ISAIAH 60
Tribulation over for Jerusalem verse 1- 3
Arise – shine – for the light is come
and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you
FOR – BEHOLD – the darkness shall cover the earth
and gross darkness the people
BUT the LORD shall arise upon you
and HIS glory shall be seen upon you
And the Gentiles shall come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your rising
Wealth will return to Jerusalem during Millennium verse 4- 7
Lift up your eyes round about – and see
all they gather themselves together
they come to you – your sons shall come from far
and your daughters shall be nursed at your side
THEN you shall see – and flow together
and your heart shall fear and be enlarged
BECAUSE the abundance of the seas shall be converted to you
the forces of the Gentiles shall come to you
The multitude of camels shall cover you
the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah
All they from Sheba shall come
and they shall bring gold and incense
and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you
the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you
they shall come up with acceptance on MINE altar
and I will glorify the house of MY glory
People will return to Jerusalem verse 8- 9
Who are these that fly as a cloud
and as the doves to their windows?
Surely the isles shall wait for me – and the ships of Tarshish first
to bring thy sons from far
their silver and their gold with them
to the name of the LORD your God
and to the Holy One of Israel
BECAUSE HE has glorified you
Nations will honor Jerusalem or be destroyed verse 10- 12
And the sons of strangers shall build up your walls
and their kings shall minister to you
for in MY wrath I smote you
BUT in MY favor have I had mercy on you
THEREFORE your gates shall be open continually
they shall not be shut day nor night
that men may bring to you
the forces of the Gentiles
and that their kings may be brought
FOR the nations and kingdom that will not serve you
shall perish – yea – those nations shall be utterly wasted
Worship will return to Jerusalem verse 13- 14
The glory of Lebanon shall come to you
fir tree – pine tree – box together
TO beautify the place of my sanctuary
and I will make the place of my feet glorious
The sons of them that afflicted you shall come bending to you
and all they that despised you
shall bow themselves down at the
soles of your feet
and they shall call you – The city of the LORD
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel
Jerusalem will be redeemed of the LORD verse 15- 16
WHEREAS you have been forsaken and hated
so that no man went through you
I will make you an eternal excellency
a joy of many generations
You shall suck the milk of the Gentiles
and shall suck the breast of kings
and you shall know that
I the LORD am your Savior and your Redeemer
the mighty One of Jacob
Peace will be established for Jerusalem verse 17- 18
For brass I will bring gold – and for iron I will bring silver
and for wood brass – and for stones iron
I will also make your officers peace
and your exactors righteousness
Violence shall no more be heard in the land
wasting nor destruction within your borders
BUT you shall call your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise
Christ will reign in Jerusalem verse 19- 22
The sun shall be no more your light by day
neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you
BUT the LORD shall be to you an everlasting light
and your God your glory
Your sun shall no more go down
neither shall thy moon withdraw itself
FOR the LORD shall be your everlasting light
and the days of your mourning shall be ended
Your people also shall be all righteous
they shall inherit the land for ever
the branch of MY planting
the work of MY hands
that I may be glorified
A little one shall become a thousand
and a small one a strong nation
I the LORD will hasten it in his time
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
DEVOTION: The image before the mind of the Prophet is a sunrise scene. Far and wide night still reigns, but grandly above all other heights of the earth towers mount Zion. The mount is illuminated as the new day begins! The prophet recognizes that the day of salvation for Jerusalem has arrived. What a beautiful picture as we behold the top of the mountain irradiated by the rising sun. The glory of Jehovah is appearing for Israel and the prosperity of the nation is predicted.
For the believer of the New Testament this salvation is apparent as we behold the Son that has risen as well. The resurrection is the light that shines from the darkness of death and despair. The women went to the tomb while it was still dark and found it to open and empty. Jesus’s resurrection from the dead is important because it provides an inheritance for believers – a living hope – eternal life with God. (Matthew 28:1-10; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
CHALLENGE: The light of the world is Jesus and we need to worship Him on this Lord’s Day! May we rejoice in the light of the resurrection of our Savior! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through you, I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. (1347 “excellency” [ga’own] means pride, majesty, pomp, excellence, exaltation, or glory.)
