A Daily Devotional

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Foundations Out Of Course (#19920606)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course” (Psalm 82:5).

Christians sometimes wish they could call down God’s judgment on the wicked, especially wicked rulers. In almost every civilization throughout history, men and women have been oppressed by their own despotic rulers or invaders from outside their nation’s borders. It seems that the Jewish people and Christian believers have received more than their share of persecution, and it is a comfort to realize that there is Biblical precedent for the grieved saint to call out to God for action and justice. In this psalm, the writer does just that.

The judges of the day were evidently quite unjust. The psalmist calls on them to “defend the poor and fatherless” (vs.3,4), but his cries were not heeded. Our text tells us that the rulers were devoid of understanding, and walked in darkness: “all the foundations of the earth are out of course.”

In our day, those who defend animal rights advocate the killing of unborn children. Many cry: “Protect the guilty” while they ignore the innocent victim. Adherents to academic freedom tell us that only evolution is science, and creation must not be allowed in schools. We must be tolerant of all viewpoints, say liberal professors, except the Biblical world view. Homosexuals seek favored status, calling good evil and evil good. Certainly something is “out of course.”

Our confidence, however, rests in God, who “standeth in the congregation of the mighty” (v.1). He sees the injustice and will act accordingly, as He sees best. It may be sooner or later than we would like, but He will act at the proper time, in the proper way. In the meantime, it is proper for us to pray as did the psalmist, “Arise, O God, judge the earth” (v.. Until then, “Commit thy way unto the L SIZE="-1">ORD; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5). JDM

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Personal Greetings (#19920607)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them” (Romans 16:14).

An interesting phenomenon occurs in the closing chapter of many of Paul’s epistles, which may at first seem incongruous with the Biblical doctrine of plenary verbal inspiration. This phenomenon is the recital of various names of individuals—people in the churches from which, or to which, he was writing. Most of them are people about whom we know nothing whatever except their names, as listed by Paul. There are 11 people mentioned by name in Colossians 4:7-17. In Paul’s final epistle to Timothy right after he had written the great passage on the inspiration of the Bible (II Timothy 3:16,17), he mentioned no less than 18 names. In the last chapter of Romans were listed 35 names, five of which are included in the one short verse of our text!

The question is why did the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to include so many personal names of people who were of only local interest in epistles which God intended to be used by Christians everywhere? And, of course, these lists of names are dwarfed in comparison to the very extensive lists in the Old Testament (e.g., Numbers 7, 26).

Perhaps the main reason for their permanent inscripturation in this fashion is simply to illustrate the great truth that God knows and cares about every one of His children. We do know that each of our names is written in “the book of life of the Lamb” and in God’s “book of remembrance . . . for them that feared the L SIZE="-1">ORD, and that thought upon His name” (Revelation 13:8; Malachi 3:16). Perhaps, as a small token and assurance of these great lists in heaven, God has listed a few of these names in His Book here on earth. They were ordinary people just like us, and it will be our privilege, as Paul instructs in our text, to “salute Asyncritus” when we can, and all the other believers who have gone before us! HMM

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The Eternal Cosmos (#19920608)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass” (Psalm 148:6).

In this central psalm of the last five psalms comprising the “Hallelujah” epilogue to the book of Psalms, the entire physical creation is exhorted to praise the Lord, as all the universe is restored to its primeval perfection. All the people of the earth, all the angels, even all the animals, will praise the Lord.

Furthermore, in some way which can only be understood by faith, the entire inorganic creation—sun, moon, stars, mountains, winds, everything—will be able to praise Him. Even the primeval “waters above the heavens” (Genesis 1:7-9) will have been restored, and they will praise the Lord (Psalm 148:4,5).

And all of this will continue forever and ever! The new heavens and new earth—that is, the renewed heavens and earth, with the curse removed (Revelation 22:3)—the sun and moon and stars, with the eternal throne of the Lord Jesus established on the earth in the New Jerusalem, in the midst of all the redeemed men and women of all the ages—all of these will forever be a praise to God.

