Nehemiah 10
Signers of covenant to honor God verse 1- 27
Now those that SEALED were Nehemiah the Tirshatha – the son of Hachaliah
Zidkijah – Seraiah – Azariah – Jeremiah – Pashur – Amariah – Malchijah
Hattush – Shebaniah – Malluch – Harim – Meremoth – Obadiah – Daniel Ginnethon – Baruch – Meshullam – Abijah – Mijamin – Maaziah – Bilgai Shemaiah = these were the priests
AND the Levites – both Jeshua the son of Azaniah
Binnui of the sons of Henadad – Kadmiel
AND their brethren – Shebaniah – Hodijah – Kelita – Pelaiah
Hanan – Micha – Rehob – Hashabiah – Zaccur – Sherebiah – Shebaniah
Hodijah – Bani – Beninu
THE chief of the people – Parosh – Pahath-moab – Elam – Zatthu – Bani – Bunni
Azgad – Bebai – Adonijah – Bigvai – Adin – Ater – Hizkijah – Azzur
Hodijah – Hashum Bezai – Hariph – Anathoth – Nebai – Magpiash
Meshullam – Hezir – Meshezabeel – Zadok – Jaddua – Pelatiah – Hanan
Anaiah – Hoshea Hananiah – Hashub – Hallohesh – Pileha – Shobek
Rehum – Hashabnah Maaseiah – Ahijah – Hanan – Anan – Malluch
Harim – Baanah
General public promise to honor God verse 28- 29
And the rest of the people – the priests – the Levites – the porters – the singers
the Nethinim – and all they that had SEPARATED themselves
from the people of the lands unto the law of God
their wives – sons – daughters – every one having
KNOWLEDGE – UNDERSTANDING
They clave to their brethren – nobles and entered into a CURSE
and into an OATH – to walk in God’s law
which was given by Moses the servant of God
to observe and do all the commandments of the
LORD our Lord – and HIS judgments
and HIS statutes
Covenant Included these promises verse 30- 39
And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land
nor take their daughters for our sons
And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the
Sabbath day to sell that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath
or on the holy day – that we would leave the seventh year
and the exaction of every debt
Also we made ordinances for us – to charge ourselves yearly with the
third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God
for the showbread – continual meat offering
continual burnt offering – of the Sabbaths – new moons
set feasts – and for the holy things
for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel
for all the work of the house of our God
And we cast the lots among the priests – Levites – people for the wood offering
to bring it into the house of our God – after the houses of our fathers
at times appointed year by year – to burn upon the altar of the
LORD our God – as it is written in the law
And to bring the first fruits of our ground – and the first fruits of all fruit of all trees
year by year – unto the house of the LORD – also the firstborn of our sons
cattle – as it is written in the law – and the firstlings of our herds
flocks – to bring to the house of our God
unto the priests that minister in the house of our God
And that we should bring the first fruits of our dough offerings
fruit of all manner of trees – wine – oil unto the priests
to the chambers of the house of our God
And the TITHES of our ground unto the Levites – that the same Levites might
have the TITHES in all the cities of our tillage
And the priests the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites
when the Levites take TITHES – and the Levites shall bring up the
TITHE of the TITHES unto the house of our God
to the chambers – into the treasure house
For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the
corn – new wine – oil – unto the chambers
where are the vessels of the sanctuary – and the priests that minister
and the porters – and the singers
and we will not forsake the house of our God
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah, (2856 “sealed” [chatham] means to confirm, a written work that was imprinted with seals that were probably used to keep the document closed, or affix a seal)
DEVOTION: There are those who are either voted in or selected to be leaders of a group or of a people. Today we have elections to put individuals into office to serve the people in the area where they are supposed to be educated enough to fulfill that responsibility. It is not easy to find qualified men and women to fill positions of authority even today.
Here we have leaders who have the responsibility to help the children of Israel live for the LORD in obedience to HIS commands. First these individuals have to be willing to obey the commands and then they have to be willing to help the people who they are responsible for to do their part in obeying the commands of the LORD.