DEVOTION: At present, in Isaiah’s day the children of Israel were not treated well. They were sinning against the LORD and HE was sending judgment. The land was going into captivity. The state of Israel we negative. They were without the blessing of God.
The state of Israel at present today is about the same. They have enemies on every side. There are rumors of wars and wars going on. There is the threat of nuclear war always over their heads.
The city of Jerusalem is occupied with a false religion. The spot where the temple is to be built is occupied with a temple to a false god. The people of Israel are not worshiping the LORD in a proper manner according to the instructions of the Old Testament. Many are Jews by birth but not by practice. There are Christians in Jerusalem trying to give them the story of the risen Messiah. They don’t believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. They are still waiting.
Many in countries outside of Israel hate the Jews because they think that they are the source of the problem of them not having money. They think the Jews have it all. The fact that they don’t realize is that the Jews have been set aside because of their unbelief but they are still in prophecy as the people of God.
So we have them hated now as they were in Isaiah’s day. People don’t like people who seem to succeed when they fail. They don’t want anyone blessed except themselves. All humans are a selfish and lazy group of people. They always want what other people have without working for it. It should be given to them.
There is a future day coming when Israel will be judged by the LORD according to the seventieth week of Daniel. There will be a seven year period of the wrath of God poured out on the earth. The 144,000 Jewish witnesses will realize that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and begin preaching this message. Many will be saved during the Tribulation period.
After this period of time the LORD will return and set up HIS Millennial reign in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be a blessed city again with a Temple built where there will be sacrifices of praise given to the LORD. The sacrifices will not be for sin but for worship. Christ will be the LIGHT of the city. The sun and moon will not be necessary to give light.
Jerusalem will be full of the “glory of the LORD.” The people of Jerusalem will be blessed and during that time period children shall live to be a thousand years old again as it was in the beginning.
CHALLENGE: The promises of God should give hope to all of us who are living today. HE keeps HIS promises. HE is with us all the time. Encourage those around you with this hope.
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: 18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land, wasting not destruction within your borders, but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. (2555 “violence” [chamac] means wrong, cruelty, injustice, an act of aggression, especially involving physical contact, oppression, that which is gained by violence and wrong, or plunder.)
DEVOTION: Here is a future promise to Israel that the city will be peaceful and joyful in the future. It also promises that the LORD will protect the city.
God is making a promise of future blessing the nation of Israel that they can look forward too in the distant future.
HE always keeps HIS promises to HIS people whether it is the children of Israel or the New Testament saints. Each group has their own promises given by the LORD. HE can be trusted to keep HIS promises.
However, what is going on today is what HE has also promised to the children of Israel. They have been set aside for a time period while those who are called Christian are given blessing both now and in the future as well.
We need to realize that the LORD keeps HIS promises, even if, it seems that things are going wrong. HE has a plan and is working HIS plan for this world. We have to trust HIM to keep HIS promises in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
With this trust we can move forward in our enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil. They are real at present and we have to keep fighting with the help of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The church is here to help those who are genuine believers to worship and serve HIM in the present generation as the children of Israel did in the Old Testament. We are doing about the same as them regarding our stand for the LORD.
CHALLENGE: There is a group that will be blessed in the future from each group. We need to trust HIS promise and work for the day is coming for the return of the LORD!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 Your sun shall no more go down; neither shall your moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. (5769 “everlasting” [olam] means forever, lasting, always, eternal, continuance, perpetual, or without end.)
DEVOTION: This chapter is describing a future time for Israel. In the future, the LORD will be their light and they will no longer be sad. Israel will inherit the land in the future. All the Gentiles will come to them to offer gifts. That day is coming but has not yet been.
