PSALM 32
Imputed righteousness on believers verse 1- 2
BLESSED is he whose transgression is FORGIVEN
whose sin is COVERED
BLESSED is the man unto whom the LORD
IMPUTES not iniquity
and in whose spirit there is NO GUILE
Conviction of sin on a believer verse 3- 4
When I kept silence
my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long
for day and night YOUR hand was heavy on me
my moisture is turned
into the drought of summer
SELAH
Confession of sin by a believer verse 5
I acknowledge my sin unto YOU
and mine iniquity have I not HID
I said – I will CONFESS my transgressions to the LORD
and YOU FORGAVE the iniquity of my sin
SELAH
Deliverance given to confessing believers verse 6- 7
FOR this shall every one that is godly PRAY to YOU
in the time when YOU may be found
surely in the floods of great waters
YOU they shall not come nigh to him
YOU are my hiding place
YOU shall preserve me from trouble
YOU shall compass me about with songs of deliverance
SELAH
Instruction given to those willing to listen verse 8- 9
I will INSTRUCT you and TEACH you in the way which you shall go
I will GUIDE you with MINE eye – be you not as the horse
or as the mule – which have no understanding
whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle
lest they come near to you
Upright in heart need to praise the LORD verse 10- 11
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked
BUT he that trusts in the LORD
MERCY shall compass him about
Be glad in the LORD – and rejoice
you righteous – and shout for joy
all you that are upright in heart
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (3677 “covered” [kece’] means appointed, conceal, to forgive, to cover over, hidden, out of God’s sight, keeps hidden, or keeps to oneself.)
DEVOTION: Once we become a genuine believer in Jesus Christ our sins are out of God’s sight. HE looks at us through the blood of Jesus Christ.
We are forgiven. Our sins have been out of God’s sight because HE only sees the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for our sins and for the sins of all those who become believers.
There was enough blood shed by Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of every human being that will ever live. However, there has to be personal commitment to Jesus Christ before it can be applied to an individual.
No amount of works will save anyone. No amount of money will save anyone. No about of church attendance will save anyone. No about of going door to door visiting people will do it. It is only done on the basis of Jesus’ death on the cross and our genuine repentance.
We need to be spreading the message to our family and friends and neighbors to show that we really care about winning the world to Jesus Christ. Many cults are visiting more than genuine believers because they think they can earn their salvation but that is a lie.
Jesus earned our salvation on the cross we just have to thank HIM by yielding ourselves to HIM in genuine repentance.
CHALLENGE: Are you a genuine believer or just someone who goes to church occasionally and gives a few dollars each time you go? Our commitment has to be genuine if we are going to have genuine salvation. Are you covered?
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (2803 “imputeth” [chashab] means to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, reckon or count.)
DEVOTION: I was awe struck when I realized the list of characteristics of those who are followers of the LORD. The list involves how we can keep our relationship with the LORD close. HE wants us to be close to HIM. HE loves us.
In the Old Testament the sacrifices at the Temple were used to cover the sins of the children of Israel. On the Day of Atonement the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies. The first sacrifice was for his personal sin. He then offered a second sacrifice for the nation. The sins were reckoned on the scapegoat that was let go into the wilderness, symbolizing the sins leaving the camp.
Our responsibility is to confess our sins. HE then gives us so much in return. One of the best benefits of following HIM is that HE puts our sins on the cross with Jesus. HE is our substitute. HIS atonement on the cross covered all the sins of those who become followers of the LORD. When the Father looks at us HE sees Christ. Our sins are buried in the deepest sea. They are as far as the east is from the west. We are FORGIVEN.
The LORD has a better intellect than we will ever have in our lifetime. HE can think better than we can ever think. HE can calculate math better than we can ever calculate it. David tells us that there are people on this earth that the LORD will not calculate any sin concerning.
This group of people is BLESSED of the LORD. David falls into this group. He knows that the LORD forgives the sin of those who confess their sin and trust in the LORD. He also understands that all his sins are covered by the blood of the lamb or the LORD Jesus Christ.
