Levite has wife who is unfaithful                        verse 1- 3 

And it came to pass in those days – when there was no king in Israel

that there was a certain Levite sojourning

on the side of mount Ephraim

                  who took to him a concubine

out of Bethlehem- Judah

And his concubine played the whore against him

and went away from him unto her father’s house

to Bethlehem-judah

                  and was there four whole months

And her husband arose – and went after her to speak friendly to her

and to bring her again

having his servant with him and a couple of asses

                  and she brought him into her father’s house

                  and when the father of the damsel saw him

                              he rejoiced to meet him 

Levite want his wife back                                    verse 4- 5 

And his father-in-law – the damsel’s father – retained him

and he abode with him three days

      so they did eat and drink and lodged there

And it came to pass on the fourth day

when they arose early in the morning

that he rose up to depart

and the damsel’s father said to his son-in-law

      Comfort your heart with a morsel of bread

                  and afterward go your way 

Levite stays four nights with father-in-law          verse 6- 7 

And they sat down – and did eat and drink both of them together

for the damsel’s father said to his son-in-law

      Be content – I pray you – and tarry all night

                  and let your heart be merry

And when the man rose up to depart – his father-in-law urged him

therefore he lodged there again 

Father-in-law wants him to stay a fifth night      verse 8- 9 

And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart

and the damsel’s father said

      Comfort your heart – I pray you

And they tarried until the afternoon – and they did eat both of them

and when the man rose up to depart

he – his concubine – his servant

his father-in-law – the damsel’s father said to him

      BEHOLD – now the day draws toward evening

I pray you – tarry all night

      BEHOLD – the day grows to an end – lodge here

that your heart may be merry

and tomorrow get you early on your way

that you may go home 

Servant wants to stop at Jerusalem                     verse 10- 11 

BUT the man would not tarry that night

            but he rose up and departed – and came over against Jebus

                        which is Jerusalem

            and there were with him two asses saddled

                        his concubine also was with him

And when they were by Jebus – the day was far spent

            and the servant

said to his master

            Come – I pray you

and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites

and lodge in it 

Levite wants to stop at Gibeah                            verse 12- 15 

And his master said to him

            We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger

that is not of the children of Israel

                                    We will pass over to Gibeah

And he said to his servant

            Come – let us draw near to one of these places

to lodge all night

in Gibeah or in Ramah

And they passed on and went their way

            and the sun went down upon them when

they were by Gibeah

                                    which belonged to Benjamin

And they turned aside thither – to go in and to lodge in Gibeah

            and when he went in – he sat him down in a street of the city

                        for there was no man that took them

into his house to lodging                                

Levite asks man of Gileah to spend night            verse 16- 21 

And behold there came an old man

from his work out in the field at even

which was also of mount Ephraim

and he sojourned in Gibeah

      BUT the men of the place were Benjamites

And when he had lifted up his eyes

he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city

and the old man said

Whither go you? Whence come you?

And he said to him

            We are passing from Bethlehem-judah toward the

side of mount Ephraim – from thence am I

            And I went to Bethlehem-judah

                        BUT I am know going to the house of the LORD

                                    and there is no man that received me to house

            Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses

                        and there is bread and wine also for me

and for your handmaid

and for the young man which is

with your servants

there is no want of any thing

And the old man said

            Peace be with you – however let all you wants lie on me

                        only lodge not in the street

So he brought him into his house – and gave provender to the asses

            and they washed their feet – and did eat and drink 

Sons of Belial want Levite to come out                verse 22 

NOW as they were making their hearts merry – BEHOLD

            the men of the city – certain sons of Belial

beset the house round about

                                    and beat at the door

and spoke to the master of the house the old man

saying

Bring forth the man that came into your house

that we may know him 

Man of Gileah offer two women instead of the Levite  verse                                                                                                              23- 24 

