Proverbs 15:1 - Your Gracious Answer

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath

But a harsh word stirs up anger. 

Message: Your Gracious Answer

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.

What the Lord is Saying: We often have an inner voice in our discussions with people that defends ourselves, making sure we are right and that the other person must be wrong. Sometimes we too quickly do not listen to the words spoken. We are tempted to be "harsh" and in the process we "stir up anger." 

And so in these instances, when I am being confronted or corrected or given an assessment on who I am, I must think about how I respond in that situation. The way I am supposed to answer is with gentleness. The person is often not looking for a fight in saying those words. Can I take a moment to consider their words? 

Prior to my wife and I getting married, the person that was our matchmaker was with her husband in another city, 17 hours from where we were getting married, and so taking a flight there was probably the one way to get to our wedding. But they quickly said "no" and so after reading a book and this issue continuing to not go away, I got on the phone and in the best way I knew confronted the issue. I was not met with any sort of kindness, but instead must defense. And for whatever reason, it simply seems that our relationship never recovered. These people were so important in us being together. We were in their wedding but now they would not be present for ours. That was hard. It was their choice, but it still stung. I wish in that situation they would have been kind. 

It reminds me that in our life we don't have too many instances of being confronted. Most people are fairly nice in their approach. We are often trained in not having conflict. In retail establishments there is the notion often, "the customer is always right" which means if there is ever a grievance raised of a transaction, the customer gets their way. This verse is not saying this. We don't simply take words confronting us in order to keep the relationship strong. 

I find in my marriage that this is the relationship that we tend to communicate these sort of problems the most. And it seems that I am often the one sharing a hurt. But I often do it in a way where I paint a picture of assuming what the other person is thinking. Sometimes, but not all of the times. "A gentle answer" is what I am hoping for. An understanding answer. Simply hearing me, but often I get defense. And often I am on the defense. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to not get defensive when I am being confronted. Help me to hear what is said. Help me to listen. I want to listen. And help me when I have the opportunity, especially with my wife to think before I speak and say things in a gracious manner. Lord, when things are hurtful I want to share my opinion and how I am feeling. Help that conversation to occur but in a way that does not stir up anger. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

I Kings 2:28-46 - Joab and Shimei Eliminated

I Kings 2:28-46

So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but to David and his descendants and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the Lord forever. (verse 33)

Message: Joab and Shimei Eliminated

Time: The author of 1&2 Kings (originally 1 book) is not known. First Kings follows the history of this divided kingdom from the death of David around 971 BC through the year 853 BC. First Kings reveals Solomon’s relationship with Yahweh and introduces the prophet Elijah who pronounces judgment on the evil northern king Ahab. Like other books, it helps us to understand the history of Israel and Judah. 

What the Lord is Saying: Previously in Chapter 2 of I Kings, Adonijah wants to sort of usurp Solomon's authority and make a claim once again for the throne this time by cleverly asserting himself to have David's former concubine as his wife, Solomon has him killed but spares Abiathar the priest who was associated and had supported Adonijah. 

Joab is mentioned in verse 28 and this news of Adonijah and Abiathar coming to him. Joab is an interesting fellow. He has been mentioned often in the life of David. Joab had served David for 4 decades as the commander of his army. He had some sort of respect for God throughout this time but at other times he was ruthless and carried out things in a harsh manner. He murdered people like Abner and Amasa right after David had put Amasa in charge and earlier made a covenant with Abner, but Joab wasn't about to share anything with another. David wanted Absalom spared even though Absalom wanted the throne. Joab stepped in and killed Absalom. But Joab disagreed in the census that David carried out which is a good thing to disagree on. Joab has been hard to figure out. 

And now in verse 28 it says that "Joab had followed Adonijah" and so this is odd. Solomon sent Benaiah to kill Joab for Joab was to removed "from my father's house [for] the blood which Joab shed without cause. Joab had many times taken matters into his own hands against the wishes of David. Verse 32 mentions Abner and Amasa. 

After this Solomon makes Benaiah the commander of his army and places Zadok as priest in place of Abiathar. 

Shimei is mentioned next in verse 36. Shimei cursed and threw stones at King David while David was fleeing from his son Absalom. David gave him a momentary reprieve but eventually told Solomon he would need to be punished. Solomon tells Shimei to go and live in Jerusalem and build a house there but at some point he will die. He had done evil and it is promised that "the Lord shall return your evil on your own head." Benaiah was eventually ordered to kill Shimei. 

It seems David didn't want to deal with things at times. Joab was effective even though he did things that were wrong, but David didn't deal with them. David had a way of struggling with open acts of rebellion. David and Solomon were great leaders, but they were not perfect. A perfect king was still needed one day and would come in the name of Jesus. 

Summary: Solomon followed through on David's request to have Joab and Shimei killed. 

Promise: From Tabletalk, "We remain utterly dependent on the grace of God for the growth of the kingdom."

Prayer: God your kingdom is always to be respected. I understand Lord you are to be praised and I praise You. And I also know that Jesus is the perfect king. You do great things through all sorts of people. Your kingdom will be established forever. Your will be done and you often work things out, not in the perfect way, but still in the best way only because your people on this earth are imperfect. Jesus is always perfect though and so we submit and surrender to Him always. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

2 Samuel 6 - Uzzah's Error

2 Samuel 6

But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he dies there by the ark of God. (verse 6-7)

Message: Uzzah's Error

Time: Second Samuel is set in the land of Israel during the reign of David and follows the course of his forty years as king of Israel (1011–971 BC). It chronicles the establishment of the Davidic dynasty and the expansion of Israel under God’s chosen leader. 

What the Lord is Saying: David's 40 year reign as King began in Judah for 7 years and then it moved to Jerusalem as his capital where a house is built for him. It was in I Samuel 6 that the Ark of the Covenant returned to Israel. It was there that I saw how bad things happened to people that thought they could possess the Ark and clearly the Ark belonged only in certain places. It had been in the city of Baalah Judah (Kiriath Jearim) (I Chronicles 13:5) to retrieve the ark as it had been in possession of the priest Abinidab. I Chronicles 13:7,9-10 says, "They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it...When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark." When this happened, this troubled David and instead of taking the Ark to Jerusalem, it was kept with "the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite" for 3 months and "the Lord blessed his household and everything he had."

2 Samuel 6 summarizes these same events told in I Chronicles 13. Chronicles adds that Uzzah was intending to steady the ark. 2 Samuel 6:6 says the "oxen nearly upset it." Something caused the ark to shake. It was being pulled by oxen. The terrain could have been uneven at times. Whatever the circumstances, it resulted in Uzzah reaching out and grabbing the ark. It seems most anyone would have done what he had done in that situation. And yet for doing it he was struck dead. 

