Mark 5
Description of demon possessed man in tombs verse 1- 5
And they came over unto the other side of the sea
into the country of the Gadarenes
and when HE was come out of the ship
IMMEDIATELY there met HIM out of the tombs a man
with an unclean spirit
who had his dwelling among the tombs
and no man could bind him
no- not with chains
BECAUSE that he had been often
bound with fetters and chains and the chains
had been plucked asunder by him
and the fetters broken in pieces
neither could any man tame him
and always – night and day – he was in the mountains
and in the tombs – crying
and cutting himself with stones
Jesus commanded the demons to come out of man verse 6- 8
BUT when he saw Jesus afar off – he ran and worshipped HIM
AND cried with a loud voice – and said
What have I to do with YOU
Jesus – YOU Son of the most high God?
I adjure YOU by God – that YOU torment me not
FOR HE said to him – Come out of the man – you unclean spirit
Jesus asked name of the demons verse 9- 10
AND HE asked him – What is your name?
and he answered – saying – My name is Legion
for we are many
AND he besought HIM much that HE would not
send them away out of the country
Demons go into swine verse 11- 13
NOW there was there nigh to the mountain
a great herd of swine feeding
AND all the devils besought HIM – saying
Send us into the swine – that we may enter into them
AND forthwith Jesus gave them leave
AND the unclean spirits went out
and entered into the swine
and the herd ran violently down
a steep place into the sea
(they were about two thousand)
and were choked in the sea
Crowd comes to observe man verse 14- 17
AND they that fed the swine fled
and told it in the city – and in the country
AND they went out to see
what it was that was done
AND they come to Jesus
and see him that was possessed with the devil
and had the legion – sitting – clothed
in his right mind
and they were afraid
AND they that saw it told them how it befell to him
that was possessed with the devil
and also concerning the swine
And they began to pray HIM to depart out of their coasts
Man to witness to his home area verse 18- 20
And when HE was come into the ship
he that had been possessed with the devil
prayed HIM that he might be with HIM
HOWBEIT Jesus suffered him not – but said unto him
Go home to your friends
and tell them how great things the Lord
has done for you
and has had compassion on you
AND he departed and began to publish in Decapolis
how great things Jesus had done for him
and all men did marvel
Jairus ask Jesus to heal his daughter verse 21- 24
And when Jesus was passed over again
by ship unto the other side
much people gathered to HIM
and HE was nigh to the sea
AND BEHOLD – there come one of the rulers of the synagogue
Jairus by name
and when he saw HIM – he fell at HIS feet
and besought HIM greatly – saying
My little daughter lies at the point of death – I pray YOU
come and lay YOUR hand on her
that she may be healed and she shall live
AND Jesus went with him – and much people followed HIM
and thronged HIM
Woman touches Jesus to be healed verse 25- 29
A certain woman – which had an issue of blood twelve years
and had suffered many things of many physicians
and had spent all that she had
and was nothing bettered
BUT rather grew worse
WHEN she had heard of Jesus – came in the press behind
and touched HIS garment
FOR she said – IF I may touch but HIS clothes
I shall be whole
AND straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up
and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague
Jesus questioned who touched HIM verse 30
AND Jesus
immediately knowing in HIMSELF
that virtue had gone out of HIM
turned HIM about in the press
and said
Who touched MY clothes?
Disciples didn’t understand question verse 31
AND HIS disciples said unto HIM
YOU see the multitude thronging YOU
and say YOU
Who touched ME?
Woman comes forward verse 32- 34
AND HE looked round about to see her that had done this thing
BUT the woman fearing and trembling
knowing what was done in her
came and fell down before HIM
and told HIM all the truth
AND HE said to her – Daughter – your faith hath made you whole
go in peace – and be whole of your plague
Jairus receives word daughter is dead verse 35
While HE yet spoke
there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house
certain which said – Your daughter is dead
Why trouble you the Master any further?
