Jeremiah 43
Dealing with the proud verse 1- 3
And it came to pass – that when Jeremiah had made an end of
speaking unto the people all the words of the LORD their God
for which the LORD their God had sent him to them
even all these words
THEN spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah – and Johanan son of Kareah
and all the PROUD men – saying unto Jeremiah
You speak FALSELY
the LORD our God hath not sent you to say
Go not into Egypt to sojourn there
BUT Baruch the son of Neriah set you on against us
for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans
that they might put us to death
and carry us away captives
into Babylon
City of Tahpanhes in Egypt verse 4- 7
SO Johanan the son of Kareah – and all the captains of the forces
and all the people – OBEYED NOT the voice of the LORD
to dwell in the land of Judah
BUT Johanan the son of Kareah – and all the captains of the forces
took the remnant of Judah – that were returned from all nations
whither they had been driven – to dwell in the land of Judah
even men – women – children – king’s daughters
every person that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard
had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam
the son of Shaphan
and Jeremiah – the prophet
and Baruch the son of Neriah
SO they came into the land of Egypt
for they OBEYED NOT the voice of the LORD
thus came they even to Tahpanhes
Object lesson of great stones verse 8- 9
THEN came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah
in Tahpanhes saying
Take great stones in your hand
and hide them in the clay in the brick kiln
which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house
in Tahpanhes
in the sight of the men of Judah
Message of the object lesson verse 10- 13
AND say unto them
Thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel
BEHOLD – I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon
MY servant – and will set his throne upon these stones that
I have hid
And he shall spread his royal pavilion over them
AND when he comes – he shall smite the land of Egypt
and deliver such as are for death to death
and such as are for captivity to captivity
and such as are for the sword to the sword
And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt
and he shall burn them – and carry them away captives
and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt
as a shepherd puts on his garment
and he shall go forth from thence in peace
He shall break also the images of Beth –shemesh
that is in the land of Egypt
and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he
burn with fire
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Then spoke Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God has not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there (8267 “falsely” [sheqer] means lie, deception, misleading falseness, disappointment, fraud, wrong, or fraudulently.)
DEVOTION: The people sent Jeremiah to ask the LORD want to do. The LORD answered Jeremiah ten days later. Jeremiah told the people what the LORD had said. They were to stay in Jerusalem. If they stayed they would live. If they went to Egypt they would die.
Then we come to this chapter. The people said that Jeremiah wasn’t telling the truth. He was lying to them. They said they would obey what he told them, but when he gave the answer they didn’t want to hear, they didn’t obey the voice of the LORD. They said the message came from Baruch instead of the LORD. The LORD was consistent with HIS message. Stay and live and leave and die.
Instead they took Jeremiah and all the people to Egypt. God spoke again. HE gave Jeremiah an object lesson to give to the people. HE told Jeremiah that Egypt was going to be defeated by HIS servant Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon. The people who disobeyed were going to be judged. They were warned. God always sends warnings before judgment. HE sends weakness, sickness and pre-mature death to those who don’t listen to HIS warning by examining themselves to see if their actions meet the standard the LORD has set for HIS people.
There are people that accuse others of lying when they say things they don’t want to hear. Jeremiah gave the message of the LORD to the people. They called him a liar.
Have we every told truth and people tell us we are not telling the truth? Have we ever thought we were following the LORD and someone comes along and tells us that we are not? We need to be in the Word of God daily to find out what the LORD wants us to do with our lives. We need to be in the Word of God to preach and teach what the LORD wants us to preach and teach. We need to have an open mind to learn from the LORD. We need to follow the directions the LORD gives us in HIS word.
Our directions should come from the LORD. We should obey that voice. Disobedience is still reason for judgment from the LORD. Judgment doesn’t always have to be death. Remember that it can be weakness, sickness and pre-mature death.
CHALLENGE: If you are being obedient to the LORD and others accuse you of not – believe what you hear in your prayer closet.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah. (8085 “obeyed” [shama] means hear, hearken, understand, discern, listen, examine or receive news.)
The consequences of disobedience are real. Here we have a prophet who has been
speaking for the LORD for many years and his predictions have come true. He has been a
faithful servant of the LORD in spite of mistreatment.
Now he is in a circumstance where he told the truth but the people would rather do what they want rather than follow the LORD. It was going to end in judgment.
