A Daily Devotional

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The Fear of the Lord

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD." (Psalms 34:11)

This psalm has been a source of great comfort and encouragement to many down through the years. The first section (vv. 1-7) of this acrostic hymn (the first letter of each verse begins with successive letters of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet) consists of the testimony of one who fears the Lord, and the last section (vv. 16-22) describes the deliverance promised those who do fear the Lord, contrasted with the destinies of those who don't. In the center section, David explains what it means to fear the Lord, and invites all who read to join him in fearing God.

Here, the "fear of the LORD" is not so much an attitude as it is a life commitment. "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?" (v. 12). A God-fearing man or woman desires a long life of ministry to others. "To die is gain" (Philippians 1:21), yes, but we should ask for lengthy opportunities to "see good."

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile" (Psalms 34:13). We know that the tongue is capable of incredible harm. The one who fears the Lord should be characterized by a lifestyle of guarded speech.

Not only is our speech to be free from evil, but we are to "depart from evil, and do good" (v. 14) in every area of life as well. Our life's motive should be to "seek peace, and pursue it." Attaining peace may not be easy, but we should strive for it.

The results of such a lifestyle should be reward enough, but our gracious Lord promises even more: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them" (v. 7).

"O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him" (Psalms 34:9).

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The Father of Lights

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17)

God, Himself, is both author and finisher of everything we have that is good. This, of course, is the testimony concerning His creation in the beginning, which was both "very good," and "finished" (Genesis 1:31, 2:1). The unique name "Father of lights" seems to suggest a remarkable scientific insight. Since light is the most basic form of energy, and yet is equivalent also to all other forms, and since literally everything in the physical universe is energy in some form, it is singularly appropriate to speak of the totality of all God's good and perfect gifts in creation as "lights." And, since all these energies are not now being created (only "conserved"), their original source can only be from the Father of lights!

There even seems to be a hint of both of the two great laws of science here: energy conservation as well as energy deterioration. The term "variableness," used only here, means literally transmutation." Just as God is immutable, the total amount of His created "lights" is conserved--neither created nor destroyed. The Second Law states that, in all energy conversions (that is, in everything that happens), the entropy of the universe increases. "Entropy" means "in-turning," coming from two Greek words, en and trope--the second of which is used in this verse. Entropy is a measure of disorganization, and its inexorable increase is a result of God's curse on the creation following man's rebellion. Thus, although the total energy of the universe is conserved (by the First Law), the available energy is decreasing (by the Second Law). Nevertheless, God Himself is not bound by this law which He has imposed, for a time, on His creation. With Him is not even a "shadow" of any "turning" (trope). God never changes, and His purposes can never be defeated!

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The Wall of Partition

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." (Ephesians 2:14)

This middle wall of partition is a figure with important symbolic applications. The only specific Old Testament reference to a partition is to the wall shielding the Holy Place in the Temple of God as built by Solomon. "So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold" (1 Kings 6:21). This gold-covered wall separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where God met annually with the high priest at the Ark of the Covenant. Apparently the opening through the partition was covered with a thick veil, preventing others from entering or even seeing the Ark inside. But that veil was rent, and soon the wall itself torn down, when Christ died and rose again, forever opening the way to God for all who would come in faith through Him (Hebrews 10:19-20).

The "middle wall of partition" mentioned in our text, however, refers to a wall separating the court of the Gentiles from the rest of the Herodian temple. This is the only New Testament reference to a partition, and symbolizes the distinction placed between Jew and Gentile in the Mosaic economy. This economy served the divine purpose of preparing a nation to receive the coming of Christ, with the goal of providing salvation for all people. But this wall also has now been broken down by Christ, and "through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18).

No longer is there a distinction between priest and people, or between Jew and Gentile, or any other difference. "There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all" (Colossians 3:11).

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Carest Thou Not?

"And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38)

There are times when we have great problems and God seems to ignore our prayers, and finally we begin to wonder if He cares about us at all. There is no need to wonder. God cares about the sparrow, and He surely cares about His own dear children. If there is not some clear reason why He fails to answer (such as sin in our lives), then perhaps it is simply (as in Job's case) a test of our faith.

When the disciples thought Jesus didn't care, He rebuked them thus: "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). Mary and Martha sent word that their brother Lazarus was deathly ill, but then Jesus "abode two days still in the same place where he was" (John 11:6). When the sisters complained about His delay, He replied: "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).

One day a woman of Canaan cried out to Him for mercy on her for her demon-possessed daughter, "but he answered her not a word." He seemed not to care, but she kept calling on Him and worshipping Him, until He finally said unto her: "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt" (Matthew 15:23, 28).

