PROVERBS 21
Solomon’s wisdom to his son verse 1- 31
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD
as the rivers of water
HE turns it whithersoever HE will
SOVEIGNITY OF GOD
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes
BUT The LORD ponders the hearts
SOVEIGNITY OF GOD
To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD
THAN sacrifice
RIGHTEOUS
An high look – and a proud heart – and the plowing of the WICKED
is SIN
WICKED
The thoughts of the DILIGENT tend only to plenteousness
BUT of every one that is hasty only to want WORK ETHIC
The getting of treasures by a LYING tongue is
a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death
MONEY & MOUTH
The robbery of the WICKED shall destroy them
BECAUSE they refuse to do judgment WICKED
The way of man is FROWARD and STRANGE
BUT as for the PURE – his work is RIGHT WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop
THAN with a brawling woman in a wide house
MARRIAGE
The soul of the WICKED desires EVIL
his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes WICKED
When the SCORNER is punished – the SIMPLE is made wise
AND when the WISE is instructed
he receives knowledge
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
The RIGHTEOUS man wisely considers the house of the WICKED
BUT God overthrows the WICKED for their wickedness
RIGHTEOUS & WICKED
Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor – he also shall cry himself
BUT shall not be heard
WICKED
A gift in secret pacifies anger
AND a reward in the bosom strong wrath
ANGER
It is joy to the JUST to do judgment
BUT destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity
RIGHTEOUS & WICKED
The man that wanders out of the way of understanding
shall remain in the congregation of the dead
WICKED
He that loves pleasure shall be a poor man
he that loves wine and oil shall not be rich
WORK ETHIC & MONEY
The WICKED shall be a ransom for the RIGHTEOUS
AND the TRANSGRESSOR for the UPRIGHT WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
It is better to dwell in the wilderness
THAN with a contentious and an angry woman MARRIAGE
There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the WISE
BUT a FOOLISH man spends it up RIGHTEOUS & WICKED
He that follows after RIGHTEOUSNESS and MERCY finds
LIFE – RIGHTEOUSNESS – HONOR RIGHTEOUS
A WISE man scales the city of the mighty
AND casts down the strength of the confidence thereof WISDOM
Whoso keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from trouble
MOUTH
Proud and haughty SCORNER is his name
who deals in PROUD wrath WICKED & ANGER
The desire of the SLOTHFUL kills him
for his hand refuse to labor
WORK ETHIC
He covets greedily all the day long
BUT the RIGHTEOUS gives and spares not
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS & MONEY
The sacrifice of the WICKED is abomination
How much more when he brings it with a WICKED mind?
WICKED
A FALSE witness shall perish
BUT the man that hears speaks constantly MOUTH & WICKED
A WICKED man hardens his face – BUT as for the UPRIGHT
HE directs his way WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel
AGAINST THE LORD
SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
The horse is prepared against the day of battle
BUT safety is of the LORD SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD ponders the hearts. (8505 “ponders” [takan] means to balance, to arrange, mete, weigh, measure, test, prove, equalize, make a just determination of the value or quality of an object or to regulate.
DEVOTION: Throughout Solomon’s advice to his son we find the truth that God is sovereign and omniscient. Knowing this fact helps his son realize that he can’t fool God with his action or motives.
God is the one who puts what is seen with the eyes on a scale with what is going on with the inner being and watches to see if they balance. Too often our actions are for personal praise, rather than, for the glory of the LORD. That is exactly why the LORD looks at the internal part of our being.
We tend to be guided by our feelings. Our feelings cannot tell us that things are right or wrong. The Word of God tells us that we need to understand the Bible to have control over our feeling and act on the commands of God.
We sometimes don’t understand why we do certain things. We usually fall into a rut. God doesn’t want us in a rut or ruled by our feelings. The facts are what we need to understand.
