PROVERBS 6
Don’t co-sign verse 1- 5
My son
IF you be surety for your friend
IF you have stricken your hand with a stranger
you are snared with the words of your mouth
you are taken with the words of your mouth
Do this now – my son – and deliver yourself
when you are come into the hand of your friend
go – humble yourself – and make sure your friend
Give no sleep to your eyes – nor slumber to your eyelids
deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter
and as a bird from the hand of the fowler
Don’t be lazy verse 6- 11
Go to the ant – thou sluggard – consider her ways – and be wise
which having no guide – overseer – ruler
provides her meat in the summer
and gathers her food in the harvest
How long will you sleep – O sluggard?
when will you arise out of your sleep?
yet a little sleep – a little slumber
a little folding of the hands to sleep
so shall thy poverty come as one that travels
and your want as an armed man
Description of wicked verse 12- 15
A naughty person – a wicked man
walks with a forward mouth
He winks with his eyes – he speaks with his feet
he teaches with his fingers – forwardness is in his heart
he devises mischief continually
he sows discord
THEREFORE shall his calamity come suddenly
suddenly shall he be broken without remedy
Seven things God hates verse 16- 19
These six things does the LORD hate – yea
seven are an abomination unto HIM
a proud look
a lying tongue
hands that shed innocent blood
an heart that devises wicked imaginations
feet that be swift in running to mischief
a false witness that speaks lies
he that sows discord among brethren
Obedience to parent’s important verse 20- 22
My son – keep your father’s commandment
and forsake not the law of your mother
Bind them continually upon your heart
and tie them about your neck
When you go – it shall lead you
when you sleep – it shall keep you
when you awake – it shall talk with you
Commandments give light to those who obey verse 23- 24
For the commandment is a lamp – and the law is light
and reproofs of instruction are the way of life
to keep you from the evil woman
from the flattery of the tongue
of a strange woman
Commandment regarding sexual relationships verse 25- 26
Lust not after her beauty in your heart
neither let her take you with her eyelids
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought
to a piece of bread
and the adulteress will hunt
for the precious life
Reason for obedience to this commandment verse 27- 28
Can a man take fire in his bosom
and his clothes not be burned?
Can one go upon hot coals
and his feet not be burned?
Adultery compared to stealing verse 29- 31
So he that goes in to his neighbor’s wife
whosoever touches her shall not be innocent
Men do not despise a thief
IF he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry
BUT IF he be found – he shall restore sevenfold
he shall give all the substance of his house
Intelligence questioned of adulterers verse 32- 33
BUT whoso commits adultery with a woman
lacks understanding
he that does it destroys his own soul
A wound and dishonor shall he get
and his reproach shall not be wiped away
Jealousy cannot be ransomed verse 34- 35
FOR jealousy is a rage of a man
THEREFORE he will not spare in the day of vengeance
He will not regard any ransom
neither will he rest content – though you give many gifts
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 My son, if you be surety for your friend, if you have stricken your hand with a stranger. (6148 “surety” [arab] means pledge, guarantee, trade, security, mortgage, undertake or make a bargain.
DEVOTION: The Bible gives more instructions regarding money. It is because it is such a hot topic in our daily life. Money is what we need to purchase necessities. Without money we would not be able to buy the food we need to eat.
Here we find Solomon training his son in regard to helping others with money. There is a friend or even a stranger that needs help. What are we to do? The Bible informs us that if we meet someone who doesn’t have enough to eat, we should feed him. If the individual doesn’t have enough clothes, we are to share our clothes with them.
However, when it comes to be a co-signer on a loan, he is told to avoid it like the plague. He is to not guarantee a loan. He is not to give verbal consent to it. If he does he is to not sleep until he gets the matter corrected. Solomon doesn’t want his son to give his word to help someone else receive money or goods. He likens it to being game to a hunter. It puts his son in the position of a target for death.