They went their own way to Egypt. They were a group of proud people who thought they knew better than God. They were going their own way when they stated they would follow the LORD no matter what HE said.
Who is the liar in this account of the nation of Judah? It was the leader Johanan. The LORD had given him victory over Ishmael and it had gone to his head. If he was having victories the LORD must be with him.
The problem was that the LORD was with Jeremiah who was with them. The LORD was blessing Jeremiah’s faithfulness and they were just receiving the overflow. They didn’t understand these truths.
We sometime think that because we have had some victories we can do anything we want and the LORD will bless us. It is not true. As long as we stay faithful in our listening to HIS voice HE will continue to bless us.
Once we leave the path of hearing the voice of God, we are on our way to failure and judgment. If there are warning signs that the LORD is not with us – listen to them.
The LORD can use the voice of one faithful servant to confront the majority in many cases. It seems that most of the time the majority is using human wisdom instead of Godly wisdom to make their decisions.
Remember that all we have to do is ask for Godly wisdom and the Father will give it to us.
CHALLENGE: Continually ask for Godly wisdom for the decisions you make at home, work and church. Being in the presence of the LORD on a daily basis is the answer.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes. (8085 “obeyed” [shama] means publish, to heed, to listen, hear, or pay close attention to, and usually respond in conformity, or to hear with attention or interest)
DEVOTION: The LORD wants those who are genuine followers of HIM to listen to HIM with interest. Those who are genuine would be ones who in the Old Testament would hear the voice of the LORD directly at times. It would be loud enough for them to hear and understand what HE was saying to them.
Today the LORD speaks mainly through HIS WORD the Bible. We have the books of the New Testament that were given to the church for them to listen to and obey. The Holy Spirit helps all those who are listening to understand what the LORD expects of them in their daily walk with HIM.
The children of Israel in the Old Testament had the LORD speak to them directly or through one of HIS prophets. If they didn’t listen to the direct voice of the LORD, they would not listen to one of his prophets like Jeremiah. It was sad but true.
We sometimes think that if the LORD would speak to us DIRECTLY, we would listen to HIM without any problem but that is not true even today. We have HIS WORD found in the Bible but some people who claim to be followers of the LORD DON’T even read the Bible on a daily basis. They use excuses like “I don’t understand what HE is saying” but that is only an excuse.
If we read and don’t understand we can go out and buy a good commentary and study it that way and learn. Or they can call their pastor if he is an evangelical and he can tell them what it means. Or you can contact me and I will help you.
There is no excuse today for not knowing and understanding the Word of God. The answers come even from the Holy Spirit at times to those who are genuine seekers.
The children of Israel heard God’s voice and still didn’t obey. It is sad but true. Are we imitating them today as well?
CHALLENGE: Don’t imitate the children of Israel – listen to the LORD and HE will bless you! (Remember you can call me or write me anytime with any question and I will try to answer it in a short time period.)
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: 10 And say unto them, Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. (5650 “servant” [‘ebed] means bondman, worshipper of God, a title of humility for someone in a position of lower authority or stature, subordinate, or subject)
DEVOTION: Here we find an unusual statement. We have a heathen king being called a subordinate to the God of Israel. God calls this king of Babylon HIS subject.
He is going to do what the LORD says he is going to do. He is going to come into Egypt and take the land. In fact, he is going to set up his headquarters in the very spot that Jeremiah was told to put some stones on a spot next to the house of Pharaoh the ruler of Egypt.
Some of the remnant of those who were not taken when Nebuchadrezzar took Jerusalem thought they could be safe in the land of Egypt even after Jeremiah warned them that they would not be safe. They didn’t listen to him and because they wouldn’t listen to the prophet another subject of God was going to come to Egypt and take them anyway.
God sometimes uses heathen rulers to get the attention of HIS people. Some of them listen but most of them don’t.
There always seems to be those who claim to follow the LORD who think that they can outthink God. HE planned the universe before HE created it. HE knows the beginning from the end. HE is longsuffering with HIS people but if HE has to use heathens to get the attention of HIS people HE will.
We live in a day when it seems that those who claim Christ are not witnessing the way they should for fear of offending those who don’t know the LORD. This is not according to the commands of the LORD. We are to be a witness to all those who are around us.
