” (i.e., deity) were read instead, much richer meaning would be gathered, and it would prove beyond a doubt the full deity of Christ. Consider two examples.
First, our text quotes from Psalm 102:25-27. The entire psalm consists of praise to Jehovah, and here in Hebrews it addresses the Son. If we read “thou, Jehovah, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth” and realize that Jesus is the subject of the passage, we recognize that Jesus can be none other than the Creator God.
Also, in Matthew 3:3, where John the Baptist fulfilled his prophesied role by teaching “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” quoting from Isaiah 40:3, we see Jesus equated with the Jehovah of the Old Testament, for Isaiah uses the term LORD, or Jehovah.
In these and many other examples, we see Christ as the Jehovah Jesus and that the Lord of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament.
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Milk Comes First
Solid food is for the mature.
Hebrews 5:14
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QUOTE OF THE DAY FROM BEN CARSON : ” If someone asks about your educational background, proclaim boldly that: Church is my college. Heaven is my university. Father God is my counselor. Jesus is my principal. Holy Spirit is my teacher. Angels are my classmates. Bible is my textbook. Temptations are my exams. Overcoming Satan is my hobby. Winning souls for God is my assignment. Receiving eternity is my degree. Praise and Worship are my slogan. If you are a child of God bless you!”
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