Deuteronomy 21
Dealing with murder in fieldverses 1-9
IF one be found slain in the land which the LORD your God
give you to possess it – lying in the field
and it be not known who has slain him
THEN your elders and your judges shall come forth
and they shall measure to the cities which are round about him
that is slain – and it shall be
that the city which is next to the slain man
even the elders of that city shall take a heifer
which has not been wrought with
which has not drawn in the yoke
And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer to a rough valley
which is neither eared nor sown
and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley
and the priests the sons of Levi shall come near
For them the LORD your God has chosen to minister to HIM
and to bless in the name of the LORD
And by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried
and all the elders of that city – that are next to the slain man
shall wash their hands over the heifer that is
beheaded in the valley
And they shall answer and say
Our hands have not shed this blood
neither have our eyes seen it
Be merciful – O LORD – to your people Israel
whom YOU have redeemed – and lay not innocent blood
to YOUR people of Israel’s charge
SO shall you put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you
when you shall do that which is right in the sight of the LORD
Dealing with marriage to captive womanverses 10-14
When you go forth to war against your enemies
and the LORD your God has delivered them into your hands
and you have taken them captive
and see among the captives a beautiful woman
and have a desire to her
that you would have her to your wife
THEN you shall bring her home to your house
and she shall shave her head – and pare her nails
And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her
and she shall remain in your house
and bewail her father and mother a full month
and after that you shall go in to her
and be her husband – and she shall be your wife
And it shall be – IF you have no delight in her
THEN you shall let her go whither she will
BUT you shall not sell her at all for money
you shall not make merchandise of her
BECAUSE you have humbled her
First-born son receives double inheritanceverses 15-17
IF a man has two wives – one beloved – and another hated
and they have born him children – both the beloved and the hated
IF the firstborn son be hers that was hated
THEN it shall be – when he made his sons to inherit that which he has
that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the
son of the hated – which is indeed the firstborn
BUT he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn
by giving him a double portion of all that he has
FOR he is the beginning of his strength
The right of the firstborn is his
Parents dealing with rebellious sonverses 18-21
IF a man has a STUBBORN and REBELLIOUS son
which will not obey the voice of his father
or the voice of his mother
and that – when they have chastened him
will not hearken to them
THEN shall his father and his mother lay hold on him
and bring him out to the elders of his city
and to the gate of his place
And they shall say to the elders of the city
This our son is stubborn and rebellious
he will not obey our voice
he is a glutton – he is a drunkard
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones
that he die
SO shall you put evil away from among you
AND all Israel shall HEAR and FEAR
Death by hanging for capital crimeverses 22-23
IF a man has committed a sin worthy of death
and he be to be put to death – and you hang him on a tree
his body shall not remain all night on the tree
BUT you shall in any wise bury him that day
(for he that is hanged is accursed of God)
that your land be not defiled
which the LORD your God
give you for an inheritance
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near: for them the LORD your God has chosen to minister to HIM, and to bless in the name of the LORD, and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried. (5061 “stroke” [nega] means onset of illness, affliction, plague, infestation, blow, violent crime, a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon, or mark)
DEVOTION: The LORD set up a legal system that was to work for all of Israel. The Levitical priests were to be the judges. Each city had elders that sat at the gate of the city to settle matters that came to their attention. However, legal matters were to be brought before the priests at times.
Here we find a person that has been killed outside of a number of cities and there had to be a judgment given as to who would have to sacrifice an animal to correct the issue.
The elders of the city closes to the body had to offer the sacrifice and acknowledge they knew nothing about the death of the individual. There as a ceremony performed by the priest because he was chosen to minister before the LORD.
So the LORD wanted all cases to be tried before the priests because all sin was a matter for the priests and not the common people. Sin had to be dealt with on a regular basis throughout the cities of Israel.
If sin was not dealt with correctly there would be confusion in the nation of Israel. God is not the author of confusion. HE wanted everything to be done decently and in order.
When law and order was kept the priest could bless a community. His blessing was recognized by the LORD. The community could be at peace with each other and the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Are we taking our problems to the church or to the local court for settling between Christians? Should we be settling our problems in the church or in the courts?