After the events with Uzzah, David starts to question whether the ark should be with him, perhaps concerned that someone might make a similar gesture toward the ark unwittingly trying to help and be struck dead. David will eventually learn that only the Levites are to carry and transport the ark of God (I Chronicles 15:2). Uzzah was a Levite but the ark was not being carried, but instead on a cart. Uzzah did commit an error. Even if there was danger of it falling, it should not have touched because only the priest is able to touch the ark. 

David sees that Obed-edom is blessed for having the ark of God so he then makes plans to take it to Jerusalem - going 6 paces with it, then stopping and sacrificing. And David danced. Michal his wife saw David dancing and despised him, not understanding his joy of the Lord. David later explains to her how he celebrates to the Lord for His hand of providence and the joy he has with God. 

For me this is a lesson about being careful and realize that God's commandments are sacred, though in the New Testament there seems to be also a lesson on the heart being more of what God is concerned about. I suppose we always have to consider the situation at hand. I suppose there is the question as to whether or not commands must be followed by the letter of the Law, thus no variation or if there can be deviation because of circumstances. Overall, good intentions do not justify disobedience to God's Word, which had decreed that human hands should never touch the sacred ark of God's covenant. 

Summary: David now is ready to bring the Ark to Jerusalem and on the way there Uzzah touches the ark and only the priests are allowed to touch it and Uzzah is struck dead. 

Promise: The Lord's wrath is real and people need to be warned. 

Prayer: O God, thank you for having grace with me regarding my sin. Your patience overwhelms me. Your wrath is real and you are to be respected always. Thank you for knowing me and knowing my needs and also showing me the importance of following your ways. Lord, I ask for your discernment in regards to your commands and to what extent Your laws and commands need to be followed. Is it hard and fast like this always? As I read your word and study I see instances of doing things with an emphasis on heart and motivation, is that correct? Or it always precisely how you have laid out? Thank you for wisdom and understanding. And providing people in my life that you use as well to give me understanding. You are to be praised and adored. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Proverbs 11:4 - It's All Going to Burn

Proverbs 11:4

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,

But righteousness delivers from death. 

Message: It's All Going to Burn

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.

What the Lord is Saying: Our pastor on Sunday did a lesson from Proverbs on gratitude. Along the way, he explained Proverbs and the different ways the verses in this book are mentioned. Well, I am still focused on these contrasting phrases and continuing to read and walk through them.

Today, it is riches and the reminder that riches do not profit at the end or in the day of wrath. This seems to be the day of judgement. Friends and I will often say, "It is all going to burn" meaning that we really should not put our focus on wealth. The pastor's lesson on Sunday was basically the idea of giving and you will receive with verses like 11:24, "the one who scatters increases all the more" and 11:25, "the generous man will be prosperous." I studied Philippians 4 where Paul says in verse 17, "giving....increases to your account." This idea of giving will make us rich. I am not sure if that means monetary payback always, but maybe just the feeling that a person hast not been focused on wealth and accumulation, but rather in helping others and helping others is a good thing. 

In my life, I have gone from a 600 square foot one bedroom apartment to a 1300 square foot house to start a family and then to a 2050 square foot house the last 21 years now. I can't imagine going up any more. There is no need. At times, I think this house is too large. I try to not focus on accumulation. Plenty of people have needs and it makes no sense for me to have a lot and them to have a little. 

But, today the lesson is really more on the end and the day of judgment and the simple message that at the end, it really will not matter how much money you have. God will not be judging you on money accumulation, but rather on our heart and our lives and how they were lived. Ultimately, I am a sinner, saved by grace. Christ saves me because of what Christ did, not me. I understand this and believe this. I believe in God and that He is creator and this world is His and I surrender to Him. He provides me peace then to live life in a way in which life is full. Life isn't only about one thing when it comes to me and living. And from Solomon's perspective, it is righteous living. It is righteousness. 

But wealth matters. It seems that I will be judged on what I have done with my money. More and more I am having a hard time with wealth accumulation. I am struggling with this idea of having new things at times and the need for nice and pristine. We are flawed people and yet we don't want our cars to be flawed with dents. We want it all to be good, looking nice, and never a problem. And so from a money situation, I am struggling with riches, especially when there is such an imbalance in life. It is a struggle to me that people have this need to have no wants and everything is taking care of in this life. 

Everything in our life is wearing down. The car needs to be fixed. Yet, sometimes people get lucky and have a car that lasts. They don't get in accidents. We have a fridge that we bought 5 1/2 years ago. It has been great. But now, it is not working and has errors. Our bill to repair it is now approaching half of what we paid. And the concern I think is whether it will be fixed ever again. Or will we have to start over. These things happen. We don't like them. We like life to be running well, with pristine looking appliances versus accepting everything that is broken. And yet in all of that we have comfort. We have clothes to wear, food to eat, good jobs and a lot of joy with family and friends and people. 

So focus on right-living. Focus on righteousness. I review these words again. 

10:3 - The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger. 

10:6 - Blessings are on the head of the righteous. 

10:7 - The memory of the righteous is blessed.

10:11 - The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life.

10:16 - The wages of the righteous is life.

10:20 - The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver.

10:21 - The lips of the righteous feed many. 

10:24 - The desire of the righteous will be granted. 

10:25 - The righteous has an everlasting foundation. 

10:28 - The hope of the righteous is gladness.

10:30 - The righteous will never be shaken.

10:31 - The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom. 

10:32 - The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable. 

And now 11:4 - Righteousness delivers from death. 

Rather than being rich, what matters is righteousness for that delivers from death. 

And this is my quest still, righteousness.

Summary: O God, I want to be this type of person. A righteous person. That's what I want. I want to do my work right and do things well and make good decisions and make things better. I think I have. I have tried, but still I make mistakes. Like the fridge, sometimes I have to start over. But you love me and know me and I am so thankful for that. I struggle God at work with those people that don't meet my expectations. I struggle with it at home, with it everywhere. I said it in front of people that I am trying to meet people's expectations and anticipate them. Help me God. Help me to give myself grace when I need it. Help me to rest in who you have made me to be. Help me to have moments of celebration where I feel like what I have done is good. It is hard to be on this quest of constant improvement. I get tired with it God. Make me God the person you want me to be. And let that be enough. And then take me home to You. Whatever you want me to go through, I will do it. Selfishly, I want to live this life now and figure out what I can do for me and how to help others. I want to do this Lord. I want to be righteous and want this in others. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Joshua 2 - Rahab Trusts the God of Israel

Joshua 2:11 - When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Message: Rahab Trusts the God of Israel

Time: Joshua "Yahweh saves" led Israel, under God's command, to victorious conquest of the Promised Land. The book spans about 25 years, beginning about 1406 BC. The conquest of Canaan, numerous military campaigns and regathering of the nation are major components. 