He understands that once he confesses his sin there is no falsehood in him. Those who don’t confess their sin to the LORD are living with no real knowledge of the truth. They are living in falsehood. They are living in sin. They are destined to have many sorrows in the life to come.
The righteous ones are those who trust in the LORD and HE shows them mercy. The last verse of the psalm instructs all those who are blessed are to rejoice in the LORD. Are we rejoicing? Are we confessed up with the LORD? Remember that if we don’t confess our sins HE will chasten HIS children until they do confess them. HE wants us to be in fellowship with HIM at all times.
CHALLENGE: Look at the list under the doctrine of Salvation and think about all that the LORD has done for us. It should make us all sing praises to his name immediately. I can’t carry a tune very far but I can still make my joyful noise unto the LORD. Please do the same or if you can do it in tune!!!
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:2 “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (“Guile,” 7423 רְמִיָּה, [râmiyah], laxness, slackness, slackening, deceit, treachery. [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.])
DEVOTION: David writes in this penitential psalm about the blessings of the one who walks righteously with God, as well as receives forgiveness for his sins. This attribute does not describe someone who is sinless or perfect, since David is not describing someone who has never sinned. Moreover, this psalm is largely about confession, the guile that is mentioned here is not coming completely clean about one’s sins before a holy God. When we incompletely confess our sins, we continue to rationalize what we have done and want to think that it was not so bad after all in God’s eyes. Our guile then leads to our guilt.
David outlines the consequences of unconfessed sin (both spiritual and physical) in this psalm. He knew of this only too well after his attempt to cover up his sin with Bathsheba! What this psalm extols, then, is the restoration of fellowship with God after one confesses one’s sins. The amazing thing is that God gives us complete forgiveness (justifies us) when we humbly come before Him with our failures. David repeats the bitterness of unconfessed sin and the joy of confessed sin in Psalm 51. This is the start of true obedience.
The prerequisite, then, to forgiveness is having no guile in one’s spirit. We do not allow our sin to confuse us and continue to dominate our lives. Instead, we fully embrace the sinfulness of our sin, and humbly ask our Lord for His forgiveness. God promises His full forgiveness if we do so (1 John 1:9). To confess sin is simply to agree with God about what we have really done. The next step is to seek reconciliation with those whom we have hurt by our sin.
CHALLENGE: Are there any secret sins you need to fully admit to the Lord today? His Spirit will convict you of anything that you need to confess. Experience His forgiveness and joy as you have a cleansed spirit! (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
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:6 “For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to YOU In a time when YOU may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982 (Godly 2623 חָסִיד [chaciyd /khaw·seed/] adj. From 2616; TWOT 698b; GK 2883; 32 occurrences; AV translates as “saints” 19 times, “holy” three times, “merciful” three times, “godly” twice, “good” once, “godly man” once, “Holy One” once, “holy one” once, and “ungodly + 3808” once. 1 faithful, kind, godly, holy one, saint, pious. 1A kind. 1B pious, godly. 1C faithful ones (subst). James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: After recognizing the sin that David had kept within himself and then confessing it to the Lord, he now becomes an encourager to other sinners! David’s difficult rebellion is now being offered as a lesson for others to avoid the feelings and continual wrestling with God. He desires for us to come to the Lord while He is attentive and challenging the believer to confess that hidden sin. That flood of guilt and the inward groaning is replaced with rejoicing and joy as we come to the Lord for cleansing. We may have thought we got away with a sinful activity at school or work but the Lord sees all and works in the believer to make the standard of our life His word!
CHALLENGE: Don’t allow the inner man to be eaten and to wither because of unconfessed sin. Reveal to the Lord what He already knows and enjoy the fullness of life He promises! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 7 YOU are my hiding place; YOU shall preserve me from trouble; YOU shall compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. (5341 “natsar] means to keep watch, watch over, to protect, or to maintain in safety from injury, harm or danger)
DEVOTION: Those who are genuine believers KNOW that they have no place to turn except to the LORD. HE is the only one who can preserve us from going in the wrong direction even after we say we have made a genuine commitment to HIM.