And the man – the master of the house – went out to them

and said to them

Nay – my brethren – nay – I pray you – do not so wickedly

seeing that this man is come into mine house

do not this folly

BEHOLD – here is my daughter a maiden – and his concubine

them I will bring out now – and humble you them

and do with them what seems good to you

                                    BUT to this man do not so vile a thing 

Levite gives his wife to men of city                      verse 25- 26 

BUT the men would not hearken to him

            so the man took his concubine and brought her forth to them

And they knew her – and abused her all the night until the morning

            and when the day began to spring – they let her go

THEN came the woman in the dawning of the day

            and fell down at the door of the man’s house

where her lord was till it was light 

Levite finds his wife dead on the doorstep           verse 27- 28 

And her lord rose up in the morning

and opened the doors of the house

            and went out to go his way – and – behold

the woman his concubine was fallen down

at the door of the house

and her hands were on the threshold

And he said to her

            Up – and let us be going

                        BUT NONE ANSWERED

THEN the man took her up upon an ass

            and the man rose up – and gat him to his place 

Levite divides wife into twelve pieces                  verse 29- 30 

And when he was come into his house – he took a knife

            and laid hold on his concubine – and divided her

together with her bones – into twelve pieces

                                    and sent her into all the coasts of Israel

And it was so – that all that saw it said

            There was no such deed done nor seen from the day

that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt

to this day consider of it – take advice

speak your minds                 

COMMENTARY:             

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers 

           

: 12      And his master said to him, we will not turn aside hither into the city of stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah. (5237 “stranger” [nokriy] means alien, foreigner, wild, unknown, unfamiliar, or odd)

DEVOTION:  Here was a Levite that didn’t trust foreigners for his safety. He would rather travel further during the night than to spend the night in a town that was controlled by a nation other than Israel.

He was traveling from Bethlehem- Judah which was the town where Jesus was born toward Jerusalem which is where Jesus was killed. Jerusalem was still not conquered completely. It was still governed by the Jebusites. He thought it would be better to go to a town controlled by one of the tribes of Israel. He decided to go to Gibeah.

Sometimes it is better to stay with those who are not believers than to stay in a place where they claim to be believers. He thought staying with those who claim to be followers of God was safe. He put his trust that those who were part of the children of Israel would not mistreat him. He thought he would have a better chance of finding a place to stay at night.

True believers would have treated him right. This should be true today just like it was supposed to be true in the days of the Judges. They had drifted far from the LORD.

We should be given to hospitality because the New Testament states that we might entertain angels unaware. Is your house open to those who might need a place to stay? Are you given to hospitality? When was the last time you invited a stranger into your house?

CHALLENGE: You would think that getting together with believers would be better than getting together with unbelievers. However, in this case the unbelievers might have been better to visit than believers. God wants HIS people to be able to trust fellow believers. 

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers 

: 20      And the old man said, Peace be with you: howsoever let all your wants lie on me, only lodge not in the street. (4270 “wants” [machcowr] means lack, anything that is necessary but lacking, poverty, need, or a scarcity of something vital)

DEVOTION:  Here was a stranger to the town but he knew what was expected of those who lived in a town when a stranger came to town. The children of Israel were to be hospitable to those who were visitors.

If someone was a guest they were to provide them a place to sleep. They were to provide a good meal. They were also to provide for the feeding of the animals that came with the guest. This is what this stranger offered as his responsibility. He was going to provide for all of the Levites needs even if the Levite had all that he needed except for a bed to sleep in.

When we know what the LORD expects us to do for others we should put it into practice on a regular basis. We had a couple in my last church that would invite those who visited our church from out of town or even those who lived in the area out for a meal after church.

We had many of those individuals stay and continue to worship with us. This is a gift that all believers should have as it is commanded by the LORD. Some are better at it than others but the LORD wants us to be those who are given to hospitality either in our home or out of it.

CHALLENGE: The LORD promises to provide all we need not all we want. We need to be satisfied with our needs being met by the LORD.

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: 22      Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.  (3045 “know” [yada] means to know, familiar friend, acquaintance, to know a person carnally, or to consider)

DEVOTION:  We are in the time period of the judges when every man did what was right in his own eyes. That means that every man didn’t think about those around him but only his own special needs. Whatever a man wanted to do he did. He didn’t care what effect it had on his neighbor or the nation of Israel. The moral character of the nation was on a downward slide.

We just left the two chapters that dealt with religious apostasy. There was a mixing of false religion with the worship of the LORD. The mix meant that the LORD was not honored or worshiped truly.

These next chapters deal with what happens when there is a mix of false believes in society. The Ten Commandments are no longer followed. If there is no real worship of the LORD, then the one who is worshiped is the enemy of the LORD – the devil.

The devil wants society to have no rules. The only rule is to do whatever you want and it is OK. Here we find a group of men in the city who want to have a relationship with another man.

The old man who is the master of the house tells them it is wrong. Remember if there are no rules then there is no wrong. There are no absolutes. What they wanted to do is described as something that is wicked, folly, and vile.