What the Lord is Saying: Chapter 1 - After Moses' death, God calls Joshua to lead Israel across Jordan, to the promised land of Canaan, a gift from God - God will be with him and them - be strong and courageous - be careful to do God's law - prepares Israel to enter Canaan - the people confirm their obedience and following of Jordan. 

Now I move into Chapter 2 - Joshua sends spies to view the land, especially Jericho and they lodged with Rahab, the harlot - the king of Jericho speaks to Rahab to have her surrender these men - she states she does not know where they are - she told leaders they had left but actually she brought them to her roof - she knows the Lord has given Israel this land - heard about drying up of Red Sea - and heard about destroying Sihon and Og - God is God to heaven above and on earth beneath - hopes to be dealt kindly and father spared and household - the men promise her safety - but swear her to secrecy - her household only will be spared - provided a sign by tying a cord of scarlet - they remained in the hill country 3 days waiting for pursuers of them to flee and then returned to Joshua telling him that the land is in their hands. 

God promises the land to Israel and yet Joshua is still careful, sending spies to check things out. We are to be wise in our action even as God promises. Rahab's home might have been more of a type of private inn. Sort of like the western saloon where people come to get away but also find women waiting to take care of them along their journey. 

Rahab does lie to protect these spies from the opposition and in turn there seems to be a justification in this rare sense to the sin of lying. The focus of this chapter though seems to be that Rahab places her faith and trust in God. She knows God is on the throne and wants to be protected, her and her household. She has heard of his great acts. Rahab sought refuge in the Lord. And because she bowed to Him, she would be spared. She knew that Israel was coming and probably thought her area would be pillaged and so she wants to be protected. 

Rahab is someone that placed her faith in God. 

Summary: Joshua sends spies to Jericho and Rahab hides them, protects them and states her faith and belief in God and wants to be protected in the future from any wrath coming.   

Promise: I am to run to God in faith, like Rahab did, daily turn from sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Prayer: Lord, I am to be a person like Rahab that puts my faith and trust in You. I hear of stories of how you have worked and those stories encourage me. I am encouraged by the work that you have done in others lives and this strengthens my faith. Protect me from the wrath that is to come. Wrath is a real thing and sin is serious. What matters is you protect your called ones. Thank you God for being in control and being over all. Thank you for theses words and helping me understand them. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

John 18:10-11 - Peter's Misguided Zeal

John 18:10-11

10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

Message: Peter's Misguided Zeal

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus heads to a garden and Judas leads Roman/Jewish officials to Jesus in the garden, then they fall down to the ground and Jesus surrenders to be arrested. Yet, now in verse 10, Peter seems bothered that this has occurred. Peter strikes one of the high priest officials slave with his sword, cutting off his right ear. The slave's name is identified here as Malchus. But Jesus tells Peter to put the sword back into its sheath, remarking that the cup (God's wrath toward sin and Jesus atoning for sin through a blood sacrifice) is to be taken - as the Father is giving it to Jesus to receive and drink. 

Peter is trying to defend Jesus here on the Mount of Olives as he is being arrested. 

Psalm 75:8 - For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams; it is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. -- all the wickedness of the earth comes forth from the cup. 

Ezekiel 23:31-34 - 31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.’ 32 Thus says the Lord God, ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; it contains much. 33 ‘You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,

the cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. 34 ‘You will drink it and drain it. Then you will gnaw its fragments and tear your breasts." - The cup is deep and wide and filled with much. It is a cup filled with contents that make people mad. 

Revelation 14:9-11 - 9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” - There is nothing worse than the wrath of God. 

Jesus understands that He is submitting and surrendering through His arrest to experience the wrath of God, in all that it encompasses. 

Peter thought he was doing good, acting in an admirable way possibly, but Jesus knew his arrest was needed. Peter was short-sighted and didn't know the whole picture, only what was in front of him at that moment and at that moment, his master was being taken away and despite all that Jesus had been talking to him about and explaining in His farewell discourse He still was being affected by the events in front of him and did not want to see Jesus leave. 

Summary: Peter thinks he is coming to Jesus' rescue, though most likely outnumbered, in pulling out his dagger to cut off a high priest's servants ear, but Jesus tells him to back down, as He is to drink the Cup (of wrath) the Father has for him. 

Promise: From Tabletalk, "Let us be humble, remembering that we are likewise capable of rash actions that do not serve the gospel."

Prayer: Lord, what a privilege it is each day to grow in my relationship with You because I know each day how prone I am to go a different direction. I struggle Lord daily to seek my own will and think that my life is meant to serve myself. I thank you for the time to reflect on You and all that You have for me. Help me to have my day defined by You and then to know how you are leading me. I feel at times that You speak to me in so many ways. And yet I am not sure that my focus is securely on You, but I thank You that Your spirit is at work in me, speaking to Me and giving me strength and direction each day. Guard my steps. Help me to follow Your guidance so that I find wisdom to serve You in every situation. Keep me humble as I am often not serving You or have that tendency each day. Keep me productive. Keep me doing what I should be doing. As Peter might have been misguided in his approach with you thinking that He was doing good, keep me focused on the big picture and remembering the words You have said to me. I praise You God. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

I Corinthians 11:23-25 - Word and Sacrament Together

I Corinthians 11:23-25 - 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Message: Word and Sacrament Together

Time: Not the first, but 2nd letter to Corinthians, but the first to survive and to be considered authoritative. Written in AD 55, it was penned after Paul had reports of quarreling in this church he had previously visited. Paul covers a number of subjects, but all focus on the Christian's life in the church.

What the Lord is Saying: In the last lesson, I expanded on the idea of sacraments, these rites or acts we do and how they point to an act of God in a person's life. They reveal truth and reveal something in a person's life. They have a special relation or union between the sign and the thing signified. In this lesson, I will continue to study and connect these dots. 

Towards the end of my time what I saw was a way for us to see salvation in others through these sacraments and have a visible way to confirm faith. And so baptism and the Lord's Supper give breath to our visual world in helping us understand and believe spiritual truths. 

As we take these sacraments and administer them they are not simply done in silence but we spend time as they occur explaining the union of practice and grace. In the Lord's Supper we share scripture about it -- like today's passage. In baptism we talk prior to the act about salvation and what we see in baptism - death (a person under water) and resurrection (a person coming up out of water). In this practice we also observe what Christ did as well as he was baptized and he instituted the Lord's Supper. So we know that these events in our lives are important but they are joined with words and not simply acts alone. Even in other acts such as a marriage union it is important to speak of what God is joining together and it is of His doing. 

Faith is heard. Romans 10:17 - "Faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of Christ." So this speaking of the Word of God is paramount in the practice of the sacraments. No one can simply say they did it without the Word of God coming together with the Sacrament. 