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 8 Be merciful, O LORD, to your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and lay not innocent blood to your people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. (6299 “redeemed” [padah] means ransom, rescued, to buy out, be released, to deliver from harm or evil, or to let go)
DEVOTION: Here have someone found dead in on open area and the cities that are around it have to measure how far the body is from each city and the nearest city has to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.
This city didn’t know anything about the death but they still had to offer a sacrifice and pray this prayer to the LORD.
This was to make sure that they realized that death was a sin and that if they knew anything about the death the LORD would judge them for their guilt. It is only if they were innocent that they should pray this prayer.
God is a merciful God and will not hold us accountable for something we haven’t done. HE will only hold us accountable for the sins we have committed. It is good to know that the LORD is a forgiving God.
We need to make sure that we are confessing our sins to HIM on a regular basis. We are to keep daily accounts with HIM to keep HIS blessings flowing in our lives.
Too often we think we can have a weekly check-up in church and the rest of the week we can live as we place. That is not HIS standard and it should not be our standard for our relationship with HIM.
HE wants to speak to us daily. HE wants to have fellowship with us daily. We need to want the same things that HE wants from us.
Don’t let the enemy gain a foothold in your life. He will try. This world is not our home we are just passing through. We need to realize that whatever the world offers is not what the LORD wants for us. HE wants to offer us the best for our time on this earth.
CHALLENGE: Realize that the LORD wants to give HIS best to us if we keep short accounts with HIM.
: 17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he has: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. (5234 “acknowledge” [nakar] means respect, pay attention to, observe, recognize, or distinguish)
DEVOTION: In the New Testament a leader in the church was to be the husband of one wife. So we find a difference between what was happening in the Old Testament and the New Testament. There are churches that teach and a society that seems to be ready for men having more than one wife. The laws are changing in this nation to laws that are not pleasing to the LORD today.
So in the Old Testament we find that the children of Israel married more than one wife. Here we have a man married to a wife that he loved and a wife that he hated. What caused the hatred is not known but stated as fact. The LORD had to deal with this issue.
HE gave the command that whoever the firstborn was whether the son of the wife he loved or hated he had to give him a double portion of his inheritance.
Throughout the Old Testament we found this to be a problem. There was usually a wife that the husband loved more than the other wives. God didn’t want him to play favorites when it came to inheritance.
Today we find that parents can have favorite children and they sometimes are not the firstborn. This is not what the LORD expects of believers. We are to love all of our children.
We had two brothers who were comedians who used a little skit where one says “Mom liked you best.” It was supposed to be funny but in reality, it is not.
CHALLENGE: Parents need to try to love each of their children the same. Children need the love of their parents to give them the security they need as they get older.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city. This our son is STUBBORN and rebellious, he will not obey our voice, he is a glutton, and a drunkard. (5637 “stubborn” [carar] means to turn away, backsliding, revolter, rebellious, or withdrew)
DEVOTION: Issues! There are always issues that need to be covered in a nation. Here we find a list of issues that needed to be settled by the LORD before the people moved into the Promised Land.
One of the issues dealt with a son that would not listen to his parent even after they had disciplined him.
Family is important to God. The LORD wants children to obey their parents. The one commandment of the Ten Commandments that had a promise associated with it. If children honored their father and mother, they would have a longer life.
In every home in which there are children there is going to be a test of wills. The parents are to train up their children in the fear of the LORD. The home is the first training ground for the worship of the LORD. The Israelites were to train in every aspect of their lives. They were to train their children in the house, on walks, in their conversations, when they were lying down and when they were sitting up. They were to bind them on their hands and before their eyes. They were to have a written passage of the Word of God on their doorposts.
However, some children do not respond to parents and some parents do not train their children properly. Here we have an example of a child who would not obey his parents. The parents tried to discipline him but he will not listen.
The final step is for the parents to have the judges of the city judge him. The punishment for being a stubborn, rebellious, disobedient, gluttonous, drunk son was death. When one was stoned it caused the rest to fear.
The LORD wanted to have all the Israelite children honor their parents. The commandment is repeated in the New Testament.
Children are to honor their parents. Some of the religious leaders had found a way for children not to honor their parents. Jesus did not like their teachings. We should not like that their teaching.
