Deuteronomy 27
Set up stones on Mount Ebalverses 1-8
And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people
saying
Keep all the commandments which I command you this day
And it shall be on the day when you shall pass over Jordan
to the land which the LORD your God give you that
you shall set thee up great stones
and plaster them with plaster
And you shall WRITE on them all the words of this law
when you are passed over – that you may go in to the land
which the LORD your God gives you
a land that flows with milk and honey
as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you
THEREFORE it shall be when you be gone over Jordan
that you shall set up these stones – which I command you this day
in mount Ebal – and you shall plaster them with plaster
And there shall you build an altar to the LORD your God
an altar of stones – you shall not lift up any iron tool on them
You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of whole stones
and you shall offer burnt offerings thereon to the
LORD your God – and you shall offer peace offerings
and shall eat there – and rejoice before the
LORD your God
And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly
Moses and priest instruct peopleverses 9-10
And Moses and the priests the Levites spoke to all Israel
saying
Take heed and hearken O Israel
this day you are become the people of the LORD your God
You shall therefore OBEY the VOICE of the LORD your God
and DO HIS commandments and HIS statutes
which I command you this day
Six tribes on each mountainverses 11-13
And Moses charged the people the same day
saying
These shall stand on mount Gerizim to bless the people
when you are come over Jordan – Simeon – Levi
Judah – Issachar – Joseph – Benjamin
And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse
Reuben – Gad – Asher – Zebulun – Dan – Naphtali
Curses given to the children of Israelverses 14-26
And the Levites shall speakand say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice
CURSED be the man that make any graven or molten image
an abomination to the LORD
the work of the hands of the craftsman
and put it in a secret place
and all the people shall answer
and say AMEN
CURSED be he that set light by his father or his mother
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that removes his neighbor’s landmark
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that makes the blind to wander out of the way
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that perverts the judgment of the stranger
fatherless – widow
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that lies with his father’s wife
because he uncovered his father’s skirt
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that lies with any manner of beast
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that lies with his sister
the daughter of his father
or the daughter of his mother
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that lies with his mother-in-law
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that smites his neighbor secretly
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that takes reward to slay an innocent person
and all the people shall say AMEN
CURSED be he that confirms not all the words of this law
to do them and all the people shall say AMEN
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you are passed over, that you may go in to the land which the LORD your God gives you, a land that flows with milk and honey; as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you. (3789 “write” [kathab] means describe, engrave, to be written, recorded, register, engraved, or take dictation.)
DEVOTION: When the LORD wants the people to understand something, HE wants them to write it down. In the process of writing something down we have time to think about what we are writing more than if we just read it.
So we find that there is often a command to memorize the Word of God. Part of memorizing it for some of us is that we write it down on 3 x 5 cards and carry them with us wherever we go. We look at the cards as often as we can to keep the verses in front of us. Once we have learned them, we then review them on a regular basis.
This was a memory tool that the children in my second church were taught by one of the teachers named Virginia. She would make me as the pastor have a set of 3 x5 cards as well because she expected me to learn them as well. I took them on my bus route and looked at the cards as I was waiting for the children to come out of their house and get on the bus.
We need to know what the Word of God says and how to apply it to our lives. Once we memorize the verse, we have to ask ourselves the question: How does this apply to me and my daily walk with the LORD?”
How many verses have you learned in the Word of God that helps you live a life that is pleasing to the LORD? The children of Israel were given the instructions to keep HIS word before their eyes.
CHALLENGE: Encourage your children to write down the Word of God and memorize it. They will remember them the rest of their life and if they wander their memory work might be one way the LORD brings them back to the right path.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 And you shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there, and rejoice before the LORD your God. (8055 “rejoice” [samach] means to express great joy, glad, be merry, to gladden, exult, a joyful and cheerful countenance, or delight in.)
DEVOTION: There is one problem I find in many of the churches where I preach. I look over the congregation and what do I see? I see individuals many times that have a look on their face like they are visiting a doctor for a very uncomfortable procedure. Their faces look like they have sucked on sour lemons all morning.
Smiling or looking like you enjoy being in church seems to not be an option. It seems like it is something to be endured rather than enjoyed.
God wants us to come into HIS presence rejoicing because of the all the blessing HE has given us. Too often we are like the rest of the world always wanted more than what HE has provided instead of praising HIM for what we have.
It is a sad commentary to the world when they see those who claim to be believers always complaining about something. We are not to be individual who look at life in a negative manner. We are to offer hope to those in our world. If we look like we don’t have any hope it seems like they will not look to us for hope.