This is not what God wants to be happening in HIS world. These were the people HE had chosen to be followers of HIM. The children of Israel were a special people. The Levite didn’t want to stay in a city that was not full of Israelites. He decided to stay in a city owned by the tribe of Benjamin. This city was full of men of Belial.  They were wicked men.

These men abused the concubine of this Levite. They abused her to the point of death. Part of the abuse was sexual. They didn’t care that she was another man’s concubine or wife. They didn’t care what the LORD had to say about the sin they were committing. They only cared about their own personal pleasure. Their pleasure ended with the death of this woman.

The Levite took his concubine back to his house and cut her into twelve pieces and sent each piece to a tribe of Israel. The children of Israel were asked by the Levite to respond to the twelve pieces of the concubine.

What would our response be? What should our response be if we are honoring the LORD? This was describing the society of the children of Israel during the time of the judges. Are we living in such a time?

Understand that the moral laws of God never change. A immoral nation will be judged by the LORD. God wants all those who are true followers of HIM to speak out against sin. HE wants HIS followers to live a life that is not practicing sin or living in sin on a daily basis without a concern for HIM.

How do we understand “living in sin?” We are all sinners on a daily basis but there is a difference between “living in sin” and sinning on a daily basis.

CHALLENGE: If this in not understood by the followers of God, it will never be understood by those who are outside of Christ. The Levite was trying to get the difference into the thinking of the children of Israel.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 28      And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. (5408 “divided” [nathach] means cut, hew them in pieces, divide by joints, or dismember)

DEVOTION:  It seems like desperate times for the nation of Israel. Here we have a Levite traveling with a concubine. So here is a religious leader not setting a good example. The nation had no king. There was no obedience to the Laws of Moses. There were only judges who only lasted for a short time and then the nation went back into disobedience.

Now we find that the tribe of Benjamin has a town that had a group of men who wanted the Levite for sexual favors but they gave them two women and the concubine of the Levite died because of the abuse of these men.

The Levite was so mad that he cut in pieces the concubine and sent the pieces to all the tribes of Israel. Her pieces went from one end of the nation to the other.

He wanted this town to be dealt with by all of the other tribes. It was a disgrace to the nation and something had to be done. It was a call to battle. It was one of the most unusual call to battle. The sin was too great to ignore.

Today to some of us it seems that like the sin couldn’t be any worse. Our society is going further and further away from the LORD. The government is taking away religious rights in favor of personal preferences. The churches are giving in to the political climate and not preaching the truths of the Word of God. They are preaching what the people want to hear instead of what they need to hear.

So, when does the LORD come to take HIS people out of this mess? We don’t know but we are to be salt and light until HE does. So, each day we have to set an example of what it means to be a believer to those around us.

We can still pray for revival. This is what the Levites was hoping would happen when he sent the divided body of the concubine. He wanted the nation to come together to act in a righteous manner. We should want the same even today in our nation.

CHALLENGE: A nation given to disobedience is headed for a serious judgment from the LORD. Many say America is not found in prophecy. Truth or fiction??

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: 30      And it was so, that all that saw it said, There, was no such deed done not seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day: consider if it, take advice, and speak your minds. (5779 “take advice” [‘uwts] means to make a plan, to give careful thought or consideration to something, counsel, plan, consult, or think with the purpose or result of deciding on a course of action)

DEVOTION: There is only one unpardonable sin in the Word of God. That is to not accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. That is blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This would result in spending eternity in hell with the devil and his angels.

Here we have the Levite sending the cutup parts of his wife to the twelve tribes of Israel. He wants action to take place. He wants there to be justice for the men of the city of Gibah of the tribe of Benjamin.

Their actions deserved action from the rest of the tribe. Sin had to be judged. Of course, all of Israel was not truly worshiping the LORD at that time. It seems that some sins were OK but others were not and this was one of those sins.

Today, we find that even in some Christian’s life they will allow some sins to be done without thinking they are wrong, while other sins are really wrong. We seem to be able to act like the Israelites by grading sin.

The LORD doesn’t work on a grade. There is one unpardonable sin which is the rejection of Jesus Christ and the rest are sins that need to be confessed by believers to stay in fellowship with the LORD.

Our relationship to the LORD should be our number one priority. If we have a good relationship with the LORD after salvation then we will daily confess our sins and ask forgiveness. Our daily relationship is important to us. We want to please the LORD.

