Living Water Ministries

Psalm 119:105

New Living Translation

105 

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
    and a light for my path.

Your word and lawful teachings is a vision to my feet and a sturdy light to lead and shine my path and guide upon the ground and cobblestones to lead my ways

Psalm 119:105 NIV “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Light is something that is necessary to navigate this world of darkness. We need light to guide us safely through the unforeseen dangers that await us.Feb 10, 2021

What does your word is a lamp for my feet a light on my path mean?

God’s word is a lamp that shows us how to live and walk; like a Spiritual compass. His Word illuminates the path for each step and, keeps us from missteps and wrong turns. Living without the Word of God is like trying to go somewhere you’ve never been without directions.Sep 13, 2018

What Does Psalm 119:105 Mean? ►

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105(NASB)

Verse of the Day

We journey through a fallen world with many dangerous pitfalls, slippery places, and dark foes seeking to destroy our close fellowship with our Lord, but in Psalm 119, we are given a beautiful promise and an eternal truth; that God’s Word is a gleaming lamp to our feet that will guide us through the darkness of this fallen world and it is a shining light to brighten the pathway we take.

Not only are there external difficulties and dangers to face in life’s journey, but also there are internal failings and weaknesses that lurk deep within our soul which can cause us to walk away from our ‘First Love’, but God’s Word provides a sure foundation upon which to stand in a darkened world that is falling apart.

Scripture is our secure guidebook to return us into a right relationship with the Lord when we abandon the road of righteousness or stray from the path of peace.

The Word of God is an inextinguishable lamp to guide us along the right path, and it is a radiant light that banishes the shadows of uncertainty, by illuminating the next step in this sin-soaked world.

Opening-up of the pages of Scripture will brighten the path we take, re-energise our hope in Christ, and provide understanding to the one who walks humbly before the Lord.

God’s Word is the light of truth that is written for our learning to lead us away from each shadowy danger that crosses our path and to strengthen our faith in our Saviour as He gently leads us. It lifts the darkness before us, and straightens every crooked path.

His Word not only brightens our pathway, guards us on our journey through life, and warns us of each lurking danger, but it is a treasure-trove of precious gemstones to be hidden deep within our heart, for it contains words of wisdom to guide our thinking, precious promises to encourage our hearts, godly instruction on how to live as the Lord desires us to live, and it is the perfect pattern for Christian living as well as the qualified adjudicator of our daily conduct.

The Bible is the sure Word of the living God Who has told us the end from the beginning, and all God’s children do well to take heed to its precious pages as unto a light that shines in a dark place.

We do well to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of God, and to guard it within our hearts, for it is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path, and it brightens up every corner of our lives, for it is God’s instrument to lead us into holiness and to guide our feet into His way of truth.

My Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your written Word which provides me with such strength for today and great hope for tomorrow. As I step out into the darkness of this fallen world, I pray that Your Word would truly lighten the way I take and lead me in the path of righteousness. Help me to hide Your truth in my heart, being ready and willing to follow Your will for my life. May I face the difficulties and trials that lie ahead, in the strength of Your mighty power. Thank You for Your Word of light and truth in this dark world. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/psalm-119-105

Psalm 39:7

New International Version

7 

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.

But now lord what do I look in search of? My hope is in you. Mercy’s follow me wile as mankind I live in sin and wait on you for your are my savior and my hope

What is the meaning of Psalm 39 7?

Remembering that God is much greater than our struggles can ease angst over difficult circumstances. In this verse, David makes that connection by pointing to God as his only and ultimate hope. The best things in life are not things—objects or money—but the occasions in which a person glorifies the Lord.

VERSE OF THE DAY

Proverbs 1:8-9 (New Living Translation)

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My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.

My child, listen when your father corrects you in his law. Don’t betray or neglect the words of your mother. The lessons you bring out from them will reward and crown you with grace and be a chain of honor and a medal you where around your neck in reward and respect

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. 10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.

PROVERBS 1 – WISDOM’S BEGINNING AND CALL

A. Wisdom’s beginning.

1. (1) The proverbs of Solomon.

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

a. The proverbs of Solomon: The Book of Proverbs is a collection of practical life wisdom given mostly in short, memorable statements. Though part of a larger body of wisdom literature that includes Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, the Book of Proverbs is unique.

i. It is unique in its structure, being mostly a collection of individual statements without much context or organization by topic.

ii. It is unique in its theology, being concerned with practical life wisdom more than ideas about God and His work of salvation.

iii. Proverbs is also unique in its connection with the secular literature of its time. Neighboring kingdoms had their own collections of wisdom literature, and in some places, there are significant similarities to these writings.

iv. As Ross notes, “The genre of wisdom literature was common in the ancient world, and a copious amount of material comes from ancient Egypt.” Some of these works are titled:

Egyptian:

· Instruction of Ptah-hotep.

· Teaching of Amenemope.

· Instruction of Ani.

Babylonian:

· Instruction of Shuruppak.

· Counsels of Wisdom.