We are to bring our offering to the LORD because of all the blessing we have and eat fellowship dinners together with a smile on our face and joy in our hearts. This will tell the world that being a follower of Jesus Christ brings rejoicing into our life.
CHALLENGE: Are you enjoying all the blessings the LORD has given you today? AM I???
: 8 And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly. (2895 “very plainly” [towb] means to go well with, to please, to be agreeable, thoroughly in an exhaustive manner, to do well, act right, act rightly, or thoroughly.)
DEVOTION: The LORD wants things to go well with HIS people. HIS people in the Old Testament were the nation of Israel. In the New Testament HIS people are all those who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ.
HIS desire was for all HIS children to do well while they were on this earth. HE wants them to obey HIS commands. HE wants them to go to HIM in prayer for answers to life questions. HE wants all to study HIS word which is found in the Bible. HE wants the ministry of the Holy Spirit to be used regularly by those who claim to follow HIM>
The Ten Commandments were not suggestions. They were HIS rules for HIS people. Jesus taught the same commandments to HIS disciples while HE was on the earth. HE wanted HIS followers to remember that the LORD didn’t leave us without any proper teaching.
The correct teachings are found in the Word of God which can be understood by every believer with the help of the Holy Spirit and a proper teacher of the Word of God. There are many false teachers out there. There are many churches that are religious but not teaching the Word of God but teaching what is popular in our day.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not popular when someone does it correctly because it goes against the teaching of our world. God’s commandments are not changed. God’s blessing have not stopped being given to those who are genuine followers of HIS commandments.
Our goal should be to study to show ourselves approved of God. This can only happen when an individual is in the Word of God daily asking the Holy Spirit to help them understand the whole teachings of Scripture.
God’s commandments were written on stones in the Old Testament. They are written on the hearts of every genuine believer today. They are not written on the people who are just religious. They are not written on the hearts of those who are individual who have not made a genuine commitment to Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: Are the commandments of the LORD written on your heart and followed with the help of the Holy Spirit.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 15 Cursed be the man that makes any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and puts it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, AMEN.
(543 “Amen” [’amen] means sure, truly, so be it, or truth.)
DEVOTION: Are we in agreement with the LORD? Are we in agreement with the Word of God? Do we think that there is another way to get into heaven except through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross?
The children of Israel had been in the wilderness forty years. They had been given the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai at the beginning of their journey.
They are now near the end of their journey before they enter the Promised Land. The LORD had made the promise to Abraham close to five hundred years earlier.
Moses was giving final instructions regarding what they were to do after they entered the Promised Land. They were to go to the area near Shechem where Abraham built an altar to the LORD.
Once they were between two mountains near Shechem in the valley, they were to stand on each side of the Tabernacle. Six tribes were to stand on Mount Ebal and six tribes on Mount Gerizim. [This doesn’t take place until Joshua 8: 30- 35. They have conquered part of the Promised Land.]
Then the children of Israel were gathered to repeat the blessings and the cursing of God. If the children of Israel were obedient, they were blessed. If the children of Israel were disobedient, they were cursed.
In this section the curses are four times as long as the blessings. The LORD knows that prosperity bring independence from HIM. They were not to worship other gods. They were not to make other gods. They were to realize that there is no secret place where God does not see.
When the priests said the curses the people’s response was to be “TRUTH.” They were to realize that God’s word is truth. They were to confirm that if they disobeyed the LORD that what was said in this mountain was going to come to pass. It was the TRUTH.
We need to realize that when we disobey the LORD, the curses come true even today. There is no hiding sin from GOD. Are we agreeing with the LORD regarding HIS Word? We need to keep short accounts with the LORD. Our prayer life helps us keep these short accounts. Are we praying daily? Are we confessing our sin daily? Remember this is not for salvation but for blessings and fellowship.
CHALLENGE: As we read the Bible and see HIS instructions for daily life, we have to say to ourselves “TRUTH.” Too often we think it doesn’t apply to us. God’s moral law never changes.
: 18 Cursed be he that makes the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen. (7686 “wander” [shagah] means ravished, deceived, cause to go astray, mislead, error, transgress, or misleading someone to an improper belief.)
DEVOTION: Too often we find people taking advantage of those who are handicapped. They can cause them to fall or get hurt physically. They can also hurt them spiritually.
Those who are physically blind have to depend on others for many things. We have many new aids for those who are blind but there are still many things that they need another human being to do for them.
Here we find individuals who like to take advantage of those who are blind. They want to lead them away from the LORD spiritually or they want to lead them down the wrong path physically and allow them to be lost.
After all the curses the people were to reply with an AMEN. This mean that they agreed that those who caused any of these things to happen should be judged of God for their sin.