One of the facts is that God knows our innermost motives. HE knows why we do things. If our motives are for the glory of God – they are right. If they are for personal glory – they are wrong. We need to pray that we can keep our hearts right in relation to our actions. HE is able to help us. Ask for HIS help in our daily prayer life.
CHALLENGE: Pray for discernment regarding your actions.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is sin. (7311 “high look” [ruwm] means overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward others, haughtiness, to lift up oneself, be exalted, be overbearing, boast, uplifted, or to lift up onself.)
DEVOTION: We have all met individuals who think they are better than those around them. They have an air about them that shows everyone that they are looking down on them because they have a superior knowledge or looks that no one else can match.
The problem with this type of attitude is that the LORD doesn’t want anyone who claims to be a follower of HIM to think that they are better than others. Too often these individuals use their voice to tell others how wrong they are in what they are doing all the time.
The LORD wants those who are HIS servants to be humble and to encourage others in their walk with the LORD by showing them that they are also struggling in their walk with the LORD. There is no one who has arrived at perfection or even close to perfection in our world.
Those who are genuine believers know that they are fellow sinners who need grace each day from the LORD and from others, in order to, live the life the LORD wants them to live.
Anyone who claims to be a believer and treats others as if they are not as good as them has to look at their salvation and see if it is genuine. Humility is one of the traits of a genuine believer.
CHALLENGE: If you think you are better than other believers – confess your sin and move on to a better understanding of the Christian life. We are all sinners SAVED by GRACE. We need to show believers GRACE and help them grow properly and remember that all of us are growing and none of us have arrived at perfection!
_____________________________________________________________
: 19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. (4066 “contentious” [madown] means discord, strife, bitter conflict, heated often violent dissension, nagging, or brawling.)
DEVOTION: Marriage is supposed to be between one man and one woman until death do they part according to most manuals read at weddings by the clergy. It is supposed to be between two individuals who love one another. These two individuals are to work together as a team to grow old together while still in love.
Now we come to the warning of Solomon which is found many places in the book of Proverbs. Not all marriages are made in heaven. Here we find that a man has married a woman who nagging and violent toward him. It is not just one occasion that this happens on but on many occasions.
Instead of unity in the home there is constant fighting. In this case it is the wife that is never satisfied with what is going on in the home. There is never enough of anything. We find that there are other verses that go along with this thought besides the two in this chapter. Other references are Proverbs 19:13, 25:24, and 27:15. However there is one that tells of a man having the same attitude in marriage as well found in Proverbs 26: 21. So it can be either parties who are not giving along or one party that causes the marriage to always in a disagreeable mode.
The LORD’s plan for a proper marriage between one man and one woman is that they work together to honor HIM and each other. There will always be some disagreement but it shouldn’t be descripted as a continual dripping of conflict.
Only through prayer and work can a marriage work. Once there is conflict the couple need to seek help to restore the proper attitude toward each other. Without help it can end up like this verse describes or in our day it could end in divorce. Either option should not be one that genuine believers consider as an answer.
Remember divorce is not the unpardonable sin but it causes the LORD not to be happy with the couple and especially if there are children involved. Each Biblical couple needs to set a good example for their children to follow. Marriage is God ordained and HE will help all couples that are struggling if they turn to HIM for help.
CHALLENGE: If this verse describes your marriage ask the LORD for help. HE can restore genuine love into any marriage that is trying to please HIM.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. (8668 “safety” [tashuw] means salvation, victory, deliverance, rescue, or help.
DEVOTION: Have you ever planned an event and done everything in your power to make it happen just the way you wanted and then it didn’t happen? There are a lot of events in our life that don’t go according to plan. We can even plan future events and find that the LORD has another plan.
Does that mean that we shouldn’t plan? Are long range plans wrong for individuals and churches? NO!! We have to always add the thought that “if the LORD wills” it is going to happen.