Jesus tells Jairus to have faith verse 36
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken
HE said unto the ruler of the synagogue
Be not afraid – ONLY BELIEVE
Jesus enters the house verse 37- 39
And HE suffered no man to follow HIM save Peter – James
and John the brother of James
And HE comes to the house of the ruler of the synagogue
and saw the tumult
and them that wept and wailed greatly
AND when HE was come in – HE said unto them
Why make you this ado – and weep?
the damsel is not dead – but sleeps
Mourners laugh at Jesus verse 40
AND they LAUGHED HIM to scorn
BUT when HE had put them all out
HE takes the father and the mother of the damsel
and them that were with HIM
and entered in where the damsel was lying
Jesus raises the dead girl verse 41- 43
And HE took the damsel by the hand – and said unto her
Talitha cumi – which is – being interpreted – Damsel
I say unto you Arise
And straightway the damsel arose – and walked
FOR she was of the age of twelve years
AND they were astonished with a great astonishment
AND HE charged them straitly
that no man should know it
and commanded that something
should be given her to eat
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with YOU, Jesus YOU son of the most high God? I adjure YOU by God, that YOU torment me not. (928 “torment” [basanizo] means to subject to unbearable pain, torture, vex, to be harassed, distressed, experience anguish, suffer, or testing)
DEVOTION: One of the amazing things about each of the confrontations Jesus has with fallen angels is that they identify HIM for WHO HE is. They know HIM. They know HIS power. Here we have them worshiping HIM.
Remember every knee will bow before Jesus at the final judgment. Even the fallen angels will be judged that are running free today. They are still possessing people around the world. They are still trying to cause chaos. They are working with the devil to hinder the work of God. It seems that they think they can win. Satan has not given up his hope to defeat God.
Why would he want to defeat God? These fallen angels explain why. They don’t want to be tortured. They don’t want to be judged for their rebellion. They know it is coming but they don’t want to face it before they have to. They want their freedom.
Here they beg Jesus to send them into swine. HE does and the swine die. So they have to find someone or something else to possess.
Not all people who are sick or act crazy are possessed of evil angels but some are and they are working to hinder the work of Christ in our churches and families. We have to continually ask the LORD for strength to fight Satan with the whole armor of God.
CHALLENGE: We can have victory over all the forces of evil through the strength that God gives us.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but said to him, Go home to your friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for you, and hath had compassion on you. (3624 “home” [oikos] means family, lineage, property, any dwelling place, household, unit, descendants or building)
DEVOTION: Here we have the account of a man who was possessed with fallen angels called demons or devils. Remember there is only one angel that is called the devil. Those who fell with him are also sometimes called after his name because they followed him.
The LORD healed this man by casting out the demons. The man changed immediately into what we would call normal. He was sitting at the feet of Jesus learning from HIM. He was clothed as before this he didn’t keep his clothes on. And finally, he was in his right mind.
The opposite is true of those who are not followers of the LORD. We find them running around trying to find answers themselves instead of going to the LORD. We find them having a small amount of clothes on their body. We also find them not in their right mind because they are blinded by their father the devil.
The residents of the community were afraid when they saw such a change in the man. They didn’t know what to do. He was different.
Well, he wanted to become of the disciples of Jesus. He wanted to go with Jesus and the other disciples. It would seem that it would have been good for him to sit at the feet of Jesus longer to learn more from HIM.
Once he had asked Jesus to come with HIM HIS answer was NO!! Why would Jesus turn down a follower? The reason was that Jesus knew that he could be a witness to his family of the greatness of what God had done for him. He had family members and friends that Jesus wanted him to reach with the good news of salvation. He wanted the family and friends to know that God is a compassionate God.
There are times when the LORD wants us to reach of family and friends rather than go overseas to witness to others. Family and friends are the hardest to reach with the gospel by another family member. It can be done or Jesus wouldn’t have left the man behind.
The man reached the ten cities around his community and everyone was amazed at his testimony. The LORD was right to leave him behind.
CHALLENGE: If you are staying home then witness to your family and friends as often as you can. Be sensible. Just tell them what God has done for you. Show the compassion of the LORD to them.
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: 34 And HE said to her, Daughter your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole of your plague. (5199 “whole” [hugies] means sound, restore to health, free from infirmity or disease, healthy, deliverance, or well)
DEVOTION: Jesus has the gift of healing. HE can heal anyone at any time. Throughout the gospels we watch HIM heal people. HE uses different methods but the end result is always the same.
