Revelation 10
Voices of the seven thundersverses 1-4
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven
clothed with a cloud – and a rainbow was upon his head
and his face was as it were the sun
and his feet as pillars of fire
AND he had in his hand a little book open
and he set his right foot upon the sea
and his left foot on the earth – and he cried with a loud voice
as when a lion roars – and when he had cried
seven thunders uttered their voices
AND when the seven thunders had uttered their voices
I was about to write
and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me
SEAL up those things which the
seven thunders uttered – and write them not
Fulfillment of message declared by prophetsverses 5-7
AND the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth
lifted up his hand to heaven
and swore by HIM that lives for ever and ever
WHO created heaven – and the things that therein are
and the earth – and the things that therein are
and the sea – and the things which
are therein – that there should
be time no longer
BUT in the days of the voice of the seventh angel
when he shall begin to sound
the mystery of God should be finished
as HE has declared to HIS servants the prophets
John to eat the little book and preach itverses 8-11
AND the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again
and said – Go and take the little book which is open in
the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea
and upon the earth
AND I went to the angel – and said to him
Give me the little book
AND he said to me – Take it – and eat it up
and it shall make your belly bitter
but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey
AND I took the little book out of the angel’s hand – and ate it up
and it was in my mouth sweet as honey
and as soon as I had eaten it
my belly was bitter
AND he said to me – You must prophesy again before many
peoples – nations – tongues – kings
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. (4972 “Seal” [sphragizo] means to hide, keep secret, to make secure, to authenticate a document with a seal, or to stamp)
DEVOTION: The angels were talking to each other in heaven. There is a lot of conversation between the different angels throughout this book of the Bible. They are very active throughout the Word of God. Each time we understand the different assignments of the angels we see their different responsibilities.
The first angel we hear from is a fallen one as he talks with Eve in the Garden. He is the devil or Satan who fell from heaven because of his rebellion against God. The next angels were the Cherubim who had flaming swords to keep Adam and Eve from reentering the Garden of Eden. So throughout the Word of God you can see the good angels working for the LORD.
Now we don’t know who the seven thunders were as far as what type of angel but we know they responded to the mighty angel. What they said was to continue to be a secret even until this time period. John could not reveal this secret. We will find out what they said when we are there to hear them.
We are only to give the message John was given to all those who are willing to listen to us. The message we are to proclaim is the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We serve a living Savior who has given us the living Word to share with all those who will listen to give them life eternal.
There are going to be things we don’t understand here on this earth that will be made plain to us when we meet the LORD in heaven. We may think that we need all the answers but that is not true. We only need the answers to the questions that the LORD has given us answers concerning our present life and our future life.
CHALLENGE: Make sure you entertain individuals in your home on a regular basis because you never know who is coming to dinner at your house.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 And swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer (2936 “created” [ktizo] means to fabricate, make, establish or Creator)
DEVOTION: John was given another vision of heaven. He saw a mighty messenger of God. He saw a little book. He heard a voice like a lion’s voice say some things that he wanted to write down. The voice from heaven told him to seal the words that were spoken. It is thought that this mighty angel could be Michael one of the chief princes. He was the one representing the nation of Israel in the book of Daniel.
The mighty angel swore by the name of God. The God of the Bible is the ONE and ONLY ONE WHO made the universe. HE made heaven. HE made earth. HE made the sea. HE made all the creatures that are in the world. HE created the world in the beginning. Here we have another testimony of HIS power to create the world. Evolution is not the answer. We did not evolve from monkeys. There is no evolution taking place even today. God created the world and all that is in it in a literal six twenty-four hour periods. HE then rested on a literal twenty-four hour period. Each day was not a thousand years. There is no gap between Genesis 1: 1 and Genesis 1: 2.
HE was declaring that there would NO MORE DELAY in the judgment of God. The seventh trumpet was about to sound to start the seven vial.
John was commanded to go to the mighty angel and take the small book from him. He went to the angel and took the book and the angel told him to eat the book. Ezekiel was also told to eat a writing roll and he had the same results as John. It was sweet to eat but bitter in his stomach.
In John and Ezekiel, we find that the message of God working is sweet but as God is working it is going to be in judgment on the world because they have rejected HIM.
We are to spread the message of God in our world. It is sweet in our mouth but bitter in our stomach. Why? The message is the good news of Christ. It is sweet in our mouths because we know that those who respond to the message will spend eternity in heaven with Christ. However, the message is bitter in our stomach because we realize that most people will not respond and will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. They will spend eternity in Hell. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth forever. Their torment will last as long as our time in heaven. That is a bitter story.
