Deuteronomy 28
Obedience brings blessingsverses 1-10
And it shall come to pass – IF you shall HEARKEN DILIGENTLY
to the voice of the LORD your God — to observe and to do all HIS
commandments which I command you this day
that the LORD your God will set you on high above
all nations of the earth – and all these BLESSINGS
shall come on you – and OVERTAKE you
IF you shall HEARKEN to the voice of the LORD your God
BLESSED shall you be in the city
BLESSED shall you be in the field
BLESSED shall be the fruit of your body
and the fruit of your ground
and the fruit of your cattle – the increase of your kine
and the flocks of your sheep
BLESSED shall be your basket and your store
BLESSED shall you be when you come in
and BLESSED shall you be when you go out
The LORD shall cause your enemies that rise up against you to be
smitten before your face – they shall come out against you one way
and flee before you seven ways
The LORD shall command the BLESSING on you in your storehouses
and in all that you set your hand to
and HE shall BLESS you in the land which the
LORD your God gives you
The LORD shall establish you a HOLY people to HIMSELF
as HE has sworn to you – IF you shall keep the
commandments of the LORD your God
and walk in HIS ways
And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the
name of the LORD – and they shall be afraid of you
Obedience brings prominenceverses 11-14
The LORD shall make you plenteous in goods – in the fruit of your body
in the fruit of your cattle – in the fruit of your ground
in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers
to give you
The LORD shall open to you HIS good treasure
the heaven to give the rain to your land in his season
and to BLESS all the work of your hand
and you shall lend to many nations
and you shall NOT BORROW
The LORD shall make you the HEAD – and NOT the TAIL
and you shall be ABOVE ONLY
and you shall NOT be BENEATH
IF that you HEARKEN to the commandments of the LORD your God
which I command you this day – to OBSERVE and to DO them
and you shall not go aside from any of the words which
I command you this day – to the right hand or to the left
to go after other gods to serve them
Disobedience brings the curse of the LORDverses 15-24
BUT it shall come to pass – IF you will NOT HEARKEN
to the voice of the LORD your God – to observe to do all HIS
commandments and HIS statutes which I command
you this day
That all these CURSES shall come on you – and OVERTAKE you
CURSED shall you be in the city – field
CURSED shall be your basket and your store
CURSED shall be the fruit of your body – land
the increase of your kine – and the flocks of your sheep
CURSED shall you be when you come in
CURSED shall you be when you go out
The LORD shall send on you cursing – vexation – rebuke
in all that you set your hand to for to do
til you be destroyed – til you perish quickly
BECAUSE of the wickedness of your doings
whereby you have forsaken ME
The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave to you
til HE have consumed you from off the land
whither you go to possess it
The LORD shall smite you with a consumption – fever
inflammation – extreme burning – sword
blasting – mildew
and they shall pursue you until you perish
And your heaven that is over your head shall be brass
and the earth that is under you shall be iron
The LORD shall make the rain of your land powder and dust
from heaven shall it come down on you
til you be destroyed
Disobedience brings fall of the nationverses 25-37
The LORD shall cause you to be smitten before your enemies
you shall go out one way against them
and flee seven ways before them
and shall be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth
And your carcass shall be meat to all fowls of the air
and to the beasts of the earth
and NO MAN shall fray them away
The LORD will smite you with the botch of Egypt
and with the hemorrhoids – scab – itch
whereof you CAN NOT be healed
The LORD shall smite you with madness – blindness
astonishment of heart
and you shall grope at noonday
as the blind grope in darkness
and you shall not prosper in your ways
and you shall be only oppressed and spoiled evermore
and NO MAN shall save you
You shall betroth a wife – and another man shall lie with her
you shall build an house
and you shall not dwell therein
you shall plant a vineyard
and shall not gather the grapes thereof
Your ox shall be slain before your eyes
and you shall not eat thereof
Your ass shall be violently taken away from before your face
and shall not be restored to you
Your sheep shall be given to your enemies
and you shall have none to rescue them
Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people
and your eyes shall look
and fail with longing for them
all the day long
and there shall be no might in your hand
The fruit of your land – and all your labors
shall a nation which you know not eat up
You shall be only oppressed and crushed always
so that you shall be mad for the sight of your eyes
which you shall see
The LORD shall smite you in the knees – and in the legs
with a sore botch that cannot be healed
from the sole of your foot unto the top of your head
The LORD shall bring you