God want all of us to be individuals who are good servants of HIS. HE knows who can be one of the top leaders but there have to be followers who are willing to follow their leadership and also know if the leaders are leading in the right direction.
Most people want to do as they please. They don’t care to follow anyone. They want to just be left alone to do what they want to do when they want to do it.
It is no way to run a group or a nation but most seem to not care if they are good followers of good leaders. We live in a day and age when it seems everyone wants to be a leader and if they can’t be a leader they won’t follow even a good leader.
If God seals someone for leadership those who are not sealed for leadership should be willing to try to follow the ones who have been sealed by the LORD. It seems like it should happen but because the enemy is real it usually doesn’t happen for very long in any group.
CHALLENGE: We have to ask ourselves if we know who the leaders the LORD has picked to lead and if we know who they are we should be willing to follow them without giving them grief!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 28 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone having understanding;
They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and HIS judgments and his statutes; (995 “understanding” [biyn] means see, to pay attention, consider, teach, examine, to perceive or to distinguish.)
This is a long sentence, which showed the commitment of the people, after the revival that was started, under the ministry of Nehemiah and Ezra. These individuals were willing to sign an oath to obey the LORD no matter what. They were willing to separate themselves to serve the LORD no matter what the cost.
There was a division of the people established that would help the people under the promise keep their distance from those who were practicing pagan religions. They wanted nothing to do with any practices of those who were not willing to follow the LORD.
Separation is never easy but it is necessary at times to keep the LORD’S people from falling into the traps of the enemy. There can be no compromise in following the LORD. Once we make a genuine commitment to the LORD we have to obey HIS word as recorded in the Bible. The standard is set and we need to keep our promise to follow HIM no matter who wants us to compromise.
Commitment was given with the realization that there was a curse attached to the promise or oath. Obedience was the rule of the lives of those who made this commitment.
Did they know that there would be times when they would fail? YES! The LORD knew this as well. We all fail at times in our commitment to the LORD but there was a way to return to the LORD through confession of sin. This was done with the sacrifices in the Old Testament and it is done today with a prayer to the LORD. We should never give up completely thinking that the LORD will not forgive us. Our commitment to obey the LORD is to be our standard for living our Christian life.
None of us have signed a commitment paper like the people in Nehemiah’s day but we do make promises through our statement of salvation and our membership in a local church.
We have to separate ourselves to look and act like those who are willing to give up everything to serve the LORD. The people in Nehemiah’s day were willing to step out in obedience to follow the LORD. We should be willing to do the same.
Are we willing to sign up for this assignment?
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: 31 And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt. (7668 “victuals” [sheber] means grain, a foodstuff prepared from the starchy grains of cereal grasses, corn, or the fruit part of the cereal plants.)
DEVOTION: Commitment involved stopping a habit that had been established for a long time. The people would go to the Temple to worship and then go to the market place and trade goods with those who were pagans.
They were opening the gates of Jerusalem to whoever wanted to come into the city on the Sabbath instead of keeping the day holy to the LORD. There were supposed to do no work on the Sabbath. They were to cook their food on Friday, so that, they would not do any cooking on Saturday or the Sabbath. They were not supposed to gather wood on the Sabbath under penalty of death. The standard of the LORD was to be obeyed or the consequences were to be given by the leaders of Israel.
This was not happening prior to the revival. The city was trading with whoever showed up and even the Israelites were selling goods. This was a sin in the eyes of the LORD and should have been in their eyes as well.
Also they were not letting the land rest every seventh year. They were not forgiving debt during the time period that the LORD established for debts to be forgiven and the people who had to sell their land or children could have it or them returned to them with the debt forgiven.
Money had become the standard of trade and the standards of God had been forgotten. Now they were returning to the standard of the LORD. They were going to close the gates and practice the Sabbath as God intended them to practice it.
The same rules don’t apply to us today. There is liberty in our worship on Sunday. There used to be rules in our country that were called the “blue laws” that had all the businesses or at least most of them closed on Sunday to let people worship the LORD. (see below).