What are we to do for those in need? The Bible wants us to help them. If they ask for money we should give it to them without thoughts of repayment. It takes real discernment regarding who we should give the money too. There is a fine line between helping someone and enabling someone to not be held responsible for their actions.
If we meet someone on the street that asks for money because they are hungry we should take them to a restaurant or store and buy them the food. The same should be done with clothing. Housing is another matter. There are city missions in most towns. There are churches who take in the homeless. We should turn them over to those organizations.
The LORD wants us to be a giving people. HE also wants us to use our common sense. Some situations could be dangerous. Discernment is necessary. Prayer is necessary.
CHALLENGE: When confronted with a need pray about it. The Holy Spirit will give wisdom in such situations.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise (6102 “sluggard” [‘atsel] means slothful, lazy, a person who is disinclined to work or exert himself, idle, slow, no initiative, or indolent.)
DEVOTION: Throughout the Word of God we find that there are two types of people in our world. There are those who are followers of the LORD and those who are not but might even be religious. Here we find that these two types of people are divided even more into those who are willing to work for a living and those who are not.
The LORD wants those who are followers of HIM to be workers. This verse is a warning to those who are not willing to work. They are called individuals who have no wisdom. Those who have wisdom will listen to the LORD and work for a living.
The example is given of an ant. The ant is industrious. He is a worker. God created all the animals. He put in the mind of an ant to collect food for a season and then to eat the food when there was none growing.
So we find that there is a time to work and a time to rest from work. The ant collected enough food in the summer to be able to eat all winter. He is an example for humans to follow according to King Solomon through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Christians should set the example for the rest of the world. They should be known for their willingness to work and work hard. Laziness should not be a word used for those who claim Christ as their Savior.
This verse calls those who follow the example of the ant wise!! Wisdom is something that the LORD gives HIS followers. We need to make sure that we use the wisdom given to us for good works that give glory to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Are we giving glory to God through our work ethic? Do people see the difference between those who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ and those who are just religious?
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: 12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a forward mouth. (1100 “naughty” [baliya’al] means wicked, ungodly, evil, worthless, good for nothing, unprofitable, base fellow, or morally objectionable behavior.)
DEVOTION: Some of us have met an individual who is a scoundrel in all their actions. Too often we find them either in our family or among our friends. They are the individual who can think up anything bad to do which is against the commands of the LORD.
One of the problems is that we can even find these individuals in the church. They attend church but the messages don’t affect their behavior. They leave the church building and do what the LORD doesn’t want them to do even while claiming to be a follower of the LORD.
These individuals can lead other genuine believers into thinking that their actions are OK and some will even follow their example while claiming to be a follower of the LORD.
This is not talking about someone who is led astray for a short time but someone who has a lifestyle of acting against the commands of God while trying to pretend to be a believer to others.
We have to watch out for individuals who seem to be religious but their actions show that they have never made a genuine commitment to the LORD and there is no actions of repentance in their life.
It is hard to believe that someone can come into a Bible believing and teaching church and not be affected by the message and the lifestyles of the people who are genuinely following the LORD.
Our responsibility toward that person is to pray for them and motivate them to change while staying away from their lifestyle. There does come a time when the leadership of the church might have to confront them with a warning from the LORD.
Solomon is warning his sons not to fall into this type of lifestyle.
CHALLENGE: Have you ever met this type of individual who didn’t want to change into a genuine follower of the LORD but still attended church? If so, prayer and discipline is necessary for them to grow into a genuine believer.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 19 A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren. (4090 “discord” [m@dan] means strife, dissention, quarrel, brawling, contention or variant.
DEVOTION: This chapter deals with many topics. It deals with the fact that we should not co-sign for a loan for strangers. It deals with the fact that the LORD wants us to be industrious in our work ethic. It describes naught people and strange women.
In the middle of the chapter it states seven things that God hates. One of the seven deals with those who cause strife among brethren. The devil likes it when families don’t get along. Our world seems to be made up of families that are reclusive. They only love their own children and have little to do with the rest of the family. They get together only to fight.