God is not capricious, and He does not fail. He will not “uncreate” what He has created. “Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever” (Ecclesiastes 3:14). The earth must yet be purged by fire (II Peter 3:10), but it will be renewed in righteousness (v.13), and without any evidences of the former regime of decay and death.

And then it will last forever. “And He built His sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which He hath established for ever” (Psalm 78:69). “(God) laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever” (Psalm 104:5). “And they that turn many to righteousness (shall shine) as the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). HMM

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Inherit The Wind (#19920609)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart” (Proverbs 11:29).

This verse was selected to provide the title for one of the most widely distributed movies ever produced in Hollywood. Inherit the Wind was a black-and-white movie produced in 1960, starring Spencer Tracy as the famous atheist lawyer, Clarence Darrow. The theme of the picture was the Scopes evolution trial held in Tennessee in 1925. The picture glorified Darrow and evolutionism, portraying creationists and Bible-believing Christians as fanatical buffoons.

Although the movie grossly distorted history, it has continued all these years to be shown over and over. The Scopes trial itself—in the absence of any real scientific evidence for evolution—is repeatedly rehashed in print by evolutionists in their zeal to destroy creationism. This is typical of the “profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called” (I Timothy 6:20), to which evolutionists resort in lieu of evidence.

As far as the Scripture verse itself is concerned, it should serve rather as a sober warning to those evolutionary humanists who are still troubling our nation’s homes and schools and churches with this false and deadly doctrine of evolution. They are the ones who will inherit the wind. “The ungodly . . . are like the chaff which the wind driveth away” (Psalm 1:4). They are the ones who, “professing themselves to be wise” have become fools (Romans 1:22), “who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).

It is the one who proclaims “no God,” who is “the fool” (Psalm 53:1) of our text. Evolutionists, humanists, atheists, and other anti-Biblicists will inherit nothing but wind, but “The wise shall inherit glory” (Proverbs 3:35). HMM

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Questions About Creation (#19920610)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding” (Job 38:4).

In Chapters 38-41 of Job is recorded a remarkable series of 77 questions about the creation—questions which God asked Job and his philosophizing friends, and which they were utterly unable to answer. At the end of the searching examination, Job could only confess: “Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not” (Job 42:3). Modern evolutionists, despite all their arrogant pretentions, still are not able to answer them either, over 35 centuries later.

But there is One who can answer them, and His answers echo back from another ancient document, the marvelous 8th chapter of Proverbs. To God’s first question, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” comes His answer: “When He appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by Him” (Proverbs 8:29,30). The speaker here is the divine Wisdom. He is the Word of God, the pre-incarnate Son of God, soon to become the Son of man. In this amazing chapter, He echoes an answer to the most searching of God’s inscrutable questions to Job and his friends:

“Who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth?” (Job 38:. “He set a compass (literally ‘sphericity’) upon the face of the depth: . . . When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment” (Proverbs 8:27,29). “Hast thou commanded the morning . . . and caused the dayspring to know his place?” (Job 38:12). “When He prepared the heavens, I was there” (Proverbs 8:27).

Our Savior was there! “For by Him were all things created” (Colossians 1:16). One more question: “Have the gates of death been opened unto thee?” (Job 38:17). Yes, and they have not prevailed! “For whoso findeth me findeth life, . . . all they that hate me love death” (Proverbs 8:35,36). HMM

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The Furtherance of the Gospel

"But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel" (Philippians 1:12).

The infrequently used word "furtherance" (meaning simply "advancement") occurs elsewhere only in Philippians 1:25 where Paul speaks of the "furtherance and joy of faith" which he hoped to see in the Christians at Philippi, and in I Timothy 4:15, where it is translated "profiting." There Paul urged young Timothy to continue studying the things of God, "that thy profiting may appear to all."