CHALLENGE: Are we keeping short accounts with God? Do we daily confess our sins to 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)

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) 

Levite                                                                          verse 1- 30

            Husband of whore

            Wanted Israel to speak their mind

House of the LORD                                                  verse 18 

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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 18

House of the LORD                                                  verse 18 

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) 

Jebusites lived in Jerusalem                                     verse 11

            City of a stranger

Land of Egypt                                                                verse 30 

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels) 

Whore                                                                           verse 2

No man took them in                                                verse 15, 18

Sons of Belial                                                             verse 22

Homosexual                                                               verse 22

Wickedly                                                                    verse 23

Folly                                                                            verse 23

Humbling of two women                                       verse 24

Vile                                                                                verse 24

Sex with concubine                                                  verse 25

Abuse concubine                                                      verse 25

Killed concubine                                                      verse 28 

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins) 

Peace                                                                           verse 20 

Israel (Old Testament people of God) 

No king in Israel                                                       verse 1

Mount Ephraim                                                        verse 1

Bethlehem- Judah                                                    verse 1, 18

Concubine of Levite                                                verse 1

            Played the whore

            Stayed at father’s house

            Left fifth day

            Offered to men of the city

            Found dead at the door of old man

            Cut up by the Levite in twelve pieces

            Sent part all over Israel

Jebus = Jerusalem                                                    verse 10

Children of Israel                                                     verse 12, 30

Gibeah (Benjamin)                                                  verse 12- 16

            Going to lodge in streets

Old man                                                                     verse 16

            Lodges Levite

            Offers daughter to men of city

Men of the city                                                          verse 22

Cut concubine into twelve pieces                        verse 29

Coasts of Israel                                                          verse 29 

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

The “wicked men” (v.22) are literally “sons of Belial”—worthless scoundrels bent on evil. They were active homosexuals engaging in practices plainly condemned in Scripture (Lev 18:22; 20:13). The old man felt a deep sense of responsibility to protect his principal guest, and in desperation he offered the townspeople his own daughter and the Levite’s concubine instead of letting them assault his guest (v.23). Lot had been willing to commit his daughters to a similar fate (Gen 19:8), but the angels had rescued them. In those days the place of a woman was often very lowly, and the “disgraceful thing” (v.24) was to molest the man. Nevertheless, the Israelites normally considered the rape of a woman disgraceful (Gen 34:7), and women who were promiscuous were also condemned to death for their behavior (Deut 22:21). In each of these passages the same word (n^eḇālāh) is used. (Wolf, H. (1992). Judges. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 493). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

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19:22–26. Reminiscent of the wicked Sodomites in the time of Lot (cf. Gen. 19:1–11), the wicked men (or “worthless men”; lit., “sons of Belial”; cf. 1 Sam. 1:16; 2:12) of Gibeah surrounded the house and demanded that the old man send out the Levite to satisfy their homosexual desires. Considering the laws of hospitality more important than chivalry toward the opposite sex, the old man offered them instead his virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine. The men either did not hear or refused his offer, but when the Levite thrust his concubine … outside to them, they took her and sexually abused her throughout the night. At daybreak she was released to return; she fell at the door of the house where she died. (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Judges. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 411). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)

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The host courageously and correctly described their desires as wickedness and folly (v. 23) and a vile thing (v. 24), and he tried to prevent them from raping his guest. Like Lot in Sodom, the host offered them his daughter, which shows the low estimate some men in that day had of women and of sexual purity. How a father could offer his own daughter as a sacrifice to the lusts of a mob is difficult to understand. Yet many parents today allow their sons’ and daughters’ minds and hearts to be violated by what they see and hear in movies, on television, and at rock concerts. Chastity of mind and heart is essential for chastity of the body. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1994). Be available (p. 141). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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19:22 worthless fellows. Lit. “sons of Belial,” i.e., base and perverse men, who desired to commit sodomy against the Levite. The phrase elsewhere is used for idolaters (Dt 13:13), neglecters of the poor (Dt 15:9), drunks (1Sa 1:16), immoral people (1Sa 2:12), and rebels against the civil authority (2Sa 20:1; Pr 19:28). “Belial” can be traced to the false god Baal, and is also a term for yoke (they cast off the yoke of decency), and a term for entangling or injuring. It is used in the NT of Satan (2Co 6:15).

19:24 let me bring them out. The host showed a disgraceful compromise in his exaggerated desire to extend hospitality to his male guest. He should have protected all in his house, and so should the Levite, even at the risk of their own lives in guarding the women. His sad estimate of women was demonstrated by his willingness to hand his daughter or the guest concubine over to indecent men. Lot’s plunge from decency was similar (Ge 19). Here, repeated rape and finally murder were the pitiful sequel.

