Deuteronomy 17
Improper worship describedverses 1-5
You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God any bullock – or sheep
wherein is BLEMISH – or any EVILFAVOREDNESS
for that is an abomination to the LORD your God
IF there be found among you
within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you
man or woman – that has wrought wickedness in the
sight of the LORD your God
in transgressing HIS covenant
And has gone and served other gods – and worshiped them
either the sun – or moon – or any of the host of heaven
which I have not commanded
And it be told you – and you have heard of it – and inquired diligently
and behold – it is true – and the thing certain
that such abomination is wrought in Israel
THEN shall you bring forth that man or that woman
which have committed that wicked thing – to your gates
even that man or that woman
and shall STONE them with STONES
till they die
Two or three witness necessary for convictionverses 6-7
At the mouth of two witnesses – or three witnesses
shall he that is worthy of death be put to death
BUT at the mouth of one witness
he shall not be put to death
The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him
to put him to death
and afterward the hands of all the people
SO you shall put the evil away from among you
High court will be located in Jerusalemverses 8-13
IF there arise a matter too hard for you in judgment
between blood and blood – between plea and plea
and between stroke and stroke
being matters of controversy within your gates
THEN shall you arise – and get you up into the place which the
LORD your God shall choose
And you shall come to the priests the Levites
and to the judge that shall be in those days – and inquire
And they shall show you the sentence of judgment
and you shall do according to the sentence
which they of that place which the LORD shall
choose shall show you
And you shall observe to do according to all that they inform you
according to the sentence of the law which they shall TEACH you
and according to the judgment which they shall TELL you
you shall do – you shall not decline from the sentence
which they shall SHOW you – to the right hand
nor to the left
And the man that will do presumptuously
and will not hearken to the priest that stands to minister
there before the LORD your God – or to the judge
even that man shall die – and you shall put away
the evil from Israel
And all the people shall hear – and FEAR
and do no more presumptuously
King has to be an Israeliteverses 14-15
WHEN you are come to the land which the LORD your God give you
and shall possess it – and shall dwell therein
and shall say
I will set a KING over me
like as all the nations that are about me
You shall in any wise set him KING over you
whom the LORD your God shall CHOOSE
one from among your brethren shall you set
KING over you
You may not set a stranger over you
which is not your brother
Standards of a future kingverses 16-20
BUT he shall NOT MULTIPLY HORSES to himself
nor cause the people to return to Egypt
to the end that he should multiply horses
forasmuch as the LORD has said to you
You shall henceforth return no more that way
Neither shall he MULTIPLY WIVES to himself
that his heart turn not away
Neither shall he GREATLY MULTIPLY to himself
SILVER and GOLD
And it shall be – WHEN he sits on the throne of his kingdom
that he shall WRITE him COPY of this law in a book
out of that which is before the priests the Levites
And it shall be with him and he shall READ therein all the days of his life
that he may LEARN to FEAR the LORD his God
to KEEP all the words of this law
and these statutes – to do them
that his HEART be not LIFTED UP above his brethren
and that he turn not aside from the commandment
to the right hand – or to the left
to the end that he may PROLONG his days in his kingdom
he – his children in the midst of Israel
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 5 Then shall you bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, to your gates, even that man or that woman, and shall stone them with stones, till they die. (7451 “wicked” [ra’] means mischief, hurt, bad, trouble, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, or evil)
DEVOTION: Imagine living in this time period. There would be a requirement that everyone worship the LORD according to HIS commands that HE gave in the wilderness. Each day everyone in a town would be worshiping the LORD.
However, if someone didn’t worship the LORD according to the standard that was set or they brought a false god into the town they were to be judged. If someone wanted to start another religion they were to be judged. If they brought false gods from some visit they made to another community they were to be judged. If there were strangers coming into a town and some of the people were listening to their teaching they were to be judged.
So we find that if someone witnesses someone else worshiping a false god or trying to teach others to worship a false god they were to be brought to the city gate to the elders of the city for judgment.
The elders at the gate couldn’t judge the individual if there were not as least two witnesses to their worship of a false god. Three witnesses were better but there would never be a conviction if there was only one witness.
Once their guilt was established the witnesses had to be the ones who threw the first stone. The penalty for bringing a false god or religion into the community was death.