Today Christian parents have the responsibility to train their children in the home to honor them and the LORD. Sometimes parents are not in agreement regarding the discipline of the children. They should never disagree in front of the children, only in private.
The father needs to be the spiritual leader in the home. He should work with his wife in this area. He needs to be a regular attendee in a Biblical church.
Both parents have to support each other unless there is abuse. Too many children are training their parents instead of the other way around. Do we wonder what is happening in our society? The children are running the home instead of the other way around. Let us get back to the Biblical way of raising our children.
It is never too late to train your children in the LORD. It is harder after the age of six. Even adult children can be trained with the proper love and respect for them. Grandparents have an awesome responsibility toward their grandchildren in this area as well.
CHALLENGE: Fulfill your responsibility to the LORD in the training of your children and grandchildren. They will follow your example: whether good or bad.
: 23 His body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is cursed of God:) that you land be not defiled, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance. (8518 “hanged” [talah] means to put to death by hanging, suspend, to be caused to be suspended or hung up on something, or kill or harm a person by fastening a line around the neck or limbs resulting in death or harm)
DEVOTION: Here we find the rule that caused the Jews to want the body of Jesus to be taken down before the night was over. Every criminal was to be taken down from his hanging before the end of the day and buried.
Jesus was considered a criminal by the Roman government and the Jewish people. HE had to be taken down from the cross and buried before sunset.
So this rule was given to the children of Israel before they entered the Promised Land and was the law of the land from the time they entered until the days of Jesus Christ.
The land was important to the Jewish people and to the LORD. HE did not want the land to be defiled by a body remaining on the tree overnight.
Joseph of Arimathaea, understood this law and wanted to make sure that they didn’t consider Jesus Christ accursed. He took the body of Jesus and buried HIM to honor HIM. He knew that Jesus was innocent of the crimes HE was accused of but knew that the only thing he could do is bury HIM before sunset.
CHALLENGE: Do we realize that everything that is happening in our world is known of God before the foundation of the world. HE is not surprised!
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)
Prayer of elders of the cityverses 7-8
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Nearest city would sacrificeverse 3
Priestsverse 5
son’s of Levi
chosen to minister
to bless in name of the LORD
every controversy and every stroke
be tried
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 5, 8-10, 23
God (Elohim)verses 1, 5, 10, 23
LORD thy Godverses 1, 5, 10, 23
Name of the LORD verse 5
Mercifulverse 8
Redeemerverse 8
Sight of the LORDverse 9
Accursed of Godverse 23
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)
Enemiesverse 10
Captivesverse 10
Beautiful womanverses 11-14
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Murdered manverses 1, 3, 6
Guiltverse 9
Stubbornverses 18, 20
Rebelliousverses 18, 20
Not obey parentsverses 18, 20
Gluttonverse 20
Drunkardverse 20
Evilverse 21
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Chosenverse 5
Ministerverse 5
Bless the name of the LORDverse 5
Mercyverse 8
Redeemedverse 8
Forgivenverse 8
Do right in the sight of the LORDverse 9
Hearverse 21
Fearverse 21
Inheritanceverse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Finding answer to a deathverse 1
Elders and judges verses 2-9, 19
Measure distance from cities
City nearest dead man would sacrifice
Wash hands over blood of heifer
Put away guilt of innocent blood
Sacrifice and confessionverse 7
Israelverse 8
Dealing with captive womenverses 10-14
Two wivesverse 15
Dealing with firstborn of hated wivesverses 15-17
Double portion
Dealing with rebellious childrenverses 18-21
Not listen to mother or father
Bring to elders of city
Stone him
Dealing with those who were hangedverses 22-23
Sin worthy of death
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Death of rebellious sonverse 21
Death by hangingverse 22
Bury same day
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QUOTES regarding passage
6–9 Atonement was made for the bloodshed when the elders broke the heifer’s neck and washed their hands over the heifer’s body while they declared that they, representing the people, were innocent of the homicide. Then they prayed that the Lord’s redeemed people would be held guiltless. This action, described as “right in the eyes of the Lord” (v.9), purged the people from the guilt of spilling innocent blood.