Now we know that each day is evil. The Bible states that “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” This means that each day is a day we need the full armor of God on. We need to be prepared for every battle. Our thoughts have to be purified through the Word of God. Our actions need to be according to the instructions found in the Word of God.
In Solomon’s time they used horses to go to battle. Today we can use tanks and warships. However we prepare to win every war we are involved in. Solomon wanted his son to win his battles. He told him that the LORD was necessary for winning every battle. The LORD was the one who could rescue him. The LORD was the one who could help him. The LORD is the one who can give us deliverance from even the strongest enemy.
Victory is only available to those who trust in the LORD. Each spiritual battle we face has to be given over to the LORD for HIS victory in our life. We have to do our part but give the results to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: You never lose a battle with the LORD working on your side
__________________________________________________
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)
Sacrifice verse 3, 29
____________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1- 3, 30, 31
Hand of the LORD verse 1
Creator verse 1
LORD ponders the heart verse 2
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 12
Overthrows the wicked verse 12
No wisdom or understanding or counsel
against the LORD verse 30
Safety is of the LORD verse 31
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)
King verse 1
Man verse 2, 8, 20, 28
Wicked verse 4, 7, 10, 12, 18, 27, 29
house of the wicked
a ransom for the righteous
hardens his face
Woman verse 9, 19
contentious and angry
Neighbor verse 10
Scorner verse 11
Wise verse 11, 20, 22
Treasure to be desired and
oil in the dwelling
Poor man verse 17
Foolish verse 20
Upright verse 29
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Way of a man is right in his own eyes verse 2
High look verse 4
Proud heart verse 4, 24
Plowing of the WICKED verse 4, 7, 10, 12, 18,
27, 29
Sin verse 4
Hasty verse 5
Lying tongue verse 6
Vanity verse 6
Robbery verse 7
Refuse judgment verse 7
Way of man is FROWARD and STRANGE verse 8
Brawling verse 9
Desiring evil verse 10
Neighbor finds no favor in his eyes verse 10
Scorner verse 11, 24
Wickedness verse 12, 18
Stopping ear at cry of poor verse 13
Angry verse 14, 19
Workers of iniquity = destruction verse 15
Wanders out of the way of understanding verse 16
Loves pleasure verse 17
Love wine and oil shall not be rich verse 17
Transgressor verse 18
Contentious verse 19
Foolish verse 20
spends treasure all up
Proud verse 24
Haughty verse 24
Slothful: refuse to labor verse 25
Covet verse 26
Greedy verse 26
Sacrifice of wicked is an abomination verse 27
Wicked mind verse 27
False witness verse 28
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Ponder your heart verse 2
Justice verse 3, 15
Proper judgment verse 3
Thoughts of the DILIGENT verse 5
Pure verse 8
Work is right verse 8
Wise verse 11, 12, 20, 22
Instructed verse 11
Receive knowledge verse 11
Righteous verse 12, 18, 21, 26
Joy of the just to do judgment verse 15
Understanding verse 16
Upright verse 18, 29
Follows after RIGHTEOUSNESS and MERCY verse 21
Finds life verse 21
Honor verse 21
Giver and spares not verse 26
Consistent testimony verse 28
Directs way verse 29
Safety verse 31
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Solomon verse 1- 31
If stopping ears at the cry of poor
he also shall cry himself
Gift in secret pacifies anger
Keeps mouth and tongue keeps his soul
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Death verse 6
Congregation of the dead verse 16
Perish verse 28
_____________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you. _
QUOTES regarding passage
21:9, 19 The better saying that any living conditions (in the corner of a roof, in the desert, 21:9, 19) are preferable to living with a quarrelsome woman form the inclusio for this series of proverbs. The proverbs between the inclusio do not themselves examine domestic harmony but concern a variety of topics. (Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs (Vol. 14, pp. 180–181). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
_________________________________________________________
19 Being alone is preferable to enduring domestic strife. This verse reiterates the theme of v. 9 (see also 25:24), with one change—”a desert,” which would be sparsely settled and quiet. These verses surely advise one to be careful in choosing a marriage partner and then to be diligent in cultivating the proper graces to make the marriage enjoyable. (Ross, A. P. (1991). Proverbs. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 1055). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
_________________________________________________________
19 It is better to dwell in a desert land
Than with a contentious and an angry woman.
