From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] daily devotional
Evening ...
Job 38:16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?
Some things in nature must remain a mystery to the most intelligent and
enterprising investigators. Human knowledge has bounds beyond which it cannot
pass. Universal knowledge is for God alone. If this be so in the things which
are seen and temporal, I may rest assured that it is even more so in matters
spiritual and eternal. Why, then, have I been torturing my brain with
speculations as to destiny and will, fixed fate, and human responsibility?
These deep and dark truths I am no more able to comprehend than to find out the
depth which coucheth beneath, from which old ocean draws her watery stores. Why
am I so curious to know the reason of my Lord's providences, the motive of His
actions, the design of His visitations? Shall I ever be able to clasp the sun
in my fist, and hold the universe in my palm? yet these are as a drop of a
bucket compared with the Lord my God. Let me not strive to understand the
infinite, but spend my strength in love. What I cannot gain by intellect I can
possess by affection, and let that suffice me. I cannot penetrate the heart of
the sea, but I can enjoy the healthful breezes which sweep over its bosom, and
I can sail over its blue waves with propitious winds. If I could enter the
springs of the sea, the feat would serve no useful purpose either to myself or
to others, it would not save the sinking bark, or give back the drowned mariner
to his weeping wife and children; neither would my solving deep mysteries avail
me a single whit, for the least love to God, and the simplest act of obedience
to Him, are better than the profoundest knowledge. My Lord, I leave the
infinite to Thee, and pray Thee to put far from me such a love for the tree of
knowledge as might keep me from the tree of life.
Morning ...
Philippians 2:15 In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye
shine as lights in the world.
We use lights to make manifest. A Christian man should so shine in his life,
that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the gospel. His
conversation should be such that all who are about him should clearly perceive
whose he is, and whom he serves; and should see the image of Jesus reflected in
his daily actions. Lights are intended for guidance. We are to help those
around us who are in the dark. We are to hold forth to them the Word of life.
We are to point sinners to the Saviour, and the weary to a divine
resting-place. Men sometimes read their Bibles, and fail to understand them; we
should be ready, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of God's
Word, the way of salvation, and the life of godliness. Lights are also used for
warning. On our rocks and shoals a light-house is sure to be erected. Christian
men should know that there are many false lights shown everywhere in the world,
and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan are always
abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure; they hoist the
wrong light, be it ours to put up the true light upon every dangerous rock, to
point out every sin, and tell what it leads to, that so we may be clear of the
blood of all men, shining as lights in the world. Lights also have a very
cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian ought to be a
comforter, with kind words on his lips, and sympathy in his heart; he should
carry sunshine wherever he goes, and diffuse happiness around him.
Gracious Spirit dwell with me;
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would thy life in mine reveal,
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Saviour speak.
Acts 17:10-13
(10) And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto
Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. (11) These were
more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all
readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were
so. (12) Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were
Greeks, and of men, not a few. (13) But when the Jews of Thessalonica had
knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither
also, and stirred up the people.
Hitchcock's Bible Name Dictionary mentions that the name "Berea"
represents something that is heavy or weighty. Even the city's name hints at a
vastly different nature than that described in Matthew 23:23, where Christ
condemns the Pharisees for neglecting the weightier matters of God's law. The
Berean's example was a balanced one in that they separated themselves from the
world around them yet still influenced the conversion of others. The Pharisees'
stri ctness, while perhaps technically correct, lacked the love and concern
that the Bereans embraced as a way of life toward God and others.
The people of Berea certainly placed great importance on their belief
system, but also strived to see the balance of things so that even those of
other cultures and religions could see the fruit produced in their lives.
Hypocrisy does not seem to be a problem that hindered this faithful but
open-minded people.
The Bereans were a unique people with a strong desire to follow God's
truth. They combined genuine character with zeal to lead and live by example
and by the whole Word of God. Their search for the truth did not rely just on
the accepted sources of their time but also on the words and actions of those
shown to be credible leaders of God's people. Once this was evident, their
lives became living examples that others around them could emulate. Their lives
began to show fruitful "works" that centered on God and his truth.
A final intriguing factor unique to the city of Berea is that it was
known for the many streams of water that flow through it. As we know, water
symbolizes several Christian ideas, among them baptism and the Holy Spirit
being most recognized. Water is critical to the survival of a town and its
inhabitants, just as the Holy Spirit is to those within the body of Christ.
In John 4:10-14, Christ speaks of this to the Samaritan woman at the
well. He tells her of the living waters, His Holy Spirit, that would soon
become a part of a person's life if he believed. Once converted, God's elect
soon understood this living water to be as important to spiritual survival as
drinking water is to physical survival. Jesus says, "Whoever drinks of this
water [from Jacob's well (verse 6)] will thirst again, but whoever drinks of
the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall
give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting
life" (verses 13-14).
Not only Berea's name but also the city's physical attributes have
spiritual connotations. That the city is well-watered symbolizes the
relationship between the Berean's faith and flow of God's Holy Spirit through
their lives on a daily basis. This, too, should be a good reminder to us to
partake of a daily diet of God's Holy Spirit through study, meditation, and
prayer.
Rod Keesee
From The Berean Example
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daily devotional
Evening ...