Today we don’t have this rule or standard in our local cities. Every religion has the freedom to present their claims here in America. There is freedom of religion in our constitution. However, we find that today many are trying to limit our freedom by restating what the constitution says. They say we have freedom to worship but not freedom of religion. There seems to be just a little difference to them but to us it means that they can limit what we say in public regarding what the Bible states to be true.
In other countries people are put in jail or killed for presenting something other than the accepted religion of the country. Many Christians are killed in these countries for expressing what they think is the truth regarding Jesus Christ.
We need to proclaim the truth regarding Christ here before we lose our privilege of being able to present the truth to everyone we meet.
CHALLENGE: Witness to others the truth of the Word of God.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 And you shall come to the priests the Levites, and to the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall show you the sentence of judgment. (1697 “sentence” [dabar] means matter, affair, lawsuit, a brief statement, an edict, account, a legal action taken in court as a contest between two parties for justice or word of God)
DEVOTION: The supreme court of the children of Israel was to be located at a place the LORD chose to be their capital. Until David became king the Tabernacle was located in different places.
Once David became king Jerusalem was the capital and all the hard cases were to be taken to Jerusalem for judgment by the priests and Levities. This was only for the cases that couldn’t be settled in the local villages by the elders at the gate.
So we find that there was a legal system in place before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land. The LORD left nothing necessary out of their instructions in the wilderness. HE knew the future. HE knew the place HE was going to establish as their capital. HE knew that there would be cases that the local elders couldn’t handle.
Life is complicated at times and the LORD understood that there needed to be a higher court than the local village. Once the sentence was given by the priests and Levites in the capital it had to be followed.
Today we have courts in every land. The court system in America was set up according to the truth of the Word of God. It used to be that before a witness could testify they had to put their hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
The belief in truth has been lost in most of our country today. It seems that everyone has their truth but no one seems to think that there is a real truth to be found.
One day there will be a court held by the Creator of the Universe and HIS court will only follow the truth. The truth is going to be found in the Book of Life. If a person’s name is not found in the Book of Life they will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. Then God’s truth will be supreme.
Local courts might get it wrong some of the time but this court will NEVER get it wrong. If your name is not found your future is sure.
CHALLENGE: Is your name in the Book of Life that the LORD will open in the future? All other court cases will not establish your eternity but this one will.
: 12 And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken to the priest that stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die: and you shall put away the evil from Israel. (2087 “presumptuously” [zadown] means arrogance, pride, proud, or insolence)
DEVOTION: There are many cases that go before the court of Israel. The starting point was at the gate of the city in which the people lived. If the case was too hard for the judges at the gate, it was to be sent to a higher court. The final court was to be found in the place where the LORD chose to put HIS name.
There are people who will not listen to anyone. They sin and keep on sinning because they feel that they have to answer to no one. The LORD knew there were people like this even in the people HE picked.
These people were noted to lead people away from the LORD. They were to be put to death. The priests were the judges in Israel. If there were some sins that were hard for the local priest to judge, they were to take the individual to the priest in Jerusalem.
If they were judged worthy of death, they were to die. Why? God didn’t want people in Israel leading them away from HIM. HE knew that the consequences of one person helped others to fear HIM. The people of God had to have a reverence for God. They had to have a fear of the LORD. In this regard, they also had to fear the judges of the land.
Our legal system in America there is respecter of persons. There are people who don’t honor the LORD or care about the LORD in our courts. Those who are poor are generally sent to jail. Those who have money are commonly set free. Lawyers are known for “lawyering the truth.”
In the Biblical churches of America we need to see the LORD honored.
Today we see that the fear of the LORD has left many in our churches. The world doesn’t care what God thinks. It is really bad if the people who claim to be followers of God do not fear HIM.
Church discipline is for those who do not fear the LORD enough to keep HIS commands. Paul told the church at Corinth to put the man out who was living in sin. If there are individuals who are living in sin and do not care to change. Then we have to put them out of the church. We cannot take them out and stone them as Israel did.
Remember that once they are put out of the church it is with the idea of reconciliation in the future. The LORD doesn’t want us to just put people out of the church. HE chastens because HE loves us. We chasten because we love the individual. This has to be in our thoughts the whole time we are dealing with this individual.
Are we committing arrogant sins in our churches? What do we do with individuals who are members of our churches who commit arrogant sins? Do we need evil in our church membership? The problem is that we don’t think that continual gossip is evil. We don’t even think that those who sow discord among the brethren are evil.
