Deuteronomy 31
Moses reviews historyverses 1-6
And Moses went and spoke these words unto ALL Israel
and he said to them
I am an hundred and twenty years old this day
I can no more go out and come in
also the LORD has said to me
You shall not go over this Jordan
The LORD your God – HE will go over before you
and HE will destroy these nations from before you
and you shall possess them
and Joshua – he shall go over before you
as the LORD has said
The LORD shall do to them as HE did to
Sihon and to Og – kings of the Amorites
and to the land of them – whom HE destroyed
The LORD shall give them up before your face
that you may do to them according to all the commandments
which I have commanded you
Be strong and of a good courage – fear not – nor be afraid of them
for the LORD your God – HE it is that does go with you
HE will not fail you – nor forsake you
Moses commissions Joshua for leadershipverses 7-8
And Moses called to Joshua
and said to him in the sight of all Israel
Be strong and of a good courage
for you must go with this people to the land which
the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them
and you shall cause them to inherit it
And the LORD – HE it is that does go before you
HE will be with you – HE will not fail you
neither forsake you – FEAR NOT
NEITHER be dismayed
Moses instructions read every seven yearsverses 9-13
And Moses wrote this law
and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi
which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD
and to all the elders of Israel
And Moses commanded them
saying
At the end of every SEVEN YEARS
in the solemnity of the year of release
in the feast of tabernacles
When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD your God
in the place which HE shall choose
you shall READ this law before all Israel
in their hearing
Gather the people together – men – women – children
and your stranger that is within your gates
that they may HEAR – that they may LEARN
and FEAR the LORD your God
and OBSERVE to do all the words of
this law
and that their children – which have not known any thing
may HEAR and LEARN to FEAR the LORD your God
as long as you live in the land whither you go
over Jordan to possess it
LORD commissions Joshuaverses 14-15
And the LORD said to Moses
BEHOLD – your days approach that you must die – call Joshua
and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation
that I may give him a charge
And Moses and Joshua went
and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation
And the LORD APPEARED in the tabernacle in a PILLAR of a CLOUD
and the PILLAR of the CLOUD stood over the door of the tabernacle
LORD warns of future failings of Israelverses 16-18
And the LORD said to Moses
BEHOLD – you shall SLEEP with your fathers
and this people will rise up
and go whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land
whither they go to be among them
and will FORSAKE ME – and break MY covenant
which I have made with them
THEN MY anger shall be kindled against them in that day
and I will FORSAKE them – and I will HIDE MY face
from them – and they shall be DEVOURED
and many evils and troubles shall befall them
So that they will say that day
Are not these evils come upon us
BECAUSE our God is not among us?
And I will surely HIDE MY face in that day for all the evils which
they shall have wrought
in that they are TURNED to other gods
LORD wants Moses to teach Israel a songverses 19-21
NOW therefore WRITE you this SONG for you
and TEACH it the children of Israel – put it in their mouths
that this SONG may be a WITNESS for ME against
the children of Israel
FOR when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore to
their fathers – that flows with milk and honey
and they shall have eaten and FILLED themselves
and waxen fat
THEN will they TURN to other gods – and serve them
and provoke ME – and break MY covenant
And it shall come to pass – when many evils and troubles are befallen them
that this SONG shall TESTIFY against them as a WITNESS
for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed
for I know their IMAGINATION which they go
about – even now – before I have brought
them into the land which I swore
Moses teaches the people the songverse 22
Moses therefore wrote this SONG the same day
and TAUGHT it the children of Israel
LORD gives Joshua instructionsverse 23
And HE gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge
and said
Be strong and of a good courage
FOR you shall bring the children of Israel into the land
which I swore to them – and I will be with you
Moses places book of Instruction in Arkverses 24-27
And it came to pass – when Moses had made an end of writing
the words of this law in a book – until they were finished
that Moses commanded the Levites
which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD
saying
Take this book of the law – and put it in the side of the
ark of the covenant of the LORD your God
that it may be there for a WITNESS against you
FOR I know your rebellion and your stiff neck
BEHOLD while I am yet alive with you this day
you have been rebellious against the LORD
And how much more after my death?