Too often we don’t really understand what it means to make a genuine commitment to the LORD. We go to HIM as babes when we first say “Yes” to an invitation to follow Jesus. We don’t completely understand what type of commitment we have made and once we make the statement, we start our walk with the LORD.
We need to learn total dependence on the LORD alone. We can’t trust our judgment at first because we are still learning what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Our study of the Word of God and our attendance in a good Bible believing and teaching church helps us to mature in the faith to the point where we understand that it is all the work of the LORD and we have to submit to HIM on a daily basis to genuinely learn what it means to be a believer.
The Holy Spirit becomes our guide as we walk with the LORD. This protects us from trouble or sinning. We still sin but we sin less with the help of the teaching of the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
We have to hide with the LORD. When we are in tune with the LORD we can sign with great joy because of our salvation and walk with HIM. We see the deliverance of the LORD each day of our lives as we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our walk with the LORD.
CHALLENGE: The LORD wants to help us and we need to allow HIM to watch over us to keep us form trouble or sin.
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: 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusts in the LORD,mercy shall compass him about. (4141 “compass” [muwcab] means to surround, to go in a circle, to encircle or extend on all sides of simultaneously, or march around)
DEVOTION: We have a granddaughter who does a lot of marching around with a school band. She has done it for years. We have watched her in competition with other schools. Of course, we think that her group is the best because she is in it.
However, we find that we are marching to a different tune once we become a follower of Jesus Christ. It is because of our commitment to Jesus Christ that we have mercy from the LORD.
HIS mercies are NEW every morning according to the Word of God. HE will never run out of mercy for those who are HIS children. That means everyone who has made a genuine commitment to Jesus Christ based on HIS shedding of blood on the cross will have mercy from the LORD each day of his life.
Those who are without Christ don’t understand that the LORD forgives us each day from the sins we commit. HE doesn’t give us a free ride to sin but HE knows that we will continue to sin after our acceptance of HIM.
HIS goal and our goal as a genuine believer is to sin less. We will never be sinless because only Jesus Christ was sinless. We are to grow in our relationship with the LORD to sin less and be the example to others that the LORD wants us to be.
The wicked or those who have not accepted Christ as their Savior don’t have this same goal for their life. The difference should be great between the two groups but sometimes it doesn’t seem to be that way.
There are people who think they are believers but their actions say something different. We are not the judge but we need to be sure that we warn them that with Christ our lives are different but not sinless.
CHALLENGE: Our trust in the LORD daily shows others the way to became a genuine believer.
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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)
Confession of sin verse 5
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Godly pray for forgiveness verse 6
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Compassed about with songs of deliverance verse 7
Be glad – rejoice – shout for joy verse 11
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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 2, 5, 10, 11
I will instruct you verse 8
I will teach you in the way you should go verse 8
I will guide you with MINE eye verse 8
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)
Men act like horses or mules verse 9
Wicked verse 10
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Transgression verse 1, 5
Sin verse 1, 5
Iniquity verse 2, 5
Guile (falsehood) verse 2
Silence verse 3
Being like a horse or mule verse 9
No understanding verse 9
Wicked verse 10
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Blessed verse 1, 2
Forgiven verse 1, 5
Sin is covered verse 1
Imputed no iniquity verse 2
No guile in spirit verse 2
God’s hand of conviction verse 4
Acknowledge sin verse 5
Confess verse 5
Godly verse 6
Pray verse 6
Hiding place verse 7
Preserves from trouble verse 7
Songs of deliverance verse 7
Instruct – teach – guide verse 8
Follow God’s way verse 8
Trust verse 10
Mercy verse 10
Glad verse 11
Rejoice verse 11
Righteous verse 11
Shout for joy verse 11
Upright in heart verse 11
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David verse 1- 11
Kept silent but bones waxed old
Hand of discipline was on him
day and night
He acknowledged his sin to the LORD
Not hid his iniquity
Confessed his transgressions to the LORD
Forgiven of the LORD
Godly pray when the LORD may be found
LORD is his hiding place
LORD preserves him from trouble
Compassed about with songs of deliverance
Trust in the LORD to receive mercy
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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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.
