Jeremiah 15
LORD would not help even if … verse 1
Then said the LORD to me
Though Moses and Samuel stood before ME
yet MY mind could not be toward this people
cast them out of MY sight
and let them go forth
LORD states outcome for Judah verse 2
And it shall come to pass – if they say to you
Whither shall we go forth? then you shall tell them
Thus says the LORD
Such as are for death – to death
and such as are for the sword – to the sword
and such as are for the famine to the famine
and such as are for the captivity – to the captivity
LORD gives reason for outcome verse 3- 4
And I shall appoint over them four kinds – says the LORD
the sword to slay – the dogs to tear
and the fowls of the heaven
and the beasts of the earth
to devour and destroy
And I will cause them to be removed
into all kingdoms of the earth
BECAUSE of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah – king of Judah
for that which he did in Jerusalem
Long-suffering of LORD had ended verse 5- 9
For who shall have pity upon you – O Jerusalem?
or who shall bemoan you?
or who shall go aside to ask how you do?
You have forsaken ME – says the LORD
you are gone backward
THEREFORE will I stretch out MY hand against you
and destroy you
I am weary with REPENTING
And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land
I will bereave them of children
I will destroy MY people
SINCE they return not from their ways
Their widows are increased to ME
above the sand of the seas
I have brought upon them
against the mother of the young men
a spoiler at noonday
I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly
and terrors upon the city
She that has borne seven languishes
she has given up the ghost
her sun is gone down while it was yet day
she has been ashamed and confounded
and the residue of them will I deliver
to the sword before their enemies
says the LORD
Jeremiah’s complaint verse 10
Woe is me – my mother – that you have borne me a man of strife
and a man of contention to the whole earth
I have neither lent on usury – nor men has lent to me on usury
YET every one of them does curse me
LORD responds to complaint verse 11- 14
The LORD
said
Verily it shall be well with your remnant
Verily I will cause the enemy to entreat you well in the
time of evil and in the time of affliction
Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?
Your substance and your treasures will I give to the spoil
without price – and that for all your sins
even in all your borders
I will make you to pass with your enemies into a land
which you know not
for a fire is kindled in MINE anger
which shall burn upon you
Jeremiah states that he has been faithful verse 15- 18
O LORD – YOU know – remember me – and visit me
and revenge me of my persecutors
take me not away in YOUR long-suffering
know that for YOUR sake
I have suffered rebuke
YOUR words were found – and I did eat them
and YOUR word was to me the joy
and rejoicing of mine heart
for I am called by YOUR name
O LORD God of hosts
I sat not in the assembly of the mockers
nor rejoiced
I sat ALONE because of YOUR hand
for YOU have filled me with indignation
Why is my pain perpetual – and my wound incurable
which refuses to be healed?
Will YOU be altogether unto me as a liar
and as waters that fail?
LORD asks Jeremiah to repent verse 19- 21
THEREFORE
thus says the LORD
If you return – then will I bring you again
and you shall stand before ME
And if you take forth the precious from the vile
you shall be as MY mouth – let them return unto you
but return not you unto them
And I will make you to this people a fenced brazen wall
and they shall fight against you
BUT they shall not prevail against you
for I am with you to save thee and to deliver you
says the LORD
And I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked
and I will redeem you out of the hand of the terrible
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Then said the LORD to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet MY mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of me: cast them out of MY sight, and let them go forth. (5315 “mind” [nephesh] means soul, the part of a person (or animal) that thinks, feels, wills, and desires, heart, or emotion.)
DEVOTION: Even the LORD sometimes has had enough with HIS people. The children of Israel were HIS people and HE blessed them with land and wealth but they didn’t think it was enough. They wanted more and the more they wanted was to worship not just HIM but the false gods of the nations around them,
They wanted to be accepted by the crowd rather than just the LORD. They wanted to have what seemed like fun like the rest of the world. They didn’t want to follow all the Commandments of the LORD. They wanted freedom to do as they pleased and still receive the protection and blessings of the LORD.
That is not how the LORD worked. HE expected obedience and if not then repentance. The children of Israel were not willing to do that so HE had to just them with captivity to get their attention again.
HE expects us as New Testament Saints to obey HIS commands to us. This takes daily work and if we fail, we have to daily confess our sins and HE is righteous and just to forgive us our sins IF we mean business and not continue in the same sins.