· Words of Ahiqar.

v. There are several sections of Proverbs (Proverbs 22:17-23:14 is an example) that seem to be borrowed from The Teaching of Amenemope, an ancient Egyptian writing. There is debate as to who borrowed whom, but most scholars believe Amenemope is earlier.

vi. “If Proverbs is the borrower here, the borrowing is not slavish but free and creative. Egyptian jewels, as at the Exodus, have been re-set to their advantage by Israelite workmen and put to finer use.” (Kidner)

b. The proverbs: Proverbs teach wisdom through short points and principles but should not be regarded as “laws” or even universal promises.

i. “Proverbs are wonderfully successful at being what they are: proverbs. They are not failed prophecies or systematic theologies. Proverbs by design lays out pointed observations, meant to be memorized and pondered, not always intended to be applied ‘across the board’ to every situation without qualification.” (Phillips)

ii. “Naturally [proverbs] generalize, as a proverb must, and may therefore be charged with making life too tidy to be true. But nobody objects to this in secular sayings, for the very form demands a sweeping statement and looks for a hearer with his wits about him. We need no telling that a maxim like ‘Many hands make light work’ is not the last word on the subject, since ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth.’” (Kidner)

iii. “Proverbs itself makes this clear. A proverb is not a magical formula, bringing wisdom and blessing by incantation: ‘Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools’ (Prov. 26:7).” (Phillips)

iv. Proverbs rarely quotes other parts of the Hebrew Scriptures, such as the torah or law. “An analogy to this is American folk wisdom which, although often dominated by Christian morality and presuppositions, contains few allusions to the Bible or Christian theology.” (Garrett)

c. The proverbs of Solomon: Solomon was the king of Israel famous for his wisdom. In 1 Kings 3:3-13 Solomon asked God for wisdom to lead God’s people and God answered that prayer. 1 Kings then presents a remarkable demonstration of Solomon’s wisdom, seen in his response to the problem of the two women and the deceased son (1 Kings 3:16-28).

i. There is also this description of Solomon’s wisdom: He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:32-34)

ii. The opening, the proverbs of Solomon should not be taken to mean that Solomon was the author of all these proverbs. There are a few other authors specifically mentioned. Yet, it may well be that Solomon collected all these other proverbs and set them in his book. Whether Solomon was the collector or some unnamed later person, we can’t know for certain.

iii. “The book tells us that it is the work of several authors. Three of these are named (Solomon, Agur and Lemuel), others are mentioned collectively as ‘Wise Men’, and at least one section of the book (the last) is anonymous.” (Kidner)

iv. Yet, the prominence of Solomon in these wonderful statements of wisdom gives the reader pause. We know that this remarkably wise man did not finish his life in wisdom.

2. (2-6) The purpose of the Book of Proverbs.

To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

a. To know wisdom and instruction: In the opening of his collection of proverbs, Solomon explained the purpose of these sayings of wisdom. They are intended to give the attentive reader wisdom, instruction, perception, and understanding.

i. To know wisdom: “We’re living in the ‘information age,’ but we certainly aren’t living in the ‘age of wisdom.’ Many people who are wizards with their computers seem to be amateurs when it comes to making a success out of their lives.” (Wiersbe)

b. To perceive the words of understanding: The reference to sight (as also in Proverbs 3:21) implies that these words of wisdom could be read and were in fact read.

i. “In Sumer and in ancient Egypt, schoolboys wrote down the instruction literature, and in ancient Israel most children were literate (Deut. 6:9; 11:20; Judg. 8:14). With the invention of the alphabet in the first half of the second millennium, any person of average intelligence could learn to read and probably to write within a few weeks. The earliest extant text in Hebrew (ca. 900 b.c.) is a child’s text recounting the agricultural calendar. A. Millard says that ancient Hebrew written documents demonstrate that readers and writers were not rare and that few Israelites would have been unaware of writing.” (Waltke)

c. To know wisdom: It is helpful to remember the difference between wisdom and knowledge. One may have knowledge without wisdom. Knowledge is the collection of facts; wisdom is the right use of what we know for daily living. Knowledge can tell one how financial systems work; wisdom manages a budget properly.

i. “It is probably a safe bet to say that most people today are not much interested in wisdom. They are interested in making money and in having a good time. Some are interested in knowing something, in getting an education. Almost everyone wants to be well liked. But wisdom? The pursuit of wisdom is not a popular ideal.” (Boice on Psalm 111)

d. To receive the instruction of wisdom: Proverbs is something of a school of wisdom. We come to it with open hearts and minds, receiving its teaching. If we do, it will show as justice, judgment, and equity flow from our lives.

i. “And herein, as one well observeth, the poorest idiot being a sound Christian, goeth beyond the profoundest clerks that are not sanctified, that he hath his own heart instead of a commentary to help him to understand even the most needful points of the Scripture.” (Trapp)

e. To give prudence to the simple: The simple one is uneducated and needs instruction. The wisdom of this book will make the young, inexperienced one know what to do and how to do it in life. It will give the young man knowledge and discretion.

i. One characteristic of the simple man is that he is gullible. The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps. (Proverbs 14:15)

ii. Simple: “The word indicates the person whose mind is dangerously open. He is gullible, he is naïve. He may have opinions, but he lacks deeply thought-through and field-tested convictions.” (Phillips)

iii. “The son and the gullible (Proverbs 1:4-5) stand on the threshold of full adulthood. The time is at hand when the son and the gullible (Proverbs 1:4-5) must make a decisive stand for the godly parents’ and sages’ world-and-life views and values. Two conflicting worldviews make their appeal, ‘of Wisdom/Folly, Good/Pseudo-Good, Life/Death,’ and one must choose between them, for there is no third way.” (Waltke)

f. A wise man will hear and increase learning: The Book of Proverbs is not only for the simple and inexperienced. Even a wise man will find much to help and guide him, if he will only hear. Even a man of understanding can attain wise counsel from Proverbs.

i. “Proverbs is not simply for the naive and the gullible; everyone can grow by its teachings. Discerning people can obtain guidance from this book so that they might continue in the right way.” (Ross)

g. To understand a proverb and an enigma: The wisdom of the Book of Proverbs can also help us to solve difficult problems and some of the riddles of life.