This woman thought that if she just touched HIS clothes she would be healed. She got close to him and touched HIM. The LORD responded to the touch with a question. HE asked who touched HIM. HE knew who touched HIM but HE wanted the woman to come forward and admit it. The disciples were confused because the crowd was so big that they thought many people were touching HIM.
The difference was that HE felt power come out of HIM. HE knew the difference and HE wanted the disciples to know the difference too.
One other thing HE wanted to happen was that she admit her need and realize that she was healed. HE told her that her faith had made her well.
Does this happen all the time to people who have faith? The answer is NO!! Some are called to suffer for the sake of the LORD. This woman was not called to suffer with her illness any longer. She was going to be a witness of what faith can do to those the LORD chooses to heal.
Remember that Paul asked for his thorn in the flesh to be taken away but the LORD said that HIS grace was sufficient in weakness. Sometime we need to remember that our pain draws us closer to the LORD. HE wants us to be dependent on HIM at all times for all things.
We can pray for healing but we also need to accept a no or wait a while answer from HIM. James states that the ‘effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
CHALLENGE: We can rest on that promise.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. (2606 “laughed” [katagelao] means to deride, mock, or make fun of.)
DEVOTION: Can you imagine what it was like to be one of Jesus’ disciples for three years? What would you think of the reactions from people that you met each day of HIS ministry? Do you think people were just as fickle as they are today?
Here we have Jesus coming to an area and a demon possessed man meets him. This man has a legion of demons in him. They know who Jesus is. They call HIM by name. They ask HIS permission to go into the swine. Remember Jews are not supposed to eat pork. They should not be raising pigs. Here come the owners of the pigs that just went for a swim and drowned and they want Jesus to leave their area.
HE leaves.
Next a leader of the synagogue comes to Jesus to heal his daughter. Jesus goes with him and woman knows that Jesus can heal sickness and she is sick. She touches Jesus. Jesus questioned who touched HIM. The disciples don’t think Jesus knows what HE is doing and question HIM.
The woman comes forward and Jesus tells her that her faith has cured her. As HE is talking with her, some people come to the leader of the synagogue and tell him his daughter is dead.
Jesus tells him not to worry and takes HIS three key disciples with HIM to the house. When he arrives, what happens? HE tells the people that they don’t need to cry, the daughter is just sleeping.
They make fun of HIM. Remember the demons respected HIM, the woman knew HE could heal her and the leader of the synagogue came to HIM for healing. What are these people doing in the house? Mocking out Jesus.
What is HIS reaction? Did HE get mad? Did HE leave? Did HE never speak to the people again? NO!! HE continued with HIS business at hand. HE took his top three disciples with him to show them how it is done. HE put everyone out of the house but the parents and three disciples and the young girl.
Then brought her back to life. She was given something to eat. Everyone in the room was astonished. Jesus told them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Do we have people today that will make fun of us because we are doing the LORD’S work? What do we do when people make fun of us? What did Jesus do? Remember we are to be like him in every way.
CHALLENGE: When people laugh at what you are doing for the LORD, smile!