Things have changed today where it is not uncommon for even believers to prefer other things on Sunday rather than to even go to church and worship the LORD. Other priorities have taken the place of Sunday Evening Worship and Prayer meeting in the lives of Christian. Many pastors seem to feel good if some of the people are in church on Sunday morning. It is not encouraging to the leaders to see this happen but it is hard to stop it today.
Under the revival of Nehemiah Saturday began to be a real day of worship. When 911 hit America many people were in church for a while. It ended not too much later when things were settled.
We should pray for another revival that would cause God’s people to get back in church to genuinely worship the LORD in spirit and in truth. It should be made a first priority rather than a second or third choice.
CHALLENGE: Most of the time, we would even go to church on vacation. This is not happening during vacation for many people today.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. (6237“tithes” [‘asar] means take a tenth part of, surly, or truly.)
DEVOTION: Are we to give a portion of our income to the LORD? Is it to be a tenth like in the Old Testament? Will we lose a blessing if we are not giving regularly to the LORD of our income? Does the church really need a tenth of our income?
In this verse we find that part of the covenant of the Israelites was to give regularly to the house of the LORD. They had forgotten to do that for a while and were now promising to renew their commitment to giving God what HE stated in HIS law to Moses.
When the people gave to Levites and priests, then they could do the ministry the LORD had given them to do. They didn’t have to be concerned about finances.
The Levites gave a tithe of their income to the LORD’S work also. They gave a tenth of their tenth to the LORD. They were in full time service to the LORD yet they gave money out of their pay to the work of the LORD. That was the principle the LORD set down in the law of Moses.
If each Christian gave his tithe to the work of the LORD, those who are called of God to minister full time wouldn’t have to be concerned about finances. There has been a saying around for a while by the people of the church concerning the pastor: “LORD you keep him humble and we will keep him poor.” We laugh but many Bible believing pastors are struggling financially while their liberal counterpart has all he needs met.
Is this honoring to the LORD? There was an article recently that said that if all Christians in America gave a tithe there would be another 86 million dollars for the work of the LORD. The time is short.
Praise the LORD for faithful servants of the LORD. Praise the LORD for those who give a tithe faithfully to the LORD’S work. May their number increase!
I gave a two-day seminar on our relationship to money in a local church. At the end of the seminar, many men said that they had learned more about their responsibility of giving to the LORD. We own HIM our eternal life!! Let us give regularly to the work of the LORD.
Every paycheck is a challenge to many people. Some don’t have much to pay their bills. They sometimes feel that the LORD would not be offended if they didn’t give HIM anything. The problem with that thinking is that we are being disobedient to the LORD. HE doesn’t need our money. HE wants our hearts. Part of having our hearts is for us to trust HIM for our needs. If we are not giving HIM a portion of our income regularly it shows a lack of trust in HIS provision.
CHALLENGE: Trust the LORD to meet all your needs. Part of doing this is writing the first check each payday to the LORD. Watch to see how HE provides for your needs.
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: 39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God. (5800 “forsake” [‘azab] means leave, abandon, depart from, neglect, apostatize, release or desert)
DEVOTION: Nehemiah and Ezra had the people sign an oath to take care of the Temple as their first priority. They swore that they would provide what was necessary for the worship of the LORD by the priests. They promised to support the priests and Levites so that they could do their job properly.
It was a move in the right direction for a nation that had done many things in disobedience to the LORD. The prophets had warned them to serve the LORD but they weren’t listening until the time of these two men who caused a revival in the land with the help of the LORD.
Now we move to today. How are those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ supporting the local church? Is the tithe supposed, to go to the local church and from their go out to the parachurch ministries that we find sending letters on a regular basis asking for money? It is true that many of the parachurch ministries are reaching people that the local churches are not reaching.
One problem is also with individuals who are not supporting the work of the LORD their tithe today at all. Many are depending on others to support the work of the LORD while they use their money on themselves and still claim to be good followers of Jesus Christ. This happened during the time of Nehemiah and it will happen even after our time if individuals are not willing to swear an oath to support the LORD’S work on a regular basis with their tithe.
