Deuteronomy 23
Standard for entering congregationverses 1-9
He that is wounded in the stones – or has his privy member cut off
shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD
A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD
even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the
congregation of the LORD
An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the
congregation of the LORD
even to their tenth generation shall they
not enter into the
congregation of the LORD
for ever
BECAUSE they met you not with bread and with water in the way
when you came forth out of Egypt
BECAUSE they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor
of Pethor of Mesopotamia – to curse you
NEVERTHELESS – the LORD your God would not hearken
to Balaam
BUT the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing to you
BECAUSE the LORD your God loved you
You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity
all your days for ever
You shall not abhor an Edomite – for he is your brother
you shall not abhor an Egyptian
BECAUSE you were a stranger in his land
The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the
congregation of the LORD in their third generation
When the host goes forth against your enemies
then keep you from every wicked thing
Men unclean because of nocturnal emissionsverses 10-11
IF there be among you any man – that is not clean by
reason of uncleanness that chance him by night
THEN shall he go abroad out of the camp
he shall not come within the camp
BUT it shall be when evening come on
he shall wash himself with water
and when the sun is down
he shall come within the camp again
Restrooms are to be outside the campverses 12-14
You shall have a place also without the camp
whither you shall go forth abroad
you shall have a paddle on your weapon
And it shall be – when you will ease yourself abroad
you shall dig therewith – and shall turn back and cover
that which comes from you
FOR the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp
to deliver you – to give up your enemies before you
THEREFORE shall your camp be holy
that HE see no unclean thing in you
and turn away from you
Give refuge to slavesverses 15-16
You shall not deliver to his master the servant which is escaped
from his master to you – he shall dwell with you
even among you – in that place which he shall choose
in one of your gates – where it likes him best
you shall not oppress him
Sexual deviants not acceptableverses 17-18
There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel
nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel
You shall not bring the hire of a whore – or the price of a dog
into the house of the LORD your God for any vow
FOR even both these are abomination to the LORD your God
No interest on fellow Israelitesverses 19-20
You shall not lend upon usury to your brother – usury of money
usury of victuals – usury of anything that is lent upon usury
to a stranger you may lend upon usury
BUT to your brother you shall not lend upon usury
that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you set
your hand to in the land whither you go to possess it
Vows need to be keptverses 21-23
When you shall vow a vow to the LORD your God
you shall not slack to pay it
FOR the LORD your God will surely require it of you
and it would be sin in you
BUT if you shall forbear to vow
it shall be no sin in you
That which is gone out of your lips you shall keep and perform
even a freewill offering – according as you have vowed to
the LORD your God
which you have promised with your mouth
Eating from neighbors produce acceptableverses 24-25
When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard
then you may eat grapes your fill at your own pleasure
BUT you shall not put any in your vessel
When you come into the standing corn of your neighbor
then you may pluck the ears with your hand
BUT you shall not move a sickle to
your neighbor’s standing corn
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when you came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. (7936 “hired” [sakar] means reward, wages, take into paid service, or hire oneself to earn wages)
DEVOTION: Two nations that were cousins to the children of Israel didn’t treat them right when they were coming out of Egypt. These nations represented the nations that were descendants of Lot. Lot had two daughters who had children by him.
It is because of their treatment of their relatives that they were not allowed to enter into the congregation of Israel. They were related but not welcome. They had hired someone to curse their relatives rather than help them.
We know the story of Balaam and his donkey but sometimes we forget who tried to hire him to curse them. God would not allow Balaam to curse them but Balaam wanted the money so bad that he gave advice that would cause the children of Israel not to honor God.
Sometimes we have relatives who are not encouragers of other relatives. We have a program on television called “Family Feud.” The purpose of the program is to have two families compete for a prize. The one with the most points wins. This is what happens in life many times.
Relatives feel like they are in competition with one another instead of helping one another. Those who are in the family of God should be encouraging one another and not in competition with one another.