See verse 9 above. No creature is more lovely than a woman who exhibits the precious graces of the Spirit of God. Even natural graces adorn and beautify her beyond all that the foolish fripperies and vanities of her oft-times artificial life can do. But a woman bereft of thoughtfulness and kindliness seems almost to be a misnomer. A contentious and angry woman is beyond all words disagreeable, and can by her tongue and her wretched ways produce untold misery. A tent in a wilderness alone, is to be preferred to a palace in her company. Athaliah was evidently of this unhappy class, who, violent and treacherous, would stop at nothing to accomplish her unholy ends (2 Kings 11). See chap. 27:15, 16. (Ironside, H. A. (1908). Notes on the Book of Proverbs (p. 290). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Bros.)
________________________________________________________
Prov. 21:19. With this verse, a doublet to v. 9 (Prov. 25:24), the collector makes a new addition; in v. 29 he reaches a proverb which resembles the closing proverb of the preceding group, in its placing in contrast the רשׁע and ישׁר;—
It is better to dwell in a waste land,
Than a contentious wife and vexation.
The corner of the roof, Hitzig remarks, has been made use of, and the author must look further out for a lonely seat. But this is as piquant as it is devoid of thought; for have both proverbs the same author, and if so, were they coined at the same time? Here also it is unnecessary to regard מֵאֵשֶׁת as an abbreviation for מִשֶּׁבֶת עם אשׁת. Hitzig supplies שְׁכֹן, by which אשׁת, as the accus.-obj., is governed; but it is not to be supplied, for the proverb places as opposite to one another dwelling in a waste land (read שֶׁבֶת בְּאֶרֶץ־מִדְבָּר, with Codd. and correct Ed.) and a contentious wife (Chethîb, מְדֹונִים, Kerî, מִדְיָנִים) and vexation, and says the former is better than the latter. For נָכָעַס [and vexation] is not, as translated by the ancients, and generally received, a second governed genitive to אשׁת, but dependent on מן, follows “contentious woman” (cf. 9b): better that than a quarrelsome wife, and at the same time vexation. (Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 316). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.)
__________________________________________________________
Verse 19
Note, 1. Unbridled passions embitter and spoil the comfort of all relations. A peevish angry wife makes her husband’s life uneasy, to whom she should be a comfort and a meet help. Those cannot dwell in peace and happiness that cannot dwell in peace and love. Even those that are one flesh, if they be not withal one spirit, have no joy of their union. 2. It is better to have no company than bad company. The wife of thy covenant is thy companion, and yet, if she be peevish and provoking, it is better to dwell in a solitary wilderness, exposed to wind and weather, than in company with her. A man may better enjoy God and himself in a wilderness than among quarrelsome relations and neighbours. See v. 9. (Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1002). Peabody: Hendrickson.)
__________________________________________________________________
21:19. The statement about a quarrelsome wife is repeated in 25:24. Similar thoughts are stated in 19:13; 21:19; 27:15–16. Verses 9, 19 of chapter 21 are 2 of the 19 better … than verses in Proverbs (see comments on 12:9). The point made in 21:9, 19 is the preference of living in cramped quarters (on a corner of a flat roof, v. 9) or in a desolate area (“a desert,” v. 19) where one can at least have peace and quiet rather than in a spacious house with an argumentative, contentious wife. A wife who causes strife makes a home unpleasant and undesirable. (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. 951). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
_______________________________________________________
19. a wide house] Lit. “a house of companionship,” i.e. a house shared with her.