Another problem is those false teachers who are taking those who are trying to follow the LORD for a ride by taking their money and really spending it on themselves without helping the people who are supporting their ministries. They are making false promises that do not come true. The people who support are left empty of any real spiritual benefit from the ministry.
So we have to make sure that local churches support missionaries who find that they have to go to individuals because many churches don’t even support ministries but only their own ministries with a missionary once a year to support missionaries with one yearly check that cannot be depended on by those who are on foreign soil.
The LORD wants us to support those who are called to serve HIM in the local church and those who are doing a work for God outside the church building.
Support is needed for both groups are necessary, if the work of the LORD is going to move forward. Balance is hard for genuine believers as they see the need in both areas. No easy answer but the work of the LORD has to move forward with those who are called of God to serve.
CHALLENGE: The only ones who can help in this situation are those who genuinely support the LORD’S work with their tithe each time they are paid.
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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)
Debt forgiveness in seventh year verse 31
Third part of a shekel for house of God verse 32
Firstfruits to the LORD verse 35
Firstborn to the LORD verse 36
Tithe verse 37
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)
Priests list verse 1- 8, 28, 34, 36,
37
Cast lots among for wood offering
Offering brought to
Sons of Aaron
Levites list verse 9- 13, 28, 34
Sabbath verse 31, 33
Holy days verse 31
House of our God verse 32, 34, 36, 38,
39
Firstborn of our sons
Firstborn of our cattle
Firstlings of our herds
Firstlings of our flocks
Chambers of the house of our God
Shewbread verse 33
Meat offering verse 33, 36
Burnt offering verse 33
New moons verse 33
Set feasts verse 33
Holy things verse 33
Sin offerings verse 33
Wood offerings verse 34, 35
All fruit trees – year by year
Firstfruits of ground verse 35
House of the LORD verse 35
Firstfruits of dough verse 37
Offerings verse 37, 39
Firstfruits of our dough
Offerings of fruit of all manner of trees
Wine
Oil
Tithes of the ground to Levites verse 37
In all the cities of our tillage
Tithe verse 37, 38
Levites shall bring tithe of tithe to the
house of our God to the chambers
into the treasure house
Children of the Levi verse 39
Bring the offering of corn, new wine
Oil into chambers
Vessels of the sanctuary verse 39
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Law of God verse 28
God’s law verse 29
Commandments verse 29
Judgments verse 29
Statutes verse 29
Ordinances verse 32
Written in the Law verse 34, 36
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 28, 29, 32- 34,
36- 39
Law of God verse 28
God’s law verse 29
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 29, 34, 35
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner) verse 29
LORD our Lord verse 29
House of our God verse 32- 34, 36- 39
LORD our God verse 34
House of the LORD verse 35
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)
People of the land verse 28, 30, 31
Not intermarry with
Bring victuals on the Sabbath
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Letting men take wives of the people of the land verse 30
Taking wives of people of the land verse 30
Buying wares on Sabbath verse 31
Sin verse 33
Forsake house of God verse 39
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Signed covenant verse 1- 28
Separated verse 28
Knowledge verse 28
Understanding verse 28
Walk in God’s law verse 29
Servant of God (Moses) verse 29
Observe and do law of God verse 29
Not intermarry with heathen verse 30
Not buy on Sabbath verse 31
Atonement verse 33
Firstfruits verse 35
Minister verse 36, 39
Tithe verse 37- 39
Not forsake house of the LORD verse 39
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Nehemiah – the Tirshatha verse 1
Leaders of people verse 14- 27
Vows of the People verse 28-
Entered into a curse and into a vow
To walk in God’s law
Moses verse 29
Servant of God
Leave the seventh year
Exaction of every debt verse 31
Israel verse 33
Cast lots among the people verse 33
Wood offering
Children of Israel verse 39
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church, please use that method. Thank you.