When someone is cursed it means that they need to correct their behavior or suffer the consequences of their sins. If they have committed the sin then their judgment was set.
The LORD was warning the people again and again about what HE expected of them and their behavior toward one another. We are here to help those who have special needs not take advantage of them.
This is the standard that the LORD has set for us as well as the children of Israel. HE wanted a community of people who were aware of what was right and wrong. There are absolutes with the LORD. Sin is sin and there is no hiding from the consequences of our sins.
CHALLENGE: We should not want to be under the curse of the LORD but under the blessing of HIM each day of our life.
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)
Write on the stones all words of Lawverses 3, 8
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Build an altar of stoneverse 5
No tools
Burnt offeringsverse 6
Peace offeringsverse 7
Eat and rejoice after offering sacrificesverse 7
Priests and Levitesverse 9
Levitesverse 14
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandmentsverses 1, 10
Words of this lawverses 3, 8
Statutesverse 10
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 2, 3, 5-7, 9, 10, 15
God (Elohim)verses 2, 3, 5-7, 9, 10
LORD thy Godverses 2, 3, 5-7, 9, 10
LORD God of thy fathersverse 3
Promisedverse 3
Voice of the LORD thy Godverse 10
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)
Jordanverses 2, 4, 12
Mount Ebalverse 4
Mount Gerizimverse 12
Neighborverse 17
Strangerverse 19
Fatherlessverse 19
Widowverse 19
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Cursesverse 15
Making a graven or molten imageverse 15
Abominationverse 15
Sets light [dishonor] by his father and motherverse 16
Moving neighbor’s landmarkverse 17
Makes blind wanderverse 18
Perverts judgmentverse 19
Sex with father’s wifeverse 20
Sex with any manner of beastverse 21
Sex with a sisterverse 22
Sex with mother-in-lawverse 23
Killing a neighborverse 24
Killing an innocent personverse 25
Disobeying words of the lawverse 26
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Inheritanceverses 2, 3
Promisedverse 3
Rejoiceverse 7
Take heed and hearkenverse 9
Obey the voice of the LORD thy Godverse 10
Do HIS commandments and statutesverse 10
Charged the peopleverse 11
Blessingverse 12
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverses 1, 9, 11
Elders of Israelverse 1
Land flowing with milk and honeyverse 3
Stones on Mount Ebalverses 4, 13
Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali curse
Build an altarverse 5
Burnt offeringverse 6
Peace offeringverse 7
Israelverse 9
Mount Gerizim: Blessingverse 12
Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar
Joseph, Benjamin blessing
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
27:16–18. On verse 16 see the comments on 5:16 and 21:18–21; and on 27:17 see the comments on 19:14. Though a blind person (27:18) would not be able to identify his assailant who was leading him astray—a despicable act of unkindness—the Lord would know the offender and bring a curse on him. This curse probably applied to all who mistreated the weak and oppressed members of the community (cf. Lev. 19:14). (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. 310). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
16 The second curse falls on the one who dishonors his father or mother. This command is stated positively in the Decalogue (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16) and, as Paul said, “is the first commandment with a promise” (Eph 6:2). (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. 163). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
The first curse (v. 15) condemned idolatry and the violation of the first and second commandments (Ex. 20:1–6). To carve or cast an idol and worship it was to deny that Jehovah was the one true and living God, and it was this sin that finally brought the wrath of God on Israel. Even if a Jew worshiped an idol in secret and didn’t try to persuade anybody to join him, it was still a great sin and had to be punished (Deut. 13). The second curse related to the family and the home (27:16; Ex. 20:12), and the third to property (Deut. 27:17; 19:14; Ex. 20:15). The fourth curse (Deut. 27:18) revealed God’s special concern for people with disabilities. Leviticus 19:14 mentions both the deaf and the blind. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be equipped (p. 165). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
27:15, 16 The first curse pertained to idolatry. A carved or molded image defied the first or second commandment or both (5:7–9). Amen was an expression of approval and submission to God’s Word. This Hebrew word, from a root meaning “to be established,” likely has gone into all languages where the gospel has gone. The reader will observe that the people of Israel said “Amen” to each of the twelve curses (and, presumably, to each of the subsequent twelve blessings). This gives a biblical pattern for the use of “Amen” in our own public worship. At times we may hear people saying “Amen” frivolously, but the biblical use was a formal statement of assent to the living God. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 262). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 16. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father, or his mother, &c.] That secretly despises them in his heart, and by looks and gestures mocks at them in a private manner, unseen by others, Prov. 30:17. for if he publicly cursed them, that was cognizable by the civil magistrate, and he was to be put to death, Lev. 20:9. This follows next, as in the order of the ten commands, to that which respects the fear and worship of God; honouring parents being next to the glorifying of God, the father of all: and all the people shall say Amen; applaud the righteous sentence, saying, so let it be. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 119). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
16. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father. What follows refers to the Second Table of the Law; and, first, He pronounces those cursed who should be undutiful (impii) to their parents; for the word קלל, kalal, which means to despise, as well as to curse, is put in opposition to the honour which, by the Fifth Commandment, is due to our father and mother. Then He mentions such thefts as generally escape the knowledge of men; as also, He only adverts to those acts of fornication which are anxiously concealed on account of their filthiness. To have connexion with a beast, with one’s mother-in-law, or step-mother, or sister, is so unnatural and detestable a crime, that it is generally concealed more carefully. But God admonishes us that, whatever modes of concealment the sinner shall adopt, they will profit him nothing, but that, when He shall at length ascend His judgment-seat, their shame shall be discovered. For the same reason he does not curse all murderers, but only such as have shed innocent blood for hire, which nefarious compact cannot easily be discovered so as to be punished by laws. (Calvin, J., & Bingham, C. W. (2010). Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony (Vol. 3, pp. 207–208). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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!!)