The flat roof of an Eastern house was often used for retirement by day, or in summer for sleep by night. The corner of such a roof was exposed to all changes of weather, and the point of the proverb lies in the thought that all winds and storms which a man might meet with there are more endurable than the tempest within. (Barnes, A. (1879). Notes on the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations & Ezekiel. (F. C. Cook & J. M. Fuller, Eds.) (pp. 59–60). London: John Murray.)
______________________________________________________
19. It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.
Another, perhaps even a stronger, picture of the misery of domestic dissension. It is better to be destitute altogether of the communion of social life, if it must be purchased at so dear a rate, as the companionship of one, whose contentions will turn every comfort into bitterness. It is better to dwell, not only “upon the house-top,” where there might be alleviation, but even in the wilderness; giving up all social indulgences for desolation, solitude, and even dangers. Oh! it is the poison in ‘the sweetest cup of earth’s best joy,’ where “two are joined to each other, and made one flesh;”4 yet not “joined to the Lord,” and so “made one spirit.” The woman only is mentioned. Yet the disruption is as frequent, and at least as guilty, from an imperious husband, as from a scolding wife. Surely our gracious God here teaches his children a lesson too often neglected to their cost—to put their necks into this sacred yoke, ‘reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God.’ Let them carefully ponder the fact, that a choice influenced by the fascinations of manners or disposition, by intellect or accomplishments, if made without reference to godliness, can give no promise of the Divine blessing, or of individual happiness. Often indeed it issues in a state of degradation, too painful to dwell upon, into which one or both parties are content to plunge, making themselves odious for the sake of indulging their angry passions. Nor does this apply only to the matrimonial yoke. All members of the family circle, bound together by natural ties, and living together by providential arrangements, may do not a little towards embittering each other’s happiness. The subjects of these uncontrolled tempers must, however, reap the natural harvest of their seed sown, and suffer under the mortifying consciousness, that others recoil from their society, and would readily embrace—if need be—the alternative of the wilderness, as a welcome change from perpetual irritation.
‘The family,’ as Mr. Cecil justly observes, ‘is sometimes a fierce fire. Our family comprehends the greatest portion of our world. It is to us the most interesting, and therefore is capable of becoming the most trying, portion.’ The child of God is bound indeed to recognize effectual and fatherly discipline in his trials from the tempers of those around him. Yet not less strange the fact, that even among Canaan’s pilgrims, words are often uttered, that must produce pain; and thus thorns, which our heavenly Father hath not planted, are strewn in our brother’s or sister’s path. Effects still more lamentable are to be traced in impressions made upon the young, or on others watching the exhibition of such inconsistencies, where better things might have been expected.
The matrimonial “thorn in the flesh” may be a needful chastening, overruled as a preventive against self-confidence, and for the exercise of adorning Christian graces.2 Yet much prayer and forbearance are required to avoid needless occasion and subjects of irritation, to keep aloof from the immediate bursting of ungoverned passion; to realize present support under this heavy cross, in the assured prosperity and intense longing for the home of everlasting peace. (Bridges, C. (1865). An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (pp. 321–322). New York: Robert Carter & Brothers.)
_______________________________________________________________
But the woman pictured here is one whose ill-temper is always ruling her and casting gloom over the home, and when there is no storm of passion actually raging there is one brewing and ready to burst forth. The unhappy partner of her life can never look forward to an hour of ease, for the lulls in the storm are but momentary, and the rifts in the clouds obscured again immediately. (Harris, W. (1892). Proverbs (p. 613). New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)
___________________________________________________________
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!!)
_________________________________________________________
Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Joshua 13-18
Claiming the inheritance that you have been promised often comes with mixed emotions. There is joy in realizing the gift which was assured to you for years is now a reality. Yet there can also be a sense of sadness because of substantial loss, as in Israel’s case.
Israel had fought for many years and the nations that had occupied the land was now either defeated or in servitude. Joshua was an old man (13:1) and advanced in years as the Lord directed him in the distribution of the land conquered by the tribes of Israel.
