Mark 7
Traditions of the Pharisees broken verse 1- 4
Then came together unto HIM the Pharisees
and certain of the scribes
which came from Jerusalem
AND when they saw some of HIS disciples
eat bread with defiled that is to say
with unwashen hands – they found fault
FOR the Pharisees – and all the Jews
except they wash their hands oft – eat not
holding the TRADITION of the elders
And when they come from the market – except they wash
they eat not and many other things there be
which they have received to hold
as the washing of cups – pots
brazen vessels – tables
Pharisees question Jesus about traditions verse 5
Then the Pharisees and scribes asked HIM
Why walk not YOUR disciples
according to the TRADITION of the elders
but eat bread with unwashen hands?
Jesus quotes Isaiah regarding the issue verse 6- 8
HE answered and said unto them
Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites
as it is written
This people honor ME with their lips
BUT their heart is far from ME
Howbeit in vain do they worship ME
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men
FOR laying aside the commandment of God
you hold the TRADITION of men
as washing of pots and cups
and many other such
like things you do
Jesus gives examples of Pharisees breaking the Law verse 9- 13
HE said unto them
Full well you reject the commandment of God
that you may keep your own TRADITION
FOR Moses said – Honor thy father and mother
and Whoso curses father or mother
let him die the death
BUT you say – IF a man shall say to his father or mother
It is Corban – that is to say – a gift
by whatsoever you might be profited by ME
he shall be free
AND you suffer him no more to do aught for his
father or his mother
Making the word of God of none effect through
your TRADITION – which you have delivered
and many such like things do you
Jesus emphasizes heart over mouth verse 14- 16
And when HE had called all the people to HIM
HE said unto them
Hearken to ME every one of you and understand
There is nothing from without a man
that entering into him can defile him
BUT the things which come out of him
those are they that defile the man
If any man have ears to hear – let him hear
Jesus explains meaning of parable verse 17- 19
And when HE was entered into the house from the people
HIS disciples asked HIM concerning the parable
And HE said unto them
Are you so without understanding also?
Do you not perceive
that whatsoever thing from without
entering into the man
it cannot defile him
BECAUSE it entered not into his heart
BUT into the belly
and goes out into the draught
purging all meats?
Jesus gives examples of sins of heart verse 20- 23
AND HE said – That which comes out of the man
that defiles the man
FOR from within – out of the heart of men
proceed evil thoughts – adulteries – fornications
murders – thefts – covetousness
wickedness – deceit – lasciviousness – an evil eye
blasphemy – pride – foolishness
all these evil things come from within
and defile a man
Jesus in Gentile territory confronts by woman verse 24- 26
And from thence HE arose
and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon
and entered into a house
and would have no man know it
BUT HE could not be hid
FOR a certain woman
whose young daughter had an unclean spirit
heard of HIM – and came and fell at his feet
the woman was a Greek
a Syrophenician by nation
And she besought HIM
that HE would cast forth the devil out of her daughter
Jesus answers woman verse 27
BUT Jesus said to her – Let the children first be filled
FOR it is not meet to take the children’s bread
and cast it to the dogs
Woman confronts Jesus again verse 28
AND she answered and said unto HIM – Yes – Lord
yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs
Jesus admits her answer was good verse 29- 30
AND HE said unto her – FOR this saying go your way
the devil is gone out of your daughter
AND when she was come to her house
she found the devil gone out
and her daughter laid upon the bed
Jesus asked to heal deaf man verse 31- 32
And again – departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon
HE came unto the sea of Galilee
through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis
And they bring to HIM one that was deaf
and had an impediment in his speech
and they beseech HIM to put HIS hand upon him
Jesus heals man verse 33- 35
And HE took him aside from the multitude
and put HIS fingers into his ears
and HE spit – and touched his tongue
And looking up to heaven – HE sighed
and said unto him
Ephphatha – that is – Be opened
And straightway his ears were opened
and the string of his tongue was loosed
and he spake plain
Jesus asked crowd to not spread the news verse 36- 37
And HE charged them that they should tell no man
BUT the more HE charged them
SO much the more a great deal they published it
And were beyond measure astonished – saying
HE has done all things well
HE makes both the deaf to hear
and the dumb to speak
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. (3201 “fault” [memphomai] means to blame, to scold, to upbraid, censure, to impute as blameworthy, or chide)
DEVOTION: Remember that the Pharisees added commandments to those the LORD gave to Moses. They had at least 365 negative commandments added to the Law of Moses. They made these traditions in the Jewish community. If someone didn’t obey their traditions they were called a sinner.
