Greetings!

A Message About Ammon

49     Concerning the Ammonites:

This is what the Lord says:

“Has Israel no sons?

Has she no heirs?

Why then has Molech taken possession of Gad?

Why do his people live in its towns?

² But the days are coming,”

declares the Lord,

“when I will sound the battle cry

against Rabbah of the Ammonites;

it will become a mound of ruins,

and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.

Then Israel will drive out

those who drove her out,”

says the Lord.

³ “Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed!

Cry out, O inhabitants of Rabbah!

Put on sackcloth and mourn;

rush here and there inside the walls,

for Molech will go into exile,

together with his priests and officials.

⁴ Why do you boast of your valleys,

boast of your valleys so fruitful?

O unfaithful daughter,

you trust in your riches and say,

‘Who will attack me?’

⁵ I will bring terror on you

from all those around you,”

declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

“Every one of you will be driven away,

and no one will gather the fugitives.

⁶ “Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the

Ammonites,”

declares the Lord.

A Message About Edom

⁷ Concerning Edom:

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?

Has counsel perished from the prudent?

Has their wisdom decayed?

⁸ Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,

you who live in Dedan,

for I will bring disaster on Esau

at the time I punish him.

⁹ If grape pickers came to you,

would they not leave a few grapes?

If thieves came during the night,

would they not steal only as much as they wanted?

¹⁰ But I will strip Esau bare;

I will uncover his hiding places,

so that he cannot conceal himself.

His children, relatives and neighbors will perish,

and he will be no more.

¹¹ Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives.

Your widows too can trust in me.”

¹² This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. ¹³ I swear by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become a ruin and an object of horror, of reproach and of cursing; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”

¹⁴ I have heard a message from the Lord:

An envoy was sent to the nations to say,

“Assemble yourselves to attack it!

Rise up for battle!”

¹⁵ “Now I will make you small among the nations,

despised among men.

¹⁶ The terror you inspire

and the pride of your heart have deceived you,

you who live in the clefts of the rocks,

who occupy the heights of the hill.

Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s,

from there I will bring you down,”

declares the Lord.

¹⁷ “Edom will become an object of horror;

all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff

because of all its wounds.

¹⁸ As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown,

along with their neighboring towns,”

says the Lord,

“so no one will live there;

no man will dwell in it.

¹⁹ “Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets

to a rich pastureland,

I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.

Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?

Who is like me and who can challenge me?

And what shepherd can stand against me?”

²⁰ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,

what he has purposed against those who live in Teman:

The young of the flock will be dragged away;

he will completely destroy their pasture because of them.

²¹ At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;

their cry will resound to the Red Sea.

²² Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down,

spreading its wings over Bozrah.

In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors

will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

A Message About Damascus

²³ Concerning Damascus:

“Hamath and Arpad are dismayed,

for they have heard bad news.

They are disheartened,

troubled like the restless sea.

²⁴ Damascus has become feeble,

she has turned to flee

and panic has gripped her;

anguish and pain have seized her,

pain like that of a woman in labor.

²⁵ Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,

the town in which I delight?

²⁶ Surely, her young men will fall in the streets;

all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”

declares the Lord Almighty.

²⁷ “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;

it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.”

A Message About Kedar and Hazor

²⁸ Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked:

This is what the Lord says:

“Arise, and attack Kedar

and destroy the people of the East.

²⁹ Their tents and their flocks will be taken;

their shelters will be carried off

with all their goods and camels.

Men will shout to them,

‘Terror on every side!’

³⁰ “Flee quickly away!

Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,”

declares the Lord.

“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you;

he has devised a plan against you.

³¹ “Arise and attack a nation at ease,

which lives in confidence,”

declares the Lord,

“a nation that has neither gates nor bars;

its people live alone.

³² Their camels will become plunder,

and their large herds will be booty.

I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant

places

and will bring disaster on them from every side,”

declares the Lord.

³³ “Hazor will become a haunt of jackals,

a desolate place forever.

No one will live there;

no man will dwell in it.”

A Message About Elam

³⁴ This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:

³⁵ This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will break the bow of Elam,

the mainstay of their might.