He begins with the tribe of Levi who would receive no property but rather the LORD Himself would be their inheritance (13:33). Next, he addresses Caleb, the one who had been faithful throughout the wilderness wanderings and the conquests of the promised land. The portion he requested was given to him.
The tribe of Judah received the next portion of land followed by the tribes of Joseph, Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh. Joshua then moved from Gilgal to Shiloh where he allocated to the remaining tribes, the land they were to possess.
An inheritance has special significance in our lives. Christ has given us an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled (1 Peter1:4). May we never lose the wonder of His indescribable gift of eternal life (2 Corinthians 9:15).
With an Expectant Hope Pastor Miller
_______________________________________________________________________
A RANSOM
For ye are bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:20
What Paul has learned from the cross is that the Lord Jesus Christ had died for him there in order to deliver him. Now, many terms are used to explain this, and one of them is the term of paying a ransom, paying a price. Man has become the slave to the devil and of sin and of evil, and he has to be bought. The apostle says that he discovered that what was happening on the cross was that the Lord Jesus Christ was purchasing him. So he writes to the Corinthians about morality and behavior, and he puts it like this: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Now then, here the new view comes in. He was the slave of the devil, the slave of the world, the slave of sin and of evil. He could not get free, try as he would. But he has been bought. He has been delivered; he has been set free. He has been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son. He has been redeemed. And now he has a new view of himself. He is not his own; he does not belong to himself anymore. He formerly lived to himself, but no longer; he has been bought with a price. He has a new life; he is in a new world. You know, this so grips and thrills this man that he cannot stop saying it. Listen to him saying it in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
A Thought to Ponder
What Paul has learned from the cross is that the Lord Jesus Christ had died for him there in order to deliver him. (From The Cross, pp. 207-208, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
____________________________________________________________
And Forty Nights
“And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” (Genesis 7:12)
There are nine 40-day periods in Scripture, but on only five of these the notation “and forty nights” is added. On the other four occasions (the spies in Canaan, Goliath’s challenges, Jonah in Nineveh, and the post-resurrection ministry of Christ), we can assume that the activity ceased at night. But on these five it continued unabated.
The first of these was the great Flood. The most intense rains ever experienced on the earth poured torrentially, night and day. One can visualize the stress-filled nights for Noah’s family, with the cries of the dying outside, and no light of the sun or moon to pierce the outer darkness. But, of course, they were all safe in God’s specially designed Ark.
Many years later, Moses twice spent 40 days and 40 nights in the presence of God on Mount Sinai, receiving the divinely inscribed tablets, with the Ten Commandments and all the laws of God. The mountain was intermittently quaking and breathing fire and smoke while he was there, and the nights were surely more awesome even than the days, but God was there!
Elijah spent 40 days and 40 nights traveling back from Beersheba to Sinai, even though this relatively short journey would not normally require 40 days. Evidently Elijah experienced great hardships and obstacles along the way and many sleepless nights, but God met him again at Sinai, and it was worth it all.
Finally, the Lord Jesus (God Himself!) was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil…forty days and forty nights” (Matthew 4:1-2). In weakened human flesh, without food or rest, this was a greater trial than any of the rest, but He was triumphant, and then the “angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:11).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
_______________________________________________________________
Spiritual Diagnosis
We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord. Jeremiah 44:16
Chemotherapy reduced the tumor in my father-in-law’s pancreas, until it didn’t. As the tumor began to grow again, he was left with a life-and-death decision. He asked his doctor, “Should I take more of this chemo or try something else, perhaps a different drug or radiation?”
The people of Judah had a similar life-and-death question. Weary from war and famine, God’s people wondered whether their problem was too much idolatry or not enough. They concluded they should offer more sacrifices to a false god and see if she would protect and prosper them (Jeremiah 44:17).