God is the one who established the Law. HE gave it to Moses to help the children of Israel serve HIM. Jesus said that the Law showed people that they were sinners. Now we have another group adding to the Law and saying that they were sinners if they didn’t obey their law or a better word is tradition.
Jesus informed the Pharisees that the disciples did nothing wrong. Washing hands before eating is a good practice but not a Law of Moses. I have many grandchildren that don’t wash their hands before they eat and do other things. It is a good practice for them and everyone else to wash before they eat but not a sin.
There are many churches that have traditions that are not found in the Bible. I was in a church that sang the Doxology after taking the offering each Sunday. I decided to have a different song sung after taking the offering and was confronted by someone that this shouldn’t happen. They wanted only sing the Doxology after the offering because they had done it for so many years. It was a tradition.
Some traditions are good but not Biblical commandments. It is important that our worship services not cause people just through the motions instead of having a genuine time of practicing the presence of the LORD. Our services should cause people to concentrate on what is happening. Too often they can be like the prayer life of many people when they pray at bedtime. You know the prayer that begins “Now I lay me down to sleep ….”
CHALLENGE: Our worship of the LORD should use many means to practice the presence of the LORD. No routine should become a tradition in a church that stops helping people get closer to the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? (3862 “tradition” [paradosis] means teaching, that which is handed down, ordinance, or what is transmitted)
DEVOTION: The Pharisee were watching the disciples to see which of their actions broke their teachings. They found one. The disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate. They confronted Jesus regarding their actions.
Jesus answered them by quoting Isaiah. In the quote was the truth that people honor the LORD with their lips but their heart is far from the LORD. They just enjoyed making rules for people to follow. The religious leaders had made a large amount of rules for those who claimed to follow Jehovah. There was one for each day of the year. Those were just the negative rules.
They made rules that contradicted the commandments of God. Our churches make rules that are not found in the Scriptures. There are many external rules that don’t help our internal relationship with the LORD. The Pharisees did the same thing. They wanted the people to obey their rules over the commandments of God.
One example of that was they told children that if they promised their money to the synagogue, they wouldn’t have to help their parents. The commandment of God was told them to “honor their father and mother.” Jesus told them that it was a sin not to care for their parents in their old age or when they were needy.
Are we living an external life for the LORD or an internal life relationship with the LORD? The Pharisees lived an external life. Does that help us with the right answer to the question the Pharisees asked Jesus? Are we asking the questions regarding the teachings of our local church regarding traditions?
Our goal should be Biblical truth. Biblical truth is manifested not by living a moral life but by looking into the Word of God for what HE expects of us. There are many people who are morally right but wrong in their relationship to the LORD. The LORD wants more than just a moral individual, HE wants a servant. One thing HE expects is internal motives for serving HIM, not external actions to please people.
CHALLENGE: Look at what your church practices and see if it is based on the Word of God.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 And HE said, That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. (2840 “defiles” [koinoo] means call common, pollute, render unhallowed, profane, ritually unacceptable, or impure.)
DEVOTION: Eating too much food can be bad for anyone. There is the sin of gluttony, which is eating too much food at one time or over a long time period. We should watch what we eat. It is hard. Some days are easier than others. Once we gain too much weight it is hard to lose it. It is much easier to gain it. Jesus was called a glutton by the Pharisees. HE was even called a wine bidder.
Here the LORD informs HIS disciples of the meaning of the parable. HE wants them to realize that food is not the main problem. It is not what goes into the body that is the problem it is what comes out of the inner person.
God wants us to understand that our thought life can be a problem. If we don’t turn over out thought life we can have a problem with what comes out of our mouth. Our mouth should be used to encourage others not call them names or use God’s name in vain. Our mouth should not be used to speak foul language. Our mouth should be used to praise the LORD.
HE goes on with a list of sins that come out of our inner person. If we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our life though the Word of God and our prayer life we will practice these sins on a regular basis. This doesn’t please the LORD.
Remember that there is a difference between living in sin and sinning. We sin on a regular basis even after we have become a follower of Christ. We need to confess our sin and with the help of the Holy Spirit sin less each year of our Christian life. We can conquer one sin and another will need to be conquered until we go to heaven.