CHALLENGE: Israel was to have judges whose judgments are final. When the church follows God rules regarding those who lead, when a judgment is given after evidence is examined, their judgment should be followed. However, there are leaders who will NOT allow anyone to question their leadership.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 18 And it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests and the Levites: (4932 “copy” [mishneh] means transcription, a reproduction of a written work, matching, in second position, or double)
DEVOTION: Anyone who is appointed leader of the nation of Israel was to write out his own individual copy of the Word of God. He is to state at the beginning and write the words that are found in the book. He is not to add to it or take anything away from the copy of the Word of God.
This is to be his individual copy of what the LORD expects of anyone who is a leader of the nation of Israel. Fromm the writing he will learn as he writes what the LORD expects of his leadership and how he is to deal with the rest of the children of Israel.
This might be a good practice for anyone who wants to lead a church. If he would write out a copy of at least the New Testament, he would learn what the disciples taught the people of the New Testament times.
This individual would know what the LORD expected of the people and teach accordingly. There would be no doubt in his mind what the LORD expected of him and of those in his congregation.
I have been typing out the Word of God for the last seventeen years and have learned more doing this than I ever learned in Bible School, College and Seminary. It has been a wonderful practice that is very humbling as I always learn more of what the LORD expected of me.
God wants us to know the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, so that, when we teach we understand the full council of the LORD. Too many people read only the verses or books that they like and leave the rest alone.
To understand the full council of the LORD we need to read from Genesis to Revelation and then we will only partial understand all that the LORD wants us to learn as we have to depend on the Holy Spirit to fill in what we sometimes don’t understand.
CHALLENGE: Write or type out the whole Bible at least once in your life to learn the whole council of the LORD. HE will bless you for this action.
: 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: (7121 “read” [qara’] means call, proclaim, read aloud, utter a loud sound, to cry out, or recite.)
DEVOTION: The LORD was the ruler over the children of Israel. HE led them through the wilderness. HE gave them instructions to follow. HE fed them. HE clothed them. HE protected them.
Now HE also understands that there will come a time period in the future where they will want to copy the nations around them and elect a king. The nation will turn from a theocracy into a monarchy.
The ideal would be for them to continue to follow the directions of the LORD but that was not going to happen. They wanted to see who was giving the commands.
So the LORD gave guidelines for anyone who was going to be a future king over the nation. Some of the guidelines were negative for the future king. He was not to multiply houses, wives, silver and gold. These were things that heathen kings did because they were depending on themselves instead of God. If the king was confident, he didn’t need the help of the LORD he would turn to other gods.
God also gave some positive things the king was to do. One of them was that he had to write his own personal copy of the Law. He was to read it every day for the rest of his life.
Not only was he to read but he was to learn to apply the Word of God to his life. He was to fear the LORD after his reading of the Law. He was to keep the words of this law. He was to be an obedient individual who was leading the children of Israel to follow the LORD during his reign.
Today we are to realize that we are going to be future kings during the reign of Christ on this earth so we should be busy reading and learning from the Word of God daily.
One of the reasons I write these daily devotionals is to encourage those believers that read them to grow in their knowledge of the Word of God and to learn to fear the LORD and serve HIM faithfully.
CHALLENGE: We need to encourage those who are struggling to read and apply the Word of God to their life. Remind them that they are going to reign with Christ one day.