Though the word kāp̱ar (“atone”) appears twice in v.8, the atonement mentioned is not an atonement within the sacrificial system; for the blood of the heifer was not offered. It is rather an atonement for justice; the heifer suffered death in place of the unknown criminal, in order to clear the land of guilt. (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. 131). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Breaking the heifer’s neck symbolized that the crime deserved capital punishment, and the washing of the elders’ hands over the heifer symbolized their innocence in the matter. This ritual demonstrated how extremely valuable God considers life. For even though no murderer was found, the land and the people both incurred the guilt of shedding innocent blood. The animal sacrifice, accompanied by the petition of the elders, made atonement, that is, turned the wrath of God away from the people. (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. 300). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Responsibility for the procedure is taken by the elders of the city nearest to the scene of the crime (2). They carry out a ritual killing of a heifer. It is interesting that neither the heifer nor the place chosen for the ceremony should have been used for agricultural purposes (3–4). The ritual, therefore, is like a sacrifice in that the victim and the place are, as it were, set aside specially for the purpose—though the rite is not actually a sacrifice (since the animal’s blood is not spilt). It is also like a sacrifice in that it makes atonement for the spilling of the murdered person’s blood (Lv. 17:11).
The elders of the nearest city have taken responsibility for the act of atonement on behalf of all Israel (8). They are themselves innocent of the crime, however, as is signified by the hand-washing ritual (7). (McConville, J. G. (1994). Deuteronomy. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 219). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
21:1–9 it is not known who has struck him. This law, which dealt with an unsolved homicide, was not given elsewhere in the Pentateuch. In the event that the guilty party was unknown, justice could not adequately be served. However, the people were still held responsible to deal with the crime. The elders of the city closest to the place where the body of a dead man was found were to accept responsibility for the crime. This precluded inter-city strife, in case relatives sought revenge. They would go to a valley (idol altars were always on high places, so this avoided association with idolatry) and there break the neck of a heifer, indicating that the crime deserved to be punished. But the handwashing of the elders (v. 6) would show that, although they accepted responsibility for what had happened, they were nevertheless free from the guilt attached to the crime. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Dt 21:1–9). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
That this ritual relates to Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross is clear from the elders’ words, “Do not lay innocent blood to the charge of your people Israel” (Deut. 21:8). On that tragic day when Israel asked to have her Messiah crucified, Pilate washed his hands and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” and the people replied, “Let his blood be on us and on our children” (Matt. 27:24–25, niv). Like that innocent heifer, Jesus died for the nation and even prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus fulfilled God’s will and upheld His holy law, and God withheld His judgment from Israel for approximately forty years. Jesus died for the sins of the world (John 1:29; 1 John 4:14), He died for the church (Eph. 5:25–26), and for the people of Israel: “for the transgression of my people was he stricken” (Isa. 53:8).
The entire ritual speaks of the grace of God, for man’s works could never earn God’s forgiveness. The red heifer had never been worked, the ground in the valley had never been tilled, and the elders, judges, and priests had done nothing special to merit God’s forgiveness for His people. The sacrifice wasn’t even made at the sanctuary or offered by a priest. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8–9, nkjv). The offering of the innocent red heifer pointed to the offering of the Son of God whose death brought cleansing, forgiveness, and the annulment of God’s judgment.