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QUOTES regarding passage
Chapter 10 contains many challenges for Christians today: (1) It shows the importance of submission to the authority of God’s Word. Christians may differ over minor issues, interpreting some biblical passages differently. However, if they hold firmly to the authority of God’s Word, they have the basis for finding agreement and a firm anchor against drifting into a sterile syncretism. (2) It emphasizes the holiness of the believing community—the importance of being separated from the world’s values. (3) It challenges us to be faithful in the support of community worship, both in attendance and in monies, for maintaining the priority of worship is critical to the life of the church. (Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, pp. 250–251). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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The final pledge, We will not neglect the house of our God (39), sums up not only the paragraph but much of the concern of the post-exilic prophets, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Before the exile, the Temple had too often been a mere talisman, and its well-patronized activities a sedative for the conscience (see, above all, Jer. 7). Now the temptation was the opposite: to grudge the effort and expense of it all. The mood is captured and castigated in Malachi. The very different tone of this chapter is some measure of Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s leadership, and of the impact of the Word of God on those who were exposed to it at length and in depth. On this, see again 8:7f., 12f., 18; 9:3. (Kidner, D. (1979). Ezra and Nehemiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 12, pp. 127–128). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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39 Dāgān means “grain” and cereal crops. Formerly people referred to a “corn” of salt. But “corn” in America means maize or Indian corn. In the KJV “corn” occurs 101 times; it is uniformly replaced by “grain” in the RSV. (Yamauchi, E. (1988). Ezra-Nehemiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 744). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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In light of all that God has done for us, how can we rob Him of the offerings that rightly belong to Him? God didn’t forsake His people when they were in need (Neh. 9:31), and they promised not to forsake the house of God (10:39). Years before, the Prophet Haggai had rebuked the people because they were so busy taking care of their own houses they had neglected the house of God (Hag. 1:4); and this warning needs to be heralded today. Where there is true spiritual revival, it will reveal itself in the way we support God’s work, beginning in our own local church. It isn’t enough to pray or even commit ourselves to “faith promises” or pledges. We must so love the Lord that generous giving will be a normal and joyful part of our lives.
Sir Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21).
“We will not forsake the house of our God!” (Neh. 10:39) (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined (pp. 126–127). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The people of God are not to forget the temple which is the very heart of their worship. While the cost of the temple upkeep is borne by the Persian treasury (Ezra 6:8–10), the Judeans must not become dependent on their overlords for the support of their own services. Rather, they are to give willingly the tax for temple upkeep. They are also to procure wheat for the bread of the Presence in the sanctuary and other specified grain and burnt offerings, as well as offerings for the special holy days.
The priests, Levites, and people promise they will not forget the tithes; the prescribed offering of wood at set times each year; the offering of the firstfruits of crops and fruit trees; the firstborn of sons, cattle, and flocks; and the first of ground meal, grain offerings, the fruits of the trees, and new wine and oil. (Goldberg, L. (1995). Nehemiah. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 322). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
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10:35–39 Laws for all the offerings and tithes were reinstated so as not to “neglect the house of our God” (v. 39). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ne 10:35–39). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Ver. 39. For the children of Israel, and the children of Levi, shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, &c.] In the temple: where are the vessels of the sanctuary; to put the said things into, that they might be ready at hand when wanted, as they often were for the meat and drink offerings: and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers; who dwelt there when in their ministrations, and were supported by the above tithes and gifts: and we will not forsake the house of our God; neither forsake the assembling themselves there for worship, nor neglect to make the necessary provisions for the service of it, as they had too much done, but now resolve for the future to behave better. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 152). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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29–39. Here are some of the particulars to which the people pledged themselves by this covenant to be bound. But what I would desire the Reader to regard, as in my esteem being beautifully descriptive of the great feature of the gospel, is the redemption of the first-born of their sons, so strikingly set forth in the law: Exod. 13:11–16. And as this was expressly appointed as typical of the people’s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, nothing can be more plain than that the deliverance from the bondage of sin and death, which that event prefigured, immediately pointed to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus we find in all ages, and in all periods of the church, God the Holy Ghost kept alive in the minds of his people the glorious redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the whole covenant from beginning to end referred to this, and in this had its completion. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, p. 675). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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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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The Winds of the World
“The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.” (Ecclesiastes 1:6)
This is one of the Bible’s many scientific insights, written long before such a process was discovered in the modern science of meteorology. The basic circulation of the atmosphere (which generates the winds of the world) is “toward the south” near the ground, which then “turneth about unto the north” aloft. The heated air near the equator expands and rises, then flows north to replace the colder, heavier air which has descended to the ground in the polar regions.