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)
King is to write copy of law of the LORDverse 18
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
King to learn from his copy of the Lawverse 19
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)
Lawverse 18, 19
Statutesverse 19
Commandmentverse 20
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovahverses 1, 2, 8, 10, 12, 14-16, 19
God – Elohimverses 1, 2, 8, 12, 14, 15, 19
LORD thy Godverses 1, 2, 8, 12, 14, 15
LORD his Godverse 19
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)
Nationsverse 14
Stranger can’t be king over Israelverse 15
Egyptverse 16
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Offering sacrifices that have blemishverse 1
Offering sacrifices that are evil favoredverse 1
Abominationverses 1, 4
Wickednessverses 2, 5
Transgressing covenantverse 2
Worshipping false godsverse 3
sun, moon or hosts of heaven
Evilverses 7, 12
Presumptuousverses 12, 13
King multiplying horsesverse 16
King multiplying wivesverse 17
Heart of king turn away from LORDverse 17
King multiplying gold and silververse 17
King with heart lifted upverse 20
King turning aside from the commandmentsverse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Inheritanceverses 2, 14
Covenantverse 2
Enquire diligentlyverse 4
Chosen placeverses 8, 10
Observeverse 10
Priest teachverse 11
People hear judgmentverse 13
People fear because of judgmentverse 13
King chosen by Godverse 15
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Two or three witnesses necessary verse 6
Priests to judge hard casesverses 9-12
King over Israel verses 14-20
chosen by God
fellow Israelite
not multiply horses
not return people to Egypt
not multiply wives
not multiply silver or gold
write copy of the Law in a book
read copy of the Law all the days of his life
learn to fear the LORD
keep the words of the Law
heart not be lifted up
not turn aside from commandments
obedience = prolonged life
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Stone those who worshiping false godverse 5
Witnesses necessary for death penaltyverse 6
Witness has to throw first stoneverse 7
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QUOTES regarding passage
The local judges were to appeal (perhaps together with the litigants) to the higher court. They were not to decide in the cases that were appealed to the higher court; they simply decided to refer the case to the higher court for decision, and that decision was then implemented by the local judges. The tenor of the law as given, however, places the responsibility for the application of the law on the whole populace. “The man who shows contempt” (v.12) may not only be the local judge who does not want to exact punishment decided by the priests and the judge in the place the Lord would choose; such a man may be anyone in Israel—as is obvious from the idea that none of the people will be “contemptuous” (v.13) when they learn of the one in contempt being put to death. (Kalland, E. S. (1992). Deuteronomy. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 115). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
17:8–13. Moses made a provision for future judges in the Promised Land similar to that provided for judges in the time of the wilderness wanderings (1:17). If a judge felt a case was too difficult for him to decide, he could take it to a central tribunal (consisting of priests and the officiating chief judge) to be established at the future site of the central sanctuary (the place the Lord would choose). The decisions of the tribunal would be final. Any rebellion against the tribunal was considered “contempt of court” and was a capital offense. This made the rule of justice paramount in the land and helped prevent anarchy. (Deere, J. S. (1985). Deuteronomy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 294). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The wisdom of God (vv. 8–13). Many times, the local judges and courts would have to consider cases that were complicated and perplexing and too difficult for them to settle, cases involving bloodshed, accusations, lawsuits, and various kinds of assault. To assist the local officials, the Lord would establish a central “court” at His sanctuary where the priests and Levites would share their wisdom and explain the law of God. In Israel, God’s law was national law, and the best ones to interpret and apply the law were the priests and Levites.
This “sanctuary court” was not a court of appeals where a convicted person could seek a second trial, nor was it an advisory committee whose decisions could be accepted or rejected. It was a court that tried cases carefully and whose decisions were authoritative and binding. Anybody who showed contempt for the authority of the courts or the decisions that they rendered was actually showing contempt for God and His law. Such rebels were guilty of a capital crime and were subject to the death penalty. God would not have rebellious citizens in His nation or permit people to resist His law presumptuously. No sacrifices were provided in the law for people who committed “high-handed” and deliberate sins (Num. 15:30–36).
When Woodrow Wilson was President of the United States, he said, “There are a good many problems before the American people today, and before me as President, but I expect to find the solution of those problems just in the proportion that I am faithful in the study of the Word of God.” Statesman Daniel Webster said, “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury our glory in profound obscurity.”5 Living as we do in a democratic pluralistic society, we can’t expect the government to make the Bible its official guidebook, but it would help the nation if professed Christians and Christian churches would major on preaching, teaching, and obeying the Word of God.(
17:13 To hear God is to acknowledge Him, to respond to Him, and to obey Him (6:4). To fear God is to reverence Him and to worship Him (6:2). The idea here is responsible reverence (13:11; 19:20; 21:21). (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Dt 17:13). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 13. And all the people shall hear, and fear, &c.] All the people of Israel in their several cities, and particularly the judges in those cities; they shall hear of what is done to the obstinate and disobedient elder, and shall be afraid to commit the like offence, lest they should come into the same punishment: and do no more presumptuously; after his example; hence, Jarchi says, they wait till the feast comes, and then put him to death; and so it is said, they bring him up to the great sanhedrim which is at Jerusalem, and there keep him until the feast (the next feast), and put him to death at the feast, as it is said, all the people shall hear, and fear. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 70). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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!!)