Living in sin is what happens when we sin and sin and sin the same sin without confession. When this happens if the person is a believer the LORD sends weakness, sickness and then death. God wants those who follow HIM to honor HIM.
Watch what enters your brain through the computer, television and any other source as it can affect your thinking and your mouth will show what you are learning.
CHALLENGE: It should be more Bible than any other source.
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: 27 But Jesus said to her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to the dogs. (2952 “dogs” [kunarion] means a tame house dog, or small domestic pet.)
DEVOTION: Jesus primary mission was to the children of Israel. HE was the Messiah they were waiting for to give them salvation. They didn’t understand that at HIS first coming HE was going to die on the cross for their sins. HE gave them the message that they had to repent of their sins to gain salvation.
HE sent HIS disciples to witness to the children of Israel in all of their cities. HE sent them out to spread the message of the gospel. The gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now we find Jesus with HIS disciples in a Gentile village. A woman approaches with a problem. Her daughter is possessed of an evil angel. She wants Jesus to cast out the evil angel.
Jesus tells her that HIS mission is not to the Gentiles. HE uses the example of not giving bread to others until your own children are fed. The children HE is referring to are the children of Israel. HE continues to state that HE shouldn’t give bread or a full meal to dogs when HIS children still need it.
This woman understands what HE is saying and replies by saying the even dogs or Gentiles can get the crumbs that fall from the children’s table. Jesus understands her faith and tells her to go home. HE had removed the evil angel/devil from her daughter.
CHALLENGE: While Jesus was on this earth, started with the children of Israel, but included other nations in HIS mission. We are to reach all nations with the gospel.
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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)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Worship verse 7
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Isaiah verse 6
Commandments of God verse 8
Moses verse 10
Honor father and mother verse 10
Word of God verse 13
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Healing of Syrophenician daughter verse 25-30
Jesus verse 27
Lord verse 28
Healing of deaf verse 32- 37
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Commandments of God verse 8, 9
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Unclean spirit- devil – evil angel verse 25- 30
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Woman was Greek verse 26
Syrophenician verse 26
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Defiled verse 2, 15, 18, 20, 23
Fault verse 2
Tradition of the elders verse 5, 8, 9, 13
Lip service rather than heart verse 6
Hypocrites verse 6
Commandments of men verse 7, 13
Reject commandments of God verse 9
Curse mother and father verse 10- 13
Making word of God of none effect verse 13
Without understanding verse 18
Evil thoughts verse 21
Adulteries verse 21
Fornications verse 21
Murders verse 21
Thefts verse 22
Covetousness verse 22
Wickedness verse 22
Deceit verse 22
Lasciviousness verse 22
Evil eye verse 22
Blasphemy verse 22
Pride verse 22
Foolishness verse 22
Evil things verse 23
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Worship verse 7
Doctrines verse 7
Honor mother and father verse 10
Understand verse 14, 18
Astonished verse 37
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Pharisees verse 1, 3, 5
Scribes verse 1, 5
Jerusalem verse 1
Jews verse 3
Tradition of the elders verse 3, 5
Isaiah verse 6
Moses verse 10
Tyre and Sidon verse 24- 31
Decapolis verse 31
Church (New Testament people of God)
Disciples verse 2, 5, 17
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
10–13 Jesus now cites a specific example of how the tradition was used to set aside God’s commands. The first quotation is from the LXX of Exodus 20:12 and is a statement of the fifth commandment. The second quotation is from the LXX of Exodus 21:16 [17 MT]. In the latter the seriousness of failure to keep the fifth commandment is underscored—death is the penalty for anyone who curses his father or mother (Mk 7:10). But by means of the tradition, the responsibility of children to their parents could be easily circumvented (v. 11). A son need only declare that what he had intended to give his father and mother be considered “Corban,” i.e., a gift devoted to God, and it could no longer be designated for his parents. By devoting the gift to God, a son did not necessarily promise it to the temple nor did he prevent its use for himself. What he did do was to exclude legally his parents from benefiting from it (v. 12). So the very purpose for which the commandment was given was set aside by the tradition. This is what is meant by “nullifying” (akyrountes) the word of God (v. 13). (Wessel, W. W. (1984). Mark. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, pp. 678–679). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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His ministry among the Gentiles , which would be of special interest To Roman readers. We see in this section three ministries of Jesus, the Servant Teacher. (p. 133, The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe)
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7:13. By their tradition they nullified the Word of God. Nullify translates akyrountes, from akyroō, used in the papyri for annulling contracts. To sanction religious donations at the expense of violating God’s command regarding one’s duty to parents was to set human tradition above God’s Word.