We are to be obedient to the commands of the LORD no matter what nation we live in. Some will be killed for their witness but this world is not our home. We are looking forward to the next as we are obedient to HIM.
CHALLENGE: If a man of God who is faithful to the Word of God informs you of the commands of God, we need to be obedient to that command even today!! We are not to be running from God but toward HIM!!!
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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)
Obey voice of the LORD verse 4, 7
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)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Words of the LORD their God verse 1
Word of the LORD verse 8
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 1, 2, 10
LORD their God verse 1
LORD our God verse 2
LORD of hosts verse 10
God of Israel verse 10
I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king
Of Babylon – MY servant, and will set
his throne upon these stones that I have
hid: and he shall spread his royal pavilion
over them verse 10
I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of
Egypt verse 12
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)
Egypt verse 2, 7, 11- 13
Chaldeans verse 3
captives to Babylon
Babylon verse 3, 10
All nations verse 5
Nebuzaradan – captain of guard verse 6
left with Gedaliah
Tahpanhes verse 7, 9
Pharaoh’s house verse 9
Nebuchadrezzar – king of Babylon verse 10- 13
He will smite the land of Egypt, and
deliver such as are for death to death
and such as are for captivity to captivity
and such as are for the sword to the sword
He shall burn houses of the gods of Egypt
and carry away captive and shall
array himself with the land of
Egypt
He shall break also the images of
Beth-shemesh, that is in the
land of Egypt; and the house
of the gods of Egyptians shall
he burn with fire
Nebuchadrezzar – God’s servant verse 10
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Proud verse 2
Speaking falsely verse 2
Called prophet a liar verse 2
Obeyed not the voice of the LORD verse 4, 7
False gods of Egypt verse 12
Images of Beth-shemesh verse 13
Houses of the gods of Egypt verse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Humble verse 2
Speak truth verse 2
Obey the voice of the LORD verse 4, 7
Servant verse 10
Not worship false gods verse 12, 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jeremiah verse 1, 2, 6, 8
Accused falsely of speaking falsely by proud men
word of the LORD came to in Tahpanhes
Take great stones in your hand, and
hide them the clay in the brickkiln
which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s
house in Tahpanhes – sight of the
men of Judah
Azariah the son of Hoshaiah verse 2
Johanan the son of Kareah verse 2, 4, 5
Proud men verse 2
Baruch – son Neriah verse 3, 6
Judah verse 4, 5, 9
Remnant of Judah from all nations
to dwell in the land of Judah
men, women, children
king’s daughters
Gedaliah the son of Ahikam verse 6
son of Sbaphan
Israel verse 10
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Put to death verse 3
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QUOTES regarding passage
43:10–13 As in other symbolic acts, the interpretation was then given. It symbolized the fate of the exiles in Egypt as well as Egypt’s fate at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. God was going to bring Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt, where he would “spread his throne.” Nebuchadnezzar would spread his “royal canopy” (used only here) above the stones. This has been understood as a canopy over the throne, a carpet under the throne, or the pavilion itself. The message was clear; it was useless to flee to Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar would pursue them to Egypt to the very place where Jeremiah had hidden the stones.
Jeremiah described the havoc Nebuchadnezzar would create in Egypt by his invasion. He would bring death, captivity, and the sword to those destined for those fates. He would set fire to the temples of the Egyptian gods. He would carry their gods away to be paraded in a triumphal victory procession in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Egypt would be as effortless as a shepherd wrapping a garment around himself. The word translated in the NIV as “wrap” has a double meaning. It can mean to wrap oneself with a garment, or it can mean to remove lice; the latter translation suggests Nebuchadnezzar would plunder Egypt of its riches as a shepherd would pick lice from his garment. Resistance would be negligible, and Nebuchadnezzar would depart from Egypt “unscathed” (lit. “in peace”).
Nebuchadnezzar would demolish the sacred pillars in the “temple of the sun” in Egypt (lit. “house of the sun”; Heb. bet šemeš, but not to be confused with Beth Shemesh in Judah). The “temple of the sun” was almost certainly Heliopolis (“city of the sun”; its Hebrew name was On; see Gen 41:45), the center of sun worship in Egypt that was located about ten miles northeast of Cairo.
Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt in his thirty-seventh year, 568–567. Hophra had been overthrown by Amasis, who was now on the throne. There is a fragmentary text suggesting that Nebuchadnezzar fought with the Egyptians, but it does not indicate the outcome of the battle. It is clear that Egypt retained its independence, for Amasis remained on the throne and later established friendly relations with the Babylonians. The invasion probably was a punitive campaign intended to halt Egyptian interference in Babylon’s imperialistic ambitions. (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, pp. 364–365). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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10–11 If the Jews had gone to Egypt to escape the Babylonians, their flight was futile because the Lord was going to send Nebuchadnezzar to invade it (v.11; ch. 44). The royal “canopy” (v.10) has been understood as a covering over the throne or perhaps as a gorgeous carpet on which the throne stood. The exact meaning is difficult because the word šap̱riwr is a hapax legomenon, but it certainly refers to something splendid. A fragmentary text in the British Museum indicates that Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Egypt occurred in the thirty-seventh year of his reign (568–567 b.c.). Amasis was on the Egyptian throne at the time (so ANET, p. 308). It was a punitive expedition against Egypt; after it Babylonia and Egypt had amicable relations (so Bright). Notice that the Lord called Nebuchadnezzar “my servant” (cf. 27:6)—the executor of death, captivity, and destruction for Egypt (v.11). (Feinberg, C. L. (1986). Jeremiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, pp. 638–639). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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43:8–13. As the Jews watched, Jeremiah performed another symbolic act to gain their attention (cf. 13:1–11). He gathered some large stones and buried them in clay under the brick pavement that covered the large courtyard at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace. Since Pharaoh’s main residence during this time was at Elephantine in Upper (southern) Egypt, the “palace” mentioned by Jeremiah was probably a government building that served as Pharaoh’s residence when he visited the city of Tahpanhes.
The purpose of the stones was to mark the spot where Nebuchadnezzar would set his throne when God brought him to Egypt. The king of Babylon would spread his royal canopy over the place Jeremiah indicated when he came to attack Egypt. The specters of death … captivity, and the sword which these exiles were fleeing (cf. 42:13–17) would follow them into Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar would set fire to the temples in Egypt and take her gods captive. He would wrap up Egypt and carry her away captive as easily as a shepherd wraps his garment around him. In the temple of the sun (bêṯ šemeš, a possible reference to the city of Heliopolis, also called On), Egypt’s worship was centered (see the map “The World of Jeremiah and Ezekiel,” in the Introduction). This city that was full of sacred pillars (obelisks) and temples would be demolished. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Jeremiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1190). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The timely warning (vv. 8–13). This is Jeremiah’s final “action sermon.” While the Jews were watching, he gathered some large stones and set them in the clay (or mortar) before Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes. Then he announced that Nebuchadnezzar’s throne would one day sit on those stones while the king of Babylon passed judgment on the people. As he did to the temple in Jerusalem, so Nebuchadnezzar would do to the gods and temples in Egypt. His victory would be so easy that it would be like a shepherd wrapping his garment around himself! And yet these are the very gods that the Jews would worship in Egypt, gods destined to be destroyed! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 158–159). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Jeremiah is again commissioned to warn them of the impending storm of divine wrath. He may be in a sense a prisoner, but “the Word of the Lord is not bound,” and he is bidden to instruct the people both by an object-lesson and by word of mouth. At Jehovah’s bidding, he took great stones in his hand, which he hid in the brick-kiln at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in the city, in the sight of the men of Judah. From this it would appear that the king of Egypt sometimes resided in Tahpanhes (vers. 8, 9), if at this time it was not, indeed, his capital.