Final warning of Mosesverses 28-29
Gather to me all the elders of your tribes – and your officers
that I may speak these words in their EARS
and call heaven and earth to RECORD against them
FOR I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves
and TURN aside from the way which I have commanded you
and evil will befall you in the latter days
BECAUSE you will do evil in the sight of the LORD
to provoke HIM to anger through the work of your hands
Moses gives words of song – next chapter verse 30
And Moses spoke in the EARS of all the congregation of Israel
the words of this SONG until they were ended
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God, HE it is that does go with you, HE will not fail you, nor forsake you. (5800 “forsake” [‘azab] means to leave, to leave behind, give up, loose, abandon, destitute, or neglect)
DEVOTION: This is a great memory verse. This was given to the children of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. Remember he was one of the two spies that gave a good report forty years earlier.
The previous generation was afraid to enter the Promised Land because they saw giants and didn’t realize that God was bigger than any human giant. Throughout the generations to follow there would be people or nations that would try to make the children of Israel afraid but if they trusted in the LORD they always had victory over any giant they would meet.
The same is true today. There are many people and things that scare us today. Some children are afraid of some class in school that they don’t do well in regularly. There are special programs to help those who struggle with any subject. However, it is sometimes felt that to get help means that you are weak.
God wants the children of Israel to know that HE is available at all times to help them if they are obedient. HE is willing to go ahead of them into battle which means they will win every battle. HE promises never to abandon HIS children. So we are never left alone to face any difficulty.
We are not to be afraid of anything that HE allows in our life. HE wants us to know that HE is there to fight our battles. HE is there to help us learn from our battles. HE just wants us to be strong because of HIS presence.
Today we find that our society is going in the wrong direction from the perspective of God. They want to leave God out of their daily life. We are to be different. That means that others will not want to follow our lead or listen to our advice even when it is Biblical.
So we have to be strong and courageous as we face a world that doesn’t want to follow Jesus Christ or HIS standards. We have to keep HIS standards in mind each moment of each day to set an example for the rest of the world. It is hard but it can be done with the strength of the LORD.
We have to also remember that HE promises never to leave us or forsake us in any of our battles when we are trying to honor HIM. Joshua believed this and acted on it all of his life.
CHALLENGE: We can be another Joshua when it comes to facing our giants.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 8 And the LORD, HE it is that does go before you, HE will be with you, HE will not fail you, neither forsake you: fear not, neither be dismayed. (7503 “fail” [raphah] means to grow slack, release, let go, to leave unchanged or undisturbed or refrain from taking, relax, falter, relent, or be quiet)
DEVOTION: How many people do you trust? Have you ever had someone you believed would help you no matter what leave you during a hard time? This happens to a lot of people during their lifetime.
This should never happen among genuine believers. There should be a bond between genuine believers and their friends that will never end until one of them dies. This is the type of bond that the LORD has with HIS people Israel in the Old Testament.
The problem is that the LORD didn’t leave them but they left the LORD to worship false gods. They left HIM because they were more concerned with what they could see and not in the promise HE made to them.
This is true even today with some individuals. They say that they have made a commitment to the LORD but when things go bad or good they seem to forget their promise or commitment.
It doesn’t take much for some people to give up someone they have called a friend for a long time. This is not how the LORD works. HE is faithful to HIS genuine friends or those who have made a genuine commitment to HIM.
HE may send judgment if they wander away from HIM but HE will not falter. We need to be the same with those who have been our friends in the LORD. We should stick closer to them than a brother as the saying goes.
We are to be dependable to those who are our genuine friends. We are not to be slack to our friends when they need our help. We should never even give them a the thought in their mind that we will not be with them to the end of our lives.
God wants us to realize that HE is one that will stay with HIS genuine believers NO MATTER what. HE will correct us. HE will even get to the point where HE will take our life because we are disobedient but HE will never abandon us.