The “Corban” vow was only one example of many other things like it (e.g., restrictive Sabbath rules; cf. 2:23–3:5) where scribal tradition distorted and obscured the Old Testament. (Grassmick, J. D. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 134). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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So the conflict was not only between God’s truth and man’s tradition, but also between two divergent views of sin and holiness. This confrontation was no incidental skirmish; it got to the very heart of true religious faith. Each new generation must engage in a similar conflict, for human nature is prone to hold on to worn-out man-made traditions and ignore or disobey the living Word of God. It is true that some traditions are helpful as reminders of our rich heritage, or as “cement” to bind generations, but we must constantly beware lest tradition take the place of truth. It does us good to examine our church traditions in the light of God’s Word and to be courageous enough to make changes. (Note that the word tradition in 2 Thes. 2:15 refers to the body of doctrinal truth “handed down” from the Apostles to leaders in the church. See also 2 Tim. 2:2.)
The next stage can be labeled condemnation (Mark 7:6–13) as Jesus defended His disciples and exposed the hypocrisy of their accusers. The first thing He did was to quote from the Prophet Isaiah (Isa. 29:13), and then He brought in the Law of Moses (Ex. 20:12; 21:17; Lev. 20:9). How could the Pharisees argue with the Law and the Prophets?
In defending their tradition, the Pharisees eroded their own characters and also the character of the Word of God. They were hypocrites, “playactors,” whose religious worship was practiced in vain. True worship must come from the heart, and it must be directed by God’s truth, not man’s personal ideas. What a tragedy that religious people would ignorantly practice their religion and become the worse for doing it!
But they were not only destroying their character; they were also destroying the influence and authority of the very Word of God that they claimed to be defending. Note the tragic sequence: teaching their doctrines as God’s Word (Mark 7:7); laying aside God’s Word (Mark 7:8); rejecting God’s Word (Mark 7:9); finally, robbing God’s Word of its power (Mark 7:13). People who revere man-made traditions above the Word of God eventually lose the power of God’s Word in their lives. No matter how devout they may appear, their hearts are far from God.
History reveals that the Jewish religious leaders came to honor their traditions far above the Word of God. Rabbi Eleazer said, “He who expounds the Scriptures in opposition to the tradition has no share in the world to come.” The Mishna, a collection of Jewish traditions in the Talmud, records, “It is a greater offense to teach anything contrary to the voice of the Rabbis than to contradict Scripture itself.” But before we criticize our Jewish friends, perhaps we should examine what influence “the church fathers” are having in our own Christian churches. We also may be guilty of replacing God’s truth with man’s traditions.
Once He had exposed their hypocrisy, Jesus then turned to the Law of Moses and indicted them for breaking the fifth commandment. They had an ingenious way of breaking the Law and not feeling guilty. Instead of using their wealth to support their parents, the Pharisees dedicated that wealth to God (“Corban”=“an offering, a gift”; see Num. 30) and claimed that the wealth could now be used only for “spiritual purposes.” However, they continued to get the benefit of that wealth, even though it technically belonged to God. These men claimed to love God, but they had no love for their parents! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 134–135). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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7:13 invalidating the word of God by your tradition. “Invalidating” means “to deprive of authority” or “to cancel.” The “tradition” in question allowed any individual to call all his possessions “Corban” (see note on v. 11). If a son became angry with his parents, he could declare his money and property “Corban.” Since Scripture teaches that any vow made to God could not be violated (Nu 30:2), his possessions could not be used for anything but service to God and not as a resource of financial assistance for his parents. But Jesus condemned this practice by showing that the Pharisees and scribes were guilty of canceling out God’s Word (and His command to honor one’s parents) through their tradition. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Mk 7:13). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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7:13 you cancel. They cancelled or set aside God’s word by giving such a controlling status to tradition. This verb (akuroō [208, 218]) is used only three times in the NT (in the parallel Matt 15:6 and in Gal 3:17). (Turner, D., & Bock, D. L. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (p. 459). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