Naaman is healed of leprosy when he obeys Elisha’s directives.
INSIGHT
It is God who has power to move in the realm of the spiritual and miraculous—not man. So whether God asks us to do something difficult or simple, it doesn’t matter. He will do the work behind our faith. Naaman learns this the hard way. His heart is open to God, for he goes to Elisha hoping that God will heal his leprosy. But when Elisha tells him to wash in the Jordan seven times, Naaman roars: “Are not . . . the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?” (v. 12). He misses the point. The point is not clean water or unclean. The point is: Does he believe God? The Jordan is merely a test of his faith in God. When Naaman realizes that, he washes and is healed. (Quiet Walk)
LOOKING ON
And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
Exodus 33:8
I am rather interested in what we are told about the remainder of the people. They say that Moses and one or two individuals used to go out of the camp to the Tabernacle to pray. In Exodus 33:8 we read, “And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.”
There is something very wonderful about this. All they did was to look on with interest. They were aware that something was happening, but they did not know what it was, and they did not understand it. They did not go out of the camp with Moses into the tent of meeting with God and pray and intercede. All they knew was that Moses had taken the tent outside the camp and that he and certain others periodically visited it. So they just stood at their tent doors, watching Moses as he went and talking about him, wondering what he was doing and what exactly was happening. Now the appalling thing is that the right place for the tent was in the midst of the camp. But it was not there.
As you read the history of the church, you will find this repeated. At first just a few people feel the call and separate themselves, and then the others begin to say, “What is happening to so and so? Have you heard about this man or that woman?” They stand at their tent doors, and they look on. They have a feeling that something is happening. But they do nothing at all. Oh, if we wait until the whole church moves, revival will never happen. A Thought to Ponder: If we wait until the whole church moves, revival will never happen. (FROM: Revival, p. 170 Dr. Matyn Lloyd-Jones)
When Christians use the term “free will,” it’s often in discussions about divine sovereignty and predestination. Whether we choose God or God chooses us has been at the center of theological debate for centuries. On the other hand, when the term “free will” is used by evolutionary biologists, the debate is over whether choice itself is real, whether it is an illusion produced by our brains?
Materialists have long insisted, because they kind of have to, that human actions and decisions are determined, not free. In other words, we think we make real choices as humans, but we don’t. Our choices are really the inevitable outcomes of a whole chain of material causes that go back, like falling dominoes, to the Big Bang.
This idea is called “determinism.” If true, a scientist with perfect knowledge of all of the conditions from the beginning of the universe could, like a cosmic weatherman, predict everything that would ever happen.
Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne, who runs a popular blog called “Why Evolution Is True,” has long held this view. As he puts it, “our choices and behaviors are the result of the laws of physics…” Given our chemistry, the arrangement of atoms in our brains, and outside forces acting on us, we cannot help doing what we do.
Obviously, determinism does quite a number on issues like meaning and moral responsibility, among other things.
Determinism is an unavoidable conclusion if you start with the assumption that the world is only a place of natural causes and processes. However, if you start with the evidence, it’s another matter altogether.
For example, neurosurgeon Michael Egnor points out at “Mind Matters” that quantum physics suggests we do not live in a deterministic universe. As early as the mid-60’s, physicists had devised experiments that strongly pointed to the fact that nature does not determine every event beforehand. Quantum events, such as those that put a certain spin on an electron, are not the result of “hidden variables” at the subatomic level. In fact, we don’t know what determines them!
While Jerry Coyne seems to be recognizing the implications of quantum physics for his determinism, he has chosen to double down rather than admit his framework is flawed. Reviewing a PBS video entitled “Can Free Will be Saved in a Deterministic Universe?” Coyne reiterates his belief that our sense of having free choice is merely an illusion. “…we could not have done other than what we did at any moment in time,” he writes. “And, except for the action of any quantum events, the future is completely determined by the past.”
In other words, Coyne’s determinism applies everywhere in the universe … except for quantum events. Other than an undetermined variable that influences literally every physical process in the universe, everything else is determined?