Having thus attracted the attention of the people, he declared in the name of the Lord of hosts that He was about to send Nebuchadrezzar, who is again designated “My servant,” and all the land of Egypt should be given into his hands. His throne was to be set upon the stones thus hidden, and his royal pavilion spread over them. Like a shepherd (as the shepherd kings had done before, in the days of the patriarchs), he should “array himself with the land of Egypt” as with a garment. Egypt’s gods and their people would be destroyed in that day, and it would be vain for the men of Judah to seek relief from his vengeance (vers. 10–13). (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 242). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 10. And say unto them, &c.] The men of Judah, now in Egypt: thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; see the note on ch. 42:15: behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; as all men are by creation, and as he was in a very eminent sense, being an instrument in his hand of executing his designs, both on the Jews and other nations; him he would send for, and take to perform his counsel; secretly work upon and dispose his mind to such an undertaking, and lay a train of providences, and, by a concourse of them, bring him to Egypt to do his will: and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; which he had ordered the prophet to hide, and which he did by him; signifying, that the king of Babylon should come with his army against this city, and should take it, and set up his throne, and keep his court here: and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them; his tent; he shall place here his beautiful one, as the word signifies; this should be set up where these stones were laid, as if they were designed for the foundation of it, though they were only a symbol of it; and would be a token to the Jews, when accomplished, of the certainty of the divine prescience, and of prophecy, with respect to future events, even those the most minute and contingent. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, pp. 637–638). 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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Deep-Water Rescue
He drew me out of deep waters. Psalm 18:16
A record rainfall more than tripled what was forecasted in Waverly, Tennessee, in August 2021. In the wake of the powerful storm, twenty people lost their lives and hundreds of homes were destroyed. Had it not been for the compassion and skill of helicopter pilot Joel Boyers, the loss of human life would’ve been even greater.
The pilot took flight in response to a phone call from a woman who was concerned about her loved ones. In addition to seeing houses on fire and cars in trees, Boyers noted, “It was nothing but [muddy], raging water below me.” The pilot, however, bravely proceeded to rescue twelve people from the roofs of their homes.
More often than not in life, the swirling floods we face aren’t literal—but oh, how real! In days of uncertainty and instability, we can feel overwhelmed, unsafe—“in over our heads” mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. But we don’t need to despair.
In Psalm 18, we read how David’s enemies were many and mighty, but his God was greater. How great? So great and powerful (v. 1) that he used multiple metaphors (v. 2) to describe Him. God was mighty enough to rescue from deep waters and strong enemies (vv. 16–17). How great? Great enough for us to call upon Him in the name of Jesus, regardless of the volume and depth of the “waters” surrounding us in life (v. 3).
(By Arthur Jackson, Our Daily Bread)
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Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman.
INSIGHT
The supreme activity of a Christian is worship. As Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman about a location of worship, He proclaims that God is spirit and that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.
For worship, God is indifferent to places, nationalities, and methods. We may worship Him on a mound of dirt or in a cathedral. But we must worship Him in truth. When our body sits in a worship service but our mind is elsewhere, we are not worshiping.
Worship is an act of the will. You can decide to worship. Enter into the songs that are sung, the prayers that are prayed, and the Scripture that is read. Offer Him spiritual sacrifices, and you will experience worship. (Quiet Walk)
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THE CROSS AND RECONCILIATION
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses against them… 2 Corinthians 5:19
On the cross our Lord was reconciling us to God. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” Christ had to pay this penalty. The law had to have its way, and He has borne the punishment. And because of that, if we believe in Him we are free from the punishment and free of the condemnation.
We are reconciled to God, and the power of God takes over and delivers us from the devil and his cohorts and transfers us into the kingdom of God. That is why the apostle puts it like this in Colossians 1:13: “who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” That is how it happens. That is what was happening on the cross. The devil thought he was defeating Christ, but Christ was reconciling us to God, defeating the devil and delivering us out of his clutches. He does it by paying the penalty and putting us right with God. The power of God comes into us, and we are born again, receiving new natures and becoming new people. The Holy Spirit is put within us, and Christ’s presence is ever at hand to help us.
That is why John was able to say, “and the whole world lieth in wickedness,” but “that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18-19). The enemy not only touches the world—he embraces it, and the world cannot get out of his clutches. But Christ takes us out of his clutches and puts us into His own kingdom, and the devil cannot touch us. He can frighten us perhaps, he can shout at us, but he cannot touch us. He thought he was finishing Christ. He was really bringing about his own defeat. Christ has conquered him.
A Thought to Ponder: Christ takes us out of the devil’s clutches and puts us into His own kingdom, and the devil cannot touch us.
(From The Cross, pp. 126-127, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Korah’s Dispute
“Woe unto them! for they have . . . perished in the gainsaying of Core.” (Jude 1:11)
Jude describes the Levite Korah’s rebellion against Moses (Numbers 16) as an antilogia (to speak against, dispute, contradict). During that time, Moses and Aaron were the spokespersons for the Lord, with authority and direct instructions from God. The Scriptures take that place today.