In today's passage we witness this coming together and connection. Again, by themselves bread is simply a part of our meal for eating and nourishing and wine or drinking the cup is the same. But in this practice we make mention that the bread and cup have a connection to God giving up Himself for the salvation or giving of His life for sinners -- “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And lately I have been marveled at the usage of the language of cups in the Bible. Wondering if this cup of the Lord's Supper also can speak of God's wrath and His conquering of it in my life (Jeremiah 25:15).  In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” The sacrifice occurs in the Body and the Blood takes the place of my sin or the need for judgment/wrath. 

Summary: These acts or rites we observe are empty without the words of God bringing these acts into significance with what Christ has done on our behalf. 

Promise:  It is the preaching of God's Word and the administration of the sacraments that must go together. Let us not let eagerness to meet Christ in His sacraments cause us to neglect meeting Him in His Word.

Prayer: O God, thank you for the gift you give us in these Sacraments and how we can come to know you better as we practice this ordinances of Your Grace in our lives. Help me to always stay grounded in Your Word as we witness or practice these sacraments. I pray the Word of God would remain paramount in our lives and unite us in these practices. Bring churches together and help us to not focus so much on our differences but our similarities so that we have more Unity within the Body of Christ. 

Romans 1:18-32 - The Sins of the Gentiles

Romans 1:18-32

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Message: The Sins of the Gentiles

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying:

Back in 2014 and 2015, I did a study in the book of Romans, following Tabletalk and these verses comprised 7 lessons. This section of scripture has always been one of my favorites after taking time to memorize this in the 90s. 

Now I move to a study on Justification - sola fide - and justification by faith alone and it begins with this passage. The first 8 chapters of Romans is about revelation or doctrine and then the remaining chapter is application 

Before diving into the message from the writers of this devotion, I first look at this text for review myself. I love it. Verse 19 says that God is evident within. God made it this way. He made man to know Him and yet man left to his own devices does not honor Him as God or give thanks (v 21). It is clear that this must be awakened in mankind. But I so love Paul's description of what happens to man if He is not awakened. It reminds me that we live in a world that does not honor Him. We should not be surprised, in a way, and yet we should be moved therefore to be part of this awakening of man. But, the gist of this passage is describing the Sins of the Gentiles. And after man does not honor God he/she looks within for the answer as they became futile in their speculations, but then something really sobering occurs as Paul says three times in verse 24, 26, and 28 how God gave them over which I believe is the same idea as God hardening. These verses speak of hardening of our bodies, our passions, and our mind. In other words, everything is changed.

I turn to the devotional now - the reason we need to be declared righteous is because without that declaration we are unrighteous. This is a fact. This is certain. Mankind is lost. 

Let's remember, we are accustomed to think the wrath of God is poured out right now against sin. But rather God's wrath is coming in a final Day of The Lord as mentioned in Isaiah 13:9-16. I read this and it horrific mentioning the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury, and burning anger...He will exterminate its sinners...the sun will be dark...the moon will not shed its light...I will punish the world for its evil...will make man scarcer...make the heavens tremble and the earth will be shaken. 

So the wrath that is spoken of here is a revealing or showing of God's wrath, today, as God hands sinners over to their sin. As mankind is given over to their sin, God's wrath is seen. People want sin. They want to ignore God and do things their own way and so God is letting them and so they give the people what they want. In the process of all of this, sin is celebrated. 

O how we are seeing this today. We have celebrations and parades and tolerance is becoming mandated in our schools. Dependence on God is traded for dependence on our government and whatever they say we follow as true. All of this is storing up wrath (Romans 2:5) for people in the day of the Lord that is coming. In my words, we are manufacturing and dispensing God's wrath today for when God will pour it all out One Day.   

Promise: No matter what people's transgressions are, God still rescues people who He has handed over to their sin. 

Prayer: Lord, I love seeing You show me the truth of our lives. It is sobering and sad. Thank you for placing the knowledge of You in everyone, but it is sad to see people not honor You or give You thanks for the life that you have given in creating them. People think they are so clever in their speculations. Thank you once again God for saving me. People need to be awakened to You God. And you call me to be involved in this awakening by declaring it to people. Thank you for the reminders you give continually for me to be involved in this. Help me to remain faithful to Your calling on my life. Your Word continues to illuminate me and speak to me but I want to be have more than head knowledge and act. Show people, like my son, the nasty result of seeking out his own way for happiness and joy. Not even the scent smells good. The warning signs are there. Awaken your truth to him, to all those in my care. I honor and thank you God. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

Mark 15:33-34 - Jesus Forsaken

Mark 15:33-34
33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
Message: Jesus Forsaken

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus is on the cross, being crucified. Passerby's are mocking him still as well as the chief priests and scribes among themselves and even the robbers on either side of Him. He arrived there with no strength to even carry the crossbeam and Simon had to carry it for Him.

In these verses, Jesus expresses a feeling of rejection that He felt toward God. He had predicted his death and resurrection 3 times in the years leading up to this event. Just yesterday, He would be praying in the garden of Gethsemane perhaps for strength for what was ahead. He had already been scourged and beaten and received amazing pain. I just think about the thorns on his brow and them pushing into his head as he moved but then a staff or reed would be flung on him repeatedly and pushing those thorns into him over and over. He would be experiencing amazing physical pain. But then he was assaulted emotionally with words of mocking from everyone - his disciples or followers would act as if they never knew Him when He was seized. Many would come forward to express judging words toward him, belittling Him, accusing Him of being something that He shouldn't be. He was called to a position, King, and yet people would not accept this. I think about the fact that throughout His ministry as He did things often the disciples did not understand and questioned Him. And now He was beaten to a pulp where He had no strength and was now on a cross receiving physical pain and then mockery from anyone passing by, from his fellow leaders of the faith - the chief priests and scribes - and then even the ones that he was alongside suffering on crosses were belittling him and bringing shame upon Him. He remained silent throughout all of this.

At this moment, he was feeling it. I feel it and it was an event that happened almost 2,000 years ago. He was living through all of this as a man. He experienced the same pain as me in his ministry. I remember him being assaulted and belittled by Satan and the temptation of receiving all of the accolades of a man of this world but then saying to Satan, "No thank you." He was a man, living through all of these things. Whether they were ordained or not he still was experiencing them.

When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.  The sixth hour was 12 o'clock noon and the ninth hour was 3 o'clock. So at the lightest part of the day darkness descended over the whole land. Between 12 and 3 were events and feelings that Jesus experienced that we have no description. Darkness was fell during this period and then was lifted at the ninth hour. Old Testament verses depict judgment with darkness. God's wrath was satisfied and exhausted in this time.

Psalm 22:1 records - My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. And here At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” In this moment his blame was not on the disciples, chief priests, Pilate, the scribes, or even the robbers, but He was looking at God and wondering why the Father had forsaken Him.