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Ver. 13. Making the word of God of none effect, through your tradition, &c.] Beza says, in his most ancient copy ’tis read, your foolish tradition; and such it was indeed, that a vow made rashly, and in a passion, or if ever so deliberately entered into, should be more binding upon a man than the law of God; that rather than break this, he should transgress a divine command; and that though he might see his folly, and repent of his sin in making such a wicked vow, he could not go back from it, without the permission of a wise man: should his poor distressed parents come to him for assistance, he was obliged to answer them, that he had bound himself by a vow, that they should receive no advantage from his substance; and should they remonstrate to him the command of God, to honour them and take care of them, and observe that that command is enforced by promises and threatenings; he had this to reply, and was instructed to do it, that it was the sense of the wise men and doctors, and agreeably to the traditions of the elders, to which he ought rather to attend, than to the words of the law, that he should keep and fulfil his vow, whatever command was neglected or broken by it. Which ye have delivered: they received it from their ancestors, and delivered it to their disciples; and ’tis in this way, that all their traditions were delivered: they say, that “Moses received the law (the oral law) at Sinai, ומסרה, and delivered it to Joshua; and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets; and the prophets to the men of the great synagogue; the last of which was Simeon the just; and Antigonus, a man of Socho, received it from him; and Jose ben Joezer, a man of Tzeredah, and Jose ben Jochanan, a man of Jerusalem, received it from Antigonus; and Joshua ben Perachiah (said to be the master of Jesus Christ), and Nitthai the Arbelite, received it from them; and Judah ben Tabai, and Simeon ben Shetach, received it from them; and Shemaiah and Abtalion received it from them; and from them Hillell and Shammai.” Who were now the heads of the two grand schools of the Jews; these received, and delivered out these traditions to the Scribes and Pharisees, and they to their disciples: and many such like things do ye; meaning, that there were many other traditions besides this now mentioned; whereby, instead of preserving the written law, which, they pretended, these were an hedge unto, they, in a great many instances, made it void. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 433–434). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
The RADICAL PURSUIT of REST by John Koessler
According to Jesus the trajectory of greatness in the kingdom moves in a direction opposite to that aof the disciples’ thinking. They were aiming toward prominence. Jesus pointed them toward insignificance. The compass he provided located the true north of ambition in a direction that looked to them more like downward mobility than real aspiration. (p. 92)
The kind of ambition he urged on his disciples was an ambition to serve more than to be served and to give way to others instead of claiming the most important place for themselves. (p. 92)
Instead of calling us to radical poverty, epic adventure or rock star celebrity, the apostle outlines an agenda that sounds like the kind of workaday lives most of us ordinarily lead: Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (I Thess. 4: 11-12). (p. 94)
Self-oriented ambition is not a gift from the Father of lights. It is a bad legacy from the father of lies. WE are better off without it. (p. 95)
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Old Testament WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe
“Fallow ground” is ground that is inactive because it is unimproved. It has not been plowed or seeded, and therefore can produce no harvest. One reason the land is idle is because “the laborers are few (Luke 10:2; and Luke 9:57-62 tells us why the laborers are few: the people God calls are making excuses! Jesus is looking for laborers, not loiterers who make excuses. (p. 140)
Granted, plowing is hard work, but God’s calling includes God’s enabling. (p. 141)
As workers, we must live in the Scriptures and allow the Spirit to instruct us and enable us. (p. 141)
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Galatians 6
Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another’s burdens.
INSIGHT
John Donne once wrote: “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . . If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less.” What Donne wrote generally and poetically, Paul wrote specifically hundreds of years earlier: “Restore” one another and “bear one another’s burdens” (vv. 1-2); “do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (v. 10). We are part of one another, and we are to live for one another in harmony and mutual concern. We are all part of the same “continent”-the “continent” of Christ. (Quiet Walk)
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DESTINED FOR GLORY
We shall be like him. 1 John 3:2
“We shall see him as he is.” “Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Do you know that you are destined for that? We shall see Him as He is—what a blessed, glorious vision to see the Son of God in all His glory, as He is, face to face—standing and looking at Him and enjoying Him for all eternity. It is only then that we will begin to understand what He did for us, the price He paid, the cost of our salvation. You and I are destined for that glorious vision; we shall see Him as He is, face to face.
But consider something still more amazing and incredible. We shall be like Him. “We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” This is John’s way of addressing the whole doctrine of the resurrection of our bodies, the ultimate final resurrection, the ultimate glorification of God’s people. What John is telling us, in other words, is that when that great day comes, we shall not only see Him—we shall be made like Him. Paul says that God’s purpose is that we shall be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). That is the argument, and that is the doctrine.