One reason is that some of the people we love will not respond to the message in a positive way. They will think that they have more time to respond – that is a lie of the devil. They will think that everyone will go to heaven – that is a lie of the devil. They will think that all people really worship the same God – that is a lie of the devil. There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ alone.
CHALLENGE: Our message needs to be presented with power. Our message is the truth from God. As John was told to continue to forth tell the truth of the Word of God, we must do the same. We should not keep silent!!! The time could be shorter than we think. Judgment is coming!
: 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as HE hath declared to HIS servants the prophets. (2097 “declared” [euaggelizo] means preach the gospel, bring good tidings, glad tiding of the coming of the kingdom of God, tell the good news, proclaim, or publish)
DEVOTION: John is receiving instruction from an angel regarding the mystery of God for the future. God has secrets. Jesus told HIS disciples that HE had things to tell them but they were not ready for them yet. Here is an example of John finally being ready for some more information regarding the future.
The word used for “declare” means to preach the good news. The mystery was being revealed to John and he was to preach the message he was given.
He had heard something from the voice of the seven thunders that he was told to seal up and not reveal. So John was hearing things that he was not able to reveal of the future.
This mystery or secret was going to reveal what the finished work of God would be. It was to be declared to all who would listen to the disciple John.
We are to preach or bring or tell those who we come in contact with what we know that has been revealed to us of the truth of what is going to happen in the future. We have to warn those who are believers to be faithful servants of the LORD. We have to warn those outside of Christ the time is short for them to become believers.
In this book of Revelation we find that the angels of God are very active in the ministry of protecting and informing those who are followers of Jesus Christ. In the book of Hebrews, we are warned to be hospitable to strangers because we could be entertaining angels unaware.
The Bible gives us enough information to keep us busy proclaiming the truth regarding the past, present and future. We need to be busy learning from the Bible through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and then getting out of our comfort zone and tell others what we have learned.
During any time in history there are times of persecution of believers. We are living in those times. Preach the Word before they come to take us to jail or worse. Many are suffering for Jesus around the world. Our Biblical military chaplains are suffering persecution now if they use the name of Jesus Christ. This will filter down to our open society soon as people don’t want to hear about what Jesus did for them on the cross.
CHALLENGE: Reveal the secrets of God to all those who will listen to you. Our message is truth in a world that says there is no truth.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. (4087 “bitter” [pikraino] means to be or become sour and sharp to the taste, be harsh, embittered, to make sharp, exasperate, render angry, irritated, or to grieve.)
DEVOTION: In Ezekiel 3: 3 we find the prophet Ezekiel told to eat a roll of a book. It was sweet to his mouth. It is described in that verse as “honey for sweetness.” He was given a message to tell to the children of Israel regarding HIS plans for them. This plan included judgment as well.
Now we have the disciple John told to eat the little book. It would be sweet as honey in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. It was a message from God to the people that John ministered to in his day and age.
Again, the sweetness was the fact that God was dealing with HIS people by communicating with HIM about HIS future plans for them. It is always good to get a message from someone who loves us. Many times, they never write or communicate their love but here the LORD communicates a message that we need to understand and spread.
However, the message is good but it contains judgment which is bitter. We don’t want to confront people with the truth of what is going on in their world. Many who claim Christ are not living the way they should. We have to inform them to return to living the way the LORD wants them to live. Even harder is telling someone we love that there is judgment coming and if they don’t become a believer, they will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. It is a true message and we should speak the truth in love but it is still a bitter message to give to those we love.
Our assignment is the same as John’s assignment. We are to tell the truth of the Word of God to all those we meet. Some will respond and others will not.
CHALLENGE: We need courage today to spread HIS good news around our world. That can be a bitter-sweet assignment!!!
:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. (1484 “nations” [ethnos] means 1 a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together. 1a a company, troop, swarm. 2 a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus. 2a the human race. 3 a race, nation, people group. 4 in the OT, foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles. 5 Paul uses the term for Gentile Christians. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship].)
DEVOTION: In the city of New York, there is an organization called the United Nations. This was founded at the end of World War II in 1945, and currently has 193 members. Its purpose is to try to find peaceful solutions to the world’s problems. Judging from the number of wars going on the world today, one might say it isn’t being too effective.
The idea of nations goes back to the concept of people groups. After the tower of Babel, God scattered mankind across the face of the earth, and that was the birth of culture and of nations. People today still identify with a specific nation (and frequently a specific people group from within that nation). In fact, everywhere we go, we find a degree of pride about that particular people group and nation vis-à-vis other nations and people groups.