Paul wrote this epistle while he was unjustly imprisoned in a Roman jail, and no doubt he remembered the time when he had first met many of his Philippian Christian friends as a result of being imprisoned and beaten in a Philippian jail (Acts 16:12-40). In fact he had often been imprisoned (II Corinthians 11:23) and had suffered severely in many other ways for "the furtherance of the gospel."

Indeed, during the two years or more he was a prisoner in Rome, he not only taught God's Word to many who visited him there (Acts 28:30-31) but also wrote at least four of his inspired epistles there (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon -- possibly even Hebrews), and these have been of untold blessing to millions down through the years. In ways which Paul could never have imagined, it was true indeed that these things which had happened to him had "fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel."

The apostle Paul had the spiritual insight to realize that what seemed like great problems and difficulties could be used by God to the "advancement" of the gospel. Rather than complaining or even quitting when the Christian life gets hard, we must remember that God can make even "the wrath of man" to bring praise to Him (Psalm 76:10).

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The Redeemed of the Lord

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy" (Psalm 107:2).

This hymn of praise for God's providence centers around four examples of God's deliverance from particular problems. The four situations are as follows: Lost travelers who are out of provisions far from a city (vv.4-5), prisoners imprisoned for their own rebelliousness (vv.1-12), those who have been brought to physical illness due to their sin (vv.17-18), and sailors who face shipwreck on stormy seas (vv.23-27). In each case, the individuals prayed for deliverance which resulted in God's miraculous rescue and a response of praise.

This cycle reminds us of the pattern during the time of the Judges when "every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Due to their rebelliousness, God brought the people of Israel into captivity over and over again. Each time, in the midst of their oppression, they cried unto the Lord, who raised up a judge and empowered him to vanquish the enemy and free the people.

The exact same pattern can be found in Solomon's prayer of dedication for the temple. He recognized man's tendency to rebel and forget the Lord's provision when things are going well, thus eliciting God's judgment. But God has always used times of trouble to bring men and women back to Himself. He is a God of grace and mercy and love, desiring to forgive and restore those who repent and call to Him for deliverance (II Kings .

The same truth applies today. We still tend to rebel, and He remains long-suffering, willing to forgive and restore upon repentance. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (I Peter 1:7).

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Secret Faults vs. Presumptuous Sins

"Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression" (Psalm 19:12-13).

David, the author of this majestic psalm of praise to God for His revelation of Himself and His nature to man, voices his own frustration at his inability to mold his life totally in accordance with God's revealed plan. He recognizes and asks for God's forgiveness for his failures to measure up, and asks for strength to avoid habitual sin patterns and willful rejection of God's way.

God had already made a careful distinction between these types of sins. "The priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. . . . But the soul that doeth aught presumptuously . . . the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him" (Numbers 15:28,30,31).

Paul also recognized such a difference. Keep in mind that all sin is abhorrent to God and must be repented of, resulting, of course, in His forgiveness. But Paul claimed that even his blasphemous, murderous persecution of the church was done "ignorantly in unbelief" (I Timothy 1:13). His plea of ignorance did not excuse his guilt, but through it he "obtained mercy" (v.13) and "grace" (v.14).

This is a "pattern to |us| which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting" (v.16). Let us not be guilty of willful, presumptuous sin, but on these occasions when we do fall, we can be thankful that our "longsuffering" (v.16) Savior still affords us such mercy.

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The Family of a Disciple

"Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting" (Luke 18:28-30).

Unfortunately, this and parallel passages have been wrongly used all too often to justify the abandonment of responsibilities to family in the name of following Christ.

But Christ is not here advocating repudiation of family. Instead, He insists that our allegiance be to Him and to His will. Nothing must be allowed to usurp His rightful position of supremacy in our lives. While it is true that for some a life unencumbered by family duties may result in more efficient ministry (I Corinthians 7:1-9,25-38), family relationships and responsibilities are of great importance to Him (vv.10-24; see also many other passages).

Consider the case of Elisha. God had instructed Elijah to train Elisha to take his place as prophet (I Kings 19:16). Finding Elisha plowing in his father's field (i.e., family duties) with twelve yoke of oxen, "Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him" (v.19).