We need to be offering assistance to our fellow believers. If we think they are taking advantage of us then they have to answer to the LORD. If we don’t help them then we have to answer to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Watch how you treat those around you especially those who are part of the household of faith. God is watching over them and will judge those who mistreat HIS people.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 14 For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you, and to give up your enemies before you: therefore shall your camp be holy that HE see no unclean thing in you, and turn away from you. (5337 “deliver” [natsal] means rescue, to save oneself, to pull out, be secure, to shield from danger, injury, destruction or damage)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel were given many standards while they were traveling between Egypt and the Promised Land. This is one of those standards.
The camp of Israel had to be clean. No unclean thing should be happening in the camp or brought into the camp. We have read many of the rules that the LORD set down for them to follow.
Here we have one rule that seems to be important. There were not bathrooms in the wilderness. The children of Israel were not to ease themselves within the camp. They had to take a walk outside the camp to ease their selves.
They were to have a paddle to dig with when they traveled outside the camp to ease themselves. This was so that they could bury what was left in the area outside the camp, so that, no one else walked in what they left behind.
The camp was to be kept holy or clean because the LORD was present with the people. HE was holy and the camp was supposed to be holy as well. All uncleanness was to be outside the camp.
This is true today in our churches. We should make sure that we don’t bring anything into the church that is unclean. We should leave all of those things that are unclean outside of the church.
Too often today we find that many people are not cleansing themselves through confession of sin before they come into the church setting. Many times, we have those who claim Christ bringing things into the church which causes others to become discouraged or unclean.
There should be no confusion regarding what is holy. The church is to be a place where holy people gather to worship a holy God. If all those who know Christ enter the church in a holy manner then those who come who don’t know Christ will want what we have.
CHALLENGE: If those who are not followers of Christ enter the church and see those who are followers of not acting in a holy manner, they won’t want what we have.
: 21 When you shall vow a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not slack to pay it: for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin in you. (309 “slack” [‘achar] means delay, hinder, defer, to linger, hesitate, to take longer to do something than planned, scheduled, or required)
DEVOTION: In the Old Testament the people of Israel would vow to do something for God or for another individual. They would tell them what they were going to do and when they were going to do it. It was like a promise.
The LORD wants us to keep our promises to HIM and to those around us as best we can. There might be an occasion when we can’t keep our word to another person but then we should apologize to the person and pick another time to keep the promise.
God is one who always keeps HIS promises to HIS people. HE expects the same of us. We need to be people who are known to keep our word when we give it to someone. This is not always easy but it is something we should practice regularly. It is part of our testimony for the LORD to those around us.
The LORD will help us in this department of our life if we ask HIM. HE will remind us of what we are supposed to do for others. HE will give us the strength to keep our word, so that, HIS name is glorified as well as our testimony.
Christians need to know that they can depend on each other to help them with the things that need to be done to keep our testimony good in the community where we live. J
To not keep our word is called a sin here. So if we don’t keep our word we will have to confess our sin and ask the LORD forgiveness and the person that we hurt forgiveness. This should happen if we ever break our word.
CHALLENGE: Be individuals who are known to keep their word – no matter what! This will please the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 23 That which is gone out of your lips you shall keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as you hast vowed unto the LORD your God, which you hast PROMISED with your mouth. (1696 “promised” [dabar] means word, speak, cause, duty, or said)
Every word we speak is important to the LORD. Every word is recorded in our mind forever. The New Testament warns us that our tongue can be a fire. It is a world of iniquity. Our words affect those around us.
Our words are important to God. Once we say we are going to do something for the LORD, we should perform it. We should never make a statement we are not going to keep. Most people in bad situations say to God that they will do something for HIM if HE will get them out of the situation.
God is someone who always does what HE says HE will do. HE wants HIS followers to do the same. This included telling your children you are going to do something and then don’t do it.
Our children count us to tell them the truth. Once we say something, we should do it. If we are unable to do it, we need to apologize. In the future we should say we are going to “try” to do something without saying we are going to do it. We can’t use this all the time though. If we want closeness with our children for a lifetime, we have to keep our word when they are young.