The Epistle to the Philippians is one with which I am sure we are all very familiar. It is the epistle of Christian experience. It does not deal with the great and high doctrines of our Faith, yet there is a wonderful background of doctrine running all the way through as evidenced particularly in the passage I have just read. But in the Epistle to the Philippians the Spirit of God is dealing particularly with Christian experience, and this really consists of three things. First of all, the knowledge of Christ. Until one knows Christ he is not a Christian and until one becomes a Christian he cannot have a Christian experience. So it begins with the knowledge of Christ. Second, the enjoyment of Christ. No one has a true Christian experience who is not enjoying fellowship with the Lord Jesus. We realize at once that if that be true there are a great many experiences Christians have which should never be termed Christian experience. It is quite possible for Christians to be out of fellowship with their Lord and have very grievous experiences as a result, and those experiences should never be designated as Christian experiences. Third, the manifestation of Christ. We have real Christian experience only as Christ is seen in our lives, and that comes out very beautifully in this letter to the Philippians. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 66–67). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Real Christians are never satisfied with just going to heaven themselves—they want to bring as many with them as they can. That is the evangelistic spirit, the Gospel mind. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 68). New York: Loizeaux Brothers)
I was reading only this morning how a gentleman went into the home of a very poor old lady and he saw something on the wall that attracted his attention.
He said, “What is that on the wall?”
“I just don’t know what it be but it is a paper my uncle sent me and I just don’t like to throw it away and I just keep it there in remembrance.”
He exclaimed, “Don’t you see what it is!”
“No, I just don’t understand it.”
“Well, it’s a bank check. Look! There is the name of the bank on which it is drawn and ‘Pay to Jennie Johnson the sum of $500,’ and there is your uncle’s name at the bottom of it.”
“What,” she says, “did he intend me to have that money and I have been living in poverty all these years!” And it wasn’t too late to cash in. How many people are like that? They believe the Word and God’s promises—in a certain sense. They know Jesus died to put away sin. But they have never cashed in, they have never trusted Him for themselves.
Is this true of you? If so, why not put in your claim now? Look up to God in faith. Tell Him you are the sinner for whom Christ died and that now you take Him as your own Saviour. Be assured that if you do this He will receive you, cleanse and pardon you, and make you His own forever. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 76–77). New York: Loizeaux Brothers)
An agnostic historian just offered some interesting advice to Christians who want to be heard in a skeptical culture: “Preach the weird stuff.”
In a recent video interview with Glen Scrivener of Speak Life, Tom Holland, award-winning historian of the ancient world and author of the book Dominion, said that Christians shouldn’t shy away from the things that make the Faith unique. For example, the idea that Jesus of Nazareth is both God and man, said Holland, “sets everything on its head.” In fact, it is the Incarnation that provides what Holland calls Christianity’s “strange singularity.”
Christians, especially in light of modern sensibilities, are tempted to downplay the supernatural dimension of the faith. Yet Holland asserts that Christians should insist on things like angels, demons, and miracles. Not only are these beliefs non-negotiable within historic, confessional Christianity, they are foundational to much of the world’s great art and literature. Christianity’s greatest contributions, the ones that literally transformed the world, as Holland documented in Dominion, are grounded in “the weird stuff” of Christianity.
Even better, these truths have stood the test of time. Perhaps that’s because they’re true.