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QUOTES regarding passage
9. This vivid picture brings out, by its contrasts, the emphasis in verse 8 on intelligent co-operation, which God has set his heart on eliciting from us (cf. John 15:15); for whatever else one can do with a horse one can hardly counsel it (8), or control it without bringing pressure on it. Jeremiah 8:6 uses it to picture a more forceful waywardness than that of the proverbial sheep: ‘Every one turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle.’ But the exact point of verse 9c is elusive. Lit. ‘not to come near you’, it has been taken to mean either ‘(Else) they will not come near …’ (rv) or ‘That they come not near’ (rv mg.). The former is the more intelligible, though it is doubtful whether rsv else it will not keep with you can rightly be extracted from it. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 153). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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32:9–11. The psalmist advised his readers to submit to the Lord rather than resist stubbornly like a horse or … mule that has to be controlled. Those who trust Him will experience His faithful loyal love (ḥeseḏ) and will be able to sing praises to Him. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 818). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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God speaks to David in verses 8–9, assuring him that the joy of salvation would be restored to him (51:12) if he obeyed the Lord and walked in His way. David’s wrong thinking got him into serious trouble, but the Lord would instruct him, guide him, and keep His loving eye on him (see 33:18; 34:15). David’s faith (vv. 5–6) must now issue in obedience, for faith and works must go together. God doesn’t forgive us so that we can go back and sin! “But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (130:4).
When he gazed at Bathsheba, lusted after her, and then committed adultery, and when he plotted to kill her husband, David saw himself acting like a free man; but God saw him acting like an animal! We are made in God’s image, but when we choose to knowingly rebel against God’s law, we descend into what the older translations call acting “brutish” (see 92:6; 94:8; Jer. 10:8, 14, 21) and modern translations “senseless.” Like the horse, David rushed ahead impetuously, and like the mule, he was stubborn and tried to cover his sins. The only way to control animals is to break them and harness them, but God didn’t want to do that to His beloved servant David. Instead, He would teach him His Word and keep His eye upon him, surrounding him with mercy (see 23:6). (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., pp. 126–127). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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32:9 horse … mule. I.e., Don’t be stubborn. Such animals are used as pointed illustrations of this sin (cf. Pr 26:3; Is 1:3; Jas 3:3). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 32:9). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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32:8, 9 I will instruct you: The speaker changes. The Lord “comes into the psalm” to instruct the people. He exhorts the people not to be like a horse that will not go where its rider wants it to go; it has to be disciplined because it is stubborn. God does not want to muzzle or bridle His people like a horse. He expects His servants to respond promptly to Him of their own accord. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 669). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
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[C] Ver. 9.—“bit and bridle.” E. T. מתג ורסן. The LXX. render the first of these two words by χαλινῷ, the second by κημῷ. The word χαλινὸς signifies “the iron of the common bridle which is put into the horse’s mouth,—the bit, or curb.” But κημὸς was something like “a muzzle,” which was put upon mischievous horses or mules to hinder them from biting. Xenophon says, that it allowed them to breathe, but kept the mouth shut, so that they could not bite. Not knowing the term of art for this contrivance, I call it “a muzzle.” The verb קרב is a military term, and signifies “to advance, as an enemy, to attack.” The “coming near,” therefore, intended here, is “a coming near to do mischief.” The admonition given by the Psalmist to his companions is, to submit to the instruction and guidance graciously promised from heaven, and not to resemble, in a refractory disposition, those ill-conditioned colts, which are not to be governed by a simple bridle, but unless their jaws are confined by a muzzle, will attack the rider as he attempts to mount, or the groom as he leads to the pasture and the stall. (Horsley, S. (1845). The Book of Psalms; Translated from the Hebrew: With Notes, Explanatory and Critical (Fourth Edition, p. 239). London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans; F. & J. Rivington.)