19:25 the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them. This is unthinkable weakness and cowardice for any man, especially a priest of God. Apparently, he even slept through the night, or stayed in bed out of fear, since he didn’t see her again until he awakened and prepared to leave (cf. v. 28). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jdg 19:22–25). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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The full extent of the danger becomes clear when the men of the city demand the opportunity to assault the strangers homosexually. It is difficult for contemporary Westerners to understand the willingness of both the old Ephraimite and the Levite to turn their women over to the mob. The old Ephraimite, like Lot (Gen. 19:6–8), may have felt obligated to protect a guest at any cost whatsoever. However, it is difficult to identify with the Levite’s callous disregard for his concubine. He sends her out to the crowd; she is brutally raped and murdered (19:22–26). (Bowling, A. C. (1995). Judges. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 176). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House)

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Ver. 23. And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, &c.] Opened the door, and went out to converse with them, and bespoke them after this manner: and said unto them, nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; it is plain he understood them in such sense, that they meant not bare knowledge of the man, as who he was, &c. but to commit wickedness the most abominable; so great, that it cannot be well said how great it is; and to dissuade from it, he uses the most tender language, and the most earnest entreaties: seeing this man is come into my house, do not this folly; he argues from the law of hospitality, which ought not to be infringed; a man being obliged to protect a stranger under his roof; and from the nature of the crime, which was folly, stupidity, and what was abominable to the last degree. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 379). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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19:22 worthless fellows. Literally, “sons of Belial.” In the OT, the term “Belial” is used descriptively, speaking of perverted or worthless people (cf. 20:13; 1 Sam. 10:27; 1 Kings 21:13). In intertestamental literature, the term was used of Satan, and this is Paul’s sense in 2 Cor. 6:15: “What accord has Christ with Belial?” that we may know him. The word “know” was the normal Hebrew euphemism for sexual relations (cf. Gen. 4:1). The same expression is found in Gen. 19:5, where the men of Sodom wanted to have homosexual relations with Lot’s guests. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 471). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles)

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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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ANGELIC REVELATIONS

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Hebrews 1:14
Another function of the angels is to reveal God’s purposes. It was through angels that God revealed to Abraham His purpose with regard to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18), and He revealed His will to Jacob more than once in the same way. Gideon also was told God’s purpose for him through an angel, and in the New Testament Zacharias was told about the birth of his son, who became known as John the Baptist, through an angel that appeared to him when he was in the Temple. It was an angel who told Joseph that he need not worry about the condition of his espoused wife Mary. It was an angel also who told him to flee to Egypt, and an angel who told him to come out of Egypt.
But I would say that the most comforting and the most wonderful aspect of this teaching is what we are told in the Scriptures of the way in which God uses angels to bless and to care for His own people: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). What is the greatest function of the angels? It is to minister to you and to me–to minister to the “heirs of salvation.”
It seems to me from this biblical teaching that I am entitled to say that the angels are used by God with respect to us and to our salvation. For example, in the account of the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10, we are told that as Cornelius was praying one day an angel suddenly appeared to him and began to give him a preview, as it were, of his own salvation and to tell him what he should do in order that his salvation might be realized.
A Thought to Ponder: God uses angels to bless and to care for His own people. (From God the Father, God the Son, p. 111.  By Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Earlier this month, in a piece for The Atlantic, Joshua Coleman described an epidemic that’s not COVID but that’s also afflicting America: family estrangement. As a psychologist who specializes in family therapy, Coleman reports that his practice is flooded with older parents mourning the loss of contact with their grown children and with grown children angry and hurt by conflict with parents. “The rules of family life have changed,” he said.

The more recent changes in family structures and dynamics he described have only added to the pressure already felt by earlier stressors. For example, the Industrial Revolution, which moved work from inside the home to out, completely upended family life in all kinds of ways. The more recent forces of family estrangement, on the other hand, don’t come so much from the outside as from the inside.

Coleman quotes Stephanie Coontz, the Director of Research at the Council on Contemporary Families, to clarify this point:

“Never before have family relationships been seen as so interwoven with the search for personal growth, the pursuit of happiness, and the need to confront and overcome psychological obstacles.”

This shift is bigger than we might suspect. Coontz continues,

“For most of history family relationships were based on mutual obligations rather than on mutual understanding. Parents or children might reproach the other for failing to honor/acknowledge their duty, but the idea that a relative could be faulted for failing to honor/acknowledge one’s ‘identity’ would have been incomprehensible” (emphasis added).