³⁶ I will bring against Elam the four winds

from the four quarters of the heavens;

I will scatter them to the four winds,

and there will not be a nation

where Elam’s exiles do not go.

³⁷ I will shatter Elam before their foes,

before those who seek their lives;

I will bring disaster upon them,

even my fierce anger,”

declares the Lord.

“I will pursue them with the sword

until I have made an end of them.

³⁸ I will set my throne in Elam

and destroy her king and officials,”

declares the Lord.

³⁹ “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam

in days to come,”

declares the Lord.

A Message About Babylon

50     This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians:

² “Announce and proclaim among the nations,

lift up a banner and proclaim it;

keep nothing back, but say,

‘Babylon will be captured;

Bel will be put to shame,

Marduk filled with terror.

Her images will be put to shame

and her idols filled with terror.’

³ A nation from the north will attack her

and lay waste her land.

No one will live in it;

both men and animals will flee away.

⁴ “In those days, at that time,”

declares the Lord,

“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together

will go in tears to seek the Lord their God.

⁵ They will ask the way to Zion

and turn their faces toward it.

They will come and bind themselves to the Lord

in an everlasting covenant

that will not be forgotten.

⁶ “My people have been lost sheep;

their shepherds have led them astray

and caused them to roam on the mountains.

They wandered over mountain and hill

and forgot their own resting place.

⁷ Whoever found them devoured them;

their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,

for they sinned against the Lord, their true pasture,

the Lord, the hope of their fathers.’

⁸ “Flee out of Babylon;

leave the land of the Babylonians,

and be like the goats that lead the flock.

⁹ For I will stir up and bring against Babylon

an alliance of great nations from the land of the north.

They will take up their positions against her,

and from the north she will be captured.

Their arrows will be like skilled warriors

who do not return empty-handed.

¹⁰ So Babylonia will be plundered;

all who plunder her will have their fill,”

declares the Lord.

¹¹ “Because you rejoice and are glad,

you who pillage my inheritance,

because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain

and neigh like stallions,

¹² your mother will be greatly ashamed;

she who gave you birth will be disgraced.

She will be the least of the nations—

a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.

¹³ Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited

but will be completely desolate.

All who pass Babylon will be horrified and scoff

because of all her wounds.

¹⁴ “Take up your positions around Babylon,

all you who draw the bow.

Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,

for she has sinned against the Lord.

¹⁵ Shout against her on every side!

She surrenders, her towers fall,

her walls are torn down.

Since this is the vengeance of the Lord,

take vengeance on her;

do to her as she has done to others.

¹⁶ Cut off from Babylon the sower,

and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.

Because of the sword of the oppressor

let everyone return to his own people,

let everyone flee to his own land.

¹⁷ “Israel is a scattered flock

that lions have chased away.

The first to devour him

was the king of Assyria;

the last to crush his bones

was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

¹⁸ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land

as I punished the king of Assyria.

¹⁹ But I will bring Israel back to his own pasture

and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan;

his appetite will be satisfied

on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.

²⁰ In those days, at that time,”

declares the Lord,

“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,

but there will be none,

and for the sins of Judah,

but none will be found,

for I will forgive the remnant I spare.

²¹ “Attack the land of Merathaim

and those who live in Pekod.

Pursue, kill and completely destroy them,”

declares the Lord.

“Do everything I have commanded you.

²² The noise of battle is in the land,

the noise of great destruction!

²³ How broken and shattered

is the hammer of the whole earth!

How desolate is Babylon

among the nations!

²⁴ I set a trap for you, O Babylon,

and you were caught before you knew it;

you were found and captured

because you opposed the Lord.

²⁵ The Lord has opened his arsenal

and brought out the weapons of his wrath,

for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do

in the land of the Babylonians.

²⁶ Come against her from afar.

Break open her granaries;

pile her up like heaps of grain.

Completely destroy her

and leave her no remnant.

²⁷ Kill all her young bulls;

let them go down to the slaughter!

Woe to them! For their day has come,

the time for them to be punished.

²⁸ Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon

declaring in Zion

how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,

vengeance for his temple.

²⁹ “Summon archers against Babylon,

all those who draw the bow.

Encamp all around her;

let no one escape.

Repay her for her deeds;

do to her as she has done.