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Demons adjure Jesus in name of God verse 7
People asked Jesus to leave their coast verse 17
Healed man asked Jesus something verse 18
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Demon possessed man worshipped Jesus verse 6
Synagogue verse 22
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God verse 7
Most High God verse 7
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verse 6, 7, 13, 15, 19- 21, 24, 27, 30, 36
Healing of demon possessed man verse 2- 20
Son of the most high God verse 7
Lord verse 19
Healing of Jairus’ daughter verse 22- 43
Healing of woman with issue of blood verse 25- 34
Virtue had gone out verse 30
Master verse 35
Caused great astonishment verse 42
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)
Unclean spirit (fallen angels) verse 2, 8, 13
Legion – group of fallen angels in one man verse 9, 15
Devils – fallen angels verse 12
Devil – fallen angels verse 16, 18
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Friends verse 19
Physicians verse 26
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Unclean spirit verse 2
Possessed with the devil verse 15, 16, 18
Afraid verse 15
Laugh at Jesus verse 40
Scorn verse 40
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Worship verse 6
Sitting verse 15
Clothed verse 15
Right mind verse 15
Pray verse 17, 18
Witness verse 19
Compassion verse 19
Virtue verse 30
Truth verse 33
Faith verse 34
Peace verse 34
Not afraid verse 36
Believe verse 36
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Gadarenes verse 1
Decapolis verse 20
Rulers of the synagogue verse 22, 35, 36, 38
Jairus verse 22
Talitha cumi = Damsel, I say to you, arise verse 41
Church (New Testament people of God)
Disciples verse 31
Peter verse 37
James verse 37
John (brother of James) verse 37
Last Things (Future Events)
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DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
But Jesus’ spiritual sensitivity told him that someone had touched his clothes, and he “kept looking around” to find who it was (v. 32). His purpose was not to rebuke her but to make personal contact with her. She needed to know that it was her faith, not her superstitious belief, that had caused God to heal her. (Wessel, W. W. (1984). Mark. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 661). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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That virtue had gone out of him (τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν). More correctly as Rev., that the power proceeding from him had gone forth. The object of the Saviour’s knowledge was thus complex: 1st, his power; 2d, that his power had gone forth. This and the following sentence are peculiar to Mark. (Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 190). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
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The word “virtue” is dunamis (δυναμις) in the Greek, “power” in the sense of that which overcomes resistance or effects a change. It was some of His supernatural power which He felt leaving Him in the accomplishing of the miraculous cure. The literal Greek here is, “Jesus, perceiving in Himself the out from Him power going out.” Our Lord must have related this to His disciples, and Mark must have heard it from Peter. Our Lord’s words then would be “I felt in Myself the power go out from Me. (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Mk 5:30). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.)
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This unusual expression has been understood in two ways. One view maintains that God the Father healed the woman and Jesus was not aware of it till afterward. The other view is that Jesus Himself, wishing to honor the woman’s faith, willingly extended His healing power to her. The latter view is more consistent with Jesus’ healing ministry. Power did not leave Him without His knowledge and will. However, He exercised it only at the Father’s bidding (cf. 13:32). The touch of the garment had no magical effect. (Grassmick, J. D. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 125). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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There is a good lesson here for all of us. Not everybody has the same degree of faith, but Jesus responds to faith no matter how feeble it might be. When we believe, He shares His power with us and something happens in our lives. There were many others in that crowd who were close to Jesus and even pressing against Him, but they experienced no miracles. Why? Because they did not have faith. It is one thing to throng Him and quite something else to trust Him. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 127). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The woman touched this source and was healed by her faith in that power. Jesus commended the faith of the woman who sought him out and explained that her faith had made her well (2:5; 10:52). Her willingness to recognize God’s work through Jesus and to receive what God offered had restored her health. She could now go on in life knowing that she had been restored to peace (Heb., shalom [7965, 8934]; Judg 18:6; 1 Sam 1:17) from the “whipping” of her disease.
