PROVERBS 13
CHAPTER: PROVERBS 13
Wisdom of Solomon (con’t) verse 1- 25
A wise son hears his father’s instruction verse 1
BUT a scorner hears not rebuke
– CHASTENING
A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth verse 2
BUT the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence
– MOUTH
He that keeps his mouth keeps his life verse 3
BUT he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction
– MOUTH
The soul of the sluggard desires and has nothing verse 4
BUT the soul of the diligent shall be made fat
– WORK ETHIC
A righteous man hates lying verse 5
BUT a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame
– MOUTH
Righteousness keeps him that is upright in the way verse 6
BUT wickedness overthrows the sinner
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
There is that makes himself rich – yet hath nothing verse 7
there is that makes himself poor – yet hath great riches
– MONEY
The ransom of a man’s life are his riches verse 8
BUT the poor hears not rebuke
– MONEY
The light of the righteous rejoices verse 9
BUT the lamp of the wicked shall be put out
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
Only by pride comes contention verse 10
BUT with the well-advised is wisdom
– PRIDE
Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished verse 11
BUT he that gathers by labor shall increase
– WORK ETHIC
Hope deferred makes the heart sick verse 12
BUT when the desire comes – it is a tree of life
– HOPE
Whoso despises the word shall be destroyed verse 13
BUT he that fears the commandment shall be rewarded
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
The law of the wise is a fountain of life verse 14
to depart from the snares of death
– WISDOM
Good understanding gives favor verse 15
BUT the way of transgressors is hard
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
Every prudent man deals with knowledge verse 16
BUT a fool lays open his folly
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
A wicked messenger falls into mischief verse 17
BUT a faithful ambassador is health
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuses instruction verse 18
BUT he that regards reproof shall be honored
– CHASTENING
The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul verse 19
BUT it is abomination to fools to depart from evil
– WORK ETHIC
He that walks with wise men shall be wise verse 20
BUT a companion of fools shall be destroyed
– WISDOM
Evil pursues sinners – BUT the righteous good shall be repaid verse 21
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children verse 22
BUT the wealth of sinner is laid up for the just
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
Much food is in the tillage of the poor verse 23
BUT there is that is destroyed for want of judgment
– WISDOM
He that spares his rod hates his son verse 24
BUT he that loves him CHASTENS him betimes
– DISCIPLINE
The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul verse 25
BUT the belly of the wicked shall want
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 A wise son hears his father’s instruction: but a scorner hears not rebuke. (1606 “rebuke” [ga’arah] means reproof, an act or expression of criticism and censure, to speak words that show what another has done wrong, and other actions may follow to show the disapproval, or verbal warning)
DEVOTION: The father is the head of the home and should make sure things are going well according to the instructions of the LORD to all fathers for their children. We need fathers who will confront their children at an early age to make sure they know what is right and wrong.
This means that the father is trying to follow the LORD to the best of their ability to set a proper example to the children as to how they should act. Too often we find that many fathers who claim Christ are not saying and doing things that are pleasing to the LORD and so the children are following their example.
God want all those who are follower of Christ to set an example for their children. There should never be this said in a home “do as I say not as I do.” If the children see their father say and do what the LORD expects then they have a good example to follow.
Pray for all fathers to be ones that love the LORD first and then their wife and finally their children the way the LORD wants them to.
We need families that love the LORD and show it in their actions today more than at any time in our history. Discipline is necessary for a child to grow up in a way that is pleasing to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Encourage fathers whenever you get a chance. They need our prayers and support today
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 The soul of the sluggard desires and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. (6101 “sluggard” [atsal] means lazy, slothful, inactivity, slow, lazy bones, idle, lack of initiative, or slack.
DEVOTION: Many of us know individuals who lack initiative to do any work. When I was growing up I had the responsibility of trying to have my siblings clean house and other things. It didn’t happen very often. I would rather do the work myself than wait for them to do it. That was their plan and it worked.