The Millennium is going to be the start of Christ being the physical light for the world. The sun and moon will no longer be necessary. When we are in the presence of the LORD, there will always be light.
Remember the glory of the LORD was manifested to Moses and his face shone so that he had to wear a veil. The disciples were given a sample of the light on the mount of Transfiguration. We need to always be looking for the LORD’S return.
“Even so come LORD JESUS.” This should be our daily prayer. Once we have Christ as our Savior, this world is not our home. Our responsibility while we are here is to give glory to God.
One way to give HIM glory is to witness to our family and friends about the great hope HE gives. There is only one true hope in the world and that is a life with Christ. This life is without end. Halleluiah!!!!
Allow the LIGHT of the LORD to dispel the darkness of the world around us. If we look at the world we will be discouraged. It is a dark place and getting darker every day. Our world is full of those who want to dishonor the LORD. They seem to find new ways to try to get rid of any light that might come from the Word of God. They seem to think that this world would be better off without any Bible believers in it. False religions seem to have more honor in our world than the Word of God and the God of the Bible.
Our light needs to shine in our dark world. We are the light of the world as we represent Christ until HE returns. We are to let our light shine. We should be an hundred watt bulbs at least each day.
CHALLENGE: How much light are you manifesting to those around you today? Remember if we are not the light, we contribute to the darkness. That is not honoring the LORD. Light up your world with your life for Christ!!!
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praises of the LORD verse 6
Altar verse 7
Trees shall beautify sanctuary of LORD verse 13
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 16, 19, 20, 22
Glory of the LORD verse 2, 9
I will glorify the house of MY glory verse 7
Name of the LORD my God verse 9
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 9, 19
LORD your God verse 9
Holy One of Israel verse 9, 14
Wrath of God verse 10
Shows mercy verse 10
City of the LORD verse 14
Holy One of Israel verse 14
I will make thee [Jerusalem] an eternal
excellency – a joy of many generations verse 15
I the LORD am your Savior verse 16
Savior verse 16
Redeemer verse 16
Mighty One of Jacob verse 16
LORD shall be to Israel an everlasting light verse 19
God your glory verse 19
Everlasting Light verse 20
Branch of MY planting verse 21
Work of MY hands verse 21
Glorify the LORD verse 21
God’s timing verse 22
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)
Gentiles verse 3, 5, 11, 16
Kings verse 3, 10, 11, 16
Midian verse 6
Ephah verse 6
Sheba verse 6
Bring gold and incense verse 6
Kedar verse 7
Nebaloth verse 7
Ships of Tarshish verse 9
Kings shall minister verse 10
Sons of strangers verse 10
Forces of the Gentiles verse 11
Nation that will not serve LORD will perish verse 12
utterly wasted
Lebanon verse 13
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Nation that will not serve = perish verse 12
Afflict God’s people verse 14
Despise God’s people verse 14
Forsaken verse 15
Hate verse 15
Violence verse 18
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Light verse 1, 3, 19, 20
Glory of the LORD seen on believers verse 2, 9
Lift up your eyes verse 4
Fear of the LORD verse 5
Heart enlarged verse 5
Converted verse 5
Praise verse 6
Glorified verse 9, 21
Minister verse 10
Favor verse 10
Mercy verse 10
Forsaken and hated verse 15
Joy verse 15
Saved verse 16
Redeemed verse 16
Peace verse 17
Righteousness verse 17
End mourning verse 20
Righteous verse 21
Inherit verse 21
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Glorify the house of MY glory verse 7
HE has glorified thee verse 9
God shows mercy to Israel verse 10
Gates of Jerusalem open continually verse 11
Beautify God’s sanctuary verse 13
City of the LORD verse 14
Zion of the Holy One of Isarel verse 14
LORD will make Jerusalem an eternal
excellent – a joy of many generations verse 15
Suck the milk of the Gentiles verse 16
Suck the breast of kings verse 16
Jacob verse 16
Make your officers peace verse 17
Make your exactors righteousness verse 17
No more violence shall be heard in your land verse 18
Call walls Salvation verse 18
Call gates Praise verse 18
God YOUR glory verse 18
LORD shall be Israel’s everlasting light verse 20
Days of mourning shall be ended verse 20
All people will be righteous in that day verse 21
Inherit the land verse 21
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Jerusalem – eternal excellence verse 15
LORD everlasting light verse 20
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QUOTES regarding passage