In other words, we used to understand our families in light of our duties to them. Now we are increasingly understanding our families in light of their duty to us. What’s more, we increasingly think that their primary duty is to make us happy.

Haven’t we seen this same sort of approach play out in other areas of our lives? “My spouse and my marriage should make me happy.” If not, divorce is the only answer, no matter how it impacts the children. “My church should make me happy (and agree with all of my opinions).” If not, I’ll find another one, maybe online. “My work should leave me fulfilled.” If not, it’s my work’s fault.

The same pop psychology, self-care, find-your-bliss platitudes are plastered all over social media: get rid of “toxic” people in your life who make you feel unhappy. Surround yourself only with “positivity.” Don’t let other people suck the “energy” out of you. Not only is it good to ditch the people you don’t like, social media will give you the impression that it actually makes you brave and laudable and strong.

All of this is, of course, a nearly perfect inverse of biblical counsel. From Paul in Ephesians 4: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Paul assumes that living with others requires some “bearing with,” which probably implies that we require some “bearing with,” as well.

Family members make mistakes, of course. In cases of abuse, severing a relationship may be necessary and justified. Sometimes, however, our family members are simply annoying. Maybe they merely point out where we’ve gone wrong, and there are times parents warn children off a dangerous path because of their own painful experiences. To automatically confuse tough love or even disagreement with being “toxic” is not only to serve our own pride, it’s foolishly to sacrifice an essential relationship.

We need the wisdom and care that only comes from those who know us best. We need what Proverbs calls “the faithful wounds of a friend” (Prov 27:6). In this fallen world, families will never be perfect, but God designed them to be the first and best safety net we should all have.

Over the last several years, the generation gap has clearly widened, especially over three issues: sex, technology, and Trump. Over the last year, COVID and masks have been added to that list. All of these issues matter, of course, and there aren’t “two sides” to all of them, but these relational splits in our families – not to mention our churches and friendships – are too often not born out of wisdom, and certainly not out of the biblical instructions for how we should treat our families, but out of a social media, YouTube comments-section sort of mentality.

The family is a sacred design that was gifted to us by God. We ought not squander it. We have duty to serve it. If we do, it will be another way for Christians to be counter-cultural, another way for us to live for something bigger than ourselves and our own happiness.

                           (Break Point)

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President Biden on Thursday signed a memorandum rescinding the pro-life Mexico City Policy, thereby allowing U.S. money to be used by international organizations to promote abortion. 

The Mexico City Policy – which was implemented by President Reagan in 1984 and supported by every Republican administration since – bans U.S. funds from going to foreign organizations (NGOs) that promote or counsel for abortion. It also prohibits such organizations from lobbying for more liberal abortion policies in other countries.   

President Trump renewed the policy in 2017.

A White House statement said Biden’s memorandum reversing the policy reflects the administration’s goal “to support women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights in the United States, as well as globally.” 

The Biden memorandum also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to “take immediate action to consider whether to rescind regulations under its Title X family planning program,” according to the White House. 

Under Trump, HHS prohibited Title X money from going to clinics that “perform, promote, refer for, or support abortion as a method of family planning.” Planned Parenthood, which received an estimated $60 million annually from Title X, chose to drop out of the program.

HHS is expected to roll back the Trump rule. Planned Parenthood presumably would then receive Title X funding again.

Biden did not elaborate on the memorandum during an Oval Office signing ceremony, only saying it “protects women’s health at home and abroad.” He further said he wants to rescind Trump-era policies that make it “harder for women to have access to affordable health care as it relates to reproductive rights.” 

The Mexico City Policy was implemented by the Reagan administration at a United Nations conference in 1984 in Mexico City. Critics dubbed it the “Global Gag Rule.” President Clinton rescinded the policy in 1992 before President George W. Bush restored it. It then was rescinded again by President Obama before being restored again by President Trump in 2017. Trump also expanded the policy. 

Despite Biden’s memorandum, the direct funding of abortion remains prohibited under the Helms Amendment of 1973. Pro-lifers, though, say that no money should go toward foreign organizations that promote or perform abortions, because an organization’s budget is fungible.    

The pro-life Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention says without the Mexico City Policy, foreign organizations that “promote and perform abortions” can use U.S. funds “to pay for salaries and other marketing costs to promote abortion, freeing their own funds to be used to perform abortions.” 

“As long as the abortions are not directly being paid for by federal funds, then the abortion-promoting agency is not in violation of the” Helms Amendment, an ERLC analysis of the Mexico City Policy says.