Here we find Solomon instructing his son in the fine art of working for a living. He wanted his son to have initiative. He wanted his son to be active in helping others. His desire was for his son to have a reputation as a worker. It is important.
Today we find that many people want to depend on government to pay for everything they have. They want them to provide money for them to spend any way they like. They want the best food in the house without working for it.
There are some people who CAN’T work but they are minority. Even the handicapped go out to work every day in workshops that use whatever talent they have to provide a service to the community. If everyone had their attitude we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in our world.
God commands that HIS servants work for a living. Paul worked at tent making to pay his way on the mission’s trips. Each servant needs to provide a service either outside the church or inside the church for a paycheck each week. No one is to be lazy. Sometimes people do as little as they can to earn a paycheck. That should not describe a believer.
CHALLENGE: Do people consider you a worker or someone who just expects everyone to provide? Ask the LORD for instructions in this area.
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: 10 Only by pride comes contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. (3289 “well advised” [ya`ats] means to deliberate or resolve, take advice, to consult together, exchange counsel, counsel together, or receive counsel.
DEVOTION: This chapter adds the fact that children need to be disciplined. A good work ethic is important to the collecting of wealth. There is also the continued contrast between the righteous and the wicked. There are two paths that people can follow.
All those outside of Christ are following the path to destruction in the lake of fire for eternity. All those who are followers of Christ because they have made a personal commitment to HIM are going to spend eternity in heaven.
This second group is much smaller, because the majority of society, think they can do without God. Our nation is full of people who want to leave God out of their lives.
One of the problems today is that there are all kinds of people who want to tell us how we should handle a given situation. The word here adds “well” to it. For counsel to be “well” it must come from God through the ministry of the Word and HIS Spirit. Watch who you are listening to for advise!!! Godly advice starts from our knowledge of the Word of God.
Ask yourself, what does God think regarding the present situation. Remember fasting and prayer is a part of every major decision in the family, church and society.
The warning of this verse is that some people handle their problems all by themselves. This is the sin of pride. This sin results in contention rather than a solution. The LORD wants to give those who are followers of Christ wise counselor. Wise people work well with other wise people. Truly wise people are those who are followers of Christ.
CHALLENGE: Remember to consult the Word of God and prayer for your daily decisions. This pleases the LORD!)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 24 He that spares his rod hates his son; but he that loves him chastens
him betimes. (7836 “betimes” [shachar] means seek early,
diligently seek, look early or diligently for, seeks him early with
discipline, or to break in.
DEVOTION: Each generation has a battle with their children over right and wrong. Each generation sometimes disciplines their children less than the previous generation that leads to children who are not disciplined at all.
We have many children today who have been pampered all their life. Their parents have given them everything they wished they had when they were children but find out that it is never enough.
Solomon states that if you love your children you will discipline with a “rod.” This means that there is to be discipline that hurts to help them not face greater hurts when they get older. If this is not happening Solomon under the ministry of the Holy Spirit is telling parents that they really “hate” their children rather than love them.
It is believed that children establish over 70% of their habits by age six. If there is no discipline early in their life it will not work when they are older. There needs to be consistent discipline to train children first to obey their parent with the hope and prayer that they will obey the LORD and HIS commandments as they grow older.
Once a child is pampered it is hard to undo it later in life. This draws the comment that any parent that is not willing to discipline early really hates his child. Remember the warning in the New Testament to not over discipline the child. Only the LORD can help parents hit the right balance in their discipline of their children. Discipline needs to be done with prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit and good Biblical teachers who understand child development.
Once an undisciplined child grows up they will think that no one and nothing can stop them from bad behavior because they have gotten away with it all their life. Many of these individuals end up on the wrong side of the law or are willing to be lazy all of their life.
We are reaping what we have sown and wonder why we are in such a state as a nation. It is never to late to turn our children over to the LORD and ask HIM to work on our children for their good and their eternal benefit. Never stop praying for your children.to act right and be productive adults.