For she has defied the Lord,

the Holy One of Israel.

³⁰ Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets;

all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”

declares the Lord.

³¹ “See, I am against you, O arrogant one,”

declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,

“for your day has come,

the time for you to be punished.

³² The arrogant one will stumble and fall

and no one will help her up;

I will kindle a fire in her towns

that will consume all who are around her.”

³³ This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“The people of Israel are oppressed,

and the people of Judah as well.

All their captors hold them fast,

refusing to let them go.

³⁴ Yet their Redeemer is strong;

the Lord Almighty is his name.

He will vigorously defend their cause

so that he may bring rest to their land,

but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

³⁵ “A sword against the Babylonians!”

declares the Lord—

“against those who live in Babylon

and against her officials and wise men!

³⁶ A sword against her false prophets!

They will become fools.

A sword against her warriors!

They will be filled with terror.

³⁷ A sword against her horses and chariots

and all the foreigners in her ranks!

They will become women.

A sword against her treasures!

They will be plundered.

³⁸ A drought on her waters!

They will dry up.

For it is a land of idols,

idols that will go mad with terror.

³⁹ “So desert creatures and hyenas will live there,

and there the owl will dwell.

It will never again be inhabited

or lived in from generation to generation.

⁴⁰ As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah

along with their neighboring towns,”

declares the Lord,

“so no one will live there;

no man will dwell in it.

⁴¹ “Look! An army is coming from the north;

a great nation and many kings

are being stirred up from the ends of the earth.

⁴² They are armed with bows and spears;

they are cruel and without mercy.

They sound like the roaring sea

as they ride on their horses;

they come like men in battle formation

to attack you, O Daughter of Babylon.

⁴³ The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,

and his hands hang limp.

Anguish has gripped him,

pain like that of a woman in labor.

⁴⁴ Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets

to a rich pastureland,

I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.

Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?

Who is like me and who can challenge me?

And what shepherd can stand against me?”

⁴⁵ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,

what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians:

The young of the flock will be dragged away;

he will completely destroy their pasture because of them.

⁴⁶ At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;

its cry will resound among the nations.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!

More Proverbs of Solomon

25     These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

³ As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,

so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴ Remove the dross from the silver,

and out comes material for the silversmith;

⁵ remove the wicked from the king’s presence,

and his throne will be established through righteousness.

⁶ Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,

and do not claim a place among great men;

⁷ it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”

than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.

What you have seen with your eyes

⁸ do not bring hastily to court,

for what will you do in the end

if your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹ If you argue your case with a neighbor,

do not betray another man’s confidence,

¹⁰ or he who hears it may shame you

and you will never lose your bad reputation.

¹¹ A word aptly spoken

is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹² Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold

is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

That is easy advice to give but tough to take.  Yet if I get wise criticism from others I am hurting myself to ignore it.  I find that it is easier to take “criticism” when reading it in books or the Bible, as it is less personal then.  I don’t get as defensive because I don’t have another human there to see my immediate reactions.

¹³ Like the coolness of snow at harvest time

is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;

he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

¹⁴ Like clouds and wind without rain

is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.

¹⁵ Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,

and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶ If you find honey, eat just enough—

too much of it, and you will vomit.

¹⁷ Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—

too much of you, and he will hate you.

¹⁸ Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow

is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.

¹⁹ Like a bad tooth or a lame foot

is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.

God puts a high priority on honesty in regular life and in court.  Having a trusted friend is of great value.

²⁰ Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,

or like vinegar poured on soda,

is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²² In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you.

This advice runs counter to what the world will tell you.  Christianity (and at this time, Judaism) turns the world upside down, which is really to say it puts it back the way God intended it.

²³ As a north wind brings rain,

so a sly tongue brings angry looks.

²⁴ Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

People usually chuckle at that verse but consider its truth.  You could marry an extremely attractive person, but how wise is that if they treat you poorly or are unfaithful? 

²⁵ Like cold water to a weary soul

is good news from a distant land.

²⁶ Like a muddied spring or a polluted well

is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

²⁷ It is not good to eat too much honey,

nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.

²⁸ Like a city whose walls are broken down

is a man who lacks self-control.