This reminds me of how often people blame God for the events of their lives and I think that is uncalled for and yet Jesus experiencing the same thing here. I'm not sure I ever have put that together, but Jesus was voicing to God His own displeasure for the darkness He was experiencing. For Jesus he was receiving the wrath of God on mankind. He was taken on the sin of the world. And it culminated in his expressions out loud to God on "Why?"

"Why" I think is the most popular question people have toward God. We live in a world where we want answers and trusting in someone like God is really seen as a cop out approach to life because we often do not get our "why" questioned answered or each gets it answered in different ways. The question is normal to be asked, but may we stay focused on Him and keep trusting Him for the answer. May it not bring us to a point of running from Him.

Summary - Jesus on the cross, after receiving mocking and pain, emotional and physical, receives the wrath of mankind as darkness descends upon the earth. Jesus endured it and in the end he felt the rejection of God, feeling completely forsaken.

Promise: The wrath of God had to be satisfied. Jesus would feel rejection, but it was necessary and I am the benefactor of the horrible wrath He experienced.

Prayer: Lord, as I converse with people online I hear many voicing this question of "Why?" You have reminded me today that even Jesus voiced this question. It is a normal question. Help me Father to minister and encourage those who are asking the question. Thank you Jesus for experiencing the wrath intended for me. In my life I will continue to experience hurt. Help me to respond in a way that glorifies You.

Mark 14:32-36 - Jesus in Gethsemane

Mark 14:32-36
32 They *came to a place named Gethsemane; and He *said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” 33 And He *took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.34 And He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” 35 And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 36 And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Message: Jesus in Gethsemane

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus was anointed with oil by Mary 2 days before the passover and Judas questioned this. Judas would go to betray him and Jesus prepared for our gathering of the disciples for the Passover meal with the Lord's supper where he gave his body to take through bread a cup for His blood, given to many (not all). He mentioned that one would betray him though the disciples didn't think it was anyone of them. He stated that he would die by the plan of God and the disciples and followers would scatter. The disciples didn't think that any one of them would ever deny Him before men, but Jesus knew better. But they would return to Him.

They *came to a place named Gethsemane - Gethsemane was a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives. They are down now from the Mount of Olives which is where Jesus gave his discourse in the previous set of verses. He *said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” Jesus needs to take a moment to pray and talk to God. He is distressed. It seems somewhat normal to be distressed in this moment. I can think of times when I knew something difficult was ahead - it may be a meeting that I am preparing for or it may be a medical procedure or going to the dentist or doing anything difficult - I know in those times I was distressed. When I was younger, I remember preparing to go on the air at the radio station and I would often have diarrhea prior to going live on the air. My stomach was twisted and in knots. Jesus I think here is anticipating his death. He knows it is coming. While he has predicted it and spoke of it and even stated over and over it would happen, the closer it gets the more real it gets. And He *took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. He is a man of no sin that is preparing to take on all sin and bear the full wrath of God for that sin. It is definitely a distressing time.

And He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” To take on the sin of the world is an enormous weight, of all. I'm often reminded of the Passion of the Christ movie that was done several years ago and the detail at which it showed the death of Jesus. It is a very real picture of this death. And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. His prayer was wondering if it was possible for this hour to pass. Even through all the preparation and prediction He reveals His human nature and does not want this to occur. He manifests His true human nature here. Even though the cross was the only way, he still asks for another way. And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” How often do we pray something like this, going to God recognizing that He has all power and can take care of this situation in a word - whether it is a foxhole confession during war, a student asking God for a good grade on a test, securing a job -- the present situation appears to have no clear outcome that we are looking to and so we ask God with the idea that all things are possible for You, do this. Step in. Jesus does the same thing here. He has just prayed and said that the cup of His blood, the sealing of justification, of the wrath of God for all people is given for all, to take, but now He asks God to remove this cup from Me. 

Yet, in the end, the message is yet not that I will, but what You will. Though Jesus pleas to God, he still wants His will to be done.

Summary - Jesus comes down from the Mount of Olives, to Gethsemane, to pray to God. He is distressed and asks God to take this cup from Him and asks for another way to fulfill the wrath of God. While this time has been predicted He still asks for another way.

Promise: Though Jesus asked for another way out of this situation, He still wanted the will of God. May this be the same way that I come before God with my requests.

Prayer: Lord, your will be done in my life. You be praised and glorified. But I admit, like Jesus that sometimes I don't want to experience the pain and weight of sin. Yet, you so often carry me through. Help me in those moments to keep my faith secured on You. No matter what it takes I trust in Your will and ways.

Proverbs 11:23 - The Fulfillment of Righteous Desire

Proverbs 11:23
The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

Message: The Fulfillment of Righteous Desire

Time:  King Solomon is the principal writer of Proverbs. Solomon's proverbs were penned around 900 B.C. In the Book of Proverbs, Solomon reveals the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations, too. It appears that no topic escaped King Solomon's attention. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings.

What the Lord is Saying: 

It's interesting to read Solomon's words and wonder overall what his worldview was regarding orthodoxy, sovereignty, divine election, and/or Calvinistic type principles. This verse is interesting as it showcases absolute language.

The desire of the righteous is only good. That is an absolute statement. Naturally, the righteous only desire good. That makes sense. If we choose righteousness then our desire is to do good. I struggle sometimes with the absolute statements in the Bible because they speak of a behavior that we don't have obviously all the time, but yet represent an ideal. I guess, in that vain, I am a realist. I suppose what I see is most people sit in between the two. They present to the world through their visible actions often righteousness and yet inside I think we all struggle with being wicked. But, maybe that is just something I see in myself, as a man. I don't know if I see this in my wife or think she struggles with this.

Often, its not that we are wicked, but that we are not as righteous as we could be. But, the aim in this verse is to do good and desire to do good towards people. Perhaps the proverb is saying more that the result of being righteous is having done good and having that peace while the result of being wicked is wrath and disfavor with self, ending their own wrath and ruin.

Conversely, the expectation of the wicked is wrath. 

Promise: Guard my heart. God will reward good deeds not wickedness. Wickedness instead receives wrath.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a righteous person and to desire righteousness at all times in my life and the lives of others. Train me in this.

Psalm 78:40-66 - Idolatry and Restoration

Psalm 78:40-66

^40-44 How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Again and again they tempted God, and pained the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power, the day when He redeemed them from the adversary, when He performed His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan, and turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink.
^45-51 He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them. He gave also their crops to the grasshopper and the product of their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore trees with frost. He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones and their herds to bolts of lightning. He sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble, a band of destroying angels. He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, but gave over their life to the plague, and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham.
^52-55 But He led forth His own people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock; He led them safely, so that they did not fear; but the sea engulfed their enemies. So He brought them to His holy land, to this hill country which His right hand had gained. He also drove out the nations before them and apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. 