The problem is that because many families don’t get along with each other – this problem enters the church. Some think that if they don’t have to get along with their relatives, why they should have to get along with their Christian brothers and sisters. This is wrong thinking. God wants families to get along.
God especially wants the Christian family to get along. We need to rethink some of our actions. Families are gossiping about one another so they don’t have to get along. Families are sowing contention. The LORD HATES people who do that. Can we sow contention and have the LORD love us????
We are here to encourage one another. We are here to witness to our families of the love of God. Some will listen. Others will not listen. Our responsibility is to keep the doors of communication open with our blood relatives and our BLOOD relatives.
We are a witness to younger Christians who are learning what it means to be a Christian. If older Christians or saints don’t get along, what is going to happen to the next generation? The LORD wants us to work together in spite of our differences. We are to agree to disagree on some things but still work for the glory of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Walk away when someone is gossiping or trying to sow discord. Ask the LORD to speak to those who are spreading bad things about fellow believers. Ours is a ministry of reconciliation.)
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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 20- 23
lamp
Laws verse 20- 23
light
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life verse 23
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 16
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)
Son verse 1, 3, 20
Friend verse 1, 3
Stranger verse 1
Guide verse 7
Overseer verse 7
Ruler verse 7
Father verse 20
Mother verse 20
Evil woman verse 23
Strange woman verse 24
flattery of the tongue
Thief – must restore sevenfold verse 31
Jealous man verse 34- 35
Day of vengeance
Not regard any ransom
Not rest content
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Surety (co-signer) verse 1
Stricken your hand verse 1
Snared by the words of your mouth verse 2
Sluggard verse 6, 9
Not working verse 9- 11
Naughty verse 12
Wicked verse 12- 15
Forward mouth verse 12, 14
Winking of eye verse 13
Speaks with feet verse 13
Teaches with his fingers verse 13
Mischief verse 14
Discord verse 14
Calamity come verse 15
God hates: Abomination (7) verse 16- 19
Proud look verse 17
Lying tongue verse 17
Shed innocent blood verse 17
Wicked imaginations verse 18
Mischief verse 18
False witness – speaks lies verse 19
Sower of discord among brethren verse 19
Evil woman verse 24
Flattery verse 24
Lust not after beauty verse 25
Taken by eyelids of strange woman verse 25
Whorish woman verse 26
Adulteress verse 26
Touching neighbor’s wife verse 29
Not innocent verse 29
Thief verse 30
Adultery verse 32
Lack understanding verse 32
Destroys his own soul
Dishonor verse 33
Reproach verse 33
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Humble verse 3
Deliver yourself from surety verse 5
Wise verse 6
Work for food verse 8
Learn from parents verse 20- 24
Accept reproof verse 23
Innocent verse 29
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Solomon talking with his son verse 1- 35
Surety for a your friend
Stricken your hand with a stranger
Snared with the words of your mouth
Deliver yourself
Humble yourself
Make sure of a friend
Be wise as an ant
No guide, overseer, or ruler
Provides her meat in the summer
Gathers food in the harvest
How long will you sleep
Outcome poverty
Keep father’s commandments
Forsake not the law of your mother
Bind them upon heart
Tie them about your neck
Lead by wisdom of mother and father
Brethren verse 19
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
6:6–11 The ants are models of diligence in that they work tirelessly in spite of having no taskmaster to goad them on, and they prepare for the winter in spite of having no administration to lay out economic plans. Wisdom literature often examines the natural world for moral lessons.119 Laziness leads to inescapable poverty and ruin. Instead of poverty coming “like a bandit” and an “armed man,” it is better to translate v. 11 to say that poverty will come like a “vagabond” and a “beggar.” The point is not that it will attack suddenly, like armed robbers in ambush. Rather, poverty and indebtedness cling to the slothful like incorrigible beggars who always linger about the house and always want more. Laziness will siphon off resources until the indolent have nothing left. (Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs (Vol. 14, pp. 96–97). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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6 The teacher next directs a lesson to the sluggard (ʿāṣēl, “to be sluggish, lazy”), using the activities of the ant to make the point (cf. the parallel section in 24:30–34, where the emphasis is on the neglected field of the sluggard). Since the ant is a lowly creature, this comparison is somewhat degrading. But the sluggard can learn diligence from its ways. (Ross, A. P. (1991). Proverbs. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 932). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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The bite of sarcasm is felt in the contrast between the diligence of the ant and the indolence of the sluggard. The contrast is humiliating. A person over 5 feet tall and weighing 130 pounds or more is told to let an ant be teacher, an ant less than a quarter of an inch long, weighing a slight fraction of an ounce. A person with gifts of speech, with a brain the size of a whole anthill, is told to bend over, peer down, and learn from the lowly ant. The irony is powerful. The stupid sluggard lags behind the ant in two chief ways. First, she needs no leader; she is not part of a Solomonic bureaucracy (v. 7) with its “captain, overseer [or record keeper], and ruler [or counselor].” The sluggard may fail despite an organizational structure that ought to promote achievement; the ant succeeds on her own. Second, she plans ahead. She understands the seasons. The cycles of life—harvest season and dormant periods—are coded into her instincts. She works while food is plentiful and stores it against the season of want. The contrast leads to a sarcastic complaint (v. 9). The teacher is frustrated, even angry. Laziness is a breach of love. It refuses to carry its own weight let alone help with the loads of the rest of us who plod along supporting our young, our aged, our infirm. We have no surplus energy to carry those who can walk and will not. “How long” and “when” are the right questions.
The sting of the sarcasm comes through in the caricature of the sluggard. One of the sluggard’s traits is cartooned here—the tendency to deny the laziness. Verse 10 may be a quotation of the sluggard’s rationalizations: “I’m not lazy at all, I’m only snatching a slight snooze, seizing the pause that refreshes.” The teacher uses the caricature to draw the sarcastic consequences (see also 24:33–34): You may call it snoozing. But while your eyes lie shut and your hands folded, “your poverty” will panhandle everything you own like a hobo (“tramp” is a more accurate translation than “prowler,” v. 11) and your need (or total lack of goods) will take the rest like a cheeky beggar (“armed,” in light of Arabic and Ugaritic roots ought to be translated as either “an insolent man” or “a beggar”). Hard work ought to be the normal routine of us who serve a carpenter-Christ, who follow the lead of a tentmaker-apostle, and who call ourselves children of a Father who is still working (John 5:17). (Hubbard, D. A., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1989). Proverbs (Vol. 15, pp. 100–101). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
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Proverbs 6:6–10 contrasts the sluggard with the busy ant. The sluggard doesn’t find significance in vocation; he looks upon work as an evil that is to be avoided. Wisdom mocks him, saying that he is so lazy he is weary of bringing his food from the dish to his mouth (26:15). He won’t even cook his food (12:27).
The sluggard delights in sleep and recreation (6:9–10)
He doesn’t get out of bed on time for work, perhaps because he was indulging his appetite for recreation late into the night. He knows he should get up, but ‘as the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed’ (26:14). When he finally does get out of bed he does as little as possible.
The sluggard lacks initiative (6:7)
In contrast to the busy ant, the sluggard won’t do any work unless he is forced. As soon as the boss isn’t looking, he is messing around (Eph. 6:6). When his supervisor is out of town, he comes in late and leaves early. He does the minimum amount of work. The only initiative he shows is in inventing excuses to avoid work: ‘The sluggard says “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!” ’ (22:13). From time to time, sluggards come to the door of our church seeking financial help. When I question them about their work habits, they typically become very defensive and offer an avalanche of excuses. Spurgeon remarked, ‘He [the sluggard] takes great pains to escape from pains.’ If the sluggard worked as hard at a job as he works at avoiding work, he might be rich!