Self control is a key success factor in life.  You’ll do and say far fewer stupid things which cause pain for yourself and others.  And seeking glory for ourselves usually turns out badly.

 The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!

Psalm 69

¹ Save me, O God,

for the waters have come up to my neck.

² I sink in the miry depths,

where there is no foothold.

I have come into the deep waters;

the floods engulf me.

³ I am worn out calling for help;

my throat is parched.

My eyes fail, looking for my God.

⁴ Those who hate me without reason

outnumber the hairs of my head;

many are my enemies without cause,

those who seek to destroy me.

God knows the number of hairs on our head and He knows all about our enemies.

I am forced to restore

what I did not steal.

⁵ You know my folly, O God;

my guilt is not hidden from you.

⁶ May those who hope in you

not be disgraced because of me,

O Lord, the Lord Almighty;

may those who seek you

not be put to shame because of me,

O God of Israel.

David knows he is a sinner, just as all of us are.  Our righteousness is found in Jesus, not in ourselves.  I also pray that the bad things I do and say won’t disgrace God and his message.

⁷ For I endure scorn for your sake,

and shame covers my face.

⁸ I am a stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my own mother’s sons;

⁹ for zeal for your house consumes me,

and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

As Christians we’ll be mocked for our faith, but we can trust that God knows all and that He (and we!) will win in the end. 

Zeal for God’s house should consume us as well.

¹⁰ When I weep and fast,

I must endure scorn;

¹¹ when I put on sackcloth,

people make sport of me.

¹² Those who sit at the gate mock me,

and I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³ But I pray to you, O Lord,

in the time of your favor;

in your great love, O God,

answer me with your sure salvation.

¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,

do not let me sink;

deliver me from those who hate me,

from the deep waters.

¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me

or the depths swallow me up

or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶ Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love;

in your great mercy turn to me.

¹⁷ Do not hide your face from your servant;

answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

¹⁸ Come near and rescue me;

redeem me because of my foes.

¹⁹ You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;

all my enemies are before you.

²⁰ Scorn has broken my heart

and has left me helpless;

I looked for sympathy, but there was none,

for comforters, but I found none.

²¹ They put gall in my food

and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

²² May the table set before them become a snare;

may it become retribution and a trap.

²³ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.

²⁴ Pour out your wrath on them;

let your fierce anger overtake them.

²⁵ May their place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

²⁶ For they persecute those you wound

and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

²⁷ Charge them with crime upon crime;

do not let them share in your salvation.

²⁸ May they be blotted out of the book of life

and not be listed with the righteous.

²⁹ I am in pain and distress;

may your salvation, O God, protect me.

³⁰ I will praise God’s name in song

and glorify him with thanksgiving.

³¹ This will please the Lord more than an ox,

more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

God desires authentic worship and praise more than empty sacrifices.

³² The poor will see and be glad—

you who seek God, may your hearts live!

³³ The Lord hears the needy

and does not despise his captive people.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and all that move in them,

³⁵ for God will save Zion

and rebuild the cities of Judah.

Then people will settle there and possess it;

³⁶ the children of his servants will inherit it,

and those who love his name will dwell there.

 The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!  This psalm is about victory and celebration. 

Psalm 68

¹ May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;

may his foes flee before him.

² As smoke is blown away by the wind,

may you blow them away;

as wax melts before the fire,

may the wicked perish before God.

³ But may the righteous be glad

and rejoice before God;

may they be happy and joyful.

⁴ Sing to God, sing praise to his name,

extol him who rides on the clouds—

his name is the Lord—

and rejoice before him.

⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

is God in his holy dwelling.

⁶ God sets the lonely in families,

he leads forth the prisoners with singing;

but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

⁷ When you went out before your people, O God,

when you marched through the wasteland, Selah

⁸ the earth shook,

the heavens poured down rain,

before God, the One of Sinai,

before God, the God of Israel.

⁹ You gave abundant showers, O God;

you refreshed your weary inheritance.

¹⁰ Your people settled in it,

and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.

¹¹ The Lord announced the word,

and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:

¹² “Kings and armies flee in haste;

in the camps men divide the plunder.

¹³ Even while you sleep among the campfires,

the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,

its feathers with shining gold.”