Our spouse should be able to count on us to do what we say we will do without having to wait long periods of time before we keep our word. It will encourage closeness in a marriage.
In church there has to be the same requirements. The church works on volunteers. If they don’t show up it becomes a hardship for those in charge of that area of the church.
Christians should be the ones that everyone can count on to keep their word. Our family, friends and neighbors know those who claim to be believers. What will they say about us regarding our keeping our word? We they say that we always keep our word? We they say we are dependable?
Watch what you say. If you say it, do it. If you have told anyone you are going to do something and don’t plan to keep your word – call and apologize.
CHALLENGE: Be known as someone who keeps their word no matter how hard it is to keep it.
: 24 When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat grapes your fill at your own pleasure; but you shall not put any in your vessel. (3627 “vessel” [kaliy] means stuff, bag, receptacle, basket, or baggage, or pot.)
DEVOTION: Gleaming from a neighbor’s land was approved by the LORD after the farmer had harvested the crop. Here we find that if anyone was walking by a vineyard of a neighbor and he/she was hungry they could eat as many grapes as they wanted until they were full.
However, there was a restriction given by the LORD regarding taking any grapes with them for future eating. They should never fill a basket or any container with grapes. That would be a sin.
Sharing is important. Neighbors shared their crops with neighbors. No one who lived in a community should go hungry as long as there was food growing in the area.
Today we need to share with others. If we have neighbors who are struggling to have enough food, we should not depend on the government to give them what they need. We should share what we have in our garden with them.
When I was in my second church, we would often find fresh vegetables on our doorstep. We would enjoy them because we were from the city and never took the time to plant a garden in our yard.
At that time, we would glean peas and other food items from fields after the farmer had harvested their crop. It was allowed then but now they have to plow them under because of some new laws that don’t seem to allow gleaming.
People can abuse the privilege of eating from someone else’s land. It is sad that today we still can’t gleam food when it is left behind but abuse leads to laws that cancel out neighbors being good neighbors.
If you have the ability to grow something to eat please share with those who don’t have that ability. Or you can drop a bag of groceries off at a neighbor’s house that you know is struggling to feed themselves or their family.
CHALLENGE: Be a good neighbor when you can. Don’t just expect the government to do it all.
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)
House of the LORDverse 18
Nor hire of a whore
Price of a dog
for a vow
Free will offeringverse 23
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1-3, 5, 8, 14, 18, 20, 21, 23
Congregation of the LORDverses 1-3, 8
God (Elohim)verses 5, 14, 18, 20, 21, 23
LORD thy Godverses 5, 14, 18, 20, 21, 23
Turned curse into blessingverse 5
Loved Israelverse 5
Walks in midst of campverse 14
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)
Ammoniteverse 3
Moabiteverse 3
Egyptverses 4, 7
Balaam the son of Beorverses 4, 5
curse Israel
Mesopotamiaverse 4
Edomiteverse 7
Enemiesverses 9, 14
Stranger: lend with usury (interest)verse 20
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Curse Israelverses 4, 5
Wicked thingverse 9
Uncleannessverses 10, 14
Oppress servantverse 16
Whoreverses 17, 18
Sodomiteverse 17
Abominationverse 18
Usury to a brotherverses 19, 20
Not paying a vowverse 21
Sin not to keep a vowverses 21, 22
Filling a vessel with neighbor’s grapesverse 24
Putting sickle in neighbor’s cornverse 25
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Blessingverses 5, 20
Loveverse 5
Peaceverse 6
Prosperityverse 6
Presence of the LORD in the campverse 14
Deliveranceverse 14
Victory over enemiesverse 14
Vowverses 18, 21-23
Keep your promiseverse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Congregation of the LORDverses 1-8, 17
Not enter camp:
Wounded in the stones
Privy member cut off
Bastard: tenth generation
Ammonite
Moabite
Not met Israel
Not seek peace or prosperity
from them
No whore
No sodomite
Not abhor Edomiteverse 7
Stranger in Egyptverse 7
Camp is holyverses 10-14
Master – servant relationshipsverses 15, 16
House of the LORDverse 18
Lend to stranger for usuryverse 20
Vow a vow verse 21
Keep it
Freewill offeringverse 23
Neighbor’s vineyardverse 24
Eat fill – not put in vessel
Neighbor’s cornverse 25
Pluck with hands to keep
No sickle
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