This simple north-south-north cycle is complicated, however, by the earth’s rotation. Further complexities are introduced by the different topographical features of the surface (oceans, mountains, etc.), but the end result is a general circulation of the whole atmosphere, which “whirleth about continually, and . . . returneth again according to his circuits.”
None of this was understood at all until very modern times, but this ancient verse in Ecclesiastes corresponds beautifully to modern science. In fact, it was not even known until recent times that air had weight, but the patriarch Job had noted about 4,000 years ago that “he . . . seeth under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds” (Job 28:24-25), and this fact is essential to the atmospheric circulation.
This is only one of many scientific principles implied in the Bible ages before men discovered them in their scientific research. In contrast, there are no demonstrable scientific errors in the Bible. This is not really surprising, for the same God who wrote the Word made the world! In Jesus Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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As many of you may know, Carolyn Koole, who is the wife of one of our pastors and PCN board chairman Dr. Richard Koole, is the plaintiff in a suit against the State of California and its Governor. The State Assembly passed a law (AB775) that became effective in January 2017 requiring pregnancy resource centers to prominently post notices telling women in crisis pregnancies who have come in for counsel and assistance where they can go to get a free abortion. To not do so subjects the centers to heavy fines.
The law compels pregnancy resources centers in California, including Fallbrook Center (where Carolyn is the Director) to use language directed by the state that is against the beliefs and mission of pregnancy care centers to provide life affirming care to their clients. In doing so, it violates their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. A number of national legal organizations favorable to our Christian beliefs soon got involved and asked the Fallbrook Pregnancy Resource Center and their director to be one of two plaintiffs in a suit to overturn the law.
The case has moved through the appeals courts and is now before the United Sates Supreme Court. On March 20th the Supreme Court will be hearing arguments. The leadership of the Pacific Church Network is asking all of our churches and people to bring this matter before God in prayer. The outcome of this decision will have profound consequences on religious freedom in our country. Thank you for making this a matter of prayer as we partner together for the Kingdom. (CB America)
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Faith does not come to us full-blown.
It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, “How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong. (Quiet Walk)
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THE DEMAS WAY
Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. 2 Timothy 4:10
The world is opposed to Christians, and it shows its opposition by means of hatred. “Yea,” says Paul to Timothy, “and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). But the world has another way of showing its opposition. That is what I would call the Demas way: “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.” The world does not care very much how it attacks Christ’s followers. If by throwing them into prison it can wrest them from Christ, it will do so; but if that does not work, it will try some other method.
“Demas hath forsaken me” the love of ease, love of the things of the world, its wealth, its position,its so-called pomp and show, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. How many good men have been ruined by that! Prosperity can be very dangerous to the soul, and the world is prepared to use that. If direct opposition will not work, it will pamper us, it will dangle these things before us and thus try to wean us from Christ. So it is not surprising that He asked the Father to keep us in His name.
Another way in which the world does the same thing is by what may be described as the Barnabas method. We are told in Acts 15 that a dispute had taken place between Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas wanted to take his relative John Mark on their second missionary journey, but Paul said that he would not have him. Paul felt that John Mark had let them down and deserted them when they had taken him on their previous journey and that he was not therefore the man to accompany them. Here we have worldly relationships, such as family relationships, interfering in God’s work. It is the tendency not to judge things in a spiritual way. A Thought to Ponder: The world does not care very much how it attacks Christ’s followers. (From Safe in the World, pp. 136-137, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Isaiah 55
All that salvation costs is what everyone can afford: one’s self.