CHALLENGE: God wants us to start early in the lives of our children with proper Biblical disciple to show our love for our children. Sometimes this even includes our grandchildren. Set a good Biblical example to each generation.
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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)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandments verse 13
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
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)
Wise son verse 1
Father verse 1
Man verse 2, 5, 8
Wise men verse 20
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Scorner verse 1
Not hearing rebuke verse 1, 8
Soul of the transgressors verse 2
Violence verse 2
A wide open mouth that says wrong things verse 3
Sluggard verse 4
Lying verse 5
Wicked verse 5, 6, 9, 17, 25
Loathsome
Come to shame
Belly of shall want
Sinner verse 6, 21, 22
Poor hear not rebuke verse 8
Lamp of the wicked shall be put out verse 9
Pride verse 10
Contention verse 10
Wealth gotten by vanity verse 11
Despises God’s word verse 13
Way of transgressors is hard verse 15
Fool verse 16, 19, 20
lays open his folly
Wicked messenger verse 17
falls into mischief
Refuse instruction verse 18
leads to poverty and shame
Abomination to fools to depart from evil verse 19
Companion of fools verse 20
Evil pursues sinners verse 21
Sparing the rod verse 24
Hate verse 24
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Wise verse 1, 14, 20
Listen to parents verse 1
Hears rebuke verse 1
Keeps your mouth verse 3
Diligent verse 4
Righteous verse 5, 6, 9, 21, 25
Hates lying
Have light
Upright verse 6
Rejoicing verse 9
Well-advised = wisdom verse 10
Worker verse 11
Hope verse 12
Fears the commandments verse 13
Obedience rewarded verse 13
Law of the wise verse 14
Good understanding give favor verse 15
Prudent deals with knowledge verse 16
Faithful ambassador verse 17
Regards reproof = honor verse 18
Desire accomplished is sweet to soul verse 19
Good shall be repayed verse 21
Good man verse 22
Inheritance verse 22
Just receive wealth of sinners verse 22
Love chastens his son often verse 24
Chastened verse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Destruction verse 3
Tree of life verse 12
Snares of death verse 14
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QUOTES regarding passage
All people desire to leave a good heritage for their children, and vv. 22, 24 speak, respectively, of providing for the material and moral needs of one’s descendants. Proverbs regularly keeps these two in balance. It emphasizes the need for moral training without deprecating the physical needs of family life.
Verse 23 and v. 25 describe two reasons a family may be impoverished and hungry. On the one hand, it may be injustice in society (i.e., it is not the family’s fault, and their hunger points to a need for changes in the system). On the other hand, poverty may be a result of sin in the family. Addiction to alcohol, indolence, and financial irresponsibility are all potential causes of poverty, although the terms “righteous” and “wicked” imply divine favor or disfavor as well. Proverbs takes a balanced position; it neither dehumanizes the poor on the grounds that they are to blame for all their troubles nor absolves the individual of personal responsibility. (Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs (Vol. 14, pp. 139–140). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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13:24. Spare the rod, spoil the child
This is not a purely Old Testament attitude: it is expounded more fully in Hebrews 12:5–11. The latter passage draws attention to the imperfect motives of human fathers, and Ephesians 6:4 warns against undue severity; but the obligation remains. Proverbs itself exalts the place of tenderness, constructiveness and example, in this relationship: see, e.g., 4:3, 4, 11. (Betimes, av, rv: the phrase is lit. ‘he seeks him early [or, earnestly] with discipline’: see note on 1:28.) See also subject-study: The family, pp. 45f. (Kidner, D. (1964). Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 17, pp. 99–100). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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24 Parental love is displayed in disciplining the children responsibly. The powerful verbs “hates” and “loves” stress the point—hating a son probably means, in effect, abandoning or rejecting him. Whybray cites an Egyptian text that says that “boys have their ears on their backsides; they listen when they are beaten” (Book of Proverbs, p. 80). For the general biblical teaching on this, see Ephesians 6:4 and Hebrews 12:5–11; see Proverbs 4:3–4, 10–11 for the balanced tenderness. Too much lenience and too much harsh discipline are equally problematic. The balance comes when the child has room to grow while learning the limits. In this verse the word šiḥarô has two possibilities. It may be translated “is careful in disciplining” (so NIV) but may be better rendered “treats him early with discipline” (see Driver, “Hebrew Notes on Prophets and Proverbs,” p. 170. (Ross, A. P. (1991). Proverbs. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 982). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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Chasteneth him betimes; literally, early in the morning (ch. 1:28; 8:17), which may mean, in the morning of life, ere evil habits have time to grow, or directly after the offence. Or the expression may signify “diligently.” (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Proverbs (p. 255). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)