19–20 When the nation was first established, the Israelite economy was by no means mercantile; and loans were made to help persons who had become too poor to support themselves. Assistance to such persons was to be given without interest—not interest of silver (equals “money”), food, or anything that might earn interest (v.19). But since merchants from other nations might come for business reasons to Israel, or make loans on interest to Israelites, foreigners could be charged interest (v.20). This rule alleviates the plight of the poor and made it more possible for them to work themselves out of their low estate. Interest is also regulated in Exodus 22:25 and Leviticus 25:36–37. The Lord’s blessing on their labors in the land they were about to enter was contingent on their following this directive. Reider (p. 218) reminds us that a foreigner was permitted to require interest from an Israelite. (Kalland, E. S. (1992). Deuteronomy. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 143). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
19, 20. Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother … Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury—The Israelites lived in a simple state of society, and hence they were encouraged to lend to each other in a friendly way without any hope of gain. But the case was different with foreigners, who, engaged in trade and commerce, borrowed to enlarge their capital, and might reasonably be expected to pay interest on their loans. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 136). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
23:20. An Israelite was permitted to charge a foreigner interest since he was not a member of the covenant community or an alien within the Promised Land. Probably the “foreigner” was a merchant and the loan sought by him would have been for business purposes. (Deere, J. S. (1985). Deuteronomy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 304). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
19–20 This law is related to those in 15:1–18 (see comment there), which provide for the release of debts and slavery. Economics in Israel was not to result in huge gaps between rich and poor, but rather to promote the brotherhood of Israelites. For this reason interest-taking is banned, as contrary to the spirit of a land seen as the common heritage of all. Since the idea of brotherhood applied only to Israel, a concession is made for deals involving others. (McConville, J. G. (1994). Deuteronomy. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 221). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
23:19, 20 This prohibition of lending money at interest to a fellow Israelite is qualified by Ex 22:25 and Lv 25:35, 36, which indicates that it restricts its application to the poor and prevents further impoverishment, but it was allowed for foreigners who were engaged in trade and commerce to enlarge their wealth. According to Dt 15:1, 2, it is also clear that money could be legitimately lent in the normal course of business, subject to forgiveness of all unpaid debt in the sabbatical year (cf. 24:10). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Dt 23:19). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 20. Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury, &c.] To any Gentile, though some Jewish writers except the Edomites and Ishmaelites, as being brethren, and restrain it to the seven nations of Canaan; but it seems to design one that was not an Israelite, or a proselyte of righteousness, and especially to regard such that traded and merchandised, as the Gentiles very much did, and especially their neighbours the Phœnicians; and of such it was lawful to take interest, as it was but reasonable, when they gained much by the money they lent them, and as it is but reasonable should be the case among Christians in such circumstances; this is to be regarded not as a precept, but as a permission: but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury; which is repeated, that it might be taken notice of, and carefully observed: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand unto, in the land whither thou goest to possess it; for their charity, humanity, and the kind usage of their poor brethren in distress, would not pass unnoticed by the Lord; but he would make the land they tilled fruitful, and their vineyards and oliveyards to produce abundance, and their flocks and their herds to increase greatly, which would be a sufficient and over-recompense for all that they had freely lent unto their brethren, without taking any usury of them. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 101–102). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
I was on a ferryboat going from Oakland to San Francisco with a group of Christians. Among us was a dear friend of mine who played an English concertina. Our little group sat together in one corner and he played and we joined in singing. I even joined in myself, which is a very rare thing! But we were all enjoying the singing, till a man came up in a perfect rage, and said: “What do you mean, you fools”, singing religious hymns here on the ship?” My friend was an Irishman and he jumped right up and said: “We are fools for Christ’s sake; whose fool, are you?” The man looked at us and ran. He wasn’t waiting to hear any more.