Reviewing this section of the law, we’re impressed with the fact that God wanted His people to enjoy living in their land, and the secret of this enjoyment was obedience to His will. Crime and injustice defiled the land, and God didn’t want His land defiled. The godless nations in Canaan so polluted the land that it “vomited them out” (Lev. 18:24–30). Apart from Israel, no nation of the world is in a covenant relationship with God; but the Lord still holds all nations accountable for their sins (Amos 1:3–2:3). One day God will judge the nations in righteousness (Joel 3:9–16) and nobody will escape. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be equipped (pp. 140–141). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
Ver. 9. So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, &c.] Which otherwise, the person not being found out, and brought to just punishment for it, would devolve upon the whole. Aben Ezra interprets it the punishment of innocent blood, which, by the above method being taken, would not be inflicted on them: when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord; as it was to observe this law concerning the beheading of the heifer, with all the rites and ceremonies belonging to it here enjoined; as well as every other command, statute, and ordinance of the Lord, which are all right to be done, Psal. 19:8. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 86). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
The rebellious son (vv 18-21)
This boy was the original “prodigal son” (Luke 15: 11-32) except that he didn’t leave home to disobey the fifth command dishonor his parents, and disgrace his community. Day after day, he resisted the pleas, warnings, and chastenings of his parents as he refused to work, reveling whith the drunkards, and contributed noathing to the home or the community. This kind of sin was so heinous that it was included in the curses read in the land of Canaan (Deut. 27:16; see EX 21: 17) This was more than a family concern, for it involved the peace and reputation of community. The soldarity of the people of Israel wa an important element in their civil, social, and religious life, for the sin of a single person, family, city, or tribe could affect the whole nation (see Deut. 13; Josh 7:1-15. This is also true of the church, for as members of one spiritual body (1 Cor.12) we belong to each other and we affect each other (1 Cor. 5. The parents of the rebellious son were to take him to the local council at the gate, bear witness of his rebellion and obstinacy, and let the council decide. If the boy refused to change his ways, then the only verdict was death by stoning, with all the men of the community particpating. Why? In order to “put away evil” and to warn other profigates of what might happen to them. The phrase”put away evil” is found nine times in Deuteronomy (see 13: 5 and references}
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!!)
It is not very flattering to men and women, to tell them that they are spiritually dead, when most of them feel that they are so thoroughly alive, but you remember we read in the second chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, verse one: “You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world.” This young man could not walk. He was utterly dead as to the body. But there are thousands all about us who are dead, and yet they are walking about. They are dead to God; they have no thought of pleasing Him; they have never known the power of God in their lives. Some of them are very religious, but religion and salvation are quite different. They do not know Christ, and the Scripture says, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” But, thank God, He came to bring life, and “today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” but “believe and your soul shall live.” (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 14). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
It is not only true that men are dead in sins and need life. It is also true that they are responsible beings before God and have been rendered utterly unclean by sin. Leprosy is God’s awful picture of sin—that terrible disease which may be working in the system for a long time before it is manifested outwardly. A man is not a leper because he has certain ugly sores somewhere upon his body. He has those sores because he is a leper. And a man is not a sinner simply because he does wrong, because he sins against God and his fellow man. A man does wrong things because he is a sinner. He is constitutionally a sinner. And just as leprosy makes a man utterly unclean, so that he has to be put away from the company of his fellows, so sin makes a man so utterly unclean that he cannot have any place in the city of God, for “there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth.” One might cry, “How, then, can I ever enter that city? What possible hope is there for me?” (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 15–16). New York: Loizeaux Brothers)
How often we, too, are filled with fear as we contemplate the ways of God. There are so many things that we cannot understand. We sometimes look forward to the future with dread, or the present hour is filled with fear; but the Lord Jesus is here with every one of His own—here to put forth His hand, to say, “Be not afraid.” It is the touch of assurance. Are you trembling in fear? Perhaps circumstances have come into your lives that seem literally to overwhelm you. How many breaking hearts there are! How many homes broken by death! How many others have answered the call to the colors, and parents and dear ones are asking, “Will they ever come back?” and their hearts are filled with fear. If you only know the Lord Jesus Christ, you have One with you who can make up for everything else, and He reaches forth and puts His hand on your troubled head and says, “Fear not; be not afraid.” Trust Him. No matter how dark the clouds may be above, be assured of this: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 18–19). New York: Loizeaux Brothers)
Everything becomes quiet and restful when you feel the touch of His hand. Sometimes we Christians are just like Peter’s wife’s mother. We, too, become so feverish and so overwrought and so upset, and we get worried and anxious and perplexed, and instead of improving things, it only makes them worse. But when Jesus Himself comes, when you feel the touch of His hand, then all the distressing circumstances seem to disappear. “He touched her hand and the fever left her.” (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 21–22). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Am I my brother’s keeper? GENESIS 4:9
We were having dinner recently with four couples. As the evening progressed, one of them shared her struggle with a sister, who at the age of 45 is chronically ill and likely a hypochondriac. This prompted another friend to share how his brother was in an unhealthy, codependent relationship with his 90-year-old mother. Around the table it went—each of them with their own story to tell
about strain with an adult sibling.
As Barbara and I drove home, the thought struck me: The problem with families is that all of us come from one! They can indeed be stormy at times, defying predictability, routinely disruptive—a lot like Cain and Abel in Genesis 4.