CHALLENGE: We need to realize how faithful the LORD is to us and we need to be faithful to HIM and those who are genuine followers of HIM.
: 10 And Moses commanded them saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles. (4150 “solemnity” [mow’ed] means place for meeting, a particular or proper time in the future that is specified as the time something will happen, appointed time, or point in time)
DEVOTION: The LORD knows that we have to have constant reminders for us to remember our responsibilities to HIM. Moses is giving instructions that every seven years the priests were to read the book of Deuteronomy to the people. Every seven years there was to be a release from debt of the children of Israel. Anyone who had borrowed money or pledged to serve or gave up their land was to have it returned to them every seven years and on the year of Jubilee.
The LORD wanted the book read every seven years to make sure that the people understood their relationship to HIM. This is true today. HE still wants HIS people to know what HE expects of them.
What would happen if every seven years all those who claimed to be followers of Christ were to have a book of the Bible read to them to remind them of their responsibility to the LORD? It takes three and a half years to go through the whole Bible a chapter a day. So in seven years every believer could read through the Bible twice.
If every believer read through the Bible twice every seven years would they understand what God expected of them better? The answer would be yes if they were willing to apply the truths they learned.
The last thirteen years I have gone through the Bible every three and a half years. Each time I read a chapter I learn something new. The LORD opens HIS Word to us because we want to learn how to be better servants of HIS.
Does that mean that we become a better believer or servant? It should. Do we still repeat some of the same sins we have in the past? Yes, but we continue to try to apply the truths we learn and the LORD helps us to sin less in some areas.
CHALLENGE: Growth is the goal and repetition is a way to help us grow. The LORD knew this to be true and we should too.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 19 Now therefore write you this SONG for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this SONG may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. (7892 “song” [shiyrah] means singing, musical, religious song, or ode)
DEVOTION: We are not given the ode in this chapter but Moses is to write the ode against the children of Israel because of their future rebellion against the LORD.
The LORD told Moses to write an ode that would remind the children of Israel of their covenant with the LORD and to remind them that they would break it in the future.
There are many promises given by the LORD to the children of Israel before they entered the Promised Land. It was a land of milk and honey. The LORD was going to fight for them. HE was going to give them strength. HE was going to cause the people of the LORD to fear HIM. They were to be strong and of good courage. This was also asked of Joshua as he led them in the battles against their enemies.
We don’t have the complete ode, but the Bible tells us enough to let us know that Israel was warned about what was going to happen in the future. The book of the law was to be read every seven years at the feast of tabernacles. This was to remind them of what was written in the law. This was to pass the Law of Moses on to the next generation.
However, this would not keep them from rebelling against the LORD. They would enter the land. They would conquer the land. They would plant their crops. They would grow rich. They would start worshipping the gods of the land because of their self-sufficiency. They would think that all this happened because of something they had done.
Does this sound like the history of other nations that want the LORD’S blessing at first and then grow rich and then forsake the LORD????
Does this sound like America? We are committing sins that God destroyed cities over. Are we expecting HIS judgment on our nation? Can we do anything to stop it?
CHALLENGE: Look at the warning given to Israel and see how God worked in the past. HE works the same in the present. When HIS children are disobedient – HE sends judgment!!
: 27 For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck; behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death? (4805 “rebellion” [mariy] means refusal to accept some authority, obstinacy, state of disobedience, resistance to one in authority, or bitterness)
DEVOTION: No one wants someone telling them what to do all the time. It is natural for us to resist someone always giving us instructions regarding how we should live our life. It is our life and we should be able to do as we please according to our own thinking.
Well God has a different idea. HE wants us to obey HIS instructions, so that we can have a better life in HIS eyes. HE wants what is best for us all the time. HE allows things to happen in our life for our good. HE knows what is best because HE is omniscient.
Too often we know these facts about HIM if we claim to be a follower of HIM but it is still in our nature to fight HIM. It is only when we see what happens to the children of Israel in the Old Testament that we know that we are wrong in thinking only about ourselves.