3. (7) The foundation of all wisdom.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

a. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: The Book of Proverbs focuses on practical life wisdom more than theological ideas. Yet it is founded on a vital theological principle – that true knowledge and wisdom flow from the fear of the LORD.

i. This fear of the LORD is not a cowering, begging fear. It is the proper reverence that the creature owes to the Creator and that the redeemed owes to the Redeemer. It is the proper respect and honoring of God. Several writers give their definition of the fear of the LORD:

· “But what is the fear of the LORD? It is that affectionate reverence by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father’s law.” (Bridges)

· “A worshipping submission to the God of the covenant.” (Kidner)

· “‘The fear of the Lord’ ultimately expresses reverential submission to the Lord’s will and thus characterizes a true worshiper.” (Ross)

· “The fear of the Lord signifies that religious reverence which every intelligent being owes to his Creator.” (Clarke)

ii. God should be regarded with respect, reverence, and awe. This proper attitude of the creature toward the Creator is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom cannot advance further until this starting point is established.

iii. If true wisdom can be simply gained by human effort, energy, and ingenuity (like the rare and precious metals of the earth), then the fear of the LORD is not essential to obtaining wisdom. But if it comes from God’s revelation, then right relationship with Him is the key to wisdom.

iv. “What the alphabet is to reading, notes to reading music, and numerals to mathematics, the fear of the LORD is to attaining the revealed knowledge of this book.” (Waltke)

b. The beginning of knowledge: Solomon probably meant knowledge here mostly in the sense of wisdom. The idea that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom is also found at Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10, and Ecclesiastes 12:13.

i. Beginning has the sense of “the first and controlling principle, rather than a stage which one leaves behind; cf. Eccl. 12:13.” (Kidner)

ii. “The fundamental fact, then, is that in all knowledge, all understanding of life, all interpretation thereof, the fear of Jehovah is the principal thing, the chief part, the central light, apart from which the mind of man gropes in darkness, and misses the way.” (Morgan)

iii. “The fall of man was a choosing of what bid fair ‘to make one wise’ (Gen. 3:6) but flouted the first principle of wisdom, the fear of the Lord.” (Kidner)

B. Instruction to a son.

1. (8-9) Appeal to hear and receive the wisdom of parents.

My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

a. My son, hear the instruction of your father: This is a warm and appropriate scene. A father speaks to his son, encouraging him to receive the wisdom of his parents. It is often the nature of the young to be slow to receive the wisdom of their older generation.

i. The mention of a son reminds us of another tragedy or irony regarding the life of Solomon. The man who had 700 wives and 300 concubines left record of only one son, Rehoboam – and he was a fool.

ii. Because both the father and the mother are mentioned, we know that teaching the children wisdom is the responsibility of both parents.

iii. The mention of instruction shows that Solomon understood that children are not to be taught only, or even primarily, through bodily punishment (such as a spanking). Children are regarded as capable of thought, learning, and obedience beyond blind submission.

b. They will be a graceful ornament on your head: The idea is that the instruction and law given from parent to child will adorn the life of their children, if they will only receive it. Like a crown on your head or chains about the neck, such wisdom will be a reward to a younger generation.

2. (10-14) The enticement of sinners.

My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—

a. My son, if sinners entice you: Solomon first warned his son about the danger of bad company. The actions of some people clearly reveal them to be sinners, more than in the general sense in which we are all sinners. The young must resist the enticements of these men.

i. Significantly, this first instruction and warning in the book of Proverbs speaks to the company we keep and the friendships we make. There are few more powerful forces and influences upon our life than the friends we choose. It has been said, show me your friends and I can see your future. It speaks to the great need for God’s people to be more careful and wiser in their choice of friends.

ii. Do not consent: “They can do thee no harm unless thy will join in with them…. Not even the devil himself can lead a man into sin till he consents. Were it not so, how could God judge the world?” (Clarke)

b. Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood: When the wicked plot their evil actions, the wise son will not consent. He will distance himself from them, no matter what the promised or potential gain may be (we shall fill our houses with spoil).

i. Part of their enticement was simply the sense of belonging: come with us. “Apparently in ancient Israel, no less than in the modern world, the comradeship, easy money, and feeling of empowerment offered by gangs was a strong temptation to the young man who felt overwhelmed by the difficulties of the life he confronted every day.” (Garrett)

ii. Solomon described the words of sinners in terms of their real meaning and effect, and not what they actually said. Surely such sinners would appeal to riches and quick gain, and not merely invite this one to shed blood. Solomon tells us to hear what people mean with such promises of quick and easy riches, not only what they say.