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24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son:
But he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Family discipline should be patterned after the divine discipline of Heb. 12. It is not love, but the lack of it, that leaves a child to himself; to develop, unchecked, tendencies and propensities which shall result in future sorrow. Ours is a day of great laxity on this point. The coming generation will reap the bitter fruit of the absence of restraint and the evident aversion to chastening, so manifest in the majority of homes. A sickly sentimentality, supposedly wiser and more compassionate than God Himself, has made it fashionable to decry the use of the rod, as a relic of a barbarous age; but the difference in the character of children and the home is certainly in the favor of Scripture, as any one may see who will.
It is even worse where, among Christians, government is ignored on the plea that grace is reigning. Grace never sets aside government. The two principles are not opposed, or antagonistic. In the divine ways, they go on side by side, as they should in the home. Contrast Eli (1 Sam. 3:13, 14) with Abraham (Gen. 18:19). (Ironside, H. A. (1908). Notes on the Book of Proverbs (pp. 154–155). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Bros)
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13:24. Verses 24–25 and 14:1–4 speak of various home scenes. A loving parent inflicts temporary discomfort on his children (by spanking with a rod) to spare them the long-range disaster of an undisciplined life. Refusal to discipline one’s child when he needs it shows that a parent’s genuine love and concern are questionable. Other verses in Proverbs on child discipline are 19:18; 22:15; 23:13–14; 29:15, 17. God also disciplines His own (cf. 3:11–12; Heb. 12:6). (Buzzell, S. S. (1985). Proverbs. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 934). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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13:24 rod … disciplines … diligently. Early childhood teaching (see note on 22:6) requires both parental discipline, including corporal punishment (cf. 10:13; 19:18; 22:15; 29:15, 17), and balanced kindness and love. There is great hope that the use of the “divine ordinance” of the rod will produce godly virtue (cf. 23:13, 14) and parental joy (cf. 10:1; 15:20; 17:21; 23:15, 16, 24, 25; 28:7; 29:1, 15, 17). Such discipline must have the right motivation (Heb 12:5–11) and appropriate severity (Eph 6:4). One who has genuine affection for his child, but withholds corporal punishment, will produce the same kind of child as a parent who hates his offspring. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Pr 13:24). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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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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Public worship should include intercession for our nation’s leaders-. !Timothy 2
INSIGHT
Praying for our state, national, and world leaders is a biblical responsibility and should be a part of our regular public worship. The ultimate focus of our prayers for our country and its leaders is evangelism. Paul teaches that we are first to pray that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (v. 2). In a free and peaceful setting, our love for God should flow easily and, therefore, evangelism should be a natural result. God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v. 4). Is this your greatest desire as well?
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Conversation Starters
You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 3 JOHN 6
Between interaction with the culture, media and their peers, this year your teenagers will be exposed to one hundred thousand messages about sex. How many of these will come from you?
That’s the question Sharon Hersh posed on one of our FamilyLife Today broadcasts recently, and it is a good one. Sex is talked about incessantly in the predominant media channels that today’s teens are wired into. It’s almost impossible to avoid. It’s also a frequent topic for discussion in hallways, in Internet chat rooms, in emails and on the phone. And although this generation has become more comfortable talking about this subject than any generation before them, parents still find it nearly impossible to bring up.