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Ver. 9. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, &c.] The design of this exhortation is to direct men how to behave under the instructions given; not as brutes, which have no rational faculties, but as men; that they should not shew themselves thoughtless, stupid, and unteachable, as these animals, or worse than they; nor stubborn and obstinate, refractory and untractable, resolving not to be taught, stopping the ear, and pulling away the shoulder; nor ill-natured and mischievous; not only hating instruction, casting away the law of the Lord, but kicking and spurning at, and persecuting such who undertake to instruct them; as these creatures sometimes attempt to throw their riders, and, when down, kick at them. Whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee; to do mischief, bite or kick; or because they do not come near to thee; and that they may come near, and be brought into subjection, and become obedient; therefore such methods are used; see Jam. 3:3. there is in the words a tacit intimation, that men are commonly, and for the most part, like these creatures, stupid, stubborn, and mischievous; and therefore severe methods are used by the Lord, sore chastenings, to humble and instruct them; see Jer. 31:18, 19. the mule, more especially, is remarkable for its stupidity; and though the horse is docible, yet he is sometimes stubborn and refractory. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 661). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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9. “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding.” Understanding separates man from a brute—let us not act as if we were devoid of it. Men should take counsel and advice, and be ready to run where wisdom points them the way. Alas! we need to be cautioned against stupidity of heart, for we are very apt to fall into it. We who ought to be as the angels, readily become as the beasts. “Whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” It is much to be deplored that we so often need to be severely chastened before we will obey. We ought to be as a feather in the wind, wafted readily in the breath of the Holy Spirit, but alas! we lie like motionless logs, and stir not with heaven itself in view. Those cutting bits of affliction show how hard-mouthed we are, those bridles of infirmity manifest our headstrong and wilful manners. We should not be treated like mules if there were not so much of the ass about us. If we will be fractious, we must expect to be kept in with tight rein. Oh for grace to obey the Lord willingly, lest like the wilful servant, we are beaten with many stripes. Calvin renders the last words, “Lest they kick against thee,” a version more probable and more natural, but the passage is confessedly obscure—not, however, in its general sense. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 27-57 (Vol. 2, pp. 84–85). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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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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Sol Ibarra writes (Mexico): There is a misunderstanding regarding the so proclaimed “Free Will”. Will is our ability to discern things and make decisions, but if it were free it would have no restrictions or consequences. God gave us that ability because he made us in his image and likeness. So that we could relate to Him in a “rational” way and voluntarily obey Him. When we rape that penis there are consequences and we saw them from the beginning with our first parents. Our will serve us to decide to obey or not, but God is not subject to “our” will. Unless Christ has paid for our crime of violating His Rules, our will only serve to take us to hell!
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To End All Wars
“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4)
It has been over 100 years since “The War to End All Wars” ended in victory for those who had “fought to make the world safe for democracy.” A celebration of thanksgiving followed, and a holiday was established to commemorate that great Armistice Day (now Veterans Day).
However, an even greater war soon followed, only to be repeated by innumerable local wars and revolutions. Instead of a world of liberty and democracy, many of the world’s nations are now under the brutal heel of totalitarian dictatorships. With the threat of potential nuclear obliteration hanging over the world, the prophecy of Christ is being literally fulfilled: “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26).
In the 25 centuries since our text was first uttered, there has been a war going on somewhere in the world at least 11 out of every 12 years, and it certainly seems unlikely that such a promise will ever be fulfilled.
Yet it is God who has promised, and only He can accomplish it. “He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people” (our text for today). “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end…The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7). When the Lord Jesus Christ comes again, “He shall speak peace unto the (nations): and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10). Finally, world peace will come, and Christ “shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.