3. (15-19) The end that will come upon the plotters of violence.

My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;
For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

a. Do not walk in the way with them: The guidance from father to son was simple and clear. Stay away from the wicked and all their plotting, for their feet run to evil.

i. In vain the net is spread in the sight of the bird: “The bird does not see any connection between the net and what is scattered on it; he just sees food that is free for the taking. In the process he is trapped and killed. In the same way, the gang cannot see the connection between their acts of robbery and the fate that entraps them.” (Garrett)

ii. Tragically, Solomon’s company with sinners – in the form of his wives who were given to idolatry – became a trap he himself was caught in.

b. They lie in wait for their own blood: Ultimately, the gain promised by the wicked can never be fulfilled. They say, let us lie in wait to shed blood (Proverbs 1:11), but in fact they are the hunted. They seek to take the life and livelihood of others, but their greed takes away the life of its owners.

C. Wisdom calls to the simple ones.

1. (20-21) Wisdom’s public call.

Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:

a. Wisdom calls aloud outside: Solomon presents wisdom as a person, a woman who offers her guidance and help to the world. Her cry is aloud but often ignored.

i. “And this wisdom is said to cry with a loud voice, to intimate both God’s earnestness in inviting sinners to repentance, and their inexcusableness if they do not hear such loud cries.” (Poole)

ii. “The greatest tragedy is that there’s so much noise that people can’t hear the things they really need to hear. God is trying to get through to them with the voice of wisdom, but all they hear are the confused communications clutter, foolish voices that lead them farther away from the truth.” (Wiersbe)

b. Outside…in the open squares…. the chief concourses…the gates in the city: Wisdom presents herself to everyone in every place. She offers her help to anyone who will give attention to her words.

i. “Here the open proclamation…to make it clear that the offer of wisdom is to the man in the street, and for the business of living, not to an élite for the pursuit of scholarship.” (Kidner)

2. (22-27) An appeal to the simple ones.

“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

a. How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? Wisdom begins her appeal by addressing those who most need her help – the simple ones, those who are untrained in the ways of wisdom.

i. She challenged those without wisdom to give account for their lack, asking “How long?” How many more weeks, months, or years will the simple ones reject or neglect wisdom’s help?

ii. “If the call has been extended for some time—‘How long?’ (Proverbs 1:22; see also Isaiah 65:2)—then this warning is given for a prolonged refusal. Because wisdom has been continually rejected, wisdom will laugh at the calamity of those who have rejected it.” (Ross)

iii. The problem with these simple ones was that they loved their simplicity. They preferred their foolish ignorance than the effort and correction required by the love and pursuit of wisdom.

b. For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge: This scorn describes those who boastfully reject and despise God’s wisdom. They love their simplicity and scorn, and they hate knowledge.

i. “Scorners think they know everything (Proverbs 21:24) and laugh at the things that are really important. While the simple one has a blank look on his face, the scorner wears a sneer.” (Wiersbe)

ii. “Fools are people who are ignorant of truth because they’re dull and stubborn. Their problem isn’t a low IQ or poor education; their problem is a lack of spiritual desire to seek and find God’s wisdom.” (Wiersbe)

iii. We can see a downward progression. You started gullible, then became a fool, and ended up a scorner (mocker).

c. Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you: The embrace of wisdom begins with a turn. One must be willing to change direction from the pursuit of foolishness and turn towards God and His wisdom. This response to wisdom’s rebuke invites wisdom to pour itself out.

i. It seems that the description here is of the spirit of wisdom, not specifically the Holy Spirit. The two concepts do not contradict each other, but they are also not exactly the same.

d. Because I have called and you refused: This is the rebuke that wisdom offered. She promised that if she were rejected, she would laugh at your calamity. Rejected wisdom has nothing to offer the fool when destruction comes like a whirlwind.

i. “Wisdom does not laugh at disaster, but at the triumph of what is right over what is wrong when your disaster happens.” (Waltke)

3. (28-33) The consequences of wisdom rejected.

“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

a. They will call on me, but I will not answer: When wisdom is rejected, she has no alternative plan for the fool. In the time of crisis, the fool cannot expect to beg for and receive instant wisdom (they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me).

b. And did not choose the fear of the LORD: Since this fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 1:7, Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10, and Ecclesiastes 12:13), to reject this respect of God is to reject wisdom.

c. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way: The consequences of rejecting wisdom cannot be avoided. The end result of this love of foolishness and scorn will be death (will slay them) and destruction (will destroy them).

i. “Eat as they baked, drink as they brewed. They that sow the wind of iniquity, shall reap the whirlwind of misery.” (Trapp)

ii. Turning away: “The eleven other occurrences of turning away are all in Hosea or Jeremiah, always with reference to Israel’s apostasy, faithlessness, and backsliding from God and from the Mosaic covenant.” (Waltke)

iii. Their own way: “The reason for the sinner’s ruin is placed again at his own door. He is wayward since he turns away from wisdom’s beckoning voice. He despises the only cure.” (Bridges)

iv. “If, elsewhere in the book, fool and scorner appear to be fixed types, it is their fault, not their fate: they are eating of the fruit of their own way.” (Kidner)

d. But whoever listens to me will dwell safely: Those who do listen to wisdom’s call will be secure, without fear of evil. Their fear of the LORD resulted in their having no fear of evil.