“When the policy is in place, though, the abortion providers are not only hindered in their promotion efforts, they are less likely to be able to operate in foreign countries,” the ERLC analysis says. “For example, when President Reagan first implemented the policy International Planned Parenthood Federation no longer qualified and immediately lost more than 20 percent of its total funding.”

Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, criticized Biden for overturning the Mexico City Policy.

What Does it Really Mean to Have the Peace of God?

                                       Clarence L. Haynes Jr.

If there is one thing our world is crying out for right now is peace. There seems to be unrest everywhere you look and what we have held as foundations seem to be shaking. However, in the midst of this, we are told that peace should be ruling in our hearts.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. – Colossians 3:15

What does it mean to have the peace of God and how can we find it in the middle of chaos? We often make the assumption that peace is the absence of chaos and that is not accurate. Peace is the presence of calm in the midst of chaos. This is the type of peace God is offering so let’s look closer at what it means to have the peace of God.

What Does the Bible Say the Peace of God Is?

There are different places in Scripture that mention this peace that only God can give. There are three characteristics of peace I want to highlight from Scripture. 

1. God’s peace is different. 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27

Many times in the world, peace is circumstantial. When the circumstances align, when you agree or come to an agreement then and only then can peace be had. Peace is often negotiated for the purpose of bringing an end to the conflict. Because of this to have peace in the world everything must line up. This is not how God’s peace works. The peace of God does not come because there is agreement. Many times the circumstances are so at odds with each other that it would make peace seem impossible because there is too much chaos. This is what makes God’s peace different. It exists in the midst of chaos and that is by design. 

If you notice the second part of this verse Jesus said don’t let your hearts be troubled and don’t be afraid. How is this possible if things are falling apart around you and everything looks desperate? The reason you don’t have to be worried or afraid is that you have God’s peace. Again, it may not match the circumstances but that is what makes God’s peace different. When you can walk through the storm not fearful of it overtaking you, then you are experiencing what it means to have the peace of God.

2. God’s peace is a defense.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7

It almost seems like a contradiction to put peace and defense in the same sentence, but this is exactly what the peace of God is. It stands watch over your heart in the same way a military guard stands watch. This is what the word means in the Greek. So the peace of God will watch over your heart and mind. It will come against any foreign invaders like anxiety, worry, or fear to keep them out so you can remain calm and focused in the midst of your situation.
 

3. God’s peace dwells.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. – 2 Thessalonians 3:16

If there is something to grip your heart about what it means to have the peace of God it is simply this. The peace of God should dwell with you all the time. In Galatians 5, Paul mentions that one of the fruits of the Spirit is peace. Since God’s Spirit lives in you, then his peace should dwell in you as well. His peace is designed to linger with you and be a refuge when you are dealing with the issues of life.

What Does it Mean to Have the Peace of God in Our Hearts?

The beautiful thing about the peace of God is that it flows from within your heart. I want to make a simple comparison here. Consider Luke 6:45,

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

I know what you are thinking what does this have to do with the peace of God? I look at this verse as a heart check. Jesus was saying that what comes out of your mouth is a reflection of what is in your heart. This means if you see anxiety, worry, and fear flowing out of your mouth then that is what is ruling in your heart. On the other side if peace comes out then peace is ruling in your heart. If the peace of God is ruling in your heart it will be seen by what you say and by what you do. God’s peace not only affects how you look and feel about a situation it impacts how you react to it.

How Do You Get to This Place of Peace?

Let’s face it even though there are promises of God’s peace. Even though we have the Holy Spirit living in our hearts, there are still times you don’t have peace. How then do you get to this place where the peace of God reigns in your heart? There is one answer to this question…pray. Many times when you don’t experience peace is because you tend to focus on everything else going on and you forget who God is. You forget God’s sovereignty. You forget God’s authority. You forget who you serve and who is really in control. When this happens your peace will most certainly disappear. This is why prayer is so important. In that same Philippians chapter before peace sets up to guard your heart, God gives you a responsibility.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6

This is how you get to the place of peace. When your situation leads you to anxiety, that same situation should lead you to prayer. Whatever your source of anxiety or worry is, place that situation in God’s hands. This means you will trust him to bring you through it and bring resolution. When you get to that place, his peace will now take up residence in your heart. In other words, God’s peace comes when you make an exchange. It is simply saying to God, I am giving you all my anxieties and worries. When you do that in exchange God says I will give you my peace and this will guard your heart through this situation. By removing the worry crowding your heart and giving it to God you make room for his peace to fill that space.

