8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Psalms 118:8-9 (NIV)
May Those Who Come Behind Us Find Us Faithful
Chapter 13 - “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana. Certainly that is applicable to the Israelites. May it not be found applicable to us as well. We discover in Chapter 13 - yet again – Ephraim’s dismal actions and what they would eventually lead to – the consequences that would most certainly occur. They neglected to dwell on the Truth of God’s Word and His ways which were clearly pointed out for them – just as they are for us, btw. No surprises here. God had stressed in Deuteronomy the importance of remembrance, teaching and adherence to His Word and they neglected to follow:
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you--a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant--then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Deuteronomy 6:4-12 (NIV)
“Always remain alert to the fact that where one man has gone back is exactly where anyone may go back.” Oswald Chambers
“Every sermon, every Bible lesson, every word of testimony, and every verse of Scripture is a warning, calling us to repentance and revival. Our God is a consuming fire, and a day of judgment is coming. We must not neglect the warning, and today’s church must not forget that our message includes the ministry of warning.” Robert J. Morgan
“We easily fall into idolatry, for we are inclined to it by nature; and coming to us by inheritance, it seems pleasant.” Martin Luther
Ephraim began powerfully – when he spoke, men trembled. He was exalted in Israel yet his exaltation led to his pride which led to his downfall. Idolatry was the sin that most easily beset the Jewish nation and God had given them law forbidding them to worship any god but Him. Yet, in their arrogance this prominent tribe had taken the lead in Baal worship and therefore was as good as dead. Their multiplied idols and images added to their guilt – they continued to sin more and more - cleverly fashioning images from their silver with their own hands according to their own desires. They debased themselves further through child sacrifice and the absurdity of kissing the calf-idols. The judgment of God would make these idolaters quickly vanish. The four similes used – mist, dew, chaff and smoke emphasizes the extremely transitory condition of the idolaters. Their prosperity and their expectations from their idols would prove worthless – escaping like smoke through a window.
The Lord again reminds them of His gracious deeds at the beginning of their history with Him, leading them from Egypt with a mighty arm, caring for them in the wilderness – in the land of burning heat - and giving them the lush and rich land of promise. In return for such blessings they should have acknowledged the Lord as their God and Savior. Instead they became proud and forgot Him. Oh Lord please keep us from this.
“They do not go wrong who go in the company of God. Like Enoch, walk with God, and you cannot mistake your road. You have infallible wisdom to direct you, immutable love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you. ‘The LORD’ – note the word – ‘The LORD will guide you always.” Charles H. Spurgeon
We must be resolute in following hard after God. A made up mindset with no vacillation is key. We are not to do a “limping dance” a wavering between two opinions. If God is God serve Him; if Baal is god serve him – as Elijah stated. It is impossible to be neutral and walk the fence (so to speak) in God’s eyes.
“A person with half volition goes backwards and forwards, but makes no progress on even the smoothest of roads.” Thomas Carlyle
“Strive to turn your heart from loving things that are seen, and to set it upon things that are not seen…How much better is a lowly peasant who serves God than a proud philosopher who watches the stars and neglects knowing himself…We must not trust every word of others or feeling within ourselves, but cautiously and patiently try the matter, whether it be of God. The more humble a man is in himself, and the more obedient toward God, the wiser will he be in all things, and the more shall his soul be at peace.” Thomas a Kempis
The plentiful provisions God had made for Israel when no relief was to be had in an ordinary way should have humbled and encouraged them that He was a friend indeed. Yet their unworthy ungrateful abuse of God’s favor was appalling. Also, in their superfluous plenty it would have served them well to have been more moderate in the use of His provisions yet they became proud. Their luxury and sensuality made them proud, insolent and confident in themselves. Sounds a bit like America today does it not? Moses had warned against this in Deuteronomy:
12 The Lord alone led him; no foreign god was with him. 13 He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag, 14 with curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats, with choice rams of Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat. You drank the foaming blood of the grape. 15 Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. 16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. 17 They sacrificed to demons, which are not God-- gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. 18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19 The Lord saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters. 20 "I will hide my face from them," he said, "and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. 21 They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. Deuteronomy 32:12-21 (NIV)