Too often we even have besetting sins that repeat in our lives and we have to go to HIM for help to fight these sins. HE will help and will forgive if our attitude is right in HIS sight.
God loved us enough to send HIS SON to die for us to give us a way to escape hell for eternity. We need to be a thankful people. Remember to pray for forgiveness and move back in the right direction.
CHALLENGE: HE is longsuffering with us as HE exams our hearts to see if we mean business. HE will chasten but HE will do it in love to keep us walking the way He wants us to walk. However, we need to remember what HE did to Israel when they continued down the wrong path!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 You have forsaken me, says the LORD, you are gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against you, and destroy you; I am weary with repenting. (3811 “weary” [la’ah] means to become emotionally tired, to be disgusted, to be impatient, to be offended, to faint, to grieve, or to loathe.
DEVOTION: There is a point of no return for those who are rebellious against the LORD. The New Testament book of Romans instructs us in the fact that there is a point when the LORD turns them over to their desires. The people were guilty of uncleanness. The people were guilty of worshiping and serving the creature more than the Creator. The people were guilty of vile affections. The people were guilty of a reprobate mind. God gave them up to their desires.
Jeremiah lived in a time period where this was happening in Judah. The LORD stated that they had forsaken HIM. HE stated that they were going backwards. We understand what it meant to go backwards in our faith. The book of Hebrews stated that there were people in the church who should be teachers because they have received instructions but they were still children in the faith.
We find today that there are many people who attend church for over thirty years but stay one year old in the LORD. They don’t want to grow. They don’t want to get closer to the LORD. Are they born again? That is in the LORD’S hands. We might not think so. Ours is not to judge their salvation but their growth can be observed.
Remember that the LORD gave the disciple John a vision of seven churches. One of the statements made was that the LORD could come and remove the candlestick from the church if they don’t turn around.
The challenge is given to become more active for the LORD. If their actions don’t show their love for the LORD, HE will come in judgment.
The children of Judah showed that they were not going to return to the LORD. The long-suffering of the LORD was at the point of judgment. HE was offended that their actions. HE had kept all HIS promises.
CHALLENGE: Remember to examine your habits. There might be a time the LORD’S patience might end because HE is tired of our lack of growth in our life. Continually ask the LORD for wisdom from above to have victory over that sinful habit.
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: 15 O LORD, You know; Remember me and visit me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
DEVOTION: Prayer is such an important part of the believer’s life. Yet sometimes we are overwhelmed by the circumstances and situations that come upon us that we forget to pray. Jeremiah was a man acquainted with grief and overcome with sorrow, yet he often cried out to the Lord in prayer. In our own prayer life we need to lay hold of the prophet’s three affirmations. This all-knowing God by His very nature remembers, visits, and avenges. He remembers even when I feel forgotten and forsaken. These three affirmations may help us when we are feeling like God has forgotten or our enemies are overwhelming our positions of biblical integrity.
The reality of Scripture is that He has not forgotten us when we, like Jeremiah, suffer rebuke, mockery and loneliness. He still visits us through His word and Spirit and confirms our relationship with Him. Finally, He does exact vengeance in His time.
CHALLENGE: The Lord’s protective presence is real as we are obedient to Him.
The reassurance of this fact is found in v.19-21 of this chapter. Do not compromise and do not go back to the ways of the past. Victory is built in to perseverance! It is like playing a game we used to play when I was a young boy.
The last one standing on the top of the hay pile was the winner. Stand for the Lord and see what He can do for you in prayer! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, says the LORD. 3898 “fight” [lacham] mean to war, overcome, devoured, to engage in battle, wage war, come to close quarters, or attack.)
DEVOTION: Do you think it is wrong to question the LORD? Do you think that we should call God a liar? Here we find that the prophet who has been accused by his family and his nation of being a traitor. He seems to be at the end of his rope. He was questioning the way the LORD did things.
What was the LORD’S response? HE told Jeremiah to repent and return to following HIM. HE promised to take care of him. HE promised HIS presence in his life. HE promised to deliver him from all of his enemies.
If you are faithful to the LORD there will be enemies. If you are faithful to the LORD you will have questions. This is normal. This is what Jesus promised would happen to the disciples.