God’s plan was always to have the good news of Jesus Christ be preached to all the nations. This goes back to His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in Abraham’s lineage all of the nations would be blessed. Jesus, after He was resurrected, instructed His disciples to go into all the world and proclaim the good news about Himself (Matthew 28:19-20). That means that as believers in Jesus Christ, we have no excuse not to be about the business of sharing Christ. These days we have the opportunity to do so even as other people groups come to the United States and we are surrounded by them.
CHALLENGE: What are you doing to reach out to those closest to you who are from a different culture? Maybe it is some at your school or at your work. It might even be a neighbor. Whoever it is, ask the Lord to give you the courage to reach out to them so that you can share the gospel with them. (MW)
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)
Little bookverses 2, 8, 9
Writeverse 4
Seal upverse 4
Write them notverse 4
Eat bookverse 10
Bitter in belly
Sweet in mouth
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)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
HIM who lives for ever and eververse 6
Creator – heaven, earth & seaverse 6
Godverse 7
Mystery of Godverse 7
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)
Angelverses 1, 5, 7-10
Another mighty angelverses 1, 5, 8, 9
Clothed with a cloud
Rainbow on his head
Face as sun
Feet as pillar of fire
Had a little book open
Right foot on sea
Left foot on earth
Lifted hand to heaven
Spoke to God
John to take little book from
Spoke to John
Seven thunders uttered their voicesverse 4
Write them not
Seventh angelverse 7
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Peoplesverse 11
Nationsverse 11
Tonguesverse 11
Kingsverse 11
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Servants the prophet sverse 7
Church (New Testament people of God)
John to take little bookverses 8-11
Said “Give me the little book”
Sweet as honey in mouth
Bitter in belly
Prophesy
Last Things (Future Events)
Time no longerverse 6
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QUOTES regarding passage
I went (ἀπηλθα [apēltha]). Second aorist active indicative (-α [-a] form), “I went away” (ἀπ- [ap-]) to the angel. John left his position by the door of heaven (4:1). That he should give (δουναι [dounai]). Second aorist active infinitive of διδωμι [didōmi], indirect command after λεγων [legōn] (bidding) for δος [dos] in the direct discourse (second aorist active imperative second person singular). This use of λεγω [legō] to bid occurs in 13:14; Acts 21:21. He saith (λεγει [legei]). Dramatic vivid present active indicative of λεγω [legō]. Take it and eat it up (λαβε και καταφαγε αὐτο [labe kai kataphage auto]). Second aorist (effective) active imperatives of λαμβανω [lambanō] and κατεσθιω [katesthiō] (perfective use of κατα [kata], “eat down,” we say “eat up”). See the same metaphor in Ezek. 3:1–3; Jer. 15:6f. The book was already open and was not to be read aloud, but to be digested mentally by John. It shall make thy belly bitter (πικρανει σου την κοιλιαν [pikranei sou tēn koilian]). Future active of πικραινω [pikrainō], for which verb see 8:11; 10:10; and Col. 3:19. There is no reference in Ezekiel or Jeremiah to the bitterness here mentioned. Sweet as honey (γλυκυ ὡς μελι [gluku hōs meli]). For the sweetness of the roll see Ps. 19:10f.; 119:103. “Every revelation of God’s purposes, even though a mere fragment, a βιβλαριδιον [biblaridion], is ‘bitter-sweet,’ disclosing judgement as well as mercy” (Swete). Deep and bitter sorrows confront John as he comes to understand God’s will and way. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Re 10:9). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
10:8–11. John obeyed the angel’s instruction to eat the scroll, and though it was sweet (like honey) in his mouth, it soured in his stomach. The angel then added that John would prophesy again.
What does this incident mean? Though no interpretation was given John, it is evident that in partaking of the book he was appropriating what the book states (cf. Jer. 15:16). The scroll seems to symbolize the Word of God and divine revelation in general, for John was told to deliver the Word faithfully.
To John the Word of God was indeed sweet with its revelation of the grace of God and its many precious promises that belong to believers. As such it sharply contrasted with his circumstances on Patmos Island. David stated, “The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb” (Ps. 19:9–10). Though the Word is sweet to believers, it will be bitter to unbelievers when it brings divine judgment on them. (Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 954–955). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The directions that the angel gave to John (Rev. 10:8–11) should remind us of our responsibility to assimilate the Word of God and make it a part of the inner man. It was not enough for John to see the book or even know its contents and purpose. He had to receive it into his inner being.
God’s Word is compared to food: bread (Matt. 4:4), milk (1 Peter 2:2), meat (1 Cor. 3:1–2), and honey (Ps. 119:103). The Prophets Jeremiah (Jer. 15:16) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 2:9–3:4) knew what it was to “eat” the Word before they could share it with others. The Word must always “become flesh” (John 1:14) before it can be given to those who need it. Woe unto that preacher or teacher who merely echoes God’s Word and does not incarnate it, making it a living part of his very being.