The disciples and the sisters of Lazarus and the Canaanite woman all wondered at His seeming lack of concern, but He did care. He finally calmed the storm, and raised Lazarus, and healed the daughter. His delay was in order to test and strengthen their faith.

Can He not also test us, "that the trial of your faith . . . though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7)?

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The Creator of Marriage

"Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?" (Matthew 19:4-6)

The Lord Jesus has settled forever (for those who believe His words) the question of human origins and the historicity of the Genesis account of creation. God created Adam and Eve as full-grown adults in the beginning, united as husband and wife--not a population of primates slowly evolving into people over millions of years. The multitude of skeptical scientists and liberal theologians who have insisted that the "two" accounts of creation in the first two chapters of Genesis contradict each other here stand sharply rebuked by the Creator, Himself, for Christ quoted specifically from both Genesis 1:27 and 2:24, thus accepting both of them as valid, historical, and complementary accounts of the same event.

Furthermore, He who is the heavenly Bridegroom confirmed the Genesis teaching that the first and most basic of all human institutions was the home, and that marriage was designed by its Creator to be monogamous and permanent.

Although modern evangelicals may have differing opinions concerning acceptable criteria for divorce and remarriage, it is obvious that "from the beginning it was not so." The ideal marriage is even used by Paul as a picture of the loving, permanent union of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:25-27). God, in His grace, does forgive sin when it is confessed and forsaken--even sin against the marriage covenant--but this does not eliminate the accompanying suffering and heartbreak.

How much better to follow God’s creative purpose in all things, especially concerning marriage and the home.

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Jephthah's Daughter

"Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." (Judges 11:31)

The story of Jephthah has been a stumbling block to many who interpret it as teaching that Jephthah sacrificed his daughter to God as a burnt offering. As Jephthah was preparing to face the Ammonite armies, he had made the vow recorded in our text, if God would only give him the victory. His only child--a beloved daughter--was then first to meet him at his return, and so it was she who had to be offered.

It should be remembered, however, that Jephthah was a man of true faith (Hebrews 11:32-33), and he would never have vowed to disobey God's prohibition against human sacrifice. The problem is that the Hebrew conjunction waw (translated "and" in our text) is very flexible in meaning depending on context. Here, "or" is better than "and."

That is, Jephthah vowed that whatever first came out to meet him would be dedicated to the Lord: if a person came out (Jephthah was probably thinking of a servant), he or she would be dedicated to God's service at the tabernacle, as Hannah later dedicated Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11). Or if an animal from his flock came out, it would be sacrificed.

His daughter, out of love for her father and gratitude to God for His deliverance from the Ammonites, insisted that her father keep his vow. Since that meant that she, as a perpetual servant at the tabernacle, could never have a husband and children, she "bewailed her virginity" for two months (not her impending death) and then "returned to her father," so that he could keep his vow, and throughout her life "she knew no man" (Judges 11:38-39). Instead of a strange tale of human sacrifice, this is the story of the love of a God-fearing father and daughter for each other and for their Lord.

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The Son of Thankfulness

"And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing." (Genesis 29:35)

This verse is the testimony of Jacob's first wife, Leah, at the time of the birth of her fourth son. It also is significant in that it contains the first mention of the Hebrew yadah, often rendered "praise," but more often "thank" or "thanks." In fact, she even named her son "Judah," which is essentially the same Hebrew word.

Although Reuben, Simeon, and Levi were all older sons of Leah, God chose Judah to be the father of the tribe through which Christ would come into the world. Whenever Leah spoke to her son, she would actually be calling him "Thanks" and thus in effect remembering her gratitude for this gift of a special son.

We also continue to give thanks every day for that special Son of the tribe of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as Judah later was willing to offer his own life for his brother Benjamin (see Genesis 43:9), out of love for both his brethren and his father, so this distant grandson of Judah was willing to lay down His own life to save those whom He was glad to call His brethren (Hebrews 2:11-12).

In the last reference to Judah in the Bible, this son of Judah is called "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" who will one day be acknowledged as King over all the earth (Revelation 5:5). The last mention of "thanks" in the Bible is when the elders of the church in heaven cry out: "We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and has reigned" (Revelation 11:17).

We surely have much for which we thank God, but most of all we are thankful for the Son of God, our Creator, Savior, and coming King.

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Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake

"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake." (Luke 6:22)

"Blessed" means "happy," and it would seem paradoxical to try to find happiness by being persecuted. Most Christians are extremely reluctant to do anything which might make them less popular with their peers, let alone anything which might lead to social ostracism or even physical suffering. Yet Jesus said that this is the way to find true happiness.