¹⁴ When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land,

it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.

¹⁵ The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains;

rugged are the mountains of Bashan.

¹⁶ Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains,

at the mountain where God chooses to reign,

where the Lord himself will dwell forever?

¹⁷ The chariots of God are tens of thousands

and thousands of thousands;

the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.

¹⁸ When you ascended on high,

you led captives in your train;

you received gifts from men,

even from the rebellious—

that you, O Lord God, might dwell there.

My Life Application Study Bible pointed out how verse 18 is quoted in Ephesians 4:8 and is applied to the ministry of the acended Christ.  He won victory over evil and by having faith in him, so can we.

¹⁹ Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,

who daily bears our burdens. Selah

²⁰ Our God is a God who saves;

from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

The Old Testament doesn’t have as many specific references to Heaven as the New Testament but there are many references to salvation and overcoming death.

²¹ Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,

the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.

²² The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;

I will bring them from the depths of the sea,

²³ that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes,

while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”

²⁴ Your procession has come into view, O God,

the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

²⁵ In front are the singers, after them the musicians;

with them are the maidens playing tambourines.

²⁶ Praise God in the great congregation;

praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.

²⁷ There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,

there the great throng of Judah’s princes,

and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

²⁸ Summon your power, O God;

show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.

²⁹ Because of your temple at Jerusalem

kings will bring you gifts.

³⁰ Rebuke the beast among the reeds,

the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.

Humbled, may it bring bars of silver.

Scatter the nations who delight in war.

³¹ Envoys will come from Egypt;

Cush will submit herself to God.

³² Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,

sing praise to the Lord, Selah

³³ to him who rides the ancient skies above,

who thunders with mighty voice.

³⁴ Proclaim the power of God,

whose majesty is over Israel,

whose power is in the skies.

³⁵ You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;

the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!  This short Psalm makes many references to how God is the God of all people, not just the Israelites.  They were the messengers of his salvation and the message is to go to all nations.  Sadly, many Jewish people didn’t pick up on that theme and many in the  church today ignore this.  They rationalize that all religions lead to God, but that isn’t a biblical theme at all.

Psalm 67

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face shine upon us, Selah

² that your ways may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

³ May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you.

⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you rule the peoples justly

and guide the nations of the earth. Selah

⁵ May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you.

⁶ Then the land will yield its harvest,

and God, our God, will bless us.

⁷ God will bless us,

and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!  This is one of my favorite books of the Bible. 

Children and Parents

6     Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

⁴ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

My youngest daughter likes to remind me of verse 4.  It is our jobs to teach them about Jesus and his message.  Sunday School classes and youth groups have a role but not the primary one. 

We must discipline and guide our children but not crush their spirits.  And we must live consistently with our professed beliefs.  We’ll all slip at times, but consistently acting one way at church and another at home will lead our kids into cynicism and away from faith. 

Do your children see you acting one way at church and another outside it?

Slaves and Masters

⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶ Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷ Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, ⁸ because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

⁹ And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

That is very similar advice to what Paul gave in Colossians 3.

We often think that some people are the enemy, but ultimately the real enemy is Satan.  Some think he isn’t real but the Bible couldn’t be more clear.  He is not some cartoon character in red tights.  Neither is he behind every wrong thing we do.  But he exists and is doing everything he can to keep non-believers from Jesus and believers from being effective ambassadors for Christ.

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Notice how there is no covering for your back.  Never turn away from Satan and get complacent.  Neither do we attack him.  He is smarter and more powerful than we are and we are no match for him, unless we use the word of God as our sword.  Then we can stand up to him. We can resist him and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Paul prayed for boldness to preach the Gospel, and we should do the same.

Final Greetings

²¹ Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. ²² I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

²³ Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

 The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!

5     Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

“Imitators of God” is a tall order!  Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we even consider such a thing.  May we keep an eternal perspective and seek to imitate him in all we do.

³ But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

We rationalize all sorts of thoughts and behavior but verse 3 is timeless in setting a standard for us.  When in doubt we should ask, “is this even a hint?”  We live in such a sex-saturated culture that it is easy for Christians to be like the world.  May God keep us from temptation and failure in this area.

 ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

The 3rd Commandment says not to use the Lord’s name in vain, but v. 4 is more broad. 