and your king which you shall set over you
to a nation which neither you
nor your fathers have known
and there shall you serve other gods – wood and stone
And you shall become an astonishment – a proverb – a byword
among all nations whither the LORD shall lead you
Disobedience causes no productverses 38-44
You shall carry much seed out to the field
and shall gather but little in
for the locust shall consume it
You shall plant vineyards – and dress them
but shall neither drink of the wine
nor gather the grapes
for the worms shall eat them
You shall have olive trees throughout all your coasts
but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil
for your olive shall cast his fruit
You shall beget sons and daughters
but you shall not enjoy them
for they shall go into captivity
All the trees and fruit of your land
shall the locust consume
The stranger that is within you shall get up above you very high
and you shall come down very low
He shall lend to you – and you shall not lend to him
he shall be the HEAD – and you shall be the TAIL
Not listening to the LORD causes judgmentverses 45-57
Moreover all these curses shall come on you – and shall pursue you
and OVERTAKE you – till you be destroyed
BECAUSE you HEARKENED not to the voice of the
LORD your God to KEEP HIS commandments
and HIS statutes which HE commanded you
and they shall be on you for a sign – wonder
and on your seed for ever
BECAUSE you served not the LORD your God
with joyfulness – gladness of heart
FOR the abundance of all things
THEREFORE shall you serve your enemies which the LORD
shall send against you – in hunger – thirst – nakedness
want of all things
and HE shall put a yoke of iron on your neck
until HE have destroyed you
The LORD shall bring a nation against you from far
from the end of the earth – as swift as the eagle flies
a nation whose tongue you shall not understand
A nation of fierce countenance
which shall not regard the person of the old
nor show favor to the young
and he shall eat the fruit of your cattle
and the fruit of your land – until you be destroyed
which also shall not leave you
either corn – wine – oil
or the increase of your kine
flocks of your sheep
until he have destroyed you
And he shall besiege you in all your gates
til your high and fenced wall come down – wherein you TRUST
throughout all your land – and he shall besiege you
in all your gates throughout all thy land
which the LORD your God has given you
And you shall eat the fruit of your own body
the flesh of your sons and of your daughters
which the LORD your God has given you – in the siege
in the straitness – wherewith your enemies shall
distress you – so that the man that is tender
among you – and very delicate
his eye shall be EVIL toward his brother
and toward the wife of his bosom
and toward the remnant of his children which
he shall leave
so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children
whom he shall eat – BECAUSE he has nothing left him
in the siege – in the straitness
wherewith your enemies shall
distress you in all your gates
The tender and delicate woman among you
which would not adventure to set
The sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness
her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom
and toward her son – and toward her daughter
and toward her young one that come out
from between her feet
and toward her children which she shall bear
for she shall eat them for want of all things
secretly in the siege and straitness
wherewith thine enemy shall
distress you in your gates
Disobedience leads plagues of Egyptverses 58-62
IF you will not OBSERVE to do all the words of this law that are
written in this book – that you may fear this glorious and fearful
name THE LORD YOUR GOD
THEN the LORD will make your plagues wonderful
and the plagues of your seed
even great plagues – and of long continuance
and sore sicknesses – and of long continuance
Moreover HE will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt
which you were afraid of – and they shall cleave to you
Also every sickness – and every plague
which is not written in the book of this law
them will the LORD bring on you
until you be destroyed
And you shall be left FEW in number – whereas you were as the
STARS of heaven for multitude
BECAUSE you would not OBEY the voice of the
LORD your God
Disobedience leads to despair of lifeverses 63-68
And it shall come to pass
that as the LORD REJOICED over you to do you good
and to multiply you
So the LORD will REJOICE over you to destroy you
and to bring you to nought
And you shall be plucked from off the land whither
you go to possess it
And the LORD shall scatter you among all people
from the one end of the earth even to the other
and there you shall serve other gods
which neither you nor your fathers have known
even wood and stone
And among these nations shall you find no ease
neither shall the sole of your foot have rest
BUT the LORD shall give you there a trembling heart
failing of eyes – sorrow of mind
And your life shall hang in doubt before you
you shall fear day and night
and you shall have none assurance of your life
In the morning you shall say
Would God it were!