Jeremiah got discouraged. So did Elijah and other prophets. It seemed that their message was hitting deaf ears. Their ministries seemed to be failures. They might have been like Jeremiah and wondered why the LORD even called them to serve HIM.
Each time the LORD gave them the message that HE was still sovereign and they were to trust HIM. HE also allowed them to question what was happening to a point. Once the point was crossed the LORD asked Job questions that he couldn’t answer. Jeremiah was in the same position.
There might be times that we are in the same position. What does the LORD expect of us? TRUST.
HE has promised to never leave us or forsake us. HE has promised to give us wisdom from above if we ask for it. There are many promises. HE never LIES!! HE never allows more in our life than HE knows we can take. Jeremiah might have thought it was too much but the LORD knew his limit.
CHALLENGE: When discouraged go to the LORD and be honest with HIM. Don’t ever call him a liar. HE is holy. Ask for wisdom instead to understand your present circumstances.
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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)
Jeremiah’s prayer for deliverance verse 15- 18
LORD answers the prayer verse 19- 21
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)
God’s Word verse 16
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1- 3, 6, 9, 11, 15, 16, 19, 20
MY mind could not be toward this people verse 1
Cast them out of MY sight verse 1
Whither shall we go forth:
death, sword, famine, captivity verse 2
I will appoint four kinds
sword to slay
dogs to tear
fowls of the heaven and beasts of the earth
to devour and destroy verse 3
Jerusalem has forsaken LORD verse 6
I stretch out MY hand against you and destroy verse 6
I am weary with repenting verse 6
I will fan them with a fan in the gates verse 7
I will bereave them of children verse 7
I will destroy MY people
since they return not from their ways verse 7
Their widows are increased to ME above the
sand of the seas verse 8
I deliver her to the sword before their enemies verse 9
It shall be good with the remnant verse 11
I will give Israel’s substance and treasures
as spoil without price verse 13
Anger of God verse 14
I will make you pass with your enemies
A fire is kindled in MINE anger verse 14
Longsuffering verse 15
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 16
LORD God of hosts verse 16
Therefore thus says the LORD
If you return- then will I bring you
Again
You shall stand before ME and if you take
forth the precious from the vile,
You shall be as MY mouth
Let them return to you but not return to
them verse 19
I will make you unto this people a fenced
brazen wall- they shall fight against you
but they shall not prevail against you
I am with you to save you and to deliver you
says the LORD verse 20
I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked verse 21
I will redeem you out of the hand of the terrible verse 21
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)
All kingdoms of the earth verse 4
Widows verse 8
Enemies verse 9, 11, 14
Persecutors verse 15
Wicked verse 21
Terrible verse 21
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sin of Manasseh verse 4
Forsaken God verse 6
Gone backward verse 6
Return not to LORD verse 7
Strife verse 10
Contention verse 10
Lent with usury [interest] verse 10
Curse God verse 10
Evil verse 11
Sins verse 13
Assembly of mockers verse 17
Liar verse 18
Vile verse 19
Wicked verse 21
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Repent verse 6
Return verse 7, 19
Remembers us verse 15
Visit us verse 15
Revenge us verse 15
Suffer rebuke verse 15
Meditate on God’s word verse 16
Joy verse 16
Rejoicing verse 16
Called verse 16
Sat alone verse 17
Filled with indignation verse 17
Pain perpetual verse 18
Wound incurable verse 18
Precious verse 19
Stand before LORD verse 19
Save verse 20
Deliver verse 20, 21
Redeem verse 21
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jeremiah verse 1- 21
LORD told me
Such as are for death
to death,
as are for the sword
to the sword
such as ae for the famine
to the famine
such as are for the captivity
to the captivity
Moses verse 1
Samuel verse 1
God’s people verse 1, 7, 20
Manasseh the son of Hezekiah
king of Judah verse 4
Jerusalem verse 4- 9
who shall have pity on you
who shall bemoan you
who shall go aside to ask how you do
you have forsaken ME
she that has borne seven languishes
she has been ashamed and confounded
Everyone does curse me verse 10
Israel wants the LORD to
remember them
visit them
revenge them of their persecutors
not take them away from
HIS longsuffering
Know that for HIS sake they have
suffered rebuke verse 15
says they found HIS words and
did eat them verse 16
say HIS WORD was to them the
joy and rejoicing of their heart verse 16
I am called by YOUR name
O LORD GOD of hosts verse 16
I sat not in the assembly of the mockers
Nor rejoiced
I sat alone because of YOUR hand
for YOU have filled me with
indignation verse 17
Asks: Why is my pain perpetual
and MY wound incurable
which refuses to be healed verse 18
Will YOU be altogether to me as
a liar verse 18