i. “And as a wicked man’s mind is oft full of anxiety in the midst of all his outward prosperity and glory, so the mind of a good man is filled with peace and joy, even when his outward man is exposed to many troubles.” (Poole)

ii. Without fear of evil: “Death shall lose its terrors, and become the Father’s servant, ushering you into His presence. Pain and suffering shall but cast into relief the stars of Divine promise. Poverty will have no pangs, and no storms, no alarms.” (Meyer)

(c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com

What Does Proverbs 1:8 Mean? ►

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

Proverbs 1:8(NASB)

Verse of the Day

The Bible talks a lot about hearing and listening, and very frequently it links wisdom with those that listen and credits discernment to those that hear. Scripture encourages us to have ears to hear and calls upon each one of us to pay attention to what the Spirit says to the churches. It reminds us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of the Lord. It warns of the dangers of being blind to the truth and deaf to God’s Word.

Those that pay attention to the words of Scripture and give heed to advice from godly mentors, are described as wise. Those that have a teachable spirit and are endowed with understanding, are the men and women who learn godly wisdom and gain understanding. They are the ones that know how to apply the knowledge they have been taught. They are the ones who respond to the still small voice of the Lord.

God, in His own wisdom and grace, set each one of us in families and expects children to be taught the things of God, from infancy, by their parents. Children are expected to learn how to live godly lives in their home environment. And throughout the early chapters of Proverbs, we discover the great king Solomon giving advice to his own son: “Hear your father’s instruction, my son,” is king Solomon’s wise advice to his own offspring, “and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”

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In Israel’s early days, God instructed parents to teach their children to commit the Word of God to memory, to meditate on Scripture day and night, and to do all that is written within the sacred text so that they, and their children, may have success in life and live to the glory of God.

In the early Church, we read of a young man called Timothy who learned the Holy Scriptures from his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. Timothy was taught scriptural truth from infancy and as a result, he became a man who was used mightily of God to preach the word of grace and to teach others how to live godly lives – as Scripture instructs.

Training up children in the way that they should go, is a biblical principle that is acted out in the lives of many Bible characters. Indeed, the young Lord Jesus, Himself, became knowledgeable in the Scripture as a child – and competent in joinery, for He was described as ‘the carpenter’s son’.

During His ministry, men marvelled at His biblical knowledge and wondered at the gracious words that fell from His lips. And during His temptation, it was the Word of God that the Lord Jesus used to counter every satanic temptation and confound the enemy of His soul.

Solomon’s directive to his son, was to pay heed to his own words of instruction and not to forsake the teaching of his mother – and this should be a direction that is heeded by every youngster, both boys and girls. But it should also be something to which parents pay heed… for it is as parents train their children in the way that they should go that they have the Lord’s assurance that when they are old, they will not depart from it.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for placing us in families and for giving us the understanding that parents are ordained by You, to train up their children in the reverential fear of the Lord. In a world where honour and respect for parents and older mentors is becoming increasingly scorned, I pray that children and young people would be willing to listen to words of instruction from their fathers and to hold fast to the teachings they receive from their mothers. I pray Your protection over Christian families everywhere. May Your name be honoured and respected by old and young alike, to Your praise and glory. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/proverbs-1-8

Hebrews 11:6

New Living Translation

6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Shall you not learn the law spoken in the great book In God’s great laws and believe in great pleasure of God then it is impossible to please God and have faith anyone who knows learns and wants to follow him believe that he is real and that gifts those who sincerely seek him.

ESV And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

QUESTION

What does it mean that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)?

ANSWER

In Hebrews 11, we learn about faith from the Bible’s Old Testament heroes. One crucial detail stands out in their lives: they placed their whole confidence in God, entrusting themselves into His hands. The actions and accomplishments of these men and women proved that faith pleases God, and He rewards those who seek Him: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The author of the book of Hebrews points out two critical convictions of believers. First, “anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists.” Those who desire to draw near to God must have a deep-rooted belief that He is real. Such belief is not mere intellectual knowledge but a wholehearted devotion to His presence and participation in every part of one’s life. Without a genuine conviction that God exists, it is impossible to have an intimate relationship with Him. Second, the Lord’s followers must believe “that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” This aspect of faith trusts in the character of God as a good, loving, generous, gracious, and merciful Father (James 1:17; Psalm 84:11; Lamentations 3:22–23). These two certainties are the groundwork of saving faith—a faith that pleases God.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because faith is the avenue by which we come to God and trust Him for our salvation. In His infinite goodness, God provides the very thing we need to draw near to Him: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). God gives us the faith required to please Him.

Hebrews 11:1 gives a definition, or at least a good description, of the faith that pleases God: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” “Confidence” is the translation of a Greek word that means “foundation.” Faith is the foundation that undergirds our hope. It is not a blind grasping in the dark, but an absolute conviction that comes from experiencing God’s love and the faithfulness of His Word. The term translated “assurance” is also translated as “evidence” or “proof.” With our natural eyes, we cannot see the realities of God’s kingdom, but by faith we receive the evidence or proof that they exist.