The sluggard procrastinates (6:8)
In contrast to the ant, which prepares its food in the summer and gathers its provision in the harvest, the sluggard does not plough after the autumn, so he begs during the harvest and has nothing (20:4). His motto is ‘Never do today what can be put off until tomorrow.’
The sluggard is self-deceived (6:9–10)
He doesn’t realize he is a fool and actually believes his own excuses: ‘I only need a little more sleep,’ he says as he hits the snooze alarm for the fifth time. He has his own brand of wisdom: he says, ‘Too much work hinders your enjoyment of life’; or, ‘I have chosen to live a more noble and contemplative life’; or even, ‘I want to serve God through study and prayer.’ You cannot reason with him: ‘The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer’ (26:16).
The sluggard is looking for easy money
He wants to get rich without diligence. He thinks he can circumvent God’s way of gaining wealth through skill and hard work. He is a sucker for every get-rich-quick scheme. ‘He who tills his land will have plenty of food, but he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty’ (28:19). He is a dreamer and a talker, not a worker. ‘In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty’ (14:23). When his schemes fail, he expects the government, his family, and his friends to bail him out.
The sluggard is a destructive force
‘He who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys’ (18:9). He is a poor steward of the valuable resources God has given him (24:30–31; see also Eccles. 10:18). He harms the business of the one who hires him: ‘Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy one to those who send him’ (10:26). Laziness can even destroy the economy of a nation when those who are working and being taxed can no longer support those receiving welfare. The sluggard also destroys families: his wife is frustrated and disheartened; his children are corrupted by his bad example. There are few more important factors in choosing a spouse than his or her attitude towards work. (Newheiser, J. (2008). Opening up Proverbs (pp. 107–110). Leominster: Day One Publications.)
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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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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Deuteronomy 8-10
We have so many memories of special times with our children and how the Lord protected and guided us through the years. One special time was when we went to the Adirondack mountains on a summer trip and watched the black bears roam for food. Seeing families leave their cars and get within a few feet of those wild animals was quite stunning.
Israel had many vivid memories of seeing God’s provision and safekeeping while traveling through the wilderness. Moses commanded the people to remember that the Lord had led them, rebuked, and tested them for their obedience. They were to trust Him for physical sustainment, material prosperity, and spiritual maturity.
Israel was to remember that the Lord gave the nation all they possessed and to live in humility. “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (8:18). They were to cross the Jordan and dispossess nations greater than themselves because the Lord went before them (9:3).
The nation was also to remember that they had forgotten the Lord’s mighty power previously and provoked Him to such anger that He was ready to destroy them. He had ordered Moses down from Mount Sinai to contend with the rebellion which led Moses to break the original two tablets. He then burned, crushed, and ground the stones into dust and made the people drink of the mixture.
It was only because Moses interceded for the nation, that God did not destroy them and subsequently reinstated them as His people. He sent Moses back to the mountain and he returned with a second set of stone tablets for the people to keep in the ark.
All this was done to bring the people of God to remember God’s faithful works despite their rebellious nature and to challenge them to be obedient. Moses states, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes…” (10: 12-13).
Elvis Presley sang a song with lyrics that went, “Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind…”. The Lord wants us to remember and to press into our minds His faithfulness throughout our lives. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not His benefits” (Psalm 103:2).
With an Expectant Hope,
Pastor Miller
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QUIET WALK
John 4 Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman.
INSIGHT
The supreme activity of a Christian is worship. As Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman about a location of worship, He proclaims that God is spirit and that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.
For worship, God is indifferent to places, nationalities, and methods. We may worship Him on a mound of dirt or in a cathedral. But we must worship Him in truth. When our body sits in a worship service but our mind is elsewhere, we are not worshiping.
Worship is an act of the will. You can decide to worship. Enter into the songs that are sung, the prayers that are prayed, and the Scripture that is read. Offer Him spiritual sacrifices, and you will experience worship.