Moses continues to give them God’s message with the knowledge that they are going to refuse to accept HIS authority once they have a good life in the Promised Land.
Having the blessings of God in our life sometimes makes us feel like we don’t need HIM but that is wrong thinking and we don’t understand that until HE sends chastening our way.
CHALLENGE: Learn from the lessons given in the Old Testament. It is the only way to please the LORD.
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)
Moses wrote the book of the lawverses 9, 24-26
Read the Law in chosen placeverse 11
Moses wrote a songverses 19-22, 30
End of writings of Mosesverse 24
Book of the LAW witness against Israelverse 26
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)
LORD told Moses no Promised Landverse 2
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Priests – sons of Leviverses 9, 25
Carry Ark of the Covenantverses 9, 25
Feast of Tabernaclesverse 10
Tabernacle of the congregationverses 14, 15
Song a witness against Israelverse 19
Book of the Lawverse 26
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandmentsverse 5
Moses wrote the book of the lawverses 9, 24-26
Read the law at feast of Tabernaclesverse 11
Covenantverse 16
Witness against Israelverses 26, 28
Heaven and earth
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Personal)verses 2-9, 11-16, 25-27
God – Elohim (Creator)verses 3, 6, 11-13, 17, 26
LORD thy Godverses 3, 6, 8, 11-13
Go before Israel
Destroy nations
Go with Israel
Not fail
Not forsake
LORD will be with Israelverse 8
LORD appearedverse 15
Pillar of cloud
LORD will forsake Israelverse 17
Anger of the LORDverse 17
LORD sent evils and troublesverses 17, 21
LORD will hide HIS faceverses 17, 18
Song of witness against children of Israelverse 19
LORD your Godverse 26
Sight of the LORDverse 29
Provoke LORD to angerverse 29
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, 13
Nationsverse 3
Sihon & Og – kings of the Amoritesverse 4
Strangerverses 12, 16
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Whoring after gods of the strangersverses 16, 18, 20
Forsake the LORDverse 16
Break the covenant of the LORDverses 16, 20
Evils and troublesverses 17, 18, 21, 29
Serve other godsverses 18, 20
Fatverse 20
Turn to other godsverse 20
Provoke the LORDverses 20, 29
Evil imaginationverse 21
Forgottenverse 21
Follow imaginationverse 21
Rebellionverse 27
Stiff neckverse 27
Corrupt themselvesverse 29
Turn away from the LORDverse 29
Work of handsverse 29
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Be strongverses 6, 7, 23
Be of good courageverses 6, 7, 23
Fear not verses 6, 8
Neither be afraidverses 6, 8
LORD with youverses 6, 8, 23
LORD not fail youverses 6, 8
LORD will not forsake youverses 6, 8
Inheritanceverse 7
Not be dismayedverse 8
Chosen placeverse 11
Hear and Learn verses 12, 13
Fear of the LORDverses 12, 13
Observe to do law of the LORDverse 12
Teachverse 19
Charge given to Joshuaverse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverses 1-30
120 years old
No longer go out and come in
Not going over Jordan
Die
Give charge to Joshua
Sleep with the fathers
Write a song
Taught the children song
Israelverses 1, 7, 11
Joshuaverses 3, 7, 14, 23
Be strong
Be of a good courage
Bring children of Israel into land
Fathersverses 7, 20
Law delivered to priestsverse 9
Ark of the covenantverses 9, 25, 26
Elders of Israelverses 9, 28
Year of release – Law read – seven yearsverse 10
Children to learnverses 13, 22
Tabernacle of the congregationverse 14
Joshua given a chargeverse 14
Song for children of Israelverse 19
Land flowing with milk and honeyverse 20
Evils and troublesverse 21
Song taught to the children of Israelverse 22
Officersverse 28
Moses calls heaven and earth against eldersverse 28
Congregation of Israelverse 30
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Death of Mosesverses 14, 27-29
Sleep = deathverse 16
Latter daysverse 29
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QUOTES regarding passage
30 The command to write down the song and to teach it to Israel and have them sing it (v.19) is said to have been obeyed (v.22). This is now made more explicit as an introduction to the song itself. The Hebrew word behind “recite” (dāḇar) has a very wide semantic spread. But because the writing of the song has already been mentioned, because it was recounted from the beginning to end, and because it was to be taught to the Israelites, the use of the word “recite” describes well what Moses did before the whole assembly. (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. 198). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