But we’d better—because 99 percent of what they’re hearing in those one hundred thousand messages is wrong!
I assure you, most of the mistakes we made in this area were not because we were too involved. Rather, they occurred when we made some dangerous assumptions that our children’s convictions and standards were more firmly in place than we thought. We also erred in thinking that peers from excellent Christian homes embraced biblical convictions as well. In the words of our teens, “NOT!”
A letter we received from a young woman, who became pregnant as a teenager, cemented this resolve in us. I hope it will in you, as well. After telling her story, she wrote, “Parents, talk to your kids. Let them get angry. I would rather my children say, ‘I hate you and your rules’ than say later, ‘Why didn’t you tell me I was headed for trouble?’ “
Please don’t sit back and let your children negotiate these sexual traps alone. They need you to guide them through. They need to hear the truth—from you—not just once, but repeatedly. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Deuteronomy 21-23
People of God are to be holy like the God we follow! In Exodus and Deuteronomy Moses stated the ten commandments and defined holiness and what it should look like among the Israelites. In this section of Deuteronomy, Moses applied these moral laws to circumstances that could arise in the Promised Land.
Three areas of purity were addressed as Moses instructed the people of Israel. Civil purity was outlined in chapter 21 and the beginning of 22. Moral purity was presented in the second half of chapter 22, with the initial discussion of holiness of worship in chapter 23.
In our current culture, we may not have issues such as treatment of captured women, public exposure of corpses on trees, or polygamy, but we do have divorce, rebellious children, and deviant sexual behavior. We also are having a vigorous debate on inclusion and exclusion of individuals to worship before a holy God. Let us carefully consider the teachings of Moses in this section of scripture.
We are challenged today to be holy people in the church just as Israel was called to be a holy nation. This will create tension and misunderstanding as the matters of holiness and purity are debated. A careful, biblical response may not be enough for some, as godliness is contested. Decisions to consistently stand for holiness will have to be made. Hebrews states, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). As we walk and live within our culture, let us stand resolutely for holiness.
With an Expectant Hope, by Pastor Brian Miller
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Using the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus teaches of salvation and His deity.
INSIGHT
Whoever comes in contact with Jesus is either blinded or enlightened. They either accept Him or begin manufacturing reasons not to believe in Him. Jesus illustrates this reality with the imagery of sheep and a shepherd. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (10:27). Make your heart tender and sensitive to hear and obey Jesus. Walk in His light and you will not stumble. (Quiet Walk)
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HE CROSS IS A MIGHTY DECLARATION
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.
Romans 3:25
The cross is a mighty declaration. And what it says is this: The Son is a propitiation. In other words, God on the cross was punishing sin. He said that he would, and He has done it.
God has always said that sin is to be punished, that His holy wrath is upon it, and that He cannot deal with sin in any other terms. And He has done exactly what He promised. On the cross He is doing it publicly. There He is, once and for all, at the central point of history, pouring out His wrath upon the sins of man in the body of His own Son. He is striking Him; He is smiting Him; He is condemning Him to death. Christ dies, and His blood speaks. It is God’s punishment of sin and evil. It is a mighty declaration that God has done what He has always said He would do—namely, that He would punish sin, and the wages of sin is death. And there you see it happening upon the cross. It is an announcement, a proclamation, that this is God’s way of dealing with the problem of sin.
I hasten to say this. It is obviously the only way to deal with sin, and the cross says that.
There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in.
Mrs. C. F. Alexander
It is not surprising that the gospel of the cross and the blood of Christ has produced some of the greatest poetry the world has ever known.
A Thought to Ponder
The cross is an announcement, a proclamation, that this is God’s way of dealing with the problem of sin. (From The Cross, pp. 163-164, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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After Jesus raises his close friend, Lazarus, from the dead, many believe in Him.