Jesus’ divine power was also manifest in raising Jairus’s daughter after her death, but Jesus did not want to draw excessive attention to such healing. Although it underscored God’s work through him, it also pictured a greater authority and deliverance that were crucial parts of his message. The danger was that people would be drawn to the miracles and remain oblivious to what they depicted—that God was uniquely working through Jesus to show his authority over creation, cosmic forces, disease, and life itself. This is the most important knowledge to grasp about Jesus. (Turner, D., & Bock, D. L. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (pp. 446–447). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
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Jesus immediately stopped, and looking about, inquired, “Who touched My clothes?” He desired her to confess before all the miracle that had been wrought in response to her faith. The disciples actually undertook to reprove their Master as they reminded Him that a great throng was pressing upon Him; why, then, inquire who had touched Him? They did not sense the difference between thronging Him and touching Him in faith. (Ironside, H. A. (1948). Expository notes on the Gospel of Mark. (pp. 81–82). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers)
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Ver. 30. And Jesus immediately knowing in himself, &c.] As soon as ever the woman had touched his garments, and had a cure, Christ, who knew all things in his spirit, or divine nature, that dwelt in him, knew what was done, that the woman had touched him, and was healed thereby; though, as not without his knowledge, so neither without his will, and entirely by his power: that virtue was gone out of him; to the healing of some person, though not at all to the diminution of that virtue, which remained as powerful and effective in him as ever. This shews that there was an internal essential virtue in Christ to cure diseases: it was not what he derived from another, or exercised under another’s influence; but what was his own, and which he put forth as the Lord God omnipotent. The apostles of Christ cured diseases, but not by their own power and holiness, by any innate virtue in them; but in the name of Christ, and by power derived and received from him: but Christ, being God, had infinite virtue within himself, which went forth from him when he pleased, to the curing of whatsoever disease he thought fit; and which was no ways lessened by the frequent exertions of it; no more than the light and heat of the sun by the continual emanations of them; only there is this difference between the emission of light and heat from the sun, and the sending forth virtue from Christ, that the one is by the necessity of nature, without knowledge, or will, but the other voluntarily, and when, and as he pleases, The same holds good with respect to healing spiritual diseases: Christ has a power within him to forgive all trespasses; and virtue may be said to go out of him to this purpose, when it is his will to make application of pardoning mercy to his people; which requires an exertion of power, as well as a display of grace. Turned him about in the press, and said, who touched my clothes? that is, turned himself towards the woman behind him, though the press was so large about him, and asked who touched his clothes; not for his own sake, who knew very well who had done it; but that the cure might be known to others: not for the sake of ostentation and popular applause, but for the manifestation of his glory, and for the glory of God, and for the strengthening the faith of Jairus, who was with him, and with whom he was going to raise his daughter to life; and also that he might have an opportunity of shewing forth, and commending this poor woman’s faith, and of confirming the cure wrought, and of dismissing her with the utmost pleasure and joy. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 415–416). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
Old Testament WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe
God always does the right thing at the right time, when HIS preparations are complete. (p. 136)
Saved sinners are not like paroled criminals who go back to prison if they commit another crime. (p. 137)
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Family Worship by Donald S. Whitney
This happens when a man awakens to his spiritual responsibilities in the home, but because he has failed to lead family worship for so long he feels embarrassed to being now. (p. 59)
Exhort your family to put away anything (such as TV, the Internet, etc.) that would keep them from worshiping God with you and to arise and follow you as you lead them in worshiping God. (p. 60)
Husbands, fathers – if you have been negligent in this duty and great privilege, repent by starting family worship today. Again, you may feel awkward about what to say to your wife or your children about starting, but simply say that God has convicted you of your responsibility to lead in family worship and you want to start at a given time today or tonight. (p. 65)
And as married men will tell you, it is much easier to begin the worship of God together before your wedding day than after the daily habits and routines of married life have become established. (p. 66)
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TOZERSPEAKS (volume two) by A. W. Tozer
I think it must be said of conscience that it is a moral awareness; that it always deals with right and wrong and the relationship of the individual to right and wrong. Conscience never deals with theories about anything. (p. 554)
But whenever that humor takes a holy thing as its object, that humor is devilish at once. One of the slick jokes you have heard insists that conscience is that part of you that make you sorry when you get caught. That is supposed to be funny but it is not. It is tragic that so many have yielded so far to the propaganda of hell as to joke about that which is no joke. (p. 559)
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2 Corinthians 12
Paul was given a vision of heaven and then “a thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble.
INSIGHT The Bible gives us a number of reasons why Christians suffer adversity. One reason is to strengthen and mature us. Another is that it is the natural consequence of our own foolishness from which God does not necessarily protect us. And another reason Paul gives us in today’s chapter is to keep us humble. If things always went well for us, if life was always “coming up roses,” we would tend to become conceited, to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and perhaps think less of others. Notice that Paul only prayed three times for the removal of his “thorn in the flesh” (vv. 7-8). When it was clear that God was not going to remove it, Paul accepted it. (Quiet Walk)
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A Truly New Thing
“How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.” (Jeremiah 31:22)
Long ago, the wise man concluded: “There is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). That nothing is now being created is even recognized as a scientific law.