 ⁵ For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷ Therefore do not be partners with them.

V. 6 is one of many, many warnings of false teachers.  All paths do not lead to God.  There is one way: Through Jesus.  As v. 7 notes, we should not be partners with those who teach deception.

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴ for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

 Do you make the most of every day to advance God’s kingdom?  It is so easy to get distracted with the “weeds” of the world.

I just listened to a thorough, extended sermon series by John MacArthur that covered verse 18.  He emphasized that the wine we drink is different than they generally used then (ours is served stronger) and that even if we have liberty to drink that it may not be the best choice. 

But under no circumstances should we become intoxicated.  Getting drunk leads to disorted views of the truth and bad decisions and behavior.  Pagan religions at the time thought that getting drunk brought you closer to God.  Paul teaches that the truth is the opposite.  We can’t be filled with alcohol and the Holy Spirit.

¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

²² Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

That passage is often misinterpreted to make Paul out to be a chauvinist.  But the next passage should put things in persepective.  Paul was probably just as controversial back then but for the opposite reasons.  Women were considered property and not treated well at all.  They couldn’t even testify in court.  But Paul teaches husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church.  That was a radical notion!

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

If husbands loved their wives as much as their own bodies then that would make wives rejoice.  That wouldn’t be mistreatment of women at all.  Men are called to be leaders in the home.  There is nothing wrong with that.  But good leaders listen to people under their protection and authority.  A husband would be foolish to ignore his wife.  They are designed to complete each other.

That is another passage stating what should be obvious: God’s ideal for marriage is one man and one woman.  He created us that way.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!

Unity in the Body of Christ

4     As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Unity is such an important theme and such a big challenge.  The key is to ensure we’re unified on the essentials of the faith – the deity of Christ, the  Trinity, the physical resurrection, the exclusivity of Jesus (i.e., He is the only way to salvation), etc.  We don’t have to agree on every minor point.  And we should be humble and gentle with each other when disagreeing.  I’m convicted by that as I write this!

⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) ¹¹ It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

This is an area in the U.S. churches where so many have derailed.  They didn’t do the hard work of study and so they believe all sorts of the enemies lies — including the false idea that we can’t know what is true.  False teachers who say that the Bible supports abortion and oxymoronic “same sex marriage,” among other things.  People who teach the fake prosperity gospel.  And so many others.

Living as Children of Light

¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹ Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

²⁰ You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. ²¹ Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Anger can become sin and give Satan an entry into our lives.

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!

Paul the Preacher to the Gentiles

3     For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

This was radical news for the many Jews but it should not have been.  There are many references in Isaiah and other portions of the Old Testament describing how salvation would come through the Jews for all people with faith in the true God.

Paul makes a clear claim that his words and teachings were divinely inpsired. 

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹ according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³ I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

It is a radical concept that we can approach our creator, the Lord of the universe, with freedom and confidence.  We should do so in a grateful way, of course.  His power is so overwhelming that it is hard to believe that He tells us to approach him this way.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

 The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

What a unique prayer, that we would know the enormity of God’s love – a love that surpasses knowledge – and that we may be filled with the fulness of God.  These promises are so huge it is hard to comprehend them.

Greetings!

Made Alive in Christ

2     As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians is so rich in meaning.  Verses 8-9 are worth committing to memory at a minimum.  In the seemingly endless debates about faith vs. works, this passage stands tall in clarity and importance, especially when you consider v. 10 as well.

We aren’t saved by our good works, we are saved in spite of our bad deeds (v. 1-3).  Even the “good” we did before salvation wasn’t that good, because it was for our glory, not God’s. 

God gives us the faith and the grace for our salvation.  We shouldn’t be proud about it, we should just rejoice. 

One in Christ

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Jesus brought us nes and destroyed the barrier between us and God.  We come to the Father through him.  It wasn’t by anything we did. 

It is amazing to think of how He took us from being enemies worthy of an eternity in Hell to being adopted as children with full rights in his household.  His grace didn’t just take away the punishment for our sins, it gives us so much that we didn’t deserve. 

God’s Spirit lives in us as believers, but too often we quench and grieve the Holy Spirit.