Jeremiah said they had wildly misdiagnosed their situation. Their problem wasn’t a lack of commitment to idols; their problem was that they had them. They told the prophet, “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!” (v. 16). Jeremiah replied, “Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you” (v. 23).
Like Judah, we may be tempted to double down on sinful choices that have landed us in trouble. Relationship problems? We can be more aloof. Financial issues? We’ll spend our way to happiness. Pushed aside? We’ll be equally ruthless. But the idols that contributed to our problems can’t save us. Only Jesus can carry us through our troubles as we turn to Him. (By Mike Wittmer, Our Daily Bread Ministries)
___________________________________________________________________
After being cruelly mistreated, Jesus is crucified and gives up His spirit.
INSIGHT
The apostle John reveals the most detailed picture of Pilate’s judgment of Jesus. At first, Pilate says, “I find no fault in Him at all” (18:38). Then, he scourges Jesus, hoping to placate the Jews. Without success, he makes efforts to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders will not stand for it. Anxious about his political reputation in Rome, Pilate caves in, washes his hands of the affair, and releases Jesus to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.
We place much of the blame for Jesus’ death on Pilate. But if at any point in time Pilate had repented of His deed, Jesus Himself would have welcomed him into the kingdom of God. (Quiet Walk)
______________________________________________________________________
THE CENTRALITY OF THE CROSS
For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. 2 Corinthians 5:14
Everything proceeds from the cross. A Christian is a man who glories in the cross. If the cross is not central to you, you are not a Christian. You may say that you admire Jesus and His teaching, but that does not make you a Christian.
The apostle tells us that the cross governs his view of himself and that he has a new view of himself as a result of the cross. This is one of the most glorious aspects of the doctrine of the cross. It gives a man an entirely different view of himself.
Now, how does that happen? If you read 2 Corinthians 5, you will find that he there expands this aspect in a particularly clear manner. He has two great things to say: “Wherefore,” he says in verse 16, “henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” That is one. But here is another in verses 14-15: “For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
What he is saying in that chapter is all summarized in verse 17 when he puts this astonishing statement before us: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” And among the “all things” that have become new is man’s view of himself. This is one of the most glorious deliverances a man can ever know, to be free and delivered from himself.
A Thought to Ponder If the cross is not central to you, you are not a Christian.
(From The Cross, pp. 199-200, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Roosevelt again addressed the nation by radio as war became ever more inevitable, to express to Americans the threat Nazism posed to our democratic and religious freedoms. On October 27, 1941, he described a German document outlining Hitler’s plan to “abolish all existing religions” in which “the property of all churches will be seized by the Reich and its puppets. The cross and all other symbols of religion are to be forbidden … in place of the cross of Christ will be put two symbols – the swastika and the naked sword.” Roosevelt than concluded with a pledge to the Nazis that “ We stand ready in the defense of our nation and the faith of our fathers to do what God has given us the power to see as our full duty.” (p. 72, Rediscovering GOD in AMERICA by Newt Gingrich)
________________________________________________________
Paul instructs Titus to appoint spiritually qualified men to oversee the church ministry.
INSIGHT
The Bible is an enormous book that is difficult to master. It contains nearly 1,000 pages of information, none of which is insignificant. While it is true that new Christians can read and study the Scriptures on their own and gain spiritual truths through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is highly unlikely that anyone can grow to a mature understanding of the Bible without relying on teachers who know more about the Bible than they do. Herein lies a danger: We may not know enough about the Bible to determine if what is being taught to us is accurate. Therefore it is important to align ourselves with a church that believes and teaches the Bible. This type of setting will help safeguard us from being led into error. (Quiet Walk)
____________________________________________________________
GOD WORKING IN YOU
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13
Are you aware of the fact that God is working in you? “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” says Paul, “for it is God which worketh in you.” This is a marvelous, wonderful thing. It is one of the great tests of the possession of the Holy Spirit. It means something like this: We are aware of the fact that we are being dealt with; it is not that we decide to do things. You see, moralists and religious conformists are doing it all themselves, and that is why they are so proud of themselves. They get up on Sunday morning instead of spending the morning in bed, and they go to church. They do it because they have decided to do it, not because they have been moved. They are in control the whole time; and having done it, they preen themselves with their wonderful, ennobling ideals. How marvelous they are!