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
15:5–7. God asked Jerusalem.… who would pity her or mourn for her when she was judged. The only One who had ever cared for her was God, but she had rejected Him. Therefore, God vowed to destroy her without compassion. He would winnow her as a farmer winnowed his grain to remove the unbelievers who were like chaff. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Jeremiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 1148–1149). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Before the Jews even entered the Promised Land, Moses had rehearsed with them the terms of the covenant, warning them that He would remove them from the land if they refused to obey His voice (Deut. 28:63–68). No sooner did Joshua and that generation of spiritual leaders pass from the scene (Jud. 2:7–15) than the nation turned to idolatry and God had to chasten them. First, He punished them in the land by allowing other nations to invade and take control. Then, when the people cried out for help, He raised up deliverers (vv. 16–23). By the time of Jeremiah, however, the sins of the people were so great that God had to remove them from the land and punish them in distant Babylon. Two responses are recorded in this chapter: the Lord’s response to Jeremiah’s prayer (Jer. 15:1–9), and Jeremiah’s response to the Lord’s answer (vv. 10–21).
The Lord’s response to Jeremiah’s prayer (vv. 1–9). No matter who sought to intercede for Judah, God’s mind was made up, and He would not relent. At critical times in Jewish history, Moses and Samuel had interceded for the people, and God heard and answered (Ex. 32–34; Num. 14; 1 Sam. 7; 12; Ps. 99:6–8). But God’s heart would go out to the people no longer. Instead, His people would go out into captivity. “Send them away from My presence! Let them go!” (Jer. 15:1, NIV)
The people faced four possible judgments: death from disease, war, starvation or, if they survived these calamities, exile in Babylon. The bodies of those slain by the Babylonian army would be desecrated and eaten by dogs, birds, or wild beasts; none would have a decent burial. It wasn’t a bright future that God revealed to His people, but it was a future they themselves had chosen by refusing to repent of their sins. You take what you want from life and you pay for it.
God had chosen the Jews to be a blessing to the nations of the world (Gen. 12:1–3), but now they would become “abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth” (v. 4, NIV; see 24:9; 29:18; 34:17; Deut. 28:25), an object of scorn, “a byword among the nations” (Ps. 44:14, NIV). Not only that, but Jerusalem and the land itself would bear witness to God’s judgment of their sins. “Their land will be laid waste, an object of lasting scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads” (Jer. 18:16, NIV; see 19:8; 25:9, 18; 29:18).
One of the causes for this terrible judgment was King Manasseh, who reigned for fifty-five years (697–642) and was the most wicked king in Judah’s history (2 Kings 21:1–18; 2 Chron. 33:1–10). He was the son of godly Hezekiah and the grandfather of godly Josiah, and yet he himself was an evil man who encouraged Judah in the sins that brought about the downfall of the kingdom. God wasn’t punishing the nation for the sins Manasseh committed but because the nation imitated Manasseh in their sinning.
In fact, the Lord lamented over the suffering that would come to His people because of their disobedience (Jer. 15:5–9). Would anybody pity Jerusalem or even ask about her welfare? Nehemiah did (Neh. 1:1–3), and centuries later, Jesus wept over the city (Matt. 23:37). For God to postpone judgment would have meant encouraging the nation’s sins even more, and this He would not do. He was “weary with repenting” (Jer. 15:6). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 71–73). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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15:6 I am tired of relenting! God often withholds the judgment He threatens (cf. 26:19; Ex 32:14; 1Ch 21:15), sparing men so that His patience might lead them to repentance (cf. Ro 2:4, 5; 3:25). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Je 15:6). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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The solemn answer of Jehovah in the first nine verses of chap. 15 gives no hope of deliverance. Even though Moses and Samuel stood to entreat for them, they would not be heard. The people must “go forth;” and if they despairingly ask, “Where?” the awful answer is, “Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity” (ver. 2). The sword, the dogs, the fowls, and the beasts of the earth, are alike appointed to carry out the work of destruction: and any escaping these would be carried into all the kingdoms of the earth; and this because their share in the sin of Manasseh had never been repented of. None should pity nor care; for having forsaken the Lord, He would stretch out His hand against them. Young and old must be destroyed. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;” for “our God is a consuming fire.”