God will not thrust His Word into our mouths and force us to receive it. He hands it to us and we must take it. Nor can He change the effects the Word will have in our lives: there will be both sorrow and joy, bitterness and sweetness. God’s Word contains sweet promises and assurances, but it also contains bitter warnings and prophecies of judgment. The Christian bears witness of both life and death (2 Cor. 2:14–17). The faithful minister will declare all of God’s counsel (Acts 20:27). He will not dilute the message of God simply to please his listeners (2 Tim. 4:1–5).
The angel commissioned John to prophesy again; his work was not yet completed. He must declare God’s prophetic truth concerning (not “before”) many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings (Rev. 5:9). The word nations usually refers to the Gentile nations. John will have much to say about the nations of the world as he presents the rest of this prophecy. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 598). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
10:9 Take it and eat it. This act graphically illustrates taking in God’s Word. John’s physical reactions demonstrate what every believer’s proper response to God’s judgment should be (cf. Eze 3:1)—sweet anticipation of God’s glory and our victory, and at the same time, the bitterness of seeing God’s wrath poured out on those who reject His Son. your stomach bitter. As he truly digests what the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments hold in store for the sinner, John becomes nauseated. in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. But still God’s final victory and vindication are sweet realities to the believer. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Re 10:9). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 9. And I went to the angel, &c.] According to the order given him; he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision; and, indeed, whither should any go for knowledge but to him who has the words of eternal life, and is the great prophet of the church? and to whom should John go to qualify him for prophesying, but to him, who, as man and Mediator, had this revelation of future things given him? ch. 1:1 and said unto him, give me the little book; he did not take it without his leave, but in a modest and humble manner asks him to give it him, that he might deliver out the prophecies in it to others: so ordinary prophets and ministers of the word should go to Christ, to have their eyes opened, their understandings enlightened, that they may understand the Scriptures, and explain them to others: and he said unto me, take it, and eat it up; which must be understood not literally, but mystically; and the sense is this, take the book, and diligently peruse it, and with as much eagerness as an hungry man would eat a meal; so greedy are some persons of reading, and as it were of devouring books; hence Cicero called Cato helluo librorum, a glutton at books: and in such manner John is bid to take and eat this book, and look into it, and read it over diligently, and consider what was in it, and meditate upon it, and digest the things contained in it, and lay them up in his mind and memory; and for the present hide and conceal them, in like manner as he was bid to seal, and not write what the seven thunders uttered; and so, though this book is represented to him as open in the angel’s hand, yet he must take it and eat it, and hide it in his belly, because the things in it as yet were not to be accomplished: so for ordinary prophesying, or preaching, the ministers of the word should diligently read the Scriptures, constantly meditate on them, digest the truths of the Gospel in their own minds, and lay them up in the treasury of their hearts, and bring them forth from thence in due season: and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey; as Ezekiel’s roll was to him when he ate it, Ezek. 3:1, 2, 3 the Alexandrian copy, instead of thy belly, reads thy heart. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 763). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
10: 8-11. Finally, John was allowed to deal with the little book (v9) The voice from heaven (v.4) commanded him to take it from the angel who, in trun, instructed him to eat it. The results paralleled the bittersweet experience of aforementioned prophets (Jr15;15-18; Ezk 2:8-3:3). The joy of representing God and His Word would be accompanied by the overwhelming shock and sorrow related to the coming judgments. As modern believers study God’s Word, they should at once rejoice in God’s righteousness, while not neglecting to meditate upon its terrible consequences for rebellious humanity.
(p. 2013, The Moody Bible Commentary by Faculty of Moody Bible Institute)
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!!)