We’ve established that without faith it is impossible to come to God. It is also impossible to live for God—to follow and serve Him daily and persevere until the end—without faith. The entire Christian life is lived out by faith: “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Romans 1:17; see also Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). The apostle Paul affirmed, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Scripture refers explicitly to Enoch’s faith as pleasing to God: “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—‘he disappeared, because God took him.’ For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5, NLT; cf. Genesis 5:24). How did Enoch please God? Through living by faith. Enoch walked by faith in God. He obeyed the Word that had been revealed up to that point and lived in the light of its truth. Walking by faith means consistently living according to God’s Word (John 14:15). Without faith, it is impossible to believe God’s Word and obey it.

Scripture says that it is impossible to please God through works of the flesh: “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8, ESV). We can’t earn God’s approval through good works. Only based on what Jesus Christ has done for us can we become holy and able to live a life pleasing to God (1 Corinthians 1:30). Christ’s life in us produces the righteousness that pleases God (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:13; 3:9).

Without faith, it is impossible to please God; in fact, we cannot even begin to approach the Lord and experience a personal relationship with Him without it. Faith is the atmosphere in which the believer’s life is lived. We are called “believers” because we are continually putting our faith, trust, and confidence in God. By faith the Christian life begins, and by faith it perseveres until the end.

The champions of the Old Testament like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Joseph, Rahab, Gideon, and David all lived by faith. As they looked toward their future hope, they relied on God to fulfill His promises (Hebrews 11:13–16). And they obeyed God’s Word even when they did not understand it. This kind of walking by faith—accepting as truth the things we cannot yet touch, feel, or see, and then acting on them in obedience—is the prescription for living a life that pleases God. We may not see ourselves right now as God does—holy and made righteous by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But when we accept the evidence in God’s Word (Romans 10:17) and reach out in response to experience fellowship with Him, then we begin to live by faith, and that pleases God.

What Does Hebrews 11:6 Mean? ►

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6(NASB)

Verse of the Day

So much within the New Testament epistles is mistakenly thought to be addressed to the unbeliever, when it is written to Christians. Hebrews is an example of Scripture that gives maturing believers guidance on how to live by faith – how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. While the first, obvious step in pleasing God is to get saved by believing in the redeeming work of Christ, it is the ongoing, living faith of a believer that pleases God, in the day by day exercise of life.

Only a believer can please God. We please God when we are justified (initial salvation), but we also please God through a sanctified life (ongoing salvation). It is ONLY through Christ’s imputed righteousness can we please God, “for without faith it is impossible to please Him.” But once we are saved we are to please Him by living by faith. Once we have believed in Him we are to, “believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Having been saved through justifying faith, believers are to continue to trust Him, by believing His Word, living by faith, and diligently seeking His face day by day.

Once we have believed in God’s saving grace through faith in Christ, we are also to believe that, “He rewards those that seek Him,” as stated in Scripture. There is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner believes, but we truly please Him when we LIVE by faith. We please Him when we are not being influenced by life’s problematic circumstances. If we desire to please our Heavenly Father, we are to LIVE by faith and not by sight.

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Too often, those who started their Christian life by faith, stop relying on the truth of Scripture. They take their eyes off Jesus and start to doubt God’s Word. They often become careless in seeking the Lord, and some even leave their first love. There are some who revert to carnality, indulging in fleshly living. Some try to please God through good deeds and worldly works. There are others who adopt legalism and perform works of the law for God’s approval.

Christians who try to live in their own strength or rely on their own good works do not please the Lord, because they are not trusting His Word – for faith is the evidence of things NOT seen. Faith in God’s Word is what pleases Him. We please Him when we are saved, but we are to please Him throughout our Christian life, by believing His promises are true and by believing He rewards those who seek Him – by faith.

Although our union with God can never be broken once we are born into His family, our fellowship with him can be broken when we leave the life of trusting God and dependence on His Word and start to rely on our own strength. God knows that without Christ’s leading and guiding, we will eventually fail for He said, “without Me ye can do nothing.” But all too often we try every conceivable avenue before we eventually have to admit our inability and seek His help.

Too often we forget that those who diligently seek Him, are rewarded with His sufficient grace to face life’s problems. Those who diligently seek Him, produce the beautiful fruit of the Spirit, so that they grow in grace and mature in the faith, which pleases our Heavenly Father. When we rest in His sufficient strength, we always discover it is all we need, but how often we forgo the perfect peace He promises, simply because we trusted in self before our Saviour, or lived in accordance with what we see rather that what God says.

The more a Christian trusts God’s Word, believes all He says, has faith in His promises, believes He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek to know Him, the more they will grow in grace, mature in the faith, walk in spirit and truth and please Him – for to the one that has much, even more will be given.

Let us determine to live our Christian lives in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, as we earnestly seek Him and trust in His Word. Let us maintain our faith in God and never doubt the veracity of the Gospel message, even when His truth is shrouded from our eyes, or when the reality of His Word does not reflect our life-experience, “for without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

Let us trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding, knowing that without saving faith and sanctifying faith, it is impossible to please Him. But let us never forget that it is God Who said, I AM everything you need, I AM a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Me.

Let us remember that Jesus said, “I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life… I will never leave you nor forsake you… I go to prepare a place for you… I will return and take you to be with Me, that where I am, you may be also.”