INSIGHT
Jesus was ministering on the east side of the Jordan River, about a day’s walk from Bethany, when Lazarus fell sick. Messengers were sent to tell Jesus, who waited two days before returning to Bethany. He found that Lazarus had been dead for four days, apparently having died the same day the messengers were dispatched. So Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus learned about his illness.
Why, then, did Jesus delay His return for two days? Jesus knew Lazarus’ condition. His delay was to heighten the manifestation of the power of God. Jesus called, “Lazarus, come forth!” And Lazarus came forth. The result of this miracle? Many of the Jews believed in Him, and the Son of God was glorified. (Quiet Walk) .
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THE CROSS IS AN INVITATION
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 45:22
The cross is an invitation…”the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Abel’s blood has no invitation in it. Abel’s blood cries out for retribution, for punishment; there is no invitation there to anybody, except to the wrath of a holy God. But in this other blood “that speaketh better things than that of Abel,” there is a word of invitation. And from your standpoint and mine, looking at it very practically, there is nothing more wonderful about the cross than this. We know that the cross is a historical event. It is a setting forth in public of this great act of God. But thank God it does not stop there. It is an appeal; it is an invitation; it asks us to listen as we value our own immortal souls.
You know the Old Testament prophets had seen something of this. But they had not seen it very clearly. They were not meant to, and they could not see so far off. They saw something of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that was to follow, but they had not seen this. One of them, at the height of his prophetic inspiration, put what he saw into the mouth of the Messiah that was to come when he said, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22). “Look unto me.” It is an invitation. That is not only proclamation—that is an invitation. “Look unto me”!
I like the way the apostle Paul puts it in Ephesians 2. It is so wonderful. He says, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances…that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross” (verses 14-16).
A Thought to Ponder
The cross is an appeal; it is an invitation; it asks us to listen as we value our own immortal souls. (From The Cross, pp. 164-165., by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Preached in All Creation
“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.” (Colossians 1:23)
Many times Christians piously say, “Why get worked up over creation, why don’t you just preach the gospel?” But such a question reveals a faulty knowledge of what “the gospel” consists of, for, as has been noted many times on these pages, the gospel consists not only of the redemptive work of Christ but His entire person and work as well. The message of the “everlasting gospel” is to “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelation 14:6-7). Elsewhere, the gospel includes His coming Kingdom (Matthew 4:23, for example). From creation to redemption to ultimate restoration, all is “good news,” all the work and person of Christ.
In our text we see that the gospel “was preached to every creature,” or perhaps better translated “in all creation.” What was the message of the gospel for which Paul was so jealous? The answer is found in the preceding verses.
Christ is preeminent, literally “the firstborn of every creature” (v. 15), totally God (v. 19). He is the Creator of all things, both physical and spiritual (v. 16), and continues to maintain His creation (v. 17). He leads the church, assuring victory over death (v. 18). He is the Redeemer, the perfect sacrifice for sins (vv. 20-22), providing each believer total sanctification (v. 22). He will ultimately restore all of creation to its original created intent (v. 20).
Only as we recognize and believe the teachings of His Word on the entire “good news,” from creation to consummation, can we hope to victoriously “continue in the faith grounded and settled.” (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Love Is Worth the Risk
If you love me, keep my commands. John 14:15
After a friend ended our decade-long friendship without explanation, I began slipping back into my old habit of keeping people at arms’ length. While processing my grief, I pulled a tattered copy of The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis off my shelf. Lewis makes a powerful observation about love requiring vulnerability. He states there’s “no safe investment” when a person risks loving. He suggests that loving “anything [will lead to] your heart being wrung and possibly broken.” Reading those words changed how I read the account of the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection (John 21:1–14), after Peter had betrayed Him not once but three times (18:15–27).
Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” (21:15).
After experiencing the sting of betrayal and rejection, Jesus spoke to Peter with courage not fear, strength not weakness, selflessness not desperation. He displayed mercy not wrath by confirming His willingness to love.