INSIGHT
Coming to the Lord costs a man nothing and, at the same time, costs him everything. The offer is free in that a man need not give anything in exchange for his salvation. “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (v. 1). Yet receiving salvation costs man his life. He no longer has the freedom of self-determination. “Seek the Lord while He may be found . . . Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him” (vv. 6-7). All that it costs is what everyone can give: one’s self.
(Quiet Walk)
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KNOWING GOD
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
Is it possible to know God? Here I have to introduce a term, a big and yet vital word. The Bible teaches what is called the incomprehensibility of God. It means that God cannot finally be comprehended or understood by human beings. It means that we can read around the doctrine of God and try to grasp it with our minds, but by definition God is incomprehensible; we can never know Him in the ultimate, final, and complete sense. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Read about this also in Romans 11:33 and 1 Timothy 6:16. God dwells in that light that no one can approach. God in His eternal and absolute being is incomprehensible.
Yet we see that though God is finally incomprehensible, He is nevertheless knowable; He cannot be comprehended, but, thank God, He can be known. Let us be clear about this. There are those who would have us believe that God cannot be known in His real being, that He can only be known in His dealings with men and women. But that is a position that is quite wrong when you bring it into the light of biblical teaching. The knowledge that we have of God’s being will never be anything but a partial knowledge, but though it is partial, it is nevertheless real; though it is not complete, it is true knowledge, enough to lead us to glorify Him. And we have this knowledge of God because it has pleased God Himself to give it to us.
A Thought to Ponder: Though God is incomprehensible, He is nevertheless knowable; He cannot be comprehended, but He can be known.
(From God the Father, God the Son, p. 51, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Hand of the Lord
“This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.” (Ezra 7:6)
Neither Ezra, who was a scribe, nor Nehemiah, who was apparently a butler, had been prepared by either study or experience to supervise a great construction project, rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and the wall of the city, both of which had been destroyed many years before by the armies of Babylon. Yet God called them to these ministries and led them and protected them as they carried them out.
They were both careful, then, to give God the credit for what they had accomplished. No less than six times in Ezra and twice in Nehemiah they reminded their readers that God’s hand had been upon them as they supervised the work (see Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18-22, 31; Nehemiah 2:8, 18).
There had been many difficulties and much opposition, but as Paul would later say: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
We also need to be careful to give God the credit for anything He enables us to accomplish in His service. Even such a great and useful Christian as the apostle Paul had to say: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
We remember, however, that the hand of the Lord can be a chastening hand as well as a guiding and providing hand. When a certain false prophet tried “to pervert the right ways of the Lord,” Paul said: “The hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind” (Acts 13:10-11). And so it was. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Love That Disciplines
Do not despise the Lord’ s discipline. Proverbs 3:11
When I took a family studies class in college, we were asked to write a “family history”—a record of the key events that make up one’s childhood. This included the patterns that characterized typical family life and the methods of discipline we experienced. We all had at least one instance of a parent misapplying discipline and leaving an emotional or physical scar. Understandably, traumatic experiences like these may affect the way we interpret our heavenly Father’s discipline.
In Proverbs 3:11–12, the wise teacher invites readers to accept God’s discipline. The word discipline could be translated “correction.” As a good and loving Father, God speaks through His Spirit and the Scriptures to correct self-destructive behavior. God’s discipline is relational—rooted in His love and His desire for what’s best for us. Sometimes it looks like consequences. Sometimes God prompts someone to point out our blind spots. Often, it’s uncomfortable, but God’s discipline is a gift.
But we don’t always see it that way. The wise man cautioned, “Do not despise the L ord ’s discipline” (v. 11). Sometimes we fear God’s discipline. At other times we misinterpret bad things in our lives as God’s discipline. This is far from the heart of a loving Father who disciplines because He delights in us and corrects because He loves us.
Instead of fearing God’s discipline, may we learn to accept it. When we hear God’s voice of correction in our hearts or experience conviction when reading Scripture, may we thank God that He delights in us enough to lead us to what’s best.
By Daniel Ryan Day, Our Daily Bread)
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