Let us believe all that God has promised with our whole heart, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, I realise how quickly and easily I can move from trusting You to doubting Your Word, when things do not go the way that I expect. I pray that like the men and women of faith in Hebrews, my trust in You will not falter. Help me to earnestly seek You day by day, for I know that only as Christ lives in and through me, by faith, can I be pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/hebrews-11-6

John 6:35

New Living Translation

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jesus spoke “i am the bread of life.”Whoever comes to me shall not be hungry ever. Whoever believes in me will not perish in hunger and thirst but will prosper

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.Mar 1, 2018

QUESTION

What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35)?

ANSWER

“I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35) is one of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus. Jesus used the same phrase “I AM” in seven declarations about Himself. In all seven, He combines I AM with tremendous metaphors which express His saving relationship toward the world. All appear in the book of John.

John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”



Bread is considered a staple food—i.e., a basic dietary item. A person can survive a long time on only bread and water. Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes synonymous for food in general. We even use the phrase “breaking bread together” to indicate the sharing of a meal with someone. Bread also plays an integral part of the Jewish Passover meal. The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a celebration of the exodus from Egypt. Finally, when the Jews were wandering in the desert for 40 years, God rained down “bread from heaven” to sustain the nation (Exodus 16:4).

All of this plays into the scene being described in John 6 when Jesus used the term “bread of life.” He was trying to get away from the crowds to no avail. He had crossed the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd followed Him. After some time, Jesus inquires of Philip how they’re going to feed the crowd. Philip’s answer displays his “little faith” when he says they don’t have enough money to give each of them the smallest morsel of food. Finally, Andrew brings to Jesus a boy who had five small loaves of bread and two fish. With that amount, Jesus miraculously fed the throng with lots of food to spare.

Afterward, Jesus and His disciples cross back to the other side of Galilee. When the crowd sees that Jesus has left, they follow Him again. Jesus takes this moment to teach them a lesson. He accuses the crowd of ignoring His miraculous signs and only following Him for the “free meal.” Jesus tells them in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” In other words, they were so enthralled with the food, they were missing out on the fact that their Messiah had come. So the Jews ask Jesus for a sign that He was sent from God (as if the miraculous feeding and the walking across the water weren’t enough). They tell Jesus that God gave them manna during the desert wandering. Jesus responds by telling them that they need to ask for the true bread from heaven that gives life. When they ask Jesus for this bread, Jesus startles them by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

This is a phenomenal statement! First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. Jesus is trying to get the Jews’ thinking off of the physical realm and into the spiritual realm. He is contrasting what He brings as their Messiah with the bread He miraculously created the day before. That was physical bread that perishes. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life.

Third, and very important, Jesus is making another claim to deity. This statement is the first of the “I AM” statements in John’s Gospel. The phrase “I AM” is the covenant name of God (Yahweh, or YHWH), revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). The phrase speaks of self-sufficient existence (or what theologians refer to as “aseity”), which is an attribute only God possesses. It is also a phrase the Jews who were listening would have automatically understood as a claim to deity.

Fourth, notice the words “come” and “believe.” This is an invitation for those listening to place their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. This invitation to come is found throughout John’s Gospel. Coming to Jesus involves making a choice to forsake the world and follow Him. Believing in Jesus means placing our faith in Him that He is who He says He is, that He will do what He says He will do, and that He is the only one who can.

Fifth, there are the words “hunger and thirst.” Again, it must be noted that Jesus isn’t talking about alleviating physical hunger and thirst. The key is found in another statement Jesus made, back in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:6, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” When Jesus says those who come to Him will never hunger and those who believe in Him will never thirst, He is saying He will satisfy our hunger and thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God.

If there is anything the history of human religion tells us, it is that people seek to earn their way to heaven. This is such a basic human desire because God created us with eternity in mind. The Bible says God has placed [the desire for] eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The Bible also tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven because we’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23) and the only thing our sin earns us is death (Romans 6:23). There is no one who is righteous in himself (Romans 3:10). Our dilemma is we have a desire we cannot fulfill, no matter what we do. That is where Jesus comes in. He, and He alone, can fulfill that desire in our hearts for righteousness through the Divine Transaction: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Christ died on the cross, He took the sins of mankind upon Himself and made atonement for them. When we place our faith in Him, our sins are imputed to Jesus, and His righteousness is imputed to us. Jesus satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness. He is our Bread of Life.

What Does John 6:35 Mean? ►

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

John 6:35(NASB)

Verse of the Day

During his earthly ministry, Christ taught the multitudes that He was the promised Messiah. He authenticated His claims through many signs and wonders, such as the feeding of the 5000. The supply of bread and fish satisfied the crowd’s physical hunger and excited their carnal cravings, but they neglected to understand the deeper meaning of this miracle of Jesus.

Knowing that the Lord had crossed to the other side of the Galilee caused the people to pursue after Him, in the hopes that they would get more free food! But Jesus knew that they were following Him for the wrong reason. They were not seeking Him because they understood the sign, but because they ate of the loaves and were filled. They were not following Him because their soul was hungry for forgiveness, but to satisfy their physical appetite.