Elisha knew immediately that he was facing a dramatic change in his life. He did not refuse, argue with, or try to alter the call, but he did recognize a responsibility to his parents. "Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee" (v.20). Elijah agreed. To solidify his determination to leave, Elisha immediately sacrificed a pair of oxen, using as fuel the plowing instruments he had been using. He was, in effect, making a clean break with his former life, yet honoring and respecting his parents.

"Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him" (v.21).

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The Gardens of the Lord

"When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which He entered, and His disciples" (John 18:1).

As Jesus, after the last supper with His disciples, walked out with them, they soon crossed over a small brook and entered the little garden called Gethsemane. Eventually He left the disciples and went farther into the garden alone for a time of solitary prayer.

Perhaps He remembered how, long ago, He had walked in His first garden with Adam and Eve in beautiful fellowship. But then they had rebelled against His Word, and had to be expelled from the Garden of Eden, leaving Him alone there also (Genesis 3:.

As He prayed in Gethsemane, He knew that it would be only a few hours before He would be buried in still another garden, one "wherein was never man yet laid" (John 19:41). He would be carried to a new tomb prepared in a newly planted garden by the loving hands of Joseph and Nicodemus, but then He would be alone once again.

He had walked alone in the first garden, seeking His own; then had knelt alone in the second garden, praying for His own; and finally, was buried alone in the third garden, after dying for His own.

But because He came "to seek and to save that which is lost" (Luke 19:10), and because He now "ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25), after paying the awful price of "redemption through His blood" (Ephesians 1:7), all those who believe and trust Him will spend eternity in fellowship with Him in a beautiful garden city. Here flows "a pure river of water of life" surrounded on both sides by "the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month" (Revelation 22:1-2), and all will be "very good" forever.

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Sowing Continually

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good" (Ecclesiastes 11:6).

In the Bible, the common occupation of sowing seed is frequently used as a symbol of witnessing for the Lord. Unlike an actual farmer, however, Christian seed-sowers are to engage in their occupation perpetually, day after day, morning and evening, everywhere they go. "Cast thy bread upon the waters," the wise Preacher said, "for thou shalt find it after many days" (Ecclesiastes 11:1). The sowing is often difficult, but is necessary before the fruit can grow, and the promise is that "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy" (Psalm 126:5).

Often others may reap the fruit of our seed-sowing labors (or we may reap the fruit of theirs), but that is all right, for Christ Himself said that "One soweth, and another reapeth" so that "both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together" (John 4:37, 36). Paul said: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (I Corinthians 3:6).

Some seed, faithfully sown, may not seem to grow at all. In Christ's great parable of the sower, much of the seed fell by the wayside or on rocky or weed-infested ground, but "other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit" (Matthew 13:. It is our job to be sure that the seed we sow is good seed, wherever we go -- by word, by life, by giving, by listening, by our very presence, by praying, by whatever we say or do or even think -- and then to trust God to bring forth the fruit according to His own perfect will.

"Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters" (Isaiah 32:20). Therefore, "in the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening," and God will prosper our faithfulness in His own good way and time.

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The Battle for Purity

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (II Timothy 2:19).

One of Paul's major messages to his young disciple Timothy was to strive for purity in every area of his life. Compromise and impurity were not to be glossed over; they were to be vigorously opposed.

Concerning purity in doctrine, Paul charged: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15). He was to "charge" his followers not to wrangle over trivial issues, and not to listen to false teaching (v.14). They were to "shun" vulgar and empty talk, knowing that such will only lead to more impurity and doubt (vv.16-18). Furthermore, he was to actively "oppose" those who taught or lived by any other code, doing everything possible to "recover" those ensnared by satanic lies (vv.25-26).

A prerequisite for an effective battle for purity in doctrine is purity in character. A Christian leader must be prepared for the work. "If a man therefore purge himself from these |i.e., false teaching, practices, and attitudes|, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (v.21).