Hosea must have felt like the Psalmist who proclaimed:
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed. Psalms 119:136 (NIV)
When one knows the Truth and seeks to proclaim it to a people they love and yet it falls on deaf ears it is heart breaking. They simply refused to learn the easy and best way. Sadly, that reads like America does it not? We ought to know that we live on God when we live on common providence, though we do not, as Israel did in the wilderness, live on miracles. Their actions resulted in God’s action – like a vicious and powerful wild beast, the Lord would attack His people. The lion is observed to aim at the heart of the beasts he preys on, and thus God will come upon them like a lion – aiming at the heart. God is always about the heart of the matter. The judgments of God against unrepentant sinners will be terrible. They will be torn apart and their souls filled with confusion. Ironically, the Helper of Israel would become her Destroyer because she was against Him, He would now be against her. Israel was to blame for her own ruin – she could point no fingers. They were destroyed because they were against God – against their helper - not for Him. Jesus states:
23 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” Luke 11:23 (NIV)
When the Lord would come to destroy no one would be able to save the people, not even the political leaders they had demanded from the Lord. God had not overlooked Israel’s guilt. Ephraim’s sinful deeds were compared to a document which is bound up and a treasure which is stored up and kept on record. Their former sins contributed to their present destruction for they were sealed in God’s vaults. The sin of sinners is not forgotten until it is pardoned. Through both figures Israel’s sins were pictured as something guarded carefully till the day of retribution when they would be brought forth as testimony against the nation. Again, Moses states in Deuteronomy:
34 “Have I not kept this in reserve and sealed it in my vaults? 35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.” Deuteronomy 32:34-35 (NIV)
They are their own ruin because they would not do what they should do towards their own salvation. Any basis for hope had all but disappeared. Israel had not responded to God’s call for repentance during the period of grace He had extended. The procrastinating nation was compared to a baby which does not come out of its mother’s womb despite her strenuous efforts in labor. They shall be thrown into pangs and agonies – very sharp and severe – like the pains of a woman in labor - in order that they may be delivered - and by these travails He intends them for their good. They are punished that they may not be destroyed. Yet they do not repent and so they cannot expect the joy of deliverance. Such a delay in labor will result in death for both mother and child. Since the baby seemingly does not observe the proper time for his birth, he is referred to, figuratively, as without wisdom. Ecclesiastes states:
5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. 6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him. Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 (NIV)
Sin turns this fruitful tribe into barrenness. God was about to take away in wrath by the power of the king of Assyria. The next two questions – “Where, O death, are your plagues?” “Where, O grave, is your destruction?” – are appeals for death to unleash its “plagues” and “destruction” against Ephraim – not a triumphal cry of victory over death as Paul uses in the same terminology in 1 Corinthians 15:55 where he speaks of death being swallowed up in victory. With the Lord’s compassion removed, Israel’s prosperity would come to an abrupt end. The Lord would come like a hot east wind which dries up everything in its path. The reality behind the figure is the Assyrian invasion, as the references to plundering and military atrocities make clear. Destruction would come, God said, because Israel had rebelled against Him and remained unrepentant.
Read November 11 – My All In All
God is to be our helper – at all times and in all ways. Trust Him in this. It is His desire for us to go in his all-achieving power and strength. We must beware of hindrances to His power which will ultimately harm us and those in our spheres.
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. 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. Ephesians 5:15-20 (NIV)
Read Michael Youssef’s handout
Read Come Away My Beloved – page 105 – Keep Your Face Toward The Sunrise.
“The colored sunsets and starry heavens, the beautiful mountains and the shining seas, the fragrant woods and painted flowers, are not half so beautiful as a soul that is serving Jesus out of love in the wear and tear of common, unpoetic life.” Faber
“The most saintly spirits are often existing in those who have never distinguished themselves as authors, or let any memorial of themselves to be the theme of the world’s talk; but who have led an interior angelic life, having borne their sweet blossoms unseen like the young lily in a sequestered vale on the bank of a limpid stream.” Kenelm Digby
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalms 45:1 (NIV)
Quote Hebrews 11:32 – 12:29
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. 14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. 18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
15 He who has ears, let him hear. Matthew 11:15 (NIV)
These are Beth’s personal notes, due to this fact sources are not often stated.