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THE CROSS AND RECONCILIATION
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses against them… 2 Corinthians 5:19
On the cross our Lord was reconciling us to God. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” Christ had to pay this penalty. The law had to have its way, and He has borne the punishment. And because of that, if we believe in Him we are free from the punishment and free of the condemnation.
We are reconciled to God, and the power of God takes over and delivers us from the devil and his cohorts and transfers us into the kingdom of God. That is why the apostle puts it like this in Colossians 1:13: “who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” That is how it happens. That is what was happening on the cross. The devil thought he was defeating Christ, but Christ was reconciling us to God, defeating the devil and delivering us out of his clutches. He does it by paying the penalty and putting us right with God. The power of God comes into us, and we are born again, receiving new natures and becoming new people. The Holy Spirit is put within us, and Christ’s presence is ever at hand to help us.
That is why John was able to say, “and the whole world lieth in wickedness,” but “that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18-19). The enemy not only touches the world—he embraces it, and the world cannot get out of his clutches. But Christ takes us out of his clutches and puts us into His own kingdom, and the devil cannot touch us. He can frighten us perhaps, he can shout at us, but he cannot touch us. He thought he was finishing Christ. He was really bringing about his own defeat. Christ has conquered him.
A Thought to Ponder
Christ takes us out of the devil’s clutches and puts us into His own kingdom, and the devil cannot touch us. (From The Cross, pp. 126-127, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).
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The Aroma
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Incense in Scripture has a variety of rich and meaningful usages, particularly as related to the blood sacrifice. “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon:…And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee” (Exodus 30:1, 6). Without this incense, it was impossible to meet with God in this prescribed way. It was to be offered both morning and evening (vv. 7-8). Great care was to be taken in its preparation (vv. 34-36), and it was not to be used for any other purpose (vv. 37-38).
In the New Testament we find a totally different application of this principle. As in our text, we see that Jesus Christ Himself has become an offering and a “sweet-smelling savour” to God. His freely offering Himself is an example to us to live a life of sacrifice and love.
While He was the final sacrifice, we are to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is [our] reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). This may even take the form of material “things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18).
In the mind of God, our life of sacrifice is a sweet-smelling savor. “Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). Without our willing, living sacrifice, we cannot approach God, but with it we are a “sweet savour of Christ.”
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Carried by Love
I have made you and I will carry you. Isaiah 46:4
My four-year-old grandson sat on my lap and patted my bald head, studying it intently. “Papa,” he asked, “What happened to your hair?” “Oh,” I laughed, “I lost it over the years.” His face turned thoughtful: “That’s too bad,” he responded. “I’ll have to give you some of mine.”
I smiled at his compassion and pulled him close for a hug. Reflecting later on his love for me in that cherished moment also caused me to ponder God’s selfless, generous love.
G. K. Chesterton wrote: “We have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” By this he meant that the “Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9) is untainted by sin’s decay—God is ageless and loves us exuberantly with a love that never falters or fades. He’s fully willing and able to fulfill the promise He made to His people in Isaiah 46: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you” (v. 4).
Five verses later He explains, “I am God, and there is none like me” (v. 9). The great “I am” (Exodus 3:14) loves us so deeply that He went to the extreme of dying on the cross to bear the full weight of our sin, so that we might turn to Him and be free of our burden and gratefully worship Him forever! (By James Banks, Our Daily Bread)
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Sanctified, Preserved, Called
“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” (Jude 1:1)
Although the Scriptures have much to teach about each of these precious terms, Jude is the only New Testament writer to use them together in sequence. This is also the only passage that identifies specific roles for the Persons of the Trinity in the lives of believers.
God the Father is said to “sanctify” us (separate, consecrate), but He apparently does this through the Holy Spirit based on the Father’s foreknowledge (1 Peter 1:2). We are not told all that is involved, but our sanctification does include our “belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) and the “offering of the body of Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 10:10), who “was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20).