He did not say that blessing comes through suffering for foolishness' sake, or for carelessness' sake, or for sinfulness' sake; "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake (Matthew 5:10). The principle is amplified by Peter: "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; . . . But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf" (1 Peter 4:14-16).

It hurts, of course, to be "cast out--as evil," when one is sincerely seeking to do right, and to honor God. This was the experience of the blind man to whom Jesus gave sight. The religious authorities responded to his testimony with: "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out" (John 9:34). Nevertheless, he now could see! Likewise, the religious leaders "raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts." Nevertheless, "the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 13:50, 52).

The situation exists today in many countries--soon perhaps in America. If so, may the Lord enable us to honor His name in suffering with joy and without compromise, for "Christ also suffered for us" (1 Peter 2:21).

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Identifying Antichrists

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." (1 John 2:18)

Evangelicals expect "the" Antichrist to be revealed in the future, yet there are more warnings about "many" antichrists who are currently and actively plotting evil. John lists two specific identifying factors that enable us to spot these "anti" Christs.

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22).

"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist . . . and even now already is it in the world" (1 John 4:3).

This much is clear. Anyone who refuses to accept the incarnated Christ as the Son of God is anti-Christ. Perhaps we need to see this term in its simplicity. Those who are "anti" Christ (oppose, reject, against, opposite to, before, instead of, in place of) are antichrists!

Peter warns that false prophets and false teachers are also "anti" Christ--and that they may well come from among the Lord’s visible Kingdom.

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1).

Thus, we are told that Satan's "ministers also |are| transformed as the ministers of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:15). No wonder we should have caution. This is the last time (days) and we need to be alert!

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Satan's Strategic Plan

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)

The magnificent book of Genesis sets the foundation for Scripture, revealing the "Roman numerals" upon which the rest of the Bible's message is built. Apart from the actual events of the creation week, the fall of Adam and Eve, and the subsequent horrific growth of sin and the awful judgment of the Flood, the gospel message would make little sense.

Paul's warning showcases the importance of Satan's strategy to ensnare humanity in the same trap. The Devil's tactics change with time and culture, but the strategy remains the same.

First, Satan always attempts to make us doubt the Word of God (Genesis 3:1). If we question the accuracy, the meaning, the authenticity, the historicity, or any other shade of "all scripture" (2 Timothy 3:16), then we begin edging onto a slippery slope that will only lead to the next stage.

Second, Satan always confronts the doubter with a denial of the Word of God (Genesis 3:4). When one begins to deny the authority, the capability, or the will of God to carry out His Word, the slide into the final phase is inevitable.

Third, Satan ultimately heaps denegration on the Person of God Himself (Genesis 3:5). Once one embraces the thought that the Word of God is not trustworthy and that God either will not or cannot do what He says, it absolutely follows that God is either a liar, a hypocrite, or a capricious and whimsical ogre.

May God protect us from the "wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).

[Soldier4Christ]

Prayer for All Men

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men." (1 Timothy 2:1)

The book of 1 Timothy consists of various charges (1:18-19) to Paul's disciple Timothy. The first charge (2:1-8) concerns prayer in the church. The fact that Paul mentions it "first of all" (v. 1) indicates that he felt it of primary importance. Note the four types of prayer in our text verse.

Supplications, or perhaps petitions, referring to one's personal needs: We must recognize our continued dependence on God's provision. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

Prayers: This is a general term with a number of applications, but foremost it indicates reverence for and worship of the one to whom the prayers are offered. "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:.

Intercessions: This word implies a personal bequest on an intimate basis, as child to father. The only other occurrence of the word regards the eating of food which "is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (1 Timothy 4:5).

Giving of thanks: When we give thanks, we recognize that our blessings are undeserved. "Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever" (Revelation 7:12).

These types of prayers, which should probably be understood as representing all types of prayers, should be made "for all men," specifically those in authority (v. 2) and for the unsaved (v. 4). Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will present our prayers to the Father (v. 5) and insure that He will answer them as He sees best.

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Man's Grief and God's Compassion

"For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." (Lamentations 3:31-33)

The five chapters of the unique book of Lamentations, written by Jeremiah in his grief over the destruction of Jerusalem, are all written as acrostics, with each verse of each chapter beginning with successive letters of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet. That is, verse 1 of each chapter begins with the letter aleph, verse 2 with beth, etc. (like A, B, etc. in English). The middle chapter is written in acrostic triplets (the first three verses beginning with aleph, and so on). Thus, chapter 3 contains 66 verses instead of 22.