Scripture reveals that “Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ ” (v. 17). But when Jesus asked Peter to prove his love by loving others (vv. 15–17) and following Him (v. 19), He invited all His disciples to risk loving unconditionally. Each of us will have to answer when Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” Our answer will impact how we love others. (By Xochitl Dixon, Our Daily Bread)
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Evidence is mounting of possible war crimes by Russia and, on a vastly smaller scale, by Ukraine. We can be sure, given that every act of warring nations is documented on social media today, that the truth will come out. But where did the idea come from that some ways of fighting wars crossed some sort of civilized line? Who decided where that line should be drawn? Where did the very notion of “war crimes” come from?
Union Major General Sherman, the general behind the infamous Sherman’s March during the Civil War, famously said that “War is hell.” International laws on war crimes are a historically recent innovation intended to mitigate how terrible and devastating war becomes. They are attempts to prevent war from descending entirely into hell, especially for non-combatants.
In the West, the primary sources for laws governing how war should be waged are found in Just War Theory. The earliest idea that war should be governed and moderated, however, dates long before any formal formulation of Just War Theory. In Deuteronomy 20, Moses instructed the Israelites not to kill the women and children of their enemies.
Much later, the Roman Republic would embrace three criteria for waging war: first, that it had to be waged for a legally sound reason, such as in response to aggression; second, that it had to be declared by someone legally authorized to do so; and third, that it had to be waged justly. As ethically innovative as that may sound, the Romans still had no problem using horrific tactics, such as rape, torture, enslavement, and terrorism, in their warfare.
It was Christian thinkers, especially Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas, who most fully developed the ideas governing if and how war was to be waged. This Judeo-Christian approach eventually influenced the formation of the code of chivalry in medieval Europe. Like the injunctions in Deuteronomy 20, the code was eventually expanded to include the protection of women and non-combatants, with the ideal of the knight being a protector of the weak. Though in the throes of war, these ideals were rarely followed, the code held among the nobles. For example, if a knight unnecessarily killed another knight in combat, he could be charged with murder. This was not considered a war crime, however.
In the wake of the brutality of the Spanish conquests in the Americas, thinkers such as 16th century Spanish theologian and jurist Francisco de Vitoria began to argue that war was never part of God’s plan and could only be justified on the grounds of the common good. Thus, consideration of war and warfare shifted from a topic within theology to the emerging realm of international law. (Break Point)
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How dare Satan’s one! With how clever was he to sow in Eve the doubt and question the Integrity of God in one sentence!
God had been so generous to them! It had provided them with the ideal and unimproveable place for their livelihood, development and reproduction! A beautiful garden, perfect weather and food guaranteed within your fingertips. They could enjoy everything and in abundance, especially the PRESENCE of GOD!. But of course they were not satisfied, for precisely the fruit which was forbidden for them is the one which according to them would complete them. They really thought God was denying them something!
Satan made God see as a selfish and liar! They found it very attractive “KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL” that Satan was offering them. Actually, the only thing Satan was adding to what they already had was “KNOWING THE EVIL”.
THEY WERE ALREADY SIMILAR TO GOD, AND ALL THEY KNOW UNTIL THAT MOMENT WAS GOOD. Why would they want to know evil? By the way, with that knowledge came death and they were already warned of that. God said to them “they will surely die” Satan said “they will NOT die”
But they decided to give Satan more credibility by putting God’s Integrity, goodness and love in between. Their unbelief led them to make their own decisions, disobeying God in the ONLY restriction He had imposed on them. They decided to be independent of their Creator and sustainer. They were expelled from the Garden of Eden, and now they will suffer the consequences.
GOD SAID THAT THEY WOULD SURELY DIE, AND THEY DIED! The perfect image of God that until then they carried was corrupt. They were no longer able to “Fightfully reflect the glory of God” They would produce children of their “same kind.” Now all his descendants would be born with their fallen nature, with the distorted image of God. (Sol Ibarra -Mexico)
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