As the full extent of God’s sentence bursts upon his soul, Jeremiah is overcome by a sense of almost unutterable desolation. How deeply he feels his helplessness and loneliness, as one man endeavoring to stand for God and seeking the good of those who hate and despise Him! His prayers seem to be unavailing. God apparently refuses to hearken to his voice. The people, on their part, turn a deaf ear to his messages. He cries out in anguish, “Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor have men lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me” (ver. 10). (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (pp. 69–70). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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5–7 No, one will pity Jerusalem when the Lord forsakes her (v.5). She will be left desolate without anyone caring. These conditions could be the result of one of the previous Babylonian invasions of the land. Because the people repeatedly rejected the Lord and his worship by slipping back into apostasy (v.6), he will no longer be merciful to them. As a farmer winnows the wheat to remove the chaff (v.7), so the Lord will disperse the people from their cities—“the city gates” standing for the whole country. The population will be decimated. The cause of all this is the refusal of Judah to be truly repentant. ([1] Feinberg, C. L. (1986). Jeremiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 474). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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15:1–9 Too late for compassion
The prayer of Jeremiah in 14:19–22 is followed by yet another declaration that prayer is of no avail, now that God has resolved on punishment (1). Moses and Samuel, both prophets, are known for their prayers for the people (Ex. 32:11–13; 1 Sa. 12:23). The catalogue of disasters in v 2 is a slight variation on the trio met in 14:12; the afflictions here are not, of course, mutually exclusive. The culmination of all is captivity. The rhetorical portrayal of the horror of the invasion and conquest continues in v 3, where the whole creation seems to be called into God’s purpose to cast the faithless people out of the land which had once been given to them.
The reference to King Manasseh recalls 2 Ki. 23:26. The guilt of Judah had been building up for generations. Nevertheless, Manasseh is singled out as the king who had committed the most atrocious idolatries against the Lord (see 2 Ki. 21).
In keeping with the prohibition of prayer for the people, the perspective of vs 5–9 is that of a decision that is now taken. The meaning of v 5 is in effect like that of v 6b—it is too late for compassion; Judah has definitively shown its character as unworthy of the covenant (6a, 7c). As a ‘backsliding’ people, it strains away from the Lord instead of towards him (cf. 3:11–14). The proliferation of death is a direct contradiction of the covenantal promise to Abraham of a numerous offspring (8a; cf. Gn. 22:17). The mother of seven (9) is regarded as particularly happy; her happiness is turned to an equally intense grief. (McConville, J. G. (1994). Jeremiah. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 685). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
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Again intercession is ruled out (15:1–9). Moses and Samuel, both prophets, interceded at critical times. God fulfills an earlier announcement not to hear pleas for help (11:11). Manasseh, who ruled Judah fifty years earlier, was Judah’s most wicked king (v. 4; 2 Kings 21:1–8). A generation is being punished for another’s sin, but also for its own sin.
By sword or other means God will annihilate the men, leaving widows. Once-proud mothers of many sons will gasp in their confused, possibly demented state. The covenant promising many descendants has been reversed. (Martens, E. A. (1995). Jeremiah. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 532). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
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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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A leading pro-life leader is criticizing House and Senate Democrats for promoting a bill that would protect kittens in research experiments from harm, days after the same Democrats opposed a bill that would protect human babies who survive abortion.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, introduced the Kittens In Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act, on March 7, which would halt experiments within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that cause pain to kittens. A USDA laboratory breeds kittens and euthanizes them when the experiment is complete. Nearly 3,000 kittens have been used in research since 1982, according to one USDA administrator.