When you really think about it the peace of God is an absolutely, wonderful gift God has given you. If you will allow it the peace of God will transcend everything that comes your way in this life. It will stand as a military style guard protecting your heart and mind. Regardless of what is happening around you, it will not move you or shake you because you have the peace of God. Others around you may not understand it but they don’t know what it means to have the peace of God ruling in their life. I don’t know what you are facing today but if you will make that exchange in prayer, God will most certainly give you his peace. It is his promise and his joy to do it.

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Exodus 4
Aaron is appointed to help Moses.
INSIGHT
God does not need any one of us. He wants us and He would like to use us, but God does not need us. Take away one person, and the work of God is not diminished — it goes on.

When God calls us to a ministry, it is for our benefit. If we are unwilling or impure, He can get the work done through someone else. We must realize that everything God asks of us is ultimately for our benefit — even serving Him. Moses is a good example of that fact.  (Quiet Walk)

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Out of Breath

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 5:13-14

There’s a home-improvement store near me that has a big green button in one of its departments. If no assistant is present, you push the button, which starts a timer. If you’re not served within a minute, you get a discount on your purchase.

We like being the customer in this scenario who enjoys the speedy service. But the demand for fast service often takes a toll when we’re the one expected to deliver it. So many of us today feel rushed doing our jobs, working long hours, checking email multiple times a day, and feeling pressured to meet tighter and tighter deadlines. The customer service tactics of the home-improvement store have seeped into all our lives, creating a culture of rush.

When God told the Israelites to keep a Sabbath, He added an important reason: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 5:15). There they’d been forced to work ceaselessly under Pharaoh’s excessive time constraints (Exodus 5:6-9). Now freed, they were to give themselves a whole day each week to ensure they and those who served them could rest (Deuteronomy 5:14). Under God’s rule, there were to be no flush-faced, out-of-breath people.

How often do you work to the point of exhaustion or get impatient with people who keep you waiting? Let’s give ourselves and each other a break. A culture of rush is Pharaoh’s doing, not God’s. 

                         (By Sheridan Voysey, Our Daily Bread)

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FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

…in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
1 Corinthians 2:4

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Clearly there are two things at any rate that go with this term. It is something that happens that gives authority and power and the ability for service and witness. The apostles were given it at the very beginning, and the result was that they began to speak with other tongues, and Peter, filled with the Spirit, preached his sermon. Then again, after they had prayed, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness. And when Paul was confronted by the opposition of that clever man, the magician Elymas, he was filled especially with the Spirit in order to pronounce a judgment, and the judgment fell upon the man. So, it is clear that the filling with the Spirit happens for the sake of service; it gives us power and authority for service.
Let me emphasize this. This filling is an absolute necessity for true service. Even our Lord Himself did not enter upon His ministry until the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him. He even told the disciples, whom He had been training for three years, who had been with Him in the inner circle, who had seen His miracles and heard all His words, who had seen Him dead and buried and risen again, even these exceptional men with their exceptional opportunities He told to stay where they were, not to start upon any ministry, not to attempt to witness to Him, until they had received the power that the Holy Spirit would give them.
This is something, therefore, that is vital to our witness. It was the whole secret of the ministry of the apostle Paul. He did not preach with enticing words of human wisdom, but preached, he said, “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). He was filled with the Spirit for his task.
A Thought to Ponder: The filling with the Spirit happens for the sake of service.
      (From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 241-242, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Children in Heaven
“And [David] said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:22-23)
The death of a loved one is always a time of great sorrow, but the death of a beloved child is perhaps the keenest sorrow of all. Nevertheless, for the Christian believer, we “sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Our text verse makes it clear that when a child dies (even one born of a sinful relationship such as this child of David and Bathsheba), that child goes to be with the Lord in heaven. Jesus said: “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).
Heaven is thus a place where there are many “little children.” Their inherited sin-nature never yet had generated acts of willful sin, and their Maker is Himself “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), so they are safe in Him. Although there are few specific Scriptures on this subject, what we do know, both from the love of God and the Word of God, suggests that the souls of all deceased little children are with the Lord in heaven, but also those who died in early childhood (and even before birth) from every time and place since the world began. There they, along with all those who were saved by personal faith in Christ and are now awaiting the resurrection, will receive new bodies when Christ returns to Earth. The old and lame will be young and strong again, and the children will grow to perfect maturity, for all will become “like him” (1 John 3:2). “God shall wipe away all tears” (Revelation 21:4), and all will say: “As for God, his way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research) 

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NEW

We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.