And at even you shall say
Would God it were morning!
FOR the fear of your heart wherewith you shall fear
and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see
And the LORD shall bring you into Egypt again with ships
by the way whereof I spoke to you
You shall see it no more again
and there you shall be sold to your enemies for
bondmen – bondwomen
and no man shall buy you
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe and to do all HIS commandments which I command you this day, that the LORD your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth. (8085 “hearken diligently” [shama] means to pay close attention to, respond in conformity, to hear, understand, examine, to hear of or concerning, understand, give heed, to consent, yield to, or obey)
DEVOTION: The LORD makes promises to HIS people throughout the Word of God. There are Old Testament promises and New Testament promises to the people of God. They are a chosen people. They are a peculiar people. They are a holy people.
Here we have the LORD instructing Moses regarding the future of the nation of Israel. He is to give these instructions to the children of Israel. There are instructions regarding blessings and there are instructions regarding cursing. The choice is given to the people whether they will live with the blessings of God or the cursing of God.
HE expects full obedience of HIS people. When they sin they bring their sacrifices to the priests and there is forgiveness. The nation as a whole has to celebrate the Day of Atonement each year to make sure they are right with God. It starts with the High Priest offering a sin offering for himself and then for the people. If he or the nation are out of tune with the LORD because of sin there needs to be a cleansing.
So children need to learn obedience to their parents as parents learn obedience to the LORD through their understanding of the Word of God. Moses is teaching the adults to teach the children how to be content with what the LORD gives them at the present time.
Obedience brings more blessings and the nation that is obedient will receive more blessings. Israel was HIS chosen people and they were going to receive more blessings than any other nation. They were going to be set HIGH above any other nation because of their obedience to the LORD.
Bring this down to each family in the nation means that all of us have to be content with the blessings the LORD is presently giving us and rejoice in our times of worship of HIM.
CHALLENGE: If this is done with our whole heart the LORD will add blessings to us. If we are discontent with what is presently happening in our life we need to ask the LORD to give us contentment.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 28 The LORD shall smite you with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. (8541 “astonishment” [timmahown] means consternation, bewilderment, stupefaction, terror, panic or confusion)
DEVOTION: The last chapter gave the instructions of Moses regarding the stating of the blessings and curses of the LORD. It concentrated on the curses. This chapter was to give the blessing of the LORD on HIS people.
Obedience was the key to receiving the blessings of the LORD. The LORD spoke to the people. HE expected them to listen to HIS voice. IF they listened they would have blessings in every area of their lives. They would defeat their enemies. They were to be a holy people. They were going to be feared by all the nations of the earth because of their relationship with HIM.
BUT if they didn’t listen to the LORD they would be cursed. The majority of this chapter deals with what happens to them if they are cursed. The curse affects every area of their life.
One of the thoughts deals with the fact that they are going to be bewildered by the way the LORD is treating them. They thought that HE was only going to bless them, no matter what they did. They were wrong. This verse states that they would have blindness and madness along with their bewilderment. They were going to move around as a blind person. They are in darkness when they should be in the light of the Word of God, as given by Moses.