Korah and 250 other “princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown” (Numbers 16:2) had decided that they were just as “holy” as Moses and were demanding some share of the leadership (and presumably some of the control). This was far more than a mere leadership struggle.
Israel had just come through several major miracles (Red Sea parting, manna, water from the rock, etc.), had been given the Ten Commandments, and had built the tabernacle. They had rejected the report of Joshua and Caleb on God’s promise about Canaan and were in the middle of trying to choose a captain to “return into Egypt” (Numbers 14:4). God was really angry with them!
Korah led this “gainsaying” in an attempt to thwart God’s direction through Moses. Today, that would be equivalent to insisting that science (or philosophy or theology) is just as holy as the text of Scripture. God’s method of testing this antilogia was simple: Each leader was to prepare his own censer and incense (equivalent to his interpretation of God’s Word) and see how God responded to him.
They perished in a most spectacular display of ruin—“the ground clave asunder that was under them” and they “went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation” (Numbers 16:31, 33). God does not tolerate rejection of His message, “for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm 138:2). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Eye Trouble by Dennis Rainey (Moments with YOU)
I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? JOB 31:1
Men, this may not be an easy thing to admit with your wife sitting right next to you. But let’s be honest—you’ll likely relate to the story I’m about to tell. I was seated in a car with another Christian leader—a good friend of mine. We were both away from home, without our wives, waiting for a colleague who had just gone inside a store. And as we sat there, a woman walked by who was, well, drop-dead gorgeous. I caught sight of her as she entered the store, and then turned back to our conversation.
When she walked by again, by God’s grace (or the fear of my own reputation being spoiled), I summoned up enough self-control to look away. But I did notice my friend’s eyes lingering as she walked on to her car. Knowing we were both fighting the same battle, I casually said, “Hey, you can look at her once, you can look at her twice, but if you look at her that long . . .”
We laughed. We knew. Guys, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating a woman’s beauty. But we all know in an instant when we’ve reached that point where we’re no longer simply noticing her but have begun enjoying her and letting our minds become a playground of lustful thoughts. That’s when Fred Stoeker, coauthor of Every Man’s Battle, says we must heed the covenant of Job 31:1. With the same impulsive quickness that makes us pull our hands back from a hot stove, we must discipline ourselves to “bounce” our eyes away from her. Yes, it’s every man’s battle, all right. But it’s a battle we can win.
DISCUSS
Husbands, help your wives understand that this admission of struggle is not caused by being unsatisfied with her. It’s a struggle with temptation, lust, sin—a struggle with yourself.
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Christian means “little Christ.” We want to be just like HIM, to imitate HIM in every way possible so that we could be mistaken for HIM. How do we do it? By following HIS lead; by doing what HE did. (p. 39)
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Doing good for others does good for us. It reverses the destructive process of self-absorption, moving us into the healthy arena of seeing the needs of others, and ultimately opens us up to the reality of God and His destiny for us. (p. 40)
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Peter who stepped out of the boat, and Peter who almost drowned when his faith short-circuited, Jesus called him “the Rock” one time, “Satan” another. Peter was so much like us – one step forward, two steps back, animated by wild faith and paralyzing doubt. He was a man of highs and lows, mountains and valleys, and that’s why he makes a perfect study for times like these. (p. 49)
(Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah)
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HOW TO KNOW THE JOY
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
1 John 1:4
The first thing that is essential before we can ever have and hold this joy is the absolute centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ. John starts with Him in 1 John 1:1-3: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
You will never know any joy until you know Christ. He is the source of joy; He is the fount of all blessings; everything comes through Him. So before John begins to discuss anything else, he talks about Him.
Here we come to the great watershed that divides Christian preaching and teaching from every other teaching; it is based solely on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian church has nothing to say to the world until it believes on Him. Indeed, the Church’ message to the world is one of condemnation until it believes on Christ. Christ is central, He is essential, He is the beginning and the end, and John has nothing to say to these people by way of encouragement unless they are absolutely clear about Him. It is through Him that we have access to God; and it is through Him that we have fellowship with God.
A Thought to Ponder
You will never know any joy until you know Christ.
From Fellowship with God, pp. 32-33.
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