17. The best of Jerusalem’s past (1 Kgs 10:21, 27) is laid under contribution to convey the coming glory where everything is transformed upwards. Peace: social transformation matches material well-being. Here is the peace of a mature, harmonious society where well-being and government are synonymous—in the Hebrew here peace and governor (rather ‘government’) are in apposition, meaning that each is the exact definition of the other; to say ‘peace’/well-being’ is to say ‘government’, and vice versa. Righteousness is that which matches the Lord’s own righteous character and wishes. Ruler is ‘taskmaster’ (Exod. 3:7). Even the very worst that the past exemplified in oppressive rule will become the very best the Lord would wish. (Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, pp. 423–424). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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15–22 The exultant tone of this chapter is sustained right to its end. The city so oppressed by some (v.14) had been avoided by others (v.15). Perhaps her smaller near neighbors are in view. Now foreigners and their monarchs will love and cherish her, delighting to supply her needs. This is because the Lord will be revealing himself to her in all the glory of his grace, as indicated by the catena of titles used in v.16, each of which has covenant implications. “The Mighty One of Jacob,” of course, is also a reminder of the sinfulness and guile of Israel’s ancestor, so underlining God’s unmerited favor.
In v.17 the merely adequate is replaced by the valuable. Its reference is probably more general than that of vv.6–7, where the materials are all related specifically to the needs of the temple. Once again peace and righteousness, those heavenly twins, are found together (cf. 54:13–14). The beautifully poetic description leads on, in v.18, first of all to literal statements about the absence of violence, and then to further abstractions, symbolizing God’s action on Zion’s behalf and her own reaction to this. There may be just an implicit reference to the meaning of the name “Judah,” which is “praise.”
Verses 19–20 supply important background for Revelation 21–22. Genesis 1:14–19—probably deliberately attacking pagan worship of the heavenly bodies (see G. Von Rad, Commentary on Genesis [London: SCM, 1961], in loc.)—describes the sun and the moon as mere lamps made by God for lighting the earth. The Lord himself, whose glory set over the city gives the latter its special glory in this chapter, is in fact replacing his creatures—the sun and the moon—with himself. This symbolizes the fact that God’s people, in his community, will always know his presence and the revelation and joy that come from him. This constant fullness of divine light will transform everything, including all the imperfections (“sorrows”) of life. (Grogan, G. W. (1986). Isaiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, pp. 330–331). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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60:17–22. Wealth to be brought to Jerusalem (cf. vv. 5–9) will include not only gold and silver (already mentioned in v. 9), but also bronze and iron. The city will be peaceful and joyful. Also the Lord will protect her as her Light and Glory (v. 19; cf. vv. 1–2). Her people will be righteous, displaying God’s splendor (v. 21; cf. comments on v. 9), and they will be numerous (v. 22). The Millennium will be a utopia for which many people have longed. (Martin, J. A. (1985). Isaiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1115). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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“Arise and shine!” is God’s “wake-up call” to Jerusalem (v. 14), because a new day is dawning for Israel. This light is not from the sun but from the glory of God shining on the city.
God’s glory had once dwelt in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–38), only to depart because of Israel’s sin (1 Sam. 4:21). God’s glory then came into the temple (1 Kings 8:11), but it departed when the nation turned to idols (Ezek. 9:3; 10:4, 18; 11:22–23). The glory came to Israel in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14), but the nation nailed that glory to a cross. Today, The Babylonian Captivity had been the nation’s darkest hour, but that was not the darkness Isaiah was describing. He was describing the awful darkness that will cover the earth during the Day of the Lord (Amos 5:18), when God punishes the nations of the earth for their sins (Isa. 2:12ff; 13:6ff). But the prophet is also describing the glorious light that will come to Israel when her Messiah returns to reign in Jerusalem. Then “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14). Israel’s sons and daughters will come home again (Isa. 60:4, 8–9), and all of them will know the Lord.