But that is not what the Bible talks about. “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do.” In other words, you are aware of the power of God dealing with you, surging and rising within you, and you are amazed and astonished. Far from being proud you say, “It is not I. This is not the sort of person I am. It is God doing something; it is Christ dwelling within me; it is the Holy Spirit who is in me. I am taken up beyond myself, and I thank God for it.” Is God working in you? Are you aware of a wonder-working power active in you, moving, disturbing, leading, persuading, drawing you ever onward? If you are, it is because you have received from God the gift of the Holy Spirit.
A Thought to Ponder
You are aware of the power of God dealing with you, surging and rising within you, and you are amazed and astonished. (From The Love of God, p. 99, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
______________________________________________________
Certain Men
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation.” (Jude 1:4)
Jude speaks severely of these “certain men” who were “before ordained” (literally “written about beforehand”) for a very specific judgment. The context relates back to the period of the Old Testament, although Jude later identifies others who are apparently active in the early churches.
A purification of 30 days was required of “certain men” who were (apparently) undertakers during the time of Moses. They were “defiled” by their contact with dead bodies according to the law but must still keep the Passover—albeit a month after the other Israelites (Numbers 9:4-11). God does not allow excuses.
Later, “certain men” among the Israelites who had apostatized and become “children of Belial” were to be destroyed, along with their city and all of their possessions, after it had been definitely determined that they had left Israel and become part of a cult community (Deuteronomy 13:13-16). God does not take prisoners!
During the time of Jeremiah’s ministry, God allowed the evil king Jehoiakim to send “certain men” down into Egypt to capture the prophet Urijah so the king could kill him (Jeremiah 26:22-23). God does allow evil men to gain the upper hand temporarily as He brings about the fulfillment of His prophetic warnings—in this case, the captivity of Judah by Babylon.
Jude speaks of “certain men” who had been “written before” (prographo) as historical examples of those among the New Testament saints who were “denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 4b). Peter puts it this way: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
__________________________________________________________
Sexual Standards
I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. ROMANS 16:19
Have you ever had that wave of paralyzing dread—the one where you fear you’ll come off looking and feeling like a hypocrite if you challenge your child to uphold standards you didn’t keep too well yourself when you were younger?
For many, this feeling is especially acute when talking to children about sexual behavior. I believe this is one of the ways the enemy attempts to silence parents. But don’t allow past failures to prevent you from calling your child to the standard of God’s Word.
After all, every one of us has lied, haven’t we? Yet we still teach our children to tell the truth. When it comes to talking frankly with your preteens and teenagers about what God expects of them sexually, you dare not let the fear of an embarrassing question force you into silence.
Most children won’t ask whether or not you were a virgin prior to marriage. But even if they do—and even if you weren’t—you could answer, “That’s a good question, and someday when you’re an adult, I want to answer you more fully. But for now, that information is off-limits.”
If your child isn’t satisfied and persists in digging further, you may want to admit, “Yes, I made some mistakes I really regret,” but not go into details.
Children need role models, especially in their parents. And it’s better if they don’t know certain things about you when they’re too young to understand.
When your child is grown, in the context of an adult relationship, you can decide how much you want to reveal. But for now, don’t let vivid descriptions become stumbling blocks in their lives and in your discussions.
Keep the subject on God’s standards and on His desire for their welfare and purity. They need to hear from you what God expects of them.
DISCUSS
Talk about how you can challenge your children to embrace biblical standards. Also discuss how you will discuss past mistakes with them. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
___________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.
_______________________________________________________________