The number of verses used to describe the curses is three times as many as those used to bless them. Why? The LORD was trying to get a point across to HIS people. If they serve with gladness and joy, they will have all the blessings they need but if they disobey there is going to be stupefaction of their brains and they will not be able to think straight or act right and everything will go wrong in their lives.
Get the point! It might seem that the unsaved are winning the battles but those who obey have won the WAR. Those who are God’s children that don’t obey are asking for the chastening of the LORD and from this chapter it doesn’t look good.
We can expect the same from the LORD if we are disobedient. God wants us to be obedient children. HE wants to bless us. HE wants to comfort us. HE wants to give us victory. What is necessary for this to happen? OBEDIENCE!!!
God loves us. HE wants to bless us. Obedience is the key. Does the mean that there is no suffering with obedience? NO!! There is always suffering while we are here on the earth, the difference is that HIS presence is with us during the times of suffering. We can have the peace that passes understanding during our times of suffering.
CHALLENGE: We made a daily choice regarding obedience and disobedience. The choice should be easy but it is not. Ask the LORD for strength to face each day with HIS strength. Encourage those around us to do the same. Lead by example!!!
: 47 Because you served not the LORD your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things (8057 “joyfulness” [simchah] means gladness, mirth, rejoicing, pleasure, cheerfulness, gaiety, joy of heart, jubilation or glee)
DEVOTION: When the LORD introduced worship to the children of Israel it included a time of cheerfulness in their times of worship. There was to be singing and rejoicing over all the blessings of the LORD. Their feasts were to be gatherings of the people of Israel where they would enjoy times of fellowship with their fellow Israelites over God’s protection and blessings of the past.
God wanted to be worshiped with the people’s whole heart and body. HE didn’t want it to be a time of sadness but of rejoicing. HE wanted them to remember the blessings. HE didn’t want them to come together to remember all the judgments HE gave them for disobedience.
Well we find that HE had to warn them that if they didn’t worship HIM properly during their times of blessing HE would reverse their blessings into cursing because of their disobedience.
HE was giving them abundance and they were not content with what HE had given them. They were complaining about not having more blessings from HIM. They were willing to worship false gods, so that, they could feel they were blessed more.
Their disobedience would cause the LORD to take all the blessings away and give them the curses that are found in this chapter. HE goes into great detail regarding the difference between times of blessing and times of cursing.
Would they listen to HIS warnings? Do we listen to the warnings of Scripture? Most times we find ourselves like the children of Israel discontent with the blessings we have because instead of rejoicing over the blessings we presently have we seem to think we deserve MORE.
Discontent with the blessings we presently have leads to discontent with the LORD which in turn leads to us complaining to the LORD rather than rejoicing as we should.
CHALLENGE: So discontent leads to judgment and the LORD makes it plain that judgment is no fun. If we want blessings we have to be content with what we have right NOW.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 66 And your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you shall fear day and night, and shall have none assurance of your life. (539 “assurance” [’aman] means wearing, to prove to be firm, reliable, faithful, permanent, be established, or to be certain)
DEVOTION: The LORD explained that HE was going to fight their battles as long as they were obedient to HIM. HE also explained that if they were disobedient to HIM that he would send judgment to correct the situation. HE was not going to let them get away with sin just because they were HIS people. HE was going to keep them in line with judgment if they wanted to stay HIS people.
Today we find that the LORD is still working within HIS people and HIS church. HE sends warnings with each of the disciples as they write the New Testament.
We are commanded to search our hearts on a regular basis as we take the communion table. We are commanded to help one another when we see someone who sees a fellow believer doing something that is not right. We are commanded to pray for one another.
The Bible is plain in the fact that the LORD wants us to help one another live a life that is pleasing to HIM. In the Old Testament HE uses the priests and prophets to keep the people faithful to HIM.
In the New Testament we are to help one another. The word that is used often is that we are to “love” one another. If we truly love we help each other become better believers without using a judgmental attitude.