In the early third century, the church father Tertullian wrote that the death and resurrection of Christ “is entirely credible, because it is unfitting . . . [and] it is certain, because it is impossible.” Tertullian understood that Christianity makes claims that people will find, at best, weird, and, at worst, offensive. And even back then people tried to make Christianity more palatable to contemporary ears. For example, the Gnostics, thinking the Incarnation and bodily resurrection were philosophical non-starters for the pagan world, remade Jesus into a sage and dispenser of hidden wisdom, and His physical resurrection into a spiritual one.
Fifteen hundred years later, in the so-called “Age of Enlightenment,” Christian ideas like the divinity of Christ, the Trinity, miracles, and the authority of Scripture were deemed to be insurmountable stumbling blocks for sophisticated minds. So, attempts were made, once again, to reinvent Jesus and Christianity to suit the spirit of the age: Jesus was a great teacher but not Divine, miracles had reasonable explanations, and Scripture could be scientifically scrutinized but still teach good morals.
Of course, the Jeffersonian attempts to remove the supernatural left no reason to accord Jesus a higher status than any other moral teacher or philosopher, despite the best attempts of people such as Friedrich Schleiermacher to win the intellectual approval of Christianity’s “cultured despisers.”
In other words, reimagining Jesus and Christianity to appeal to skeptics and unbelievers is nothing new. The result is always the same: We end up with a Jesus who looks nothing like the Jesus of history but looks an awful lot like the person doing the reinventing.
In the 1960s and 1970s, many American churches attempted to become “relevant” by embracing fashionable political causes while downplaying and even denying historic Christian orthodoxy. These churches have been hemorrhaging members ever since. Today, many have chosen to reimagine Jesus into the image of a social revolutionary or as a champion of the sexual revolution. Many of these churches face extinction.
Scholars may debate (and they do) whether or not the loss of members is caused by these attempts to be relevant, but a church that merely repeats the New York Times doesn’t give anyone a compelling reason to get out of bed on Sunday morning. Why sit through a boring sermon when there’s NPR?
What’s relevant to the larger culture will always be a moving target. As William Inge, the Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, once put it, “Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next.” Trying to win the approval of non-Christians by changing the message of Christianity is as much of a waste of time as it was in Tertullian’s day. Plus, the message of Christianity is True, which means we don’t have to make it relevant. It already is relevant—to reality!
Tom Holland is right. Let’s preach the Truth. God exists. Miracles happen. Jesus is God incarnate. He actually rose from the dead. That He cares how we live. That He’s coming again to judge both the living and dead. You know, all that “weird stuff.”
(Break Point)
1 Peter 5
Elders should shepherd the church and, in turn, the church should respect their leaders.
INSIGHT
True leaders are servants. Their task is to make those under them successful. As everyone is successful, the larger goal toward which they are all contributing is achieved. This is an example of a fundamental principle which is taught throughout Scripture: The work of God is done by the people of God through mutual submission. As we submit to the needs and roles of others rather than looking out for our own efforts, His work is accomplished. Elders are to shepherd those in the church by living the kind of life that is a positive example to others. They should live in submission to the needs and characteristics of those under them and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt them in due time. (Quiet Walk)
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RESTING ON CHRIST
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10
To continue yesterday’s story, the Christian told the man that if only he looked to Christ and relied upon Him, he would be enabled to overcome his being captive to drinking. The man was a simple, illiterate man, and all he was anxious to do was to find the name of this person about whom this Christian was speaking, and he was told the name was Jesus.
The story went on to say how that poor man went away and, having worked again, came back to this same place to sell his grain. There again the tempters came, but he did not go with them, and his own wife and children were amazed. This Christian visitor came back in a year or so to find the man entirely changed. He began talking to him and asked him how it had happened. And the man’s simple testimony was this: “I went back the first time, and my friends came and tempted me, and I felt weak. But suddenly I remembered the name Jesus. I could do nothing but keep on saying to myself, ‘Jesus.’ I cried to Jesus to do what you told me He would do.” His faith was as simple as that, but it was enough, and he overcame. He did not go back; he was emancipated.
That is what I mean when I talk about this direct faith; it is simply resting upon Christ, and we have to do that. That is becoming as a little child, realizing our utter weakness and helplessness and hopelessness. When the fight is yet strong and the enemy is there and we feel we are on the point of falling, we must simply cry, “Jesus” and believe and know that He is looking upon us and that He is there and is ready to deliver us and protect us. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
A Thought to Ponder: Direct faith is simply resting upon Christ.
(From Life in God, p. 58, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
During WWII, Jews in Budapest were brought to the edge of the Danube, ordered to remove their shoes, and shot, falling into the water below. 60 pairs of iron shoes now line the river’s bank, a ghostly memorial to the victims. #neverforget #neverforgotten
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