“The KITTEN Act will protect these innocent animals from being needlessly euthanized in government testing, and make sure that they can be adopted by loving families instead,” Merkley said in a press release.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, noted that Merkley had voted days earlier against a bill that would require medical care for babies who survive abortion. It was known as the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
“‘Ridiculous’ doesn’t begin to describe a party that tells America to back away from the tables of crying newborns while it rushes to the rescue of kittens instead,” Perkins said in his Wednesday Washington Update. “I suppose we should also tell firefighters when they run into burning houses to look for the pets first? After all, on the Democrats’ sliding scale of ‘wantedness,’ shouldn’t we find out how loved someone is before we decide if they’re worth saving?”
Perkins called it “one of the sickest ironies no one is talking about.”
“Maybe the DNC’s strategists are out to lunch, or maybe the Left really is this shameless, but I can’t wait to see some of these politicians standing on debate platforms next year telling the American people that when it comes to protecting living things: We chose cats over kids,” Perkins said.
Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) — who is running for president — is another Democrat who supported the kittens act but opposed the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
The Kittens In Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act has Republican supporters, too, including GOP Rep. Brian Mast of Florida. Yet Mast is listed as a co-sponsor of the House version of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
Michael Foust is a freelance writer
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What Does the Bible Say about Women Pastors? By Shane Idleman
Let me begin by saying that I know and appreciate many women who have been recognized as pastors. They are diligent, steadfast, and hard-working. Our country has done a great disservice to women over the years by not elevating and supporting women in roles of leadership. Alexander Strauch echoes this same concern, “In the minds of contemporary people, excluding women from church eldership is sexist, discriminatory, and one more example of male dominance. But this need not be the case. No one who truly loves people, who is sensitive to God’s Word, and who is aware of the painful dehumanization that women have suffered (and still suffer) worldwide would want to discriminate against women.”
Women are one of the greatest gifts that God has given the world. But in our passion to promote women (something I wholeheartedly agree with), have we overstepped the Scriptures? It’s not uncommon for the church, as a whole, to over-correct itself when abuse occurs.
First, we must understand that the loving, nurturing role of a woman is vital to the health of the church in the same way that it is vital to the health of a child. God has designed the male-female relationship to complement one another; one gender is not better than the other, but we do have different roles. To reject these God-given differences can lead to an unbalanced view.
Second, many misunderstand male leadership as God designed it; it’s not a glorified position, it’s the position of a servant. A servant is called to protect, lead, and guard the church. We are to serve those God has entrusted to us. If there is a loud noise at home in the dead of night, do we encourage our wives to investigate? I hope not. God has called men to the position of servant leadership and protector.
Third, we see from Genesis 3:16 that God ordained a leadership role for the man. However, when men cower back from their leadership responsibilities, women will step in. Men must rise to the call of servant leadership. This type of leadership is not domineering or abusive; it’s kind, gracious, and humble. Pastors are to serve those in church, not lord over them. God’s design is not focused on “better than” or “superior” even though abuse has tarnished it.
But what does the Bible say?
Some use Chloe in the New Testament as an example of women being pastors. They say that she was a house church leader according to 1 Corinthians 1:11, but the Scripture doesn’t say that; it says “from Chloe’s household.” Another woman referenced is Priscilla. She and her husband, Aquila, ministered together. Another example is Lydia in Acts 16. Her entire household was baptized and her home became a meeting place for early Christians.
Although these women are mentioned, the context does not support the role of elder/pastor. The terms for pastor, bishop, or overseer were not used to describe them. Deborah, in the Old Testament, is another example used to support the idea of women as pastors. She was a powerful Old Testament figure who judged the nation of Israel for a season, but we cannot use this text to support the New Testament role of pastor, or “bishop,” of a church.
In the Greek, the word for bishop is episkoposand the word for pastor is poimen; both terms refer to the same office, and they both come from masculine nouns that mean to shepherd or to care for. The qualifications for male leadership are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The Bible does not outline character traits for female pastors, nor does it use the words episkoposor poimenwhen describing their role. For those who agree with the position of women pastors, where does the Bible list the character traits needed for this role?
Men are given the positions of pastors and elders because God gave them the role of leading and dying for their family and the church. I believe that Christ coming into the world as a man was strategic for this very reason: to lead, shepherd, and die for. It has nothing to do with the culture of Paul’s day because the male/female role began at creation; it’s not about “better,” it’s about design. How did God design us? First Timothy 2:11-13 talks about women not usurping the headship of men (cf. Genesis 3:16 again).