In other words, while we are here on earth, the Holy Spirit is working in us, doing His work of holiness in us and ridding us of sin, so that eventually we shall be faultless, blameless, without spot, and without rebuke. We shall have been delivered from every sin and vestige and appearance of sin within us; and in addition to that, our very bodies shall be changed and shall be glorified.
A Thought to Ponder: We shall see Him as He is—standing and looking at Him and enjoying Him for all eternity.
(From Children of God, p. 33, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Amen
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
The word “amen” is a most remarkable word. It is transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best-known word in human speech.
The word is directly related—in fact, almost identical—to the Hebrew word for “believe” (aman), or “faithful.” Thus, it came to mean “sure” or “truly,” an expression of absolute trust and confidence. When one believes God, he indicates his faith by an “amen.” When God makes a promise, the believer’s response is “amen”—“so it will be!” In the New Testament it is often translated “verily” or “truly.” When we pray according to His Word and His will, we know God will answer, so we close with an “amen,” and so also do we conclude a great hymn or anthem of praise and faith.
The word is even a title of Christ Himself. The last of His letters to the seven churches begins with a remarkable salutation by the glorified Lord: “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God” (Revelation 3:14). We can be preeminently certain that His Word is always faithful and true because He is none other than the Creator of all things, and thus He is our eternal “Amen.”
As our text reminds us, every promise of God in Christ is “yea and amen,” as strong an affirmation of truth as can be expressed in the Greek language.
It is, therefore, profoundly meaningful that the entire Bible closes with an “amen.” “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:21), assuring everyone who reads these words that the whole Book is absolutely true and trustworthy. Amen! (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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The Church is not called to flee and despise the world, not forced into narrow-minded isolation, not condemned to the ghetto existence; just the reverse is true: The Church is called to be on display before the world…. The Church has become the beginning of a “a new creation.’ (p. 53)
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Protestantism had now become so anti-metaphysical and anti-intellectual that truth was subordinated to unity, theology was widely viewed as matter of subjective preference, and in place of an absolute dogma stood an approved program of social action which – as the liberals saw it – was now the real test of genuine Christian commitment. Instead of personal evangelism and the spiritual regeneration of individuals, they advocated changing the social structures by the Church’s direct engagement in political controversy. (p. 57) (Evangelicals At The Brink Of Crisis by Carl F.H. Henry)
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DAILY HOPE
Today’s Scripture
Exodus 30-32
Today many people have lost the importance of keeping the church building holy and pure before the Lord. While I understand that the building is just a building and the Spirit of God dwells in each believer, God desires our true reverence and worship in our services. Prayer and a time of reflection is often needed to prepare us to come into His presence.
The priests clothing and some articles for the tabernacle have previously been described. Now, the last two pieces of furnishings to be mentioned are the bronze laver and the altar of incense. They both were used by the priest for daily cleansing. The bronze laver was to be used each time the priest entered the tabernacle or proceeded to burn an offering on behalf of the people. This is when the priest washed and cleansed themselves outwardly.
The second item, the altar of incense, was placed in front of the veil directly in front of the ark. Incense was a symbol of prayer and it would have been the place Aaron offered the incense and prayed for the people. An inward cleansing occurred as he presented and prayed both for himself and the people to the Lord. The laver and altar kept the priest cleansed and holy both physically and spiritually.
With the specific instructions now given, the building and all the articles are now entrusted to be designed and built by a man of God, Bezalel (31:1). The work and responsibility were so immense, only a Spirit filled worker could accomplish the feat. The Lord also placed the Sabbath in the chapter to remind the people that rest was needed as well as labor.
Chapter 32 tells us how the people had grown restless and impatient while Moses had spent an extensive time on the mountain receiving the instructions for the dwelling place of God. They even demanded of Aaron a god to worship since Moses had not returned. Without their spiritual leader to direct and instruct the people, they quickly erred and turned away from the Lord.
God precisely prepared the tabernacle for His people but what He desired more was their heartfelt devotion. The Israelites lost their focus of worship without their spiritual leader. It is vital to pray daily and have a close communion with the Lord, so we do not become like the Israelite people; distracted, impatient and follow impulsive desires. “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15) NIV.
Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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