The Bible warns us if we get into a judgmental attitude we also might fall to sin. Our responsibility is to keep ourselves close to the LORD and to help others do the same with a proper attitude.
CHALLENGE: Keeping a proper attitude is hard because we have a tendency to think we are better than a fellow believer which is something the LORD warns against. We are to watch our attitude before trying to help a fellow believer.
: 67 In the morning you shall say, Would God it were even! And at even you shall say, Would God it were morning! For the fear of your heart wherewith you shall fear, and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see. (6343 “fear” [pachad] means trembling, dread, fearful expectation or anticipation, terror, or the state or condition of severe distress over impending trouble)
DEVOTION: Here is an example of someone who is discontent with their present circumstances. They are not rejoicing in the LORD but are praying for the end of the day.
In the morning they get up and wish it was evening and in the evening they wish it was morning because they are not happy with their present situation.
What situation do these individuals find themselves in? This is the nation of Israel who has been disobedient to the commands of the LORD finding themselves in captivity in another nation or under attack from another nation.
Why are they in this situation? When the LORD had blessed them with the Promised Land, they became discontent because they wanted more from the LORD instead of rejoicing in what HE had given them.
Now they were sitting in captivity just wishing for their day to come to an end, so that, they didn’t have to remember what they used to have when they were obedient and what they now have because of their disobedience.
Today we find Christians who understand this principle but still seem to like to wallow in self-pity. They don’t seem to realize that if they confess their sin and ask the LORD for forgiveness, they can correct their actions and the LORD will forgive them.
Too often those who claim Christ forget that God is a loving God to HIS children and.
HE wants them to return to HIM. HIS chastening is not to drive them further away but to bring them closer to HIM.
Are you like the example given here wishing the day to end at the beginning of the day? Do you think you are someone who is without hope even as a genuine believer? God wants you to realize that there are blessings and curses found in the Word of God.
Those who are genuine believers are not living under the curse but the chastening of the LORD for them to return to the right path and serve the LORD with gladness.
CHALLENGE: Warnings are to cause us to want to be close to the LORD as all times. HE knows we are prone to wander but HE doesn’t want us to wander too far.
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)
Written in this bookverses 58, 61
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)
Prayer of disobedient peopleverse 67
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)
Commandmentsverses 1, 9, 13, 15, 45
Statutesverses 15, 45
Written in the bookverse 58
Book of this lawverse 61
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovahverses 1, 2, 7-13, 15, 20-22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 35-37, 45, 47-49, 52, 53, 58, 59, 61-65, 68
God – Elohimverses 1, 2, 8, 9, 13, 15, 45, 47, 52, 53, 58, 62, 67
LORD thy Godverses 1, 2, 8, 9, 13, 15, 45, 47, 52, 53, 58, 62
Voice of the LORD thy Godverses 1, 45, 62
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)
Nationsverses 1, 12, 33, 36, 37, 49, 50
Enemiesverses 7, 48, 55, 68
People of the earth: afraidverse 10
Egyptverses 27, 60, 68
Another peopleverse 32
Strangerverse 43
Nation as swift as an eagleverse 49
Nation whose tongue shall not understandverse 49
Nation with fierce countenanceverse 50
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Other godsverses 14, 36, 64
Not hearken to voice of the LORDverses 15, 45,62
Disobedience brings curseverses 15-20, 38-46
Wickednessverse 20
Forsaking Godverse 20
Disobedience brings smiting of Godverses 22-37
Not serving the LORD with joyfulnessverse 47
Trusting in high wallsverse 52
Evil toward brotherverse 54
Evil toward husbandverses 56, 57
Not observe and doverse 58
Brings a trembling heartverse 65
Brings failing of eyesverse 65
Brings sorrow of heartverse 65
Brings doubtverse 66
Brings fearverse 66
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Hearken diligently to voice of the LORDverses 1, 2, 13, 15
Observe & do commandmentsverses 1, 13
Blessingsverses 2-6, 8, 12
Overtaken with blessingsverse 2
Defeat of enemyverse 7
Inheritanceverses 8, 11, 52
Holy peopleverse 9
Keep HIS commandmentsverses 9, 45
Walk in HIS waysverse 9
Calledverse 10
Fruitfulverse 11
Plenteousverse 11, 12
Lender not a borrowerverse 12
Not turn to right or left of commandsverse 14
Joyfulnessverse 47
Gladness of heartverse 47
Fear the LORDverse 58
LORD rejoices over you for goodverse 63
Easeverse 65
Restverse 65
Assurance of lifeverse 66
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Stars of heavenverse 62
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