The three verses of our text are right at the midpoint of this middle chapter, comprising the final triplet of the first half of the book, and thus uniquely constituting its central theme. As such, it could well also be the heart cry of every saint in any age experiencing God's chastening hand.

Although Jeremiah himself had not sinned, his nation had grievously sinned, and thus all Israel had finally come under the rod. Nevertheless, the prophet could assure his people that God still loved them and would renew His compassion even in the midst of their grief. God does not willingly send affliction for He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

When we suffer, or our nation suffers (as it surely will if it continues its present rebellion against God), it is well to remember His promise. "He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever" (Psalm 103:9). It is true that "no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Hebrews 12:11).

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The Lake of Fire

"Moreover |King Ahaz| burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel." (2 Chronicles 28:3)

This horrible pagan ritual of child sacrifice finally ceased when good King Josiah "defiled" this Valley of Hinnom "that no man might make his son or daughter to pass through the fire to Molech" (2 Kings 23:10). The image of Molech, with its outstretched arms forming a ring of fire through which the children were made to pass, was broken to pieces and the valley itself became the dumping ground for all the garbage of Jerusalem, which was kept burning continually in the narrow deep valley so that it had the appearance of a veritable "lake of fire." As a result the valley's name of Hinnom (Greek, gehenna) came to be regarded as the name of "hell"--the place of everlasting fire where lost souls go after death.

The concept of hell and its eternal fires is a very unpopular subject in the modern world, ridiculed by skeptics and largely ignored even by evangelicals. Nevertheless, Christ Himself referred to it many times. For example: "If thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark 9:43). To the unsaved, He will say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). The term "lake of fire" is used five times in Revelation to identify the eternal prison of the devil and "whosoever was not found written in the book of life" (Revelation 20:15).

The location of the lake of fire cannot now be known; it may even be a star. In any case, it is very real, according to the Lord Jesus, who has "delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

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The Just Shall Live by Faith

"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4)

This great principle--"the just shall live by faith"--was the Scripture that so inflamed the soul of Martin Luther that it became the watchword of the Reformation. It occurs first here in the small prophecy of Habakkuk, but is then quoted three times in the New Testament. The term "just," of course, means "justified" or "righteous." God says a person is enabled to live righteously by his faith.

The nature of this faith is clarified by three quotations: The first is Romans 1:17: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." The phrase "from faith to faith" means "from the beginning of faith to the end of faith," and the context indicates that the foundational item of faith is faith in "his eternal power and Godhead," which "from the creation of the world are clearly seen" (Romans 1:20).

Similarly, in the last occurrence: "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:38). Then the writer notes that the basic item of faith is special creation: "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Hebrews 11:3).

The middle occurrence is Galatians 3:11: "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." Paul's lengthy explanation to the Galatian legalists begins with Galatians 2:16: "Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ." Thus, justifying, saving, living faith begins and centers in Jesus Christ, first as Creator of all things, then as the Savior who "hath redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Galatians 3:13).

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Dark Waters and Thick Clouds

"And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies." (2 Samuel 22:11-12)

This mysterious passage in David's song of deliverance (also in Psalm 18) is usually classified by commentators as mere poetic hyperbole. However, it may also be taken literally, if we only assume that David was translated by the Holy Spirit (who "spake by me"--2 Samuel 23:2) far back in time to the great Flood, seeing in vision the Lord in great power unleashing the mighty waters of judgment on a corrupt world, yet delivering Noah through it all. David had a similar vision when he wrote Psalm 29 which speaks explicitly of the Noahic Flood (Hebrew mabbul, v. 10).

In our text above, the Hebrew word for "wind" is the same as "spirit," so this phrase could refer to "the wings of the Spirit." In the Bible's first reference to "the Spirit of God" (Genesis 1:2), He is seen as "moving" in the presence of the primeval waters, the word being the same as that for the fluttering movement of the wings of a great bird. This vibrating motion implies the generating of mighty waves of energy flowing out from the Spirit to energize the newly created cosmos of Genesis 1:1. Similarly, the divine energy emanates again from the Spirit here at the Flood, but this time in destructive rather than creative power.

The references to waters and darkness in these and nearby verses may well refer to the condensation and precipitation of the extensive vapor canopy suggested by the "waters which were above the firmament" (Genesis 1:7), when great torrents of rain suddenly poured through "the sluiceways of heaven," continuing at highest intensity for 40 days, then at lesser intensity for 110 more days, until the "thick clouds" were emptied and the great Flood covered the whole earth.