^56-58 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep His testimonies, But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; they turned aside like a treacherous bow. For they provoked Him with their high places and aroused His jealousy with their graven images. 
^59-64 When God heard, He was filled with wrath and greatly abhorred Israel; So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, the tent which He had pitched among men, And gave up His strength to captivity and His glory into the hand of the adversary. He also delivered His people to the sword, and was filled with wrath at His inheritance. Fire devoured His young men, and His virgins had no wedding songs. His priests fell by the sword, and His widows could not weep.

^65-66 Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, like a warrior overcome by wine. He drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.

Message: Idolatry and Restoration

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

In some ways not much is different in this passage than what was presented in the previous reading from Psalm 78. This Psalm continues to speak of people rebelling, the Lord continues to guide them and yet people respond by turning their back on Him. And so God puts forth his wrath on people. And still he is merciful toward them.

There is an idea in these verses that seems a little baffling to me and that is that God isn't forcing himself on people. He is providing for them over and over and he believes that through this providence and his rescuing that people will find their refuge in Him. Sometimes his wrath will be displayed. He is a God who is to be praised, but the goal is for people to respond to Him. The goal is for each of us to turn from our ways and acknowledge Him as Lord and God.

They did not remember his power
In verses 40-44 this is the message I see. People did not see His power. We do this today. We look at weather and we have an explanation. We look at storms and we have an explanation. We look at all these events and we simply say there are patterns of weather that are making things happen. Sometimes we call this "Mother earth" but there is a growing trend to not call them acts of God. Our rebellion towards God must grieve Him. Man just doesn't acknowledge God's power. 

They went their own way
Also in verses 40-44 is the action of turning away from God. They rebelled against Him. They tempted God. They did not remember all God did for them. I get too distracted with the immediate and I forget the good times.

He tried to get their attention
In verses 45-51, God did things to these people. He used animals and weather, bad things to get their attention. If they don't acknowledge God, he will show them his power. But, no one wants to say these tornadoes or tsunami's or hurricanes come from the Lord. They only want a God that does good things to them. I don't blame them. When good happens, we are fine, but when bad happens we often turn away. It is only when the matter gets beyond our control that we turn to God.

He led his own people. 
There is a contrast here that God led his own people in verses 52-55. So far what I have read in this section is the people did not remember his power and they went their own way, yet God tried to get there attention and through it all he led them. God is leading us. God is leading us and often I need to remember this. I think I get too focused on what I see. He uses the sheep and shepherd idea here. The shepherd is always leading, but at times I go off track or I wander, but this doesn't mean God has stopped leading. I need to trust in God more through each day, each moment. I need to believe that He is at work. I stare too much at my surroundings and not enough at God. I live too much of my life focused on what I want and sometimes I forget to see what God has already provided and I forget to be thankful.

Yet, we turn aside
Verses 56-58 speak that even though God led his people, we rebel. I am a sinner. I sin. I doubt and I question God. He knows this is going to happen. He knows I will rebel and not keep commandments, turn back and act unbecoming to people around me. And through it all I also start looking to other things that I think will satisfy me. 

God can get mad
And I need to remember that God can be bothered at times by my actions as it describes in verses 59-64.  I need to remember that I measure myself each day not against other people but against Jesus and his standard. And if I'm not perfect, I'm a sinner and I deserve his wrath. I spend too much time looking at other people and what they have and wonder why I don't have the same thing. Help me God to be more focused on my relationship with you and not on other people and what they have or don't have. Everyone is different and my job is to trust you with where I am at right now. I can pray for something better and it may result but through it all I can trust you. And if bad things happen, you have your reasons. This nature gets further from you and we now have more natural disasters and more people killing one another and you are showing us racism is a problem and yet we act surprised when things don't go well. Lord, could you be mad at us? If so, help us see that the answer is us to follow you.

God hasn't left
In these final 2 verses, I remember God that you are still there. You haven't left. From my vantage point, you coming to the rescue looks like to me that you finally woke up. But you never sleep. Again, Lord, help me trust in You.


Promise: No matter what, God rescues His people.

Psalm 2:7-12 - God's Call to Kiss His Son

Psalm 2:7-12
⁷ “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸ ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
⁹ ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

¹⁰ Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
¹¹ Worship the Lord with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
¹² Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Message: Jesus speaks to all the nations and the Lord will be worshiped always

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Chapter 2, the first 6 verses was broken into two 3 verse stanza's that were very similar in their organization, but reflect 2 different views. It began with the heathen nation, the non-Israelites, the kings of the earth, the rulers and their opposition to the ways of the Lord. They sought to bind the strong cord. But, God responded and made known that His plans will never change or be altered. His ways are the same. He will take care of the opposition and their ways will be thwarted as He will anoint His messiah over all and set Him high upon the hill. 

The Decree

In verses 7-12 it appears to continue for 3 verses or stanza's about Jesus and then the last 3 verses returns to a message to the kings of the earth and rules. While verse 4 uttered the words of Jehovah, now the Messiah speaks, "I will tell of the Lord" versus verse 6, "I have installed My King."That seems amazing that this Psalm, written by David, 1000 years before the time of Christ, here David speaks of the Messiah. David paves the way for the message of the Messiah. That's kind of hard to even fathom, that those words would be spoken of a future person.

Once you know, you must make him known. That should be my motto.

While "sons of God" has been used in scripture to refer to saints or children of God, the naming, "Son of God" is only appropriated to the Messiah in Scripture.  

To Infinity and Beyond
In verse 8, the idea is that the Father gives the son dominion or hands over the entire world. Heathen and nation are synonymous words here are therefore translated as such in different translations. At this time, there were Hebrews and non-Hebrews, just as in the New Testament it is spoken often that there are Jews and Gentiles. The idea here then is that God the Father grants God the Son the entire world as His inheritance. God is not a God of the Jews only. The Book of Romans often is showing the Jews that the message of God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is going out to all people, everywhere and going out to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

I think of Acts 1:8 here in the words of uttermost parts of the earth, "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." The ministry of Jesus in people's lives, his disciples, would reach the uttermost parts of the earth. How exciting to see a verse written 1000 years before Christ have its culmination later in this same idea in Acts. It goes to show how the words and message of the New Testament isn't so new. 

Verse 9 reiterates a common theme in this 2nd chapter of Psalms and that is that God has complete authority over all people and specifically, he will deal with the enemies of God. God will deal with them. Man does not need to and really should not be doing to bad-mouth people that think and live contrary to the word of God. My message to them is always simply the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus. People's eyes are blinded and they need to know that Jesus died for all, for sinners. This verse shows the completeness of their destruction as they will be shattered like a potter's vessel is shattered. And yet this will be an act of the Messiah. 