It’s quite depressing to read this long list of calamities, especially when you realize that Israel experienced all of them at one time or another and that innocent people suffered because of the sins of the guilty. Not only Deuteronomy 28, but also Jeremiah’s Book of Lamentations is a solemn reminder that it doesn’t pay to rebel against God and try to have your own way. And what was the reason for all this trouble? “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things” (Deut. 28:47, nkjv). They welcomed the blessings and enjoyed them, but they wouldn’t honor the Lord who gave them the blessings (8:11–20). “[B]ecause, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful” (Rom. 1:20, nkjv). Idolatry begins with a proud and selfish heart that loves the gifts more than it loves the Giver, and it ends by losing both the Giver and the gifts. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be equipped (p. 169). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub)
Ver. 45. Moreover, all these curses shall come upon thee, &c.] Before related, as well as what follow: and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee; which though they would endeavour to flee from and escape, should not be able, since they would follow them so closely and swiftly, and overtake them, and seize upon them; see ver. 15. because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee; to which disobedience all the curses are to be imputed that go before or follow after. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 125). London: Mathews and Leigh).
28:44–47 The disasters would be a sign that would remind the people of their disobedience. serve … with joy … for the abundance: The expected response to God’s goodness was joy and a heartfelt willingness to do His will. The absence of these responses incurred God’s wrath. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 263). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
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!!)
I have been reminded that this is not true of a great many people, people who are just as honest, I take it, just as eager to know what God’s will is, and just as desirous of doing His will as those of us who are called Protestants, but they have been taught to decide questions from an altogether different standpoint. In the first place, they have been taught not to search the Bible themselves for direct instruction in regard to any doctrine. That may seem like a rather broad statement but I believe that I can show you that it is true. They have been taught that inasmuch as Saint Peter has told us that “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Pet. 1:20), it is a very reprehensible thing for any individual Christian to sit down over the Bible itself depending on the Holy Spirit to open up the truth, without asking the help of the priesthood, of the councils of the church, of the fathers, and of others who are supposed to speak with authority. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 78–79). New York: Loizeaux Brothers)
How can anyone say that Christians are not capable of reading the Word of God and getting the mind of the Lord when the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven for the express purpose of opening the truth to those who honestly seek that truth and are prepared to walk according to it? (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 81). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Our blessed Lord said of the Holy Spirit, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). Imagine a man cast out on a desert island with nothing but a copy of the Bible; no teacher, no clergyman, no priest, no church, no other books of any kind to instruct him. Do you mean to say that that man is left without the possibility of acquiring sufficient truth for the saving of his soul because he is beyond the reach of the visible church? Surely not. Wherever a man honestly seeks to know the mind of God, the Holy Spirit is there to reveal the truth to him. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 81). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Then the Lord adds, “And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter [a piece of rock, a rock-like man if we dare paraphrase] and upon this rock I will build my church.” What rock? Upon Peter? No, not upon Peter. Then what rock? Let one of the greatest doctors of the Church tell us, if they insist that we must not use our own private judgment in determining the meaning of Holy Scripture. St. Augustine, of whom there is no greater doctor in all the Church, in his comment on this verse, says, “So, then, Christ, not Peter, is the rock on which the Church is built.” Clearly, what our Lord is saying is, “This glorious revelation the Father has given to you, Simon Peter; this great truth that you have confessed—upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell—the gates of hades—shall not prevail against it.” (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 85). New York: Loizeaux Brothers)