Numbers 6:4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of
the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
Nazarites had taken, among other vows, one which debarred them from the use
of wine. In order that they might not violate the obligation, they were
forbidden to drink the vinegar of wine or strong liquors, and to make the rule
still more clear, they were not to touch the unfermented juice of grapes, nor
even to eat the fruit either fresh or dried. In order, altogether, to secure
the integrity of the vow, they were not even allowed anything that had to do
with the vine; they were, in fact, to avoid the appearance of evil. Surely this
is a lesson to the Lord's separated ones, teaching them to come away from sin
in every form, to avoid not merely its grosser shapes, but even its spirit and
similitude. Strict walking is much despised in these days, but rest assured,
dear reader, it is both the safest and the happiest. He who yields a point or
two to the world is in fearful peril; he who eats the grapes of Sodom will soon
drink the wine of Gomorrah. A little crevice in the sea-bank in Holland lets in
the sea, and the gap speedily swells till a province is drowned. Worldly
conformity, in any degree, is a snare to the soul, and makes it more and more
liable to presumptuous sins. Moreover, as the Nazarite who drank grape juice
could not be quite sure whether it might not have endured a degree of
fermentation, and consequently could not be clear in heart that his vow was
intact, so the yielding, temporizing Christian cannot wear a conscience void of
offence, but must feel that the inward monitor is in doubt of him. Things
doubtful we need not doubt about; they are wrong to us. Things tempting we must
not dally with, but flee from them with speed. Better be sneered at as a
Puritan than be despised as a hypocrite. Careful walking may involve much
self-denial, but it has pleasures of its own which are more than a sufficient
recompense.
Amos 3:1-7
(1) Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of
Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt,
saying, (2) You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I
will punish you for all your iniquities. (3) Can two walk together, except they
be agreed? (4) Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a
young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? (5) Can a bird fall in
a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from
the earth, and have taken nothing at all? (6) Shall a trumpet be blown in the
city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD
hath not done it? (7) Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secret unto his servants the prophets.
Prophecy is both practical and positive, not all gloom and doom. Most of
prophecy begins negatively but ends positively because God is confident that
what He prophesied will accomplish His end, which is always good! Much of the
thrust of Amos is an education for catastrophe. Amos followed Elijah about
90-100 years later. During that period, Israel's sins continued to mount
horribly. Despite this, they became very wealthy and self-indulgent, even
oppressively so.
Religiously, they were trying to walk a tightrope between God and Baal.
They were behaving and worshipping like Baal worshippers but doing it in the
name of the Lord. Does that not sound familiar to an informed observer of our
modern, American scene? People in high places are claiming we all worship the
same God; they say the God of Islam and the God of Christianity are the same!
Amos, a Jew from the southern kingdom, was sent by God to preach against
the sins of the northern ten tribes. In those from the north, there would be a
natural resistance to such an arrangement. The first thing Amos needed to do,
then, was establish his authority to preach against them.
The prophet begins in the first two verses with a "thus saith the LORD,"
providing the foundation for all that follows. He sets out two things that
construct a basis for what he says. First, God and Israel have a special
relationship: "You only have I known." This phrase indicates a very close bond,
as in a marriage, from which ensues the sharing of life's experiences. This
ties what Amos would say to correct them to their responsibilities within that
close relationship.
Second, he makes a veiled warning, contained within the next five verses:
Amos' words carry authority. Israel had better heed because his words are not
idle. He establishes this through a series of illustrations posed as
challenging questions that can logically be answered only one way. His aim is
to awaken them from their spiritual lethargy. It is as if he is saying, "Think
about the practical ramifications of this." What follows is a general pattern
of God's operation in His people's behalf.
First: People traveling in the same direction toward exactly the same
destination would hardly meet except by appointment. It is no accident that God
and Israel have this relationship. This also applies on a smaller but more
immediate scale: Amos has been sent by appointment, and he does not speak
promiscuously. He is there by no accident. His utterances are not his own
words; they began with God, who sent them because the close relationship is
seriously threatened.
Second: Lions do not roar unless they have taken their prey because they
do not want to scare their intended prey away. Israel is God's prey, as it
were, and He is not roaring yet. This means, "Take heed! He is stalking you,
and you are in mortal danger. Punishment is imminent, at the very door. Beware,
for the margin of safety is very slim."
Third: One cannot snare a bird unless a trap is set, and then
something—in this case a bird—has to cause the trap to spring shut. This
illustration is declaring a cause-and-effect relationship, meaning, "Israel,
you are already in the trap, and you, through your conduct, are just about to
spring it shut on yourself. Your sins brought this warning, and punishment will
follow if you continue sinning."
Fourth: All too often, the alarms go off, and then people take notice.
"Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore
the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Ecclesiastes
8:11). Amos is declaring that God is involved in His creation; He has not gone
way off. The Israelites must not allow themselves to be self-deceived. God is
managing it, governing it. His warning of impending calamity would not come if
they were not deserving of it. They have been flippantly careless and have no
one to blame but themselves.
Fifth: It is illogical to think that God would punish without first
warning His people. It is an aspect of His mercy. We can infer that Amos did
not choose to be there before them. God appointed him to this task and "caused"
him to speak. It is from God that the authority for the prophet's message
emanates.
An important overall warning from Amos for those of us who have made the
New Covenant with God is that great privileges must not be abused, or they will
bring great penalties. To whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48). Our
great privilege is to have access to Him and His Spirit, and therefore have a
far closer relationship with Him than Israel ever had under the Old Covenant.
Israel's sin was first neglecting and then departing from God and the
relationship. This in turn produced great moral corruption through self-serving
idolatry, illustrated as and called "fornication" in other books.
The overall effect of these sins produced a careless disregard for the
simple duties people owe their neighbors, as well as oppression of the weak.
Amos speaks strongly against public and private indifference toward the keeping
of the second of the two great commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). When these are
considered, we see that he is truly a prophet for our time, when public
morality has fallen so low. We need to heed His words seriously because our
cultural circumstances parallel what Amos confronted in his day.
John W. Ritenbaugh
From Prophecy and the Sixth-Century Axial Period
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