Michael Egnor has responded with a personal challenge to Coyne: What in nature isn’t the action of quantum events? Certainly, every event in the brain is quantum in nature—every brain state…every bit of protein synthesis or ion flow—is the consequence of quantum events. Because all quantum events are non-deterministic, then all brain states are non-deterministic, and the free will deniers’ claim that nature is deterministic falls to pieces.”
All of that physics jargon is making an important worldview point. In a Christian worldview, human attitudes and human actions are not only morally significant, but central to what it means to be in the image of God. We are not mere effects of material causes. It is because our minds are not mere emanations of our brains that we can talk about “right” and “wrong” as real concepts, to hold people accountable for their actions.
It also makes all of our talk about physics or neuroscience meaningful. To borrow an argument from Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga, if our minds are merely the products of material causes, why should we trust our thoughts to conclude anything, including that our minds are merely the products of material causes? Ironically, Jerry Coyne is assuming free will and rationality in arguing against free will and rationality.
This is one of those things we can’t not know about ourselves: Our thoughts, decisions, and beliefs are morally meaningful, not pre-determined. Anyone who is determined to deny this must assume their denial wasn’t determined. (BreakPoint)
Hebrews 9
The old covenant of law is a picture of the new covenant of grace in Christ.
INSIGHT
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (v. 22). We are not told why that is true, only that it is. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Wherever there is sin, someone must die. We can pay the penalty for our own sin, which is our own eternal, spiritual death, or the death which Christ suffered can be placed on our account. His death can count for ours, and we do not have to die spiritually. Faith is the vehicle by which this transaction takes place. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Hebrews 12
Following the example of Christ, we are to endure the chastening of God in our lives.
INSIGHT
We don’t mind suffering some things as long as someone else is suffering too; we don’t like to be the only one. Few things make us feel worse than when everything seems to be going well for everyone else and we are in the throes of suffering. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to endure our present sufferings as Christians in this world by reminding us that Christ suffered for us and that we ought, therefore, to be willing to suffer for Him. One of Jesus’ highest points of integrity is that He never asks us to do anything for Him that He is not willing to do for us. (Quiet Walk)
KNOWING THE LOVE OF GOD
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16
How can my joy abound? How can I walk through this world with my head erect? How can I come through triumphantly? Well, here is the main thing: I should know the love that God has toward me. If I have that, I can say that “neither death, nor life….nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Therefore, the questions come to us one by one: Do I know this love? Can I make this statement? It is made everywhere in the New Testament. Paul is particularly fond of stating it: “…the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). No man could state the doctrine of the atonement in all its plenitude and glory like the apostle Paul, and yet here he says in essence, “He died for me; He loved me.” This is personal knowledge, personal appropriation. You find this everywhere in the New Testament. For example, “Whom having not seen,” says Peter, “ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
Do we know that? These people did not see Him, and so we cannot argue and say, “It is all very well for those first Christians; they saw Him. If only I could see Christ, then I would love Him.” But they did not see Him any more than we see Him. They had the apostolic witness and teaching and accepted this witness and testimony. They loved Him and rejoiced in Him “with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
A Thought to Ponder: They loved Him and rejoiced in Him “with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (From The Love of God, pp. 148-149, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Russian wedding customs are filled with beauty and significance. One such custom takes place during the reception as the toastmaster proposes a toast in honor of the couple. Everyone takes a sip from their raised glass and then shouts, “Gor’ko! Gor’ko!” meaning “Bitter! Bitter!” When the guests shout that word, the newlyweds must rise and kiss each other in order to make the drink sweet again.
Isaiah prophesies that the bitter drink of desolation, ruin, and the curse upon the earth (ch. 24) will give way to the sweet hope of a new heaven and new earth (ch. 25). God will prepare a feast of rich foods and the finest and sweetest of drinks. It will be a banquet of continual blessing, fruitfulness, and provision for all people (25:6). There’s more. Under the sovereign reign of the righteous King, death is swallowed up, bitter tears are wiped away, and the shroud of disgrace is removed (vv. 7-8). And His people will rejoice because the One they trusted in and waited for will bring salvation and turn the bitter cup of life sweet again (v. 9).
One day, we’ll be together with Jesus at the wedding supper of the Lamb. When He welcomes His bride (the church) home, the promise of Isaiah 25 will be fulfilled. The life once bitter will be made sweet again. By Marvin Williams (Our Daily Bread)
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