Jesus Christ “preserves” us. The common use of this term in the New Testament is to “guard” or “watch” over something or someone. The believer is most often the subject of this verb— e.g., we are to “guard” our obedience to the instructions of God (1 Timothy 6:14; 1 John 2:3). Jude’s use, however, highlights the special attention our Lord gives to each of us so that our “whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
The sanctification and the preservation come with the “calling,” the invitation that is issued from God to those who are “the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). It is a “high calling” (Philippians 3:14) and a “holy calling” (2 Timothy 1:9), and once we are “called,” God will “justify” and “glorify” (Romans 8:30). The twice-born of God are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that [we] should shew forth the praises of him who hath called [us] out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). (HMM III, Institute for Creation Research)
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Paul is not able to visit Thessalonica so he sends Timothy instead.
INSIGHT
Affliction is part of life. Sometimes circumstances afflict us; sometimes other people afflict us; sometimes we afflict ourselves. In the midst of affliction, we need encouragement. Paul writes that he sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians “to establish and encourage” them because of their afflictions (vv. 2-3). Paul feared for their spiritual well-being. When we see others in the midst of affliction, we should be quick to encourage them. Rebuke, exhortation, counsel, and instruction all have their time and place, but encouragement is one of the most powerful ministries on earth. (QuietWalk)
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The Truth
“. . . God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
The verses preceding our text encourage believers to be in prayer “for all men” (v. 1), including “all that are in authority” (v. 2), that our own lives might be “quiet and peaceable,” as well as for their salvation.
God, who abhors and promises to judge sinful individuals, does not desire to punish anyone. His desire is for “all men to be saved,” and He has done all that is necessary to bring this about, by paying sin’s awful penalty of death. While not all will avail themselves of this opportunity, choosing instead to continue in their sin, our prayers somehow are used by God to bring some “to the knowledge of the truth.”
The truth necessary for salvation follows: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all” (vv. 5-6).
In order to be saved, we must embrace the fact that there is only “one God” who alone holds the key to eternity, and that there is only one way by which we can reach that God, “the man Christ Jesus.” We, in our natural state, are at war with God, estranged from Him, and separated by the presence of sin in our lives. Christ Jesus, acting as our mediator, our peacemaker, our advocate, being both fully God (i.e., “one God”) and fully man (i.e., “the man”) bridges the gap between the Father and all men. As Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6).
How has He bridged the gap? He “gave himself a ransom for all” (v. 6). The Bible teaches that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) but that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Since He willingly “gave himself” as a punishment for our sins, we can stand before God the Father in Christ’s sinlessness. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Tough Times, Together
We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. ROMANS 15:1
Life in a fallen world can be tough. But what makes suffering and hardship worse is that they often turn us against each other rather than toward each other.
Here are a few ways to keep that from happening as you negotiate the common speed bumps and detours of life:
Give your spouse time and freedom to process trials differently. Fight the urge to discount each other’s emotions or grow impatient with the time it’s taking your spouse to deal with something. Some of us are quick to move on. Some process slowly and are more introspective. Give your spouse freedom to not be like you.
Recognize the temptation to withdraw from each other during periods of intense challenges. As a result, you end up thinking your spouse doesn’t understand you or isn’t taking the tough time seriously enough, which makes you want to pull back even more.
Respond to trials by embracing God’s perspective of suffering. Search the Scriptures for God’s counsel and point of view. Verses like “In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) help to strengthen you through seasons of suffering by reminding you that God is good and He is in control.
Remember that your mate is never your enemy. As my friend Dr. Dan Allender says, your spouse is your “intimate ally,” a fellow burden bearer for a difficult time.
If the burden or suffering persists, seek outside help. If you feel as if you’re slipping off into a deep ditch as a couple, don’t wait until you have all four wheels stuck before you seek help. Find godly counsel by calling a mature mentoring couple, your pastor or a biblical counselor to gain some traction. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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