Can men learn from Bible teachers such as Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer, Anne Graham-Lotz, Beth Moore and others? Absolutely. But they should not be the spiritual covering over the man usurping his role. We need more female authors and speakers; both genders complement each other, not compete; we are equal in Christ, but have different roles. “To restrict women from church eldership would be unjust and discriminatory if it were done arbitrarily by males for their own selfish ends, but if such restriction was part of the Creator’s wise plan, then it’s not discrimination” (Alexander Strauch).
Jesus honored and supported the dignity of women; He treated them the way they should be treated, but He never reversed roles. Jesus called Paul, He commissioned Peter, and He encouraged John to lead the church. Women can, and should, teach, administrate, andorganize but under the direction of Scripture such as in women’s ministry, children’s ministry, office management, and countless other positions. But we should avoid using the masculine noun “pastor” when outlining their role.
Male leadership should look to the wise advice and counsel of women before making decisions. For example, in our home, we make decisions together. Additionally, all three of my editors for books and articles (including this article) are women. Their advice and suggestions are priceless. All are exceptional writers, far better than me. Women are a true blessing to the church; the glue that keeps everything together. We would not survive or flourish without them.
If the Bible supported women pastors via direct mention and a list of character traits they need to possess, I would be among their biggest fans. My view has nothing to do with opinion, male dominance, abuse of authority, or male chauvinism, but everything to do with the principles given in Scripture that allows each role to complement the whole. Times change, but truth does not.
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SERIAL “HONOR KILLINGS” IN PAKISTAN (Friday Church News Notes, March 15, 2019, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – “Honor killing” is defined as “acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family.” It is practiced by Muslims in the Middle East and Turkey, and cases have also occurred in the West. According to the United Nations, 5,000 females are murdered every year in honor killings (“Murder in the Family,” Fox News, July 26, 2008). The perpetrators usually get off scot free or with a light sentence. In Pakistan, about 1,000 honor killings are recorded annually, but the number is likely much higher (“Afzal Kohistani: ‘Honour killing’ whistleblower shot dead,” BBC News, Mar. 7, 2019). Two families were nearly wiped out after a video was posted online in 2011 of two men dancing at a wedding as four women sing a song. A younger female member of the women’s family is also in the scene. The five females were subsequently killed by male members of the family who believed that their “honor” had been breached. When Afzal Kohistani, the older brother of the two men in the video, broke with local tradition and brought the case to national attention in 2012, he and his family became a target. His house was firebombed, three of his brothers were murdered, and he lived in constant danger. In March 2019, Kohistani was shot to death in broad daylight in spite of widespread media attention. Though honor killing is illegal in Pakistan, the police and the courts cannot protect those who are targeted.
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As Jesus expands His public ministry, He teaches extensively using parables.
INSIGHT
Faith does not come to us full-blown.
It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, “How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong. (Quiet Walk)
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The Provision of God
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
Psalm 136 gives three key examples of God’s sovereign provision. He protects and shelters during our times in the “wilderness.” He makes possible victories over great “enemies.” And he gives “food to all flesh.” God’s detailed provision and the many examples thereof in the Scriptures are inexhaustible. Yet, in these three areas, we may find hope for any situation “in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Our “wanderings” are compared to hard-hearted Israel (1 Corinthians 10) and the many physical and spiritual sins of a people in rebellion to God’s control in their lives. Jesus warned that the “cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things” would “choke the word” and make us unfruitful (Mark 4:19). Yet, even though we may be like the younger son in the story of the prodigal (Luke 15:11-32) and would waste our “substance in riotous living,” God was still the Provider of the inheritance that was wasted. God was still waiting for the son to “come to himself” and return home. God still has compassion, and He forgives and restores to fellowship all who come home.
And were it not for the promises of deliverance from our enemies that are so replete throughout the Scriptures, were it not for the hope that we would see deliverance “in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13), and were it not for the confident knowledge that “evildoers shall be cut off” (Psalm 37:9), we would be in constant fear and torment. God promises to bring us victory! We are told that He will fight for us, and that we are not left to our own devices! Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. . . . and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20). (HMM III, Institute for Creation Research)
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