31:30. The Song of Moses (cf. vv. 19, 21) was to be taught to Israel for use in the covenant-renewal ceremony. Thus it is an integral part of Deuteronomy (which dealt with the renewal of the covenant in the plains of Moab), not merely an appendix to Moses’ fifth book. Though the song is not prophetic it does have prognostic overtones. Israel’s future is depicted in rather gloomy terms for her newly acquired wealth would lead her into apostasy. However, after she underwent severe judgment from the Lord He in compassion would deliver His people and take vengeance on their enemies. So in singing this song the Israelites would be acknowledging two things: (a) their obligation to obey the Lord, and (b) the righteous and certain character of their judgment if they fell into apostasy. (Deere, J. S. (1985). Deuteronomy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 317–318). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Local churches must imitate Israel and have special times when they meet together to read the Scriptures and hear them explained. In my own ministry I’ve been privileged to address large Bible conferences attended by believers who had only one thing in mind: to hear from God’s Word what the Lord wanted them to do. Today, many churches can’t hold Bible conferences because the people won’t attend. Everybody is too busy, and an hour or two on Sunday morning once a week is all the time they can spare for the Lord. The Word isn’t read and taught in homes as once it was; and unless they attend a Christian day school, the children receive Christian education during thirty minutes of Sunday School and perhaps an hour in a midweek club. Is it any wonder that families and churches are drifting farther from the faith? (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be equipped (p. 181). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
Ver. 30. And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel, &c.] Not in the hearing of the whole body of the people, and every individual thereof; no man could be able to speak to such a numerous congregation, as that they should hear him; but in the hearing of their heads and representatives, the elders of their tribes and officers, ordered to be gathered together for this purpose, ver. 28. the words of this song, until they were ended; which song is recorded in the following chapter, and reaches from ver. 1. to the end of ver. 30. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 144). 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!!)
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities. (Quiet Walk)
ENTERING GOD’S KINGDOM
…not imputing their trespasses unto them….For he hath made him to be sin for us.
2 Corinthians 5:19,21
You cannot live in God’s kingdom unless you are a worthy citizen. How, then, can you enter? Christ is the answer. This is the Good News, that He bore our sins “in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). Here is the message: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them….For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:19,21). And thereby by dying on the cross, He has opened the gateway into the kingdom, and He says, “Today is the day of salvation–enter in.” “Come unto me, all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
“The time is fulfilled” (Mark 1:15). The time promised so long ago has arrived; the kingdom of God has drawn near, has come. He says, “I am the King; come unto Me just as you are.” Thank God you do not have to put yourself right first; you do not have to understand the profundity first; you do not have to set out on some great quest. You may have to die very soon, and your question is, “How can I stand before God? How can I know that I am going to heaven and eternal bliss?”
And this is the answer: “The time is fulfilled; the kingdom has come.” The King is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He loved you so much that He died for you and your sins, and all He says to you is, “Repent, think again, believe My message.” Repent and believe the gospel; acknowledge your folly and your sin, your shame, and your helplessness. Stop making inquiries; stop setting out with your great intellect to understand. Simply believe.
A Thought to Ponder
“I am the King; come unto Me just as you are.” (Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones)
1 John 1
If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with God.