Address of Psalmist who has heard the words of Jehovah and Messiah
This book begins with the evil plot of the heathen nations and then Jehovah speaks that these nations have no dominion over him or His people. The Messiah enters and sees his impact and now the writer of this Psalms adds his words from verse 10-12.  

He begins with verse 10 or the writer begins speaking to the kings, the judges of the earth. They are not to attempt to resist the ways of God but to surrender to Him and "show discernment" or "be wise." They need to realize that it is not good to be an enemy of the Messiah. This could be a similar prayer that I could pray today towards people that people need show discernment or be wise and take instruction, Jesus is to be served with fear. 

I was reading a comment yesterday by a person on Facebook and they simply remarked, "God is love." I think this is a statement that is overused by many. People use this statement because this is all they want God to be is a God of love and then they define that love as meaning God accepts the behavior and lifestyle of anyone. God does love but his love is so needed because of the sin of man. He loves in spite of man's sin and His love removes the penalty of sin. The thing about these 3 verses now in Psalm 2, 10-12 is they are showing that people need to come before the Messiah and accept Him. 

Verse 11 says to "rejoice with trembling." Yes, we are to praise God but we do so because we recognize his almighty power and that the consequences of being found opposed to him must be overwhelming and awful. 

Verse 10 says to "show discernment" and "be instructed."  Verse 11 says we need to "serve the Lord with fear", "rejoice" but "with trembling." There are times, I think, when people need to see and know the real Messiah, not just the Messiah they conjure up in their mind. 

Verse 12 says, "Do homage to the Son" but I think the King James Version does a better job with this phrase by saying, "Kiss the Son." Man is to come before the Son of God and express his allegiance to the Son. A kiss expresses an Oriental custom to show respect towards one of superior rank. 

In 1 Samuel 10:1, "Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over His inheritance?" The ruler here received a kiss from Samuel as the Lord's anointed ruler. 

But, kissing is also done to idols. 

I Kings 19:18, "Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him." 

You see this often in sports, for when the team or person wins the championship or ultimate prize a trophy is given to them and they kiss it. In that kiss, they are showing their allegiance to that prize that they had been seeking. In this same manner, man is to kiss the Son. We are to show our complete allegiance to Him. We are to accept Him completely for who He is and this will mean many things to us. There will be many ramifications, but he is our God and King. He deserves it and He has done so much for us that we should be willing to do anything for Him. 

Or "He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled." There are consequences for not embracing Him as He is. And this is what people don't want to see. They just want to hear and believe the words, "God is Love." They want to embrace the idea that God will allow them to do whatever because He is love. That there is no accountability to Him. 

For "How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" Is God Love? Yes indeed and we are to seek Him and take our refuge in Him. I am to hide myself in him. This is the message of the Gospel, that man is a sinner and Jesus has redeemed man and so man takes his refuge not in his/her own good behavior, but takes his/her refuge in Him and Jesus is our protector and He blesses us.
  

Promise: It is in vain to attempt to oppose the Lord and His appointed king. From Tabletalk:

It is not difficult to get people to say nice things about Jesus when the only Jesus they know is the gentle Jesus of popular culture who makes no demands on anyone. That is not the Jesus of Scripture. We live in an era of divine patience, when God is holding back His wrath so that many may be saved. But make no mistake, this patience is not eternal. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, will execute His wrath at the appointed time. Today is the day of salvation, tomorrow the day of wrath.

Psalm 6 - A Prayer for Deliverance

Psalm 6 - ¹ O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. ² Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. ³ My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long? ⁴ Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. ⁵ For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? ⁶ I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. ⁷ My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. ⁸ Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer. ¹⁰ All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

Message: A Prayer for Deliverance

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: 

I am not sure what exactly (nor are the commentators) the writer of this Psalm (probably David) is experiencing upon him voicing this prayer. But, he felt like it was important to write down and record. He was obviously feeling a deep sense of hurt. It may not been because of any sin in his own life for he does not mention any sin. 

O Lord, I am at a low point and while there are times when I need your correction and rebuke because of the sin in my life, I ask that you not correct me right now. This world I live in is corrupt and foul mouthed and disregards you over and over, in more ways than one. You deserve to give wrath and anger, but I ask you withhold it from me at this time. Be gracious to me O Lord for I am at a loss of spirit and vigor. Heal me, for my body aches. And my soul is greatly troubled. Lord, how long? How long must I stay in this state? How long do I stay in this condition? 

Turn me around. Deliver my life. Save me for the sake of your never-ending Love. You are a God who is to remembered and to be praised, but if I die I cannot do this, and I want to continue to do this. I don't want to wade through the waters of my own misery, but rather I want to turn my focus on You and remember all of the things you have done for me, praising You. 

My moaning continues. My bed is filled with my tears as I cry myself to sleep. My outlook on life is one of despair and grief. All I can see many times is my enemies or my foes. "Depart from me, all you evil ones, for the Lord hears me and hears me in my weeping. You work evil out, but God is near me." Thank you God for hearing me and thank you God for accepting my prayer. My my enemies be ashamed of their conduct. May the wicked fail in their schemes, immediately. May there ways be confused right now, so they don't continue in their wrath, but it stops, right now.

Promise: God is there in moments of feeling defeated.

Romans 14:10-12 - The Judgment of God in Christ

Romans 14:10-12 - ¹⁰ But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹ For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

¹² So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

Message: Leaving Judgment to God

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

I continue to walk through Romans 14, which I think looks at Christian Liberty, or how the Christian is to live in a multifaceted world that has many different choices and points of decision, and many of these are not directly addressed in the Word of God. So, in these matters, how am I to conduct myself? As a Christian, I have already seen some key principles in the preceding verses: 

• "Each person should be fully convinced in his own mind." - Verse 5; To me, this means as the Holy Spirit convicts me of sin or things points of emphasis or discipline in my life, I am to examine my life and go forward fully convinced. 
• "Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." - Verse 8; To me, this means that no matter what these differences may be, the bottom line is I am in the Lord's hands and my life is to lived to Him and for His glory. This is my motive. This is my number one motive in life. I am not living to benefit myself, but for His glory and praise. 
• "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?" - Verse 4; To me, I am to not ever make it that I am somehow better than another person because I think my convictions are correct. This is a huge application to me. I can be convicted about something but never to the point of belittling someone else. But this doesn't mean I should never judge, for the scripture is clear that judgment is necessary upon my brother that is publicly in sin. 

People love to focus on other people's sin or problems. It is our human nature to look down on others as it shifts the focus off of us and onto someone else. It means that we don't have to look at ourselves, but just the log in someone else. 