That is the question I would like to ask you. A lot of us through infinite grace are fools for Christ’s sake. We are content to be counted fools by the world who rejected our Saviour. But those whom the world counts fools, God counts wise. Whose fool are you? Are you a fool for the devil, or are you a fool for God? It is very interesting to run through the Word and trace out many different kinds of fools for the devil of which we read in the Bible. In fact, there are so many of them I wouldn’t dare take time tonight to refer to them all. But there are seven that came especially before me as I was threading my way through the Book. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 23–24). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Then in the first chapter of the book of Proverbs and the seventh verse we read of another kind of a fool, though he is very closely allied to this one. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” That is the ignorant fool. God has spoken in His Word. He has given instruction here in His blessed Book. He has shown us the path of life, He warns of judgment to come, He tells us plainly the way of salvation, and men turn away with a sneer and they say, “I don’t believe that book. I don’t understand it anyway.” And they are only telling us what they are. God calls them fools! “Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” If you have never given heed to the wisdom and instruction God has given in His Word, then this is His name for you tonight, a fool. I have no right to call you that. The Lord Jesus has told us that we are not to call one another fools. He said, “Whosoever calleth his brother a fool is in danger of hell fire.” So I wouldn’t dare use that name for you, but I am telling you what God says about you. He Himself who reads the hearts of men says, if people despise His Word, if they despise wisdom and instruction, they are simply fools. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (p. 25). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Closely linked with this, we have the opinionated fool, the fool who will not learn anything because he is not teachable. Proverbs 12:15 says: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” He is not ready to listen, he is not willing to learn. He understands, he has investigated, and he has come to a conclusion, and he is absolutely certain that his way is right and yet he is living in disobedience to the Word of God! This opinionated fool is shutting his eyes to the great realities of eternity as set forth in the Holy Scriptures. He is a bigot and a fool. God says so. (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 25–26). New York: Loizeaux Brothers)
I have often told the story, and you have often heard it, of the king’s fool. In the olden days a king had in his court a jester. And this court jester was such an amusing comedian that on one occasion the king handed him a rod and said: “Look, I want you to take that. It is my scepter. I am giving it to you because you are the biggest fool I have ever seen in all my life. I want you to take that and if you ever find a bigger fool than yourself, give it to him.” You remember the story, how years went by, and one day a messenger came to the poor fool to say to him, “The king is dying, and he would like to see you before he dies.” And the poor fool got the rod and went to see his master. The master said, “Fool, I am going on a long journey, a journey from which I shall never return. I have called you here to say farewell to you.” And the fool looked at him and said, “You are going on a long journey; I suppose then you have made inquiry about the place to which you are going and about the conditions that prevail there and that you have made proper preparation for it.” “No,” said the king, “I have been so busy I haven’t had any opportunity or inclination to pay any attention to the life beyond the grave or to prepare for it. I am going on this long journey, but I don’t know where I am going.” The fool looked at him for a moment and then handed him the rod and said, “Take it. Take it. You gave this to me long ago because you said I was the biggest fool you had ever known, and you told me to keep it until I found a bigger fool than myself. A man who is going on a journey from which he will never return and doesn’t even take the trouble to find out anything about the place where he is going, who is indifferent to his future and the condition of his soul, is a bigger fool than I am, for I have given attention to these things. Take the rod!”
Who can be a greater fool than the man who thinks only of feathering his nest for time, of getting along in this poor world, and forgets the eternity that is yet to come? (Ironside, H. A. (1945). Divine priorities, and other messages (pp. 28–29). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
1 Peter 1
Because of our great hope for the future, we should be steadfast in the face of present trials.