It will be the dawning of a new day for the nations of the world as well as for Israel (vv. 3, 10–13). The Gentiles will come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and to share their wealth (2:2–4; 11:9; 27:13; 56:7; 57:13; 65:25; 66:20). Some people “spiritualize” these promises and apply them to the Gentiles coming to Christ and His church today, but that is not the basic interpretation. Isaiah sees ships and caravans bringing people and wealth to Jerusalem (60:5–7); and the nations that refuse to honor the Lord and His city will be judged (v. 12). Even Israel’s old enemies will submit and help to serve the Lord (vv. 10, 14).
In verses 15–22, the Lord describes some of the joys and wonders of the glorious kingdom. The nation will no longer be forsaken but will be enriched by the Gentiles and nursed like a beloved child (vv. 4, 16; 49:23; 61:6). As in the days of King Solomon (1 Kings 10:21, 27), precious metals will be plentiful. It will be a time of peace and safety. “I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler” (Isa. 60:17, NIV).
John used some of the characteristics of the millennial Jerusalem when he described the holy city (Rev. 21–22): The sun never sets; there is no sorrow; the gates never close; etc. But the city Isaiah describes is the capital city of the restored Jewish nation, and Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of David and judge righteously. The Jewish “remnant” will increase and fill the land (Isa. 60:22; 51:2; 54:3). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Comforted (pp. 152–155). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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What a day that will be for Israel after the long centuries of suffering and their days of mourning! This carries us on through the millennial glory and into the eternal state, for God will never give up this people. They will always have a separate place in His mind, as the Church too will have hers. God has various groups, all of whom have their own place in His counsels—all redeemed alike by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ironside, H. A. (1952). Expository notes on the prophet Isaiah. (p. 337). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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For brass I will bring gold: here is the effect of the former promise, Thy poverty shall be turned to riches, all things shall be altered for the best; an allusion to the days of Solomon, when gold was as brass: thus, on the contrary, when they change for the worse in the state, it useth to be expressed by the like metaphors, chap. 1:21–23. I will also make thy officers peace, i.e. loving, meek, and peaceable; the abstract put for the concrete, as is usual, whether you understand it of under officers, they shall be officers of peace, or of governors, thou shalt have a peaceable government, as it was made good to them under Ezra, Nehemiah, Zorobabel, and such like. And thine exactors righteousness; most righteous, as before peace for peaceable. The church is not freed from taxes and payments, that is given by Christ and Peter unto Cæsar, but it shall be without oppression and grinding; no more than is necessary, and not exacted rigorously. Though all these were made good in their return out of Babylon, yet doth it more properly relate to the meliorating of the church under the gospel, wherein instead of carnal ceremonies, she had spiritual ordinances, which is the scope of the apostle, Heb. 9, and larger measures of the Holy Spirit, and should have such officers as would speak peace to the consciences, by discovering the complete and perfect righteousness of him who fulfilled all righteousness. (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 2, p. 471). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)
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Ver. 17. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron, &c.] By wood and stones may be meant the Old-Testament dispensation; by the brass and iron the present Gospel dispensation; and by silver and gold the latter-day glory; by silver the spiritual reign of Christ in his church; and by gold his personal reign in the New Jerusalem; which is said to be all of pure gold, and even the very street of it, Rev. 21:18, 21 now, as far as brass and iron exceed wood and stones, so far the Gospel dispensation exceeds the legal one; the one being the shadow, the other the substance; the one having carnal ordinances, which are done away; the other spiritual ones, which remain; and as far as silver and gold exceed brass and iron, so far the glory of the latter day will exceed the present state of things, in clear light, in spiritual grace and strength, in purity of doctrine and worship, in