Why do you judge?
I remember Romans 2:1, "Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself." This was after Paul showed the digression of the person that rejects God in chapter 1. No one has an excuse, but when we judge someone else, we condemn ourselves. Again, it isn't that we are not supposed to judge, but we must be careful when we do it and how we do it. I'm thinking of church discipline for one. If there is a question or doubt, then simply leave it up to God. 

Each of us will give an account
I think I often judge someone else because I am impatient. And I want to be God. I want to be judge and jury and give what I think is rightfully to another person. I am subtle with being critical. But the important thing is to remember that God has it under his control. He will take care of it. Each person will give an account of himself to God and every knee will bow before God at one point. 

  

Promise: I ought to be more concerned with how my thoughts and attitudes will be evaluated on the final day than with how God will measure the heart of others.

Romans 13:5 - Submission for Conscience's Sake

Romans 13:5 - Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

Message: Be in subjection

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

It is clear from these verses the government has a purpose and God set up government because at the moment man sinned people would need to be restrained and protected. And when his people get out of line punishment would be necessary. And as we talked about yesterday, the government are God's representatives to avenge wrongdoers. But it must be clear that as I look at these verses, my thinking should not simply be how other people are supposed to be. I am not pointing the finger at the government, wanting them to get their act together. But I am to look at myself as a citizen and how I am supposed to respond in a world that is set up with governments. The tendency often in reading anything, any sort of instruction, it to determine how that reading affects others. We are quick to self justify and we are also quick to point the finger as we often say, "the problem is not with me, but the problem is with other people." This is often our outcry: "if other people would just get their act together, then all would be fine and dandy." 

But in verse five Paul reminds us of our personal responsibility. Verse one told us that "there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God." In verse 2, a "resistance to authority" means then we have resisted God. Paul says in this book that "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" and yet by resisting authority we receive condemnation ourselves. If we do good we should have nothing to fear. But if we do evil we should not be surprised at the wrath that comes from it.

And now in verse five, because of this, because of what God has established we are to be in subjection to it. This is it, first and foremost submission is to happen because God has established it. Yet, Paul reminds us that people are not just motivated because of God's authority. In verse five, Paul reminds us that we are in subjection also because of the wrath upon the individual when they do not practice what is good but instead practice evil. Bad things will happen when we disobey the law. Law disobedience often results in fines where our money that is earned is now to be paid to the government. Our job is to protect our family and to glorify God but we can't do this if we were stuck in the cell serving a sentence. And then Paul also concludes that we are to be in subjection to our authority because our conscience move us in this direction.

Man has been given a conscience. This confidence comes from God as we saw in Romans two verse 15, "their conscience bearing witness and thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them."

So again in these verses God tells us that we are to be obedient to the law because God institutes it, God chooses the penalty or the wrath that comes from being disobedient but also he has given us a conscience to know right and wrong. Is not this conscience amazing? It is tragic to see people that do not ascribe this to God but rather somehow our own personal faculties just developed this conscience or that it is through trial and error. Again, as it says in Romans one verse 25, "they exchange the truth of God for a lie." This is why I like the law and grace method of evangelism because it appeals to the conscience.

Promise: Doing good for any reason is better than doing evil, but the Lord does not find our doing good pleasing unless we are doing it for the right reasons.

Romans 13:4b - The Government and the Sword

Romans 13:4b - But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

Message: The government's vocation is to carry the sword (badge) and execute God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:


Doing wrong
It seems that the primary role of government--found here in these verses--is to uphold good. The Scripture says, "but if you do wrong, be afraid." We must uphold the rules of our society and if we do wrong in our own accord, we should not be surprised of the penalty. This is the essence of these verses. Yet, we are not to submit to the government when they uphold terror or do things that are contrary to the word of God.

The sword or badge
The passage also says, "for he does not bear the sword in vain." The sword in this verse is similar to a badge that a sheriff would wear. The badge is emblematic, informing people of the authority of the person wearing it. Now I remember watching movies--westerns--where the sheriffs wore this badge and yet was on the side of evil. That was one of the tensions in the movie. And this is a tension in life sometimes because we half to decipher what good and evil are.

The tension in our society today
This issue of homosexuality and gay marriage is something that is difficult to decipher. Our government is moving more and more toward a leadership that upholds this as good. And yet, at one level, what they are intending to do or the outcome is often one of fairness by simply allowing the citizens to share in the benefits, such as tax benefits, afforded other married people. So on the one hand that doesn't appear to be something that is evil. But in so doing it communicates a message of approving the citizens choice for these unnatural relationships.

So the government that we are commanded to uphold now in these verses is moving more and more toward upholding things that conflict with the Bible (and yet there is even discussion now that these verses have different meaning today). In some ways right and wrong, 100 years ago, was more clearly defined. But now with the ever increasing rights of each person and the affirmation of the individuality of each person, the application of this verse seems to get tougher.

People should see the badge or the sword and its authority and desire to keep the law just by that viewing of authority, even if there was no other motive.

Exacting vengeance
In verse 4, it states that the one who is in authority is "the servant of God, and avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." The Scripture says, "vengeance is Mine, declares the Lord" and yet God appoints government to carry out wrath on the wrongdoer. But now in this world in which right and wrong becomes more blurry, men start not seeing the government carrying out wrath on the wrongdoer but instead see the need to do it themselves.

I see this type of thinking present everywhere. I see this in movies when a father's child is kidnapped and rather than waiting for the government/law/police he wants to take matters into his own hands and the movie often even paints the picture that if the person would have waited for the law the matter would not have resolved and life would not have been spared. I see this in my job when a coworker does something that I don't like, rather than waiting for my boss to do something, I take vengeance into my own hands. Why do I do this? Often it is because (1) I am inpatient and don't want to wait for my boss, (2) but it is also because my boss does not execute vengeance in the manner in which I want it done. I see this in life when a courts decision is not to punish an offender because they get off on a technicality and so people take the matter into their own hands. Recently, there has been an eruption of police officers getting shot because the courts did not execute vengeance upon these officers in the way the people wanted and so "an Oxbow Incident" erupts.

It is interesting because I even see this in the TV shows that we watch. I see this in shows like Hawaii 5O, a special task force is assigned by the governor, and this task force often carries out wrath on the wrongdoer in ways that are not in line with the laws, but we like it because the person is 'getting what they deserve.' Chicago PD is another show that does this because criminals with the use of lawyers and their inalienable rights have figured out how to get around the law so the Chicago PD officers threaten or use excessive violence in order to save a person. It is subtle but authority is continually being compromised.

Conclusion
And so being a Christian and upholding these verses makes us look even more backwards to society and our peers. Reading and studying God's word is a challenge. How much more do we need the fellowship with one another, the talking about these verses and prayer.

Promise: God's promise and his plan is correct. The state is to uphold good and carry out wrath on the wrongdoer.