INSIGHT One mark of maturity is the ability to put off present gratification for the sake of a future reward. A child of six is not willing to give up buying a piece of candy to save that money for college tuition; yet an older child might be willing to forego present purchases for the sake of future education. Though in the Christian life the stakes are much higher, the principle is the same. Peter urges us to consider our future inheritance and endure present trials in expectation of our eternal reward. (Quiet Walk)
When I was young, whenever my doting Aunt Betty visited, it felt like Christmas. She’d bring Star Wars toys and slip me cash on her way out the door. Whenever I stayed with her, she filled the freezer with ice cream and never cooked vegetables. She had few rules and let me stay up late. My aunt was marvelous, reflecting God’s generosity. However, to grow up healthy, I needed more than only Aunt Betty’s way. I also needed my parents to place expectations on me and my behavior and hold me to them.
God asks more of me than Aunt Betty. While He floods us with relentless love, a love that never wavers even when we resist or run away, He does expect something of us. When God instructed Israel how to live, He provided Ten Commandments, not ten suggestions (Exodus 20:1-17). Aware of our self-deception, God offers clear expectations: we’re to “[love] God and [carry] out his commands” (1 John 5:2).
Thankfully, “[God’s] commands are not burdensome” (v. 3). By the Holy Spirit’s power, we can live them out as we experience God’s love and joy. His love for us is unceasing. But the Scriptures offer a question to help us know if we love God in return: Are we obeying His commands as the Spirit guides us?
We can say we love God, but what we do in His strength tells the real story.
(By Winn Collier, Our Daily Bread)
WE HAVE OVERCOME, AND WE ARE OVERCOMING
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4
I am trying to say how at one and the same time it can be said that as Christians we have overcome and we are overcoming. Think of it in terms of the Battle of Quebec. General Wolfe conquered the French general Montcalm on the Heights of Abraham, and as the result of that battle Canada was conquered. And yet we read in our history books that the fight for possessing Canada went on for some seventy or eighty more years. That is it; the country was captured, and then captured in detail. The position of Christian men and women is something like that in this world. They are no longer under the dominion of Satan; they have been taken out of his kingdom, but that does not mean that they have finished with Satan.
Or look at it like this—think of it in terms of two big estates with a road going down between. On one side of the road there is one estate, and on the other side there is another; one of them is the kingdom of Satan, and the other is the kingdom of God. Now this is what has happened to Christian men and women: They were in the estate under the dominion of Satan, but they have crossed over the road and are now in the kingdom of God. But though they are in this life and world, working in that new estate, the kingdom of God, Satan, their old enemy, is still there in that other kingdom, and he thinks that Christians will be foolish enough to listen to him. He forgets that they have been once and forever taken out of his dominion; he forgets that they are free. So Christians do not come under his dominion, but they are still subject to his attacks and onslaughts and his suggestions and insinuations. They have overcome, but they are still fighting; they still have to overcome as they go on in this life walking with God and with Christ.
A Thought to Ponder: Christians have overcome, but they are still fighting.
(From Life in God, pp. 42-43, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).
Eight Revivals
“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6)
The number eight seems commonly to be associated in the Bible with a new beginning, new life, resurrection, or renewal; “seven” being the number of fullness and rest, with the seven-day week used ever since the week of creation. The Lord Jesus Himself was resurrected, never to die again, on the eighth day—that is, the first day—of the week.
It is significant, therefore, that eight great spiritual revivals are described in the Old Testament—one each under Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Asa, Hezekiah, Josiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It is even more significant, however, that each revival was centered around the Word of God. The first, for example, was based on the giving of the law at Sinai. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient” (Exodus 24:7). Then, much later when “Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD….And the word of Samuel came to all Israel,” eventually “all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD” (1 Samuel 3:20; 4:1; 7:2).
Analysis of all of the other revivals will reveal that they also were based on reception and acceptance of God’s Word. The last was under Nehemiah. “And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God” (Nehemiah 9:3).
There were other ingredients in these revivals, but the Word of God was always the foundation, and there can be no true and lasting revival without it. This is why it is so important in our day, when the need for revival is so desperate, that we first get back to a serious study of the Holy Scriptures, believing and obeying as best we can all that is written therein. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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