INSIGHT
Solomon leads Israel in righteousness, and God pours out His blessing on the nation to such an extent that the reports of Israel’s prosperity spread throughout the world. The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because she cannot believe the reports she has been hearing. After Solomon meets with her and shows her around Jerusalem, she is overwhelmed.
The blessing of Israel is to draw attention to the God of Israel. Today as the Lord blesses us spiritually for our faithfulness to Him, attention will be drawn, not to us, but to the Lord. (Daily Walk)
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THE PURPOSE OF REVIVAL
…as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever. Joshua 4:23-24
Why does God send revival from time to time? The first reason given in Joshua 4:24 is this: “that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty.” God does this thing from time to time, God sends revival, blessing, upon the church in order that He may do something with respect to those who are outside Him. He is doing something that is going to arrest the attention of all the people of the earth. Here, we must always realize, is the chief reason for ever considering this matter at all. This is my main reason for calling attention to this whole subject of revival and for urging everybody to pray for revival, to look for it, and to long for it. This is the reason: the glory of God.
You see, Israel alone represented God and His glory. All the other nations of the world were pagan; they had their various gods, and they did not believe in or worship the God of Israel. But God had chosen Israel. He had made a nation for Himself in order that through them, and by means of them, He might manifest His own glory and that they might bear this testimony to all the nations of the world. That was the real function of the children of Israel, and the other nations were watching them and were ready always to scoff at them and to ridicule them. Whenever the nation of Israel was defeated, the other nations would say, “Where is their God? Where is His power?”
A Thought to Ponder: God sends revival to arrest the attention of all the people of the earth. (From Revival, p. 119, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Finders Keepers
What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate. MARK 10:9
Research has shown that about two-thirds of all divorces today are occurring in low-conflict marriages. That is, they’re ending without a death blow like infidelity or physical abuse. Instead, a couple simply accumulates enough disagreement and disharmony that they begin believing that the best option for doing away with the headaches is just to do away with the marriage.
If you know people in that situation, urge them to fight for their marriage.
Tell them not to quit without taking another lap around the track—without stopping to realize that the best marriage to be in is the one they already have. I received an email not long ago from a radio listener who was convicted by an interview he had heard on one of our broadcasts. He and his wife were divorced, and he was close to marrying another woman. He wasn’t sure what he should do.
I couldn’t get away from his message. I read it and reread it. Finally, I just sat down to call him, and asked, “Is there any possibility of reconciling with your wife before you move on to remarriage? Look, you’re still going to be married to an imperfect person, even if you swap one spouse for another. Only now you’re going to be bringing all that divorce baggage into your new relationship.”
One researcher told me that if a couple can find as little as 20 percent of their marriage that they would call satisfactory, they have a better than 90 percent chance of making their marriage better in two years—if they stick with it, if they keep fighting, if they don’t give up and throw in the towel too soon. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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The Lamb’s Book of Life
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27)
God does keep books! In fact, when David was pondering the time between his own conception and birth, he said “in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance [that is, as my days continued] were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). It seems that God has a book for each person who is conceived, and that all these together constitute the Book of Life, one great volume containing the names and deeds of every one who was ever given biological life by his Maker.
But many, during the course of their lives, will reject (or simply ignore) God’s provision that would also give them eternal life. As David prayed in another psalm: “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous” (Psalm 69:28). Note also Revelation 3:5 and 22:19. And that will be a fearful thing, for “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).
Those whose names will not be blotted out of the book, of course, are those who have been redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Not one persondeserves to be retained in God’s book, for all have sinned, but they have “beheld,” with eyes of thankful faith, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and have therefore been redeemed by the Lamb.
Finally, only these will still have their names written on the rolls of the heavenly city. God’s Book of Life will have become “the Lamb’s Book of Life” on which are written forever the names of all those redeemed by His blood. (HMM, Institute for Creation Research)
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