John Glenn, one of the original seven American astronauts, died on December 8 at age 95. In 1962, he was the first American to orbit the earth, and in 1998 he was the oldest person to go into space (age 77). Glenn was one of many American astronauts who talked about their faith in God. The following interesting overview was published in the Orlando Sentinel, Nov. 7, 1998. Orlando is only a few miles from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. “From high above Earth, John Glenn saw the face of God. He is not alone. There is something about the beauty of space, Earth and the universe that touches many astronauts’ spirits. Logic-oriented scientists and daring pilots turn spiritual, some even evangelical, after their space flights. Glenn and most of his Mercury astronauts strongly testified about how faith helped with their groundbreaking flights. The crew of Apollo 8 punctuated the first flight around the moon with a moving reading from Genesis. The first liquid poured and food eaten on the moon occurred when Buzz Aldrin took communion. Apollo astronaut Jim Irwin became an evangelist before his 1991 death. Astronaut Tammy Jernigan talked about her Christian faith in a live broadcast from a shuttle three years ago. Shannon Lucid, the daughter of missionaries, took a minister’s sermons up to the Russian space station Mir. When that space station was damaged in a crash, one of the cosmonauts’ first broadcasts back to Earth was to thank God that they survived. John Glenn … summed it all up last week while in orbit. ‘To look up out at this kind of creation and not believe in God is to me impossible,’ Glenn said in a Sunday news conference, responding to a reporter’s question. ‘It just strengthens my faith.’ Glenn, a devout Presbyterian, said he was praying every day in orbit. An enhanced faith ‘is pretty common,’ said former astronaut Bryan O’Connor, who used to run the space shuttle program for NASA. ‘I can tell you I felt a sense of awe out there looking at the Earth that I never had before, and it’s easy to relate that to a spiritual kind of thing. It’s almost natural. … It’s really an accentuator.’ Astronauts usually don’t talk about faith much at work, said three-time ex-astronaut Mike Mullane. However, there was an active Bible study group among the astronauts when he flew several years ago. … ‘It is so incredibly beautiful that it does stir your soul into thinking that there does have to be some Supreme Being,’ Mullane said Monday. Astronaut Dom Gorie … has vivid memories of looking out the window and thinking there is ‘no other way it could have formed without a creator'” (“Astronauts Faith Isn’t Lost in Space,” Orlando Sentinel, Nov. 7, 1998).
Samuel publicly introduces Saul to the nation of Israel.
INSIGHT
Leadership is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Leaders like to have the allegiance and esteem of their followers, but such is rarely the case. Inherent in humanity are differences of opinion, and those differences cause some to be for certain leadership and against other leadership.
The day Saul is presented as king over Israel, a faction of “worthless men” grumble against him. If you are in a position of leadership, you should not be insensitive to dissension, but you must also realize that you will never make all the people happy all the time. (Quiet Walk)
As spiritual leaders we are to be watchful of the spiritual health of the congregation and of the people in the congregation. If the church is unhealthy, it is because the board is unhealthy and has failed in its responsibility. (p. 134)
(Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
OUTSPOKEN ABOUT SIN
It is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. Matthew 18:8
All talk about sin, say the self-expressionists, is utterly foolish, leading to self-repression, which is, they aver, the only sin. What used to be called sin is just expression of self, the greatest and the most vital possession that man has, they say. Not to sin, according to the old meaning of the term, is to do violence to the greatest gift he possesses. They plead, therefore, for the abolition of the word sin in its earlier associations. They deplore what they term the tragic spectacle of mankind shackled against its highest good by adherence to the warnings of the Bible, the Church, and the saints.
We can best consider this human view of life, and show its complete fallacy, by contrasting it with God’s view as stated in the Bible. The teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, are outspoken against sin. He said, “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire” (Matthew 18:8-9).
Now there we are reminded of the way in which every conceivable view of life and of men is invariably dealt with somewhere or another in the Scriptures. Modern man is constantly flattering himself and suggesting to himself that certain of his ideas are quite new. But here again we find an illustration of a view that prides itself on its modernity dealt with completely and exhaustively in the Bible.
A Thought to Ponder The teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, are outspoken against sin.
(From Truth Unchanged, Unchanging, pp. 18-20, by Dr, Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
A Provoked Spirit
“They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.” (Psalm 106:32-33)
This terse passage summarizes the tragic events described in Numbers 20:1-13. If ever a religious leader had a right to be provoked with an ungrateful and complaining flock, Moses did. Finally, after years of privation in the wilderness, the people complained once too often, and Moses could take it no longer (or so he thought). In anger, he rebuked the rebels and smote the rock, taking credit himself for God’s miraculous provision of water. As a result, God rebuked him, and he was not allowed to enter the promised land.
It is all too easy, in times of pressure and inconsiderate selfishness all around us, to rise up in “righteous indignation” and, like Moses, “spake unadvisedly with [our] lips.” This is surely one of Satan’s most common devices. Such verbal assaults may be well deserved and may seem to give personal satisfaction for a time, but they are usually counterproductive in the long run and very hurtful to one’s testimony for Christ to those so assaulted (imagine Peter trying to witness to Malchus after he had sliced off Malchus’ ear in anger!). Unfortunately, “the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).
The Lord Jesus Himself is the ideal example in this difficult realm, for “he was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). He could have called 10 legions of angels to destroy His tormentors, but instead He prayed: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Let us not be easily provoked to so-called righteous indignation. “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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