INSIGHT
The truth about our sin is a difficult thing to keep balanced in our minds. On the one hand, we know we should not sin; it is wrong. We should never take sinning lightly. On the other hand, we all sin; it is unavoidable. John writes: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (v. 8). Therefore, God had to make provision for us to be in fellowship with Him. If we confess our sins, He will forgive us. When we sin, we can accept God’s forgiveness and restoration to fellowship. We need not berate ourselves endlessly or do a form of penance. Only the blood of Christ can pay for our sins. And only confession can bring restoration to fellowship with God. (Quiet Walk)
His name is Dnyan, and he considers himself a student of the world. And “this is a very big school,” he says of all the cities and towns he’s passed through. He began a four-year journey on his bicycle in 2016 to meet and learn from people. When there’s a language barrier, he finds that sometimes people can understand just by looking at each other. He also depends on a translation app on his phone to communicate. He doesn’t measure his journey in the miles he’s traveled or the sights he’s seen. Instead, he measures it in the people who’ve left an imprint on his heart: “Maybe I do not know your language, but I would like to find out who you are.”
It’s a very big world, yet God knows everything about it and the people in it—fully and completely. The psalmist David was in awe of God when he considered all the works of His hands: the making of the heavens, the moon, and the stars (Psalm 8:3). He wondered, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (v. 4).
God knows you more thoroughly than anyone else possibly can and He cares for you. We can only respond, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (vv. 1, 9). (By Anne Cetas, Our Daily Bread)
SPIRITUS EXTERNUS AND SPIRITUS INTERNUS
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
1 John 5:10
Here is a matter of accepting testimony and witness. God has said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5). Am I to refuse Him? Well, the terrifying thing is that if I do, I am saying that God’s pronouncement is not true.
In addition to the external evidence, there is also the subjective or internal evidence. John puts it in this way: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” So, we are dealing here with these two different stands—the external and the internal. I am not at all sure but that this is not the most vital of all parts of the subject. It was a great matter to the minds of the Reformers. They clearly defined this matter. The believer is confronted by two great sources of certainty, one outside and one inside—spiritus externus and spiritus internus.
But perhaps the best way to understand this is to ask ourselves, “How may I know that the Bible is the Word of God?” There are two main ways. There is the Word itself—the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and the agreement of the books written within it. This general consensus, the internal unity of the Bible, and various other arguments—this is the spiritus externus—the outside testimony. But according to the Reformers, that is not enough to give people certainty. They need something inside as well, and the Holy Spirit also gives them that internal certitude—the spiritus internus.
Let me put this personally. There was a time when I read the Bible and thought it was a wonderful book; I felt it was a unique book. Later I was confronted with the great evidence given to me in the Gospels and the Old and New Testaments, and I had a feeling within me that this was the Word of God. That is what it means—this internal evidence.
A Thought to Ponder: The believer is confronted by two great sources of certainty, one outside and one inside. (From Life in God, pp. 86-87, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Light from the Word
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
One of the more beautiful metaphors in the Bible, “light” is used either metaphorically or literally to stress understanding, knowledge, or truth. When inaccurate interpretations of God’s Word are taught, Isaiah said it is “because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). Peter noted that prophetic insight is like “light that shineth in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19).
One of the Lord’s most memorable statements was “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Little wonder, then, that in this majestic psalm centering on the Word of God, this stanza (Psalm 119:105-112) acknowledges the role executed by the Scriptures “as the light that goeth forth” (Hosea 6:5).
The psalmist again mentioned his affliction (v. 107) and that his soul was constantly “in my hand” (Psalm 119:107, a Hebrew idiom for constant danger; see 1 Samuel 28:21). But nonetheless, his instant reaction was to focus on the “righteous judgments” of God and a promise to “not forget thy law” (Psalm 119:109). He begged for the Lord to teach him God’s “judgments” (v. 108) and promised not to err “from thy precepts” (v. 110).
Thus, woven throughout the stanza are the constant paradoxical tensions of supplication for relief from the wicked efforts to “snare” him (see 2 Timothy 2:26) and the confidence that whatever conditions may develop, the written Word of God would provide answers. Those words are “the rejoicing” of his heart (119:111), much like when David sang, “Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD” (Psalm 105:3).
Finally, in the last line of this stanza, the psalmist challenged us to embrace his own commitment to the Word of God as he wrote, “I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end” (Psalm 119:112).
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
God uses people who fail – Cause there aren’t any other kind around by John Maxwell)
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