Finally, a Christian leader must have proper and pure relationships with both those who are under his influence and those who must be opposed. "The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves" (vv.24-25). This is a difficult task, but as in our text, our foundation is sure, and we are known fully by the one who leads and empowers us in the work ahead.

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The Days of Youth

"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment" (Ecclesiastes 11:9).

When one reaches maturity and, finally, old age, he will almost inevitably find himself recalling wistfully the days of his youth. Often there will be feelings of regret for wasted opportunities and sinful living, and he would urge young people not to make the same mistakes that he did.

Unfortunately, most young people tend to listen more to their peers than to their seniors. As the old cliché has it -- "too soon old, and too late smart." So the cycle continues, generation after generation.

There have been godly exceptions, of course, such as Mary and Daniel and Timothy, and some today as well, who have maintained a strong stand and witness for God and His Word all their lives. As our text (written by King Solomon in his old age) indicates, youth can and should be a time of real joy, but the best joy is "the joy of the Lord" (Nehemiah 8:10). Such joy is true pleasure and happiness, and is much better than mere "fun."

Our text also confirms that a judgment day is coming, and the misdeeds of youth will be judged along with all the rest. Especially good advice was given by Solomon in his next two verses. "Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh" (Ecclesiastes 11:10-12:1). Paul advised young Timothy: "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (I Timothy 4:12).

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From Disciples to Brethren

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God" (John 20:17).

It is interesting to note that our Lord never called his disciples "brethren" until after His resurrection, and our text, which identifies them as such, was the first thing He uttered after rising from the dead, at least as recorded in Scripture.

Until then He had referred to them in a variety of ways, including "little children" (John 13:33), "brethren," in the sense of brothers in a family (Matthew 12:49), and even "friends."

"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you" (John 15:15). Certainly the disciples held a special place in Christ's heart.

But it was not until He had risen from the dead, He who was "the firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18), the "firstfruits of them that slept" (I Corinthians 15:20), that His disciples, and indeed all who would "believe on |Him| through their word" (John 17:20), could be made "sons of God" (Romans 8:14). "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). This high standing comes as a fulfillment of His determination to "be the firstborn among many brethren" (v.29).

He has relabeled the "great congregation" (Psalm 22:22,25 quoted in Hebrews 2:12) the "church," identifying the individual members as His "brethren," and is not "ashamed" to do so (Hebrews 2:11). As we see in our text, His God is our God, His Father is our Father; in all ways, we who have believed on Him are His brothers. Oh, what a standing is ours!

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The Light And The Sun (#20041016)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

"The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun" (Psalm 74:16). One of the traditional "discrepancies" attributed by the skeptics to the Genesis account of creation is the fact that there was "light" (Hebrew, or) on the first day of creation week, whereas God did not create the "lights" (Hebrew, ma-or) to rule the day and the night until the fourth day. However, it is interesting that modern evolutionary cosmologists find no problem in having light before the sun. According to their speculative reconstruction of cosmic history, light energy was produced in the imaginary "Big Bang" 15 billion years ago, whereas the sun "evolved" only five billion years ago. Thus, even in their attempts to destroy the divine revelation of Genesis, they inadvertently find it necessary to return to its concepts. Light energy somehow had to be "prepared" before the sun and other stars could ever be set up to serve as future generators of light energy. The fact that light is an entity independent of the sun and other heavenly bodies is one of the remarkable scientific insights of the Bible. As the basic form of energy (even intrinsic in the very nature of matter, as expressed in the famous Einstein equation), it is significant that the first recorded word spoken by the Creator was: "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3). In this chapter, the psalmist is entreating the Lord of light, the Creator of all things, to deliver His people from those who are seeking to destroy all genuine faith in the true God of heaven. "The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually" (Psalm 74:23). Nevertheless, "God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth" (v.12). The mighty God of creation, who established and controls all the basic energies of the cosmos and their manifestation on the earth, is fully able to defeat His enemies and establish His people. We can be sure of that. HMM