But God reminds us as He reminded His backsliding people of Israel that He has, indeed, created one new thing in the earth. Since only God can “create,” a really new thing would have to be produced directly by the Lord Himself. Of course, God had completed His original work of creating all things long ago (Genesis 2:1-3), including a marvelous mechanism for human reproduction. Nevertheless, because of man’s sin, He very soon had to begin a work of reconciliation, and this included a primeval promise that “the seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15) would come someday to accomplish this great work. Since all normal reproduction requires male seed, such a miracle would mean God would have to create a new thing when the appropriate time would come. At that time, as Isaiah prophesied many years later, “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,” and that Son would be “the mighty God,” who would establish His kingdom “with justice from henceforth even for ever” (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7).
Then, still later, Jeremiah reminded his forgetful people of this same great promise: God would create, by His mighty power, a new thing, a perfect human body, without inherited sin or physical blemish, and with no contribution from either male or female, in the womb of a specially called virgin. She would compass that “holy thing” (Luke 1:35) with warmth and love for nine long months as it grew in her womb. Then, in the fullness of time, “God sent forth his Son, made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4), to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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RIGHTEOUSNESS
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. 1 John 2:29
Now righteousness obviously does not just mean morality, nor does it just mean living a good life. There are plenty of people who are outside the Christian church today who deny the elements of the Christian faith, but who are quite moral and decent. They are quite good people, using the term good in its moral or philosophical connotation; but they do not conform to what the New Testament means by righteous. Righteousness means the quality of life that was lived by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
So John puts it like this: “Every one that doeth righteousness.” If you see people who are living the quality of life that was lived by the Lord Jesus Christ, you can know for certain, says John, that they are born of God—they could not do it otherwise. No one can really live the Sermon on the Mount until he or she is born again; the Sermon on the Mount is impossible to the natural man or woman. Indeed, the Christian life as a whole is impossible to such persons. It does not matter how good people are—they cannot live the Christian life. They can live a moral, ethical life up to a point, but they cannot live the Christian life, and the New Testament does not even ask them to. The New Testament standard of living for the Christian condemns the natural man and woman, and it should drive them to see the absolute necessity of the rebirth.
John reasons as follows: “If, then, we are born of God, does it not follow of necessity that we must be living a certain quality of life? If you are breaking the commandments and are living in sin, you cannot claim you are a child of God. The child of God must be living a different type of life.”
A Thought to Ponder: Righteousness means the quality of life that was lived by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
(From Children of God, p. 12, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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DAILY HOPE
Today’s Scripture
Exodus 25-27
Many people enjoy watching homes transformed in a one-hour television show. The thrill and joy of decorating a new home can be exciting for new homeowners! It is even more thrilling to have an expert designer to plan every detail to decorate your own home.
After the covenant was established and the people had declared their allegiance to the Lord, God commanded the people to bring an offering to Him and make the tent and furnishings for the tabernacle. This tabernacle was to be a holy sanctuary for the Lord that He might reveal His glory among the nation of Israel.
Instructions used for the construction of the tabernacle were specifically made under the expert design of the Lord. The tabernacle was to be made of the very best materials by the most talented workers. The same pattern for the sanctuary was later given to David to be used in the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 28:19).
Furthermore, the Lord gave explicit directions about how to construct the outer court around the sanctuary. The walls and the coverings were to be all the same size and dimension. The curtains, loops, skin coverings, floorboards and veil were all precisely diagramed for construction and installation.
A brazen laver and altar were placed in the outer court so offerings and sacrifices could be offered to the Lord. The sanctuary was enclosed and had only one opening in which the priest could enter and exit. When this construction was completed, the Lord now had a place where He went and communed with the people of Israel.
God brought this tabernacle into the center of the camp to allow the people of Israel to know that He was to be in the center of their lives. The wrongs and unjust actions they committed were to be brought to the altar for forgiveness.
We no longer must go through the sacrifices and rituals associated with the tabernacle as Jesus is our sin bearer. Upon the cross, redemption was completed once for all to those who confess Jesus as Lord. New Testament believers have an open access to the presence of God through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-25). It is our privilege to take all our burdens directly to the Lord in prayer. May you take time to pray daily.
Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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