holiness of life, and in love, peace, and unity; and as far as gold exceeds silver, so far, and much more, will the personal reign of Christ, which will be perfectly glorious, exceed the spiritual one. There may be an allusion to the times of Solomon, a type of Christ, 1 Kings 10:27. This, by some Jewish writers, is applied to the times of the Messiah they yet expect. The Targum is, “for the brass which they spoiled thee of, O Jerusalem, I will bring gold,” &c. I will also make thine officers peace; civil magistrates shall be men of peaceable dispositions, who shall promote peace and unity in kingdoms, states, cities, towns, and neighbourhoods; they shall be properly justices of peace; they will answer to their office, and the title of it. Church-officers or ministers of the word shall publish the Gospel of peace in the clearest manner; and the peace of God shall rule in the hearts of all the saints; there will be abundance of temporal and of spiritual peace, promoted by the several officers of church and state; see Psal. 72:7; Isa. 52:7 and 54:13: and thine exactors righteousness; even tax-gatherers, who used to be the worst of people for injustice and oppression, these shall do nothing but what is right and just; nor will there be any reason to complain of them. The Septuagint render it bishops or overseers, pastors of churches, who shall be truly ministers of righteousness; preach up the doctrine of justification by Christ’s righteousness; and instruct persons to live soberly, righteously, and godly. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 356). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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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!!)
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So here’s a brief refresher course. As Stan Guthrie and as my friend Jerry Root describe in their book, The Sacrament of Evangelism, temperance is “the habitual ability to resist the enticement of immediate pleasure in order to gain a greater though more remote good.” …. Years ago Wheaton College professor Jerry Root tried to teach his young children the virtue of temperance by regularly offering them a choice: a small piece of candy now, or, if they could wait ‘til tomorrow, a 10-dollar toy. They always chose the sweet, until one day when Jeremy, the oldest, chose the toy. The other kids, as they chomped on their candy, looked on Jeremy as if he were crazy — until the next day, that is, when he came home with a 10-dollar toy! (Temperance: The Least-Understood Virtue by Eric Metaxas )
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Deuteronomy 7
God commands the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites.
INSIGHT
God instructs the Israelites to remove from their land everything that will lead them to forsake their purity and commitment to the Lord. When we allow corruption inside our walls, it seeps into our lives and destroys us. We must remove the things from our lives that would tempt us or weaken us. Paul wrote, “Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14). Are there some things you have carried over from your earlier days that ought to be removed from your life? Why not remove them right away?
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The Lord and Inspiration
“And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying . . .” (Leviticus 1:1)
This introductory verse to what many erroneously consider a dry and difficult book of the Bible actually introduces a remarkable phenomenon. All the rest of the chapter consists of a direct quotation from the Lord Himself. In fact, most of the rest of the book also consists solely of the direct words of God, except for an occasional interjection of a statement that God was still speaking. In all, 717 of the 832 verses in Leviticus (that is 86 percent) consist of the very words of God, directly quoted. This is more than any other book of the Bible, except for the books of the prophets, some of which also consist almost entirely of verbatim statements from God. The same situation is found in lesser, but still substantial, degrees in other historical books, not to mention the extensive quotations from the sermons and discourses of Christ in the four gospels.
While it is true that the Holy Spirit used many different means by which to convey the Scriptures (all of which are verbally inspired and fully inerrant) to writing, it is also true that, on many occasions, what amounts to the “dictation” method was used by Him. Evangelicals have often been intimidated by the scientists’ ridicule of this “mechanical theory” of inspiration, but they should not be. God is well able to use whatever means He chooses to reveal His word to men, and we should simply take Him at His word!