Perhaps one of you is estranged from a brother or sister. Perhaps many months or even years have gone by since you’ve talked with or seen each other. Perhaps you have a sibling who still doesn’t have his or her life together and continues taking advantage of your parents. Perhaps no matter what you or anyone else does to help, he or she cannot walk a straight line, keep a job or stay out of trouble.
I believe wisdom offers us three principles in trying to deal with this:
1. Realize you’re not alone. Sibling difficulty was an issue in the very first family—something between Cain and Abel, as I recall—and it continues to stain most families today as they age and expand. What you’re dealing with is unfortunately more normal than abnormal.
2. Stop trying to change them. If you have a tendency to be the 9-1-1 rescue responder, resign from that role. Put your trust in a big God, and turn the job over to Him. He’s good at it.
3. Forgive them. Resist resentment. Stop punishing them. Give them the grace and mercy you have received from the Lord, and choose to love them, even if it must be from a safe distance. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
THE WORLD
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. 1 John 2:15-17
That is, perhaps, one of the fullest statements in Scripture of what the New Testament means by this term the world; here John once more comes back to it. He is always very anxious about it, as is every writer in the New Testament. You cannot read the New Testament truly without seeing the whole of the Christian life as a life of conflict; we are in an atmosphere and in a world where there is a great fight going on. There are two kingdoms, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, and you get these constant comparisons and contrasts. Paul says to the Ephesians, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (or “in the heavenlies”) (Ephesians 6:12). “The world,” says John, “is there the whole time, and the Christian is fighting against it.” So it is of vital importance that we should know what he means by this.
Perhaps the best way of defining what the New Testament means by “the world” is that it is everything that is opposed to God and His Spirit. God calls upon men and women to worship Him and to glorify Him; He calls upon them to live for His glory. There is a famous quotation in the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Confession that says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” That is the chief object for which God created us; we are meant to glorify God in every way conceivable.
A Thought to Ponder: We are in a world where there is a great fight going on.
(From Life in God, p. 36, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Continue
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” (2 Timothy 3:14)
This encouraging exhortation by Paul is in the midst of a discouraging prophetic warning of things to come. “In the last days,” he said, “perilous times shall come” (v. 1). We may very well be entering those times, and, in any case, we do well to be alert for the signs of those times. The doleful description that follows seems to be a very accurate picture of the beliefs and practices of modern secular humanists, including those religionists who have “a form of godliness” but deny “the power thereof” (v. 5 ).
Moreover, there is little prospect that the situation will get better, for “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived,” and “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (vv. 13, 12). Should we, therefore, tremble and flee, or perhaps compromise, or even surrender to such powerful and persuasive deceivers?
No, we should continue! Just keep on believing and obeying God’s Word. Even in the dark last days, the “Holy Scriptures” are still able to make a man “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (v. 15). Since they are all “given by inspiration of God,” they are still just as powerful and just as profitable for every need, “that the man of God may be perfect” (that is, ready for whatever comes) and fully equipped “unto all good works” (vv. 16-17).
Paul himself set an inspiring example of “patient continuance in well doing” (Romans 2:7) under conditions of great trial. Awaiting execution in a Roman dungeon even as he wrote, he still requested his books and parchments (2 Timothy 4:13) that he might continue to study and prepare himself. May God enable us also to continue, to remain, to abide, and to stand in His truth in these last days.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
“Most important of all, we should be teaching our children humility and curiosity. Being humble, here, means being aware of how difficult your instincts can make it to get the facts right. It means being realistic about the extent of your knowledge. It means being happy to say “I don’t know.” It also means, when you do have an opinion, being prepared to change it when you discover new facts. It is quite relaxing being humble, because it means you can stop feeling pressured to have a view about everything, and stop feeling you must be ready to defend your views all the time. Being curious means being open to new information and actively seeking it out. It means embracing facts that don’t fit your worldview and trying to understand their implications. It means letting your mistakes trigger curiosity instead of embarrassment. “How on earth could I be so wrong about that fact? What can I learn from that mistake? Those people are not stupid, so why are they using that solution?” It is quite exciting being curious, because it means you are always discovering something interesting.”
― Hans Rosling
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