Peter tells us that God is building a house and this house rests upon a living stone and that the living stone is Christ! He is the foundation upon whom this glorious house rests. This house is the Church of the living God. Peter further tells the members of that Church that they are living stones, built upon this foundation. Does not that exactly correspond with our Lord’s words to Peter on the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi: “Peter, you are a rocklike man and you are built upon this rock, the confession that I am the Son of the living God”? (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 86). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
We do not read here, “Simon Peter himself being the chief corner stone.” It should read that way if the other teaching is correct. But it reads, “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” And so, whether you listen to Simon Peter, to the blessed Lord Himself, or to His servant, the Apostle Paul, you will find that the Church’s one foundation is not a man, however noble or excellent he may be, but Christ Himself. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 87). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
But this was not the case; in the clearest possible language he showed that all men who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ have remission of sins. “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” So Peter proclaimed remission of sins through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 95). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
2 Peter 1
God has given us the capacity to grow in Christian character and to develop spiritual fruit.
INSIGHT
We are children of God, subjects of the King of creation. God calls us to act accordingly, but often we do not. Our actions tend to result from our self-image which is flawed and enamored with the values and attitudes of this world. Peter writes that we have become: partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world . . . ” He then adds: “. . . for this very reason,” pursue holiness (vv. 4-5). Those who do not pursue holiness are shortsighted and have forgotten that they have been purged of their old sin natures. (Quiet Walk)
LOOK AT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
…but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:5
As I look at the Lord Jesus Christ in terms of this fight against the world, I ask this question: Why did He ever come into this world? You see, I am now working out my faith in Christ. I believe that the person, Jesus of Nazareth, about whom I read in the Gospels, is the Son of God. Very well, I ask immediately, why did the Son of God ever take upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh and live as man, as He indeed did? What is the meaning of it all? And there is only one answer to that question. It was because of the power of sin, the power of Satan, the power of evil. There is no other explanation. The Son of God came because He was the only way in which we could be delivered from the world.
In other words, it is the doctrine of sin again, the power of Satan and sin and evil. He came into this world because the world was dominated by sin, and it is only as I believe that “Jesus is the Son of God” that I begin to understand the nature of the fight in which I am engaged. People are optimistic about this world, and they are so because they have never understood the nature of sin. But if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you have to believe that the power of sin and evil and Satan is so tremendous that man had failed and the Son of God had to come.
Do you seen, then, how this enables us to overcome the world? How can I overcome the world unless I have seen the nature of the problem? The moment I have faith in Christ, I begin to understand the problem, for it is only the Christian who can see through this world. Everybody else is dominated by the world—governed by it. But the moment I become a Christian I see through the world.
A Thought to Ponder: The Son of God came because He was the only way in which we could be delivered from the world.
(From Life in God, p. 61, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Unto Him That Is Able
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” (Jude 1:24)
There are three wonderful doxologies in three New Testament epistles extolling the transcendent ability of God to accomplish and perfect our eternal salvation. One is our text above, assuring all who are “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 1:21) that He is fully able to bring us joyfully into the presence of God in glory.
Then, look at Ephesians 3:20: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Furthermore, His power is able to keep us forever. “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began” (Romans 16:25).
Little wonder that the apostles exhort us to praise such a wonderful God and Savior! But in addition to the three doxologies, the Word of God contains many other testimonies to the omnipotent ability of the Lord on behalf of His people. “He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). “The Lord Jesus Christ:…shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).
With such a Savior and heavenly Father, we can join with Jude as he concludes his doxology: “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:25).
(HMM, by The Institute for Creation Research)
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