Leviticus is a guidebook for the consecration and cleansing of God’s people—especially His priests. In the New Covenant, all believers are priests, and therefore are expected to be consecrated and pure. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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THE RESULTS OF THE HOUR
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. John 12:31
The results of the hour are put very plainly by Jesus in John 12:31.What an hour this is! Do you not begin to see that it is the most momentous hour of all time? We talk about the pivotal points of history, but they are all nothing when you look at this. “Now is the judgment of this world”—the whole world, in the sense that it is the hour in which the world was really revealed for what it is. It was there that sin was revealed. There, shown plainly and clearly once and forever, is the whole state of mankind apart from God.
The cross does not only reveal sin for what it is—at one and the same time it pronounces doom on the whole world and everything that belongs to that realm. The cross of Jesus Christ makes this great proclamation. Unless I believe in Him, unless I believe that His death at that hour is the only thing that reconciles me to God, I remain under the wrath of God. If I do not see that the wrath of God against my sin has been borne there by the Son of God, then the alternative is that I must experience the wrath of God. That is the essence of the Christian Gospel. I either believe that my sins have been punished in the body of the Son of God, or else they will be punished in me. It is the judgment of the world.
The world apart from Him is under the wrath of God, it is doomed, it is damned, and He alone can save it in that way. There was no other way, for God would never have allowed His Son to endure all that if there had been another way. It is the only way; so it is the judgment of the world.
A Thought to Ponder: This hour is the most momentous hour of all time. (From Saved in Eternity p. 118, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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That means your Bible is a full utility kit for everything you need to live with confidence in this chaotic world. (p. 70)
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In his book Knowing Scripture, R. C. Sproul writes about the “Sensuous Christian.” Sproul doesn’t mean that in the usual physical use of the word. He defines that term as the domination of the Christian life by the intangibles of feelings. “Many of us” he writes, “have become sensuous Christians, living by our feelings, rather than through our understanding of the Word of God. (p. 76)
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Strong faith is based upon the facts of God’s Word – the truth of our salvation, the historic fact of Christ’s resurrection, the understanding that He will come again. (p. 76)
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What Peter is saying to us is, “Start digging! You have your shovel, you have your earth-moving equipment, now lay down that sure foundation.” You do so by applying all that is in the Word. (p. 77)
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Faith + Virtue, “Add to your faith virtue” (2 Peter 1:5). Do you know what virture is? Courage. This is the New Testament word for moral goodness: having the courage to do the right thing no matter what the circumstances might dictate. (p. 78, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah)
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Are You Worthy of Imitating?
His delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. PSALM 1:2
I was talking with a businessman recently who is involved in a Bible study with about a half-dozen men. These guys are all “well oiled,” financially speaking. But as I listened to him describe these men, I wondered what kind of Christianity they were modeling to their children.
As parents, we need to think about the priorities we are teaching our children by our words and our actions. Ask yourself, If I could pass on my relationship with God to my kids, would they be satisfied with what they receive? If my children could never experience anything more than what I have today, would they be given enough to chart themselves successfully through life? Would they experience God? Would they know enough of Christ to long for more—a deeper and deeper fellowship with Jesus Christ?
One thing we often say in our conferences and on radio is that your children will listen to what you say, and they will do what you tell them, but they will become who you are. If your daily experience with Christ is less than you want your children to possess, they probably won’t ever have it either. Your model should be the man in Psalm 1—the one whose “delight” is in spending time with God and His Word (verse 2). The one who “meditates” on the things of God through the ins and outs of the day. The one who keeps him-
or herself “firmly planted” by those “streams of water” (verse 3).
Only then will you be the model your children need to emulate.
DISCUSS
Share honestly those things that are distracting you right now from your relationship with Christ. How are you showing your children the reality of truly walking with Jesus Christ? (Moments with YOU by Dennis & Barbara Rainey)
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A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority – Booker T. Washington.
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Today in church Pastor said this: If you can trust a puzzle company to make sure every piece is in the box to complete the puzzle, than why can’t you trust GOD that every piece of your life is there for a reason.
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