Jesus warned them not to work for the bodily food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life… which He alone could give them… He was the One on Whom the Father set His seal. It was not being fed on bread and fish that these lost souls needed, but feeding on the Bread of Life from heaven – feeding on Christ, the Son of Man, in Whom is life eternal. 

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It must have saddened His heart when Jesus saw their proud, unbelieving attitude, especially when they asked Him to show them a sign that He was the Messiah as He claimed. They argued that their forefathers had eaten heavenly manna for 40 years, so by comparison Jesus had only done one paltry little miracle with earthly food, not daily manna from heaven!

They wanted Jesus to carry out a similar spectacle to Moses, as proof of His Messianic claims.”Give us this bread from heaven,” they demanded. “Give us that manna from above.” They clamoured for physical food but refused to acknowledge the astonishing truth He revealed to them. “I Am the Bread of Life,” He said. “I am the Bread that you are seeking. He who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” Jesus offered Himself to the people of Israel, but they turned Him down.

Jesus announced the most earth-shattering truth to these people and they misunderstood, through unbelief. He did not say he HAD the bread of life but He WAS the Bread of Life. In Him was eternal life and the one who comes to Him will never hunger nor thirst. Christ could satisfy their spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst because He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life from heaven… and these people missed it.

This was the first of seven claims Jesus made about being the Bread of Life from heaven. He told them that He is not only the Giver but the Sustainer of our lives. He becomes our living nourishment, day by day, strengthening and sustaining us, in and through His everlasting, life-giving power. Not only does Christ give us each day our daily bread, but He also imparts to us His life-giving Spirit, which is life everlasting.

This was the first of seven titles that Christ used about Himself that started with the sentence, “I AM..” I AM the Bread of Life which will satisfy and sustain you through time and into eternity. I AM the Light of the World to dispel the darkness of sin and death. I AM the Gate – the Entrance Door into security and means of fellowship with almighty God. I AM the Good Shepherd, to lead and guide, to feed and protect.

The Lord Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and He is the True Vine without Whom we can do nothing. Jesus is the centre and circumference of life. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Genesis and Revelation, the Source and Conclusion, and the Author and Finisher of our faith.

All are invited to feast at the banqueting table… to feed on Christ our Living Bread, Who came down from heaven from the Father of mercies. And all who feast upon the Lord are promised the eternal benefits of this life-sustaining heavenly Manna – that true Bread Who satisfies the hungry heart with all good things.

Every word uttered by our dear Lord Jesus is spirit and life to all who come to Him as Saviour. All those who feed on Christ will live forever, for Jesus said to those who followed Him, “truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

May we daily feed on the Bread of Life, by faith with thanksgiving as we journey through life, for He alone is our life-sustainer for in Him are the words of eternal life.

My Prayer

Loving Father, Your Word is food for my soul and refreshment for my hungry heart. Thank You for sending Your precious Son into the world to be the Bread that came down from heaven to feed our hungry soul and give life to those that are dead in their sin. Thank You for the Person and work of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Keep me from carnal desires, establish my heart, and strengthen me with His Life, day by day. In His name I pray, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/john-6-35

VERSE OF THE DAY

Psalm 62:1 (New Living Translation)

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For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.

Stay silent in and humble before God for goodness and victory comes from him.

A psalm of David. My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

PSALM 62 – MY ONLY ROCK, MY ONLY SALVATION

Video for Psalm 62:

Psalm 62 – My Only Rock, My Only Salvation

The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

The Chief Musician is thought by some to be the Lord GOD Himself, and others suppose him to be a leader of choirs or musicians in David’s time, such as Heman the singer or Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:33, 16:5-7, and 25:6).

Jeduthun (mentioned also in the titles of Psalm 39 and Psalm 77) was one of the musicians appointed by David to lead Israel’s public worship (1 Chronicles 16:41; 25:1-3). Charles Spurgeon wrote regarding Jeduthun: “The sons of Jeduthun were porters or doorkeepers, according to 1 Chronicles 16:42. Those who serve well make the best of singers, and those who occupy the highest posts in the choir must not be ashamed to wait at the posts of the doors of the Lord’s house.”

A. Waiting upon God, who is my rock and defense.

1. (1-2) David’s soul silently waits for God.

Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.

a. Truly my soul silently waits for God: The emphasis in this line is of surrendered silence before God and God alone. The word truly is often translated alone or only and seems to have that sense here.

i. “It is hard to see this in the English text, because the Hebrew is almost untranslatable, but in the Hebrew text the word only or alone occurs five times in the first eight verses (in verses 1, 2, 4, 5, 6), and once in verse 9.” (Boice) Kidner said of this Hebrew word ak, “It is an emphasizer, to underline a statement or to point to a contrast; its insistent repetition gives the psalm a tone of special earnestness.”

ii. “The words have all been said – or perhaps no words will come – and the issue rests with Him alone.” (Kidner)

iii. “The natural mind is ever prone to reason, when we ought to believe; to be at work, when we ought to be quiet; to go our own way, when we ought steadily to walk on in God’s ways.” (Müller, cited in Spurgeon)

iv. “This is why God keeps you waiting. All that is of self and nature must be silence; one voice after another cease to boast; one light after another be put out; until the soul is shut up to God alone.” (Meyer)

b. From Him comes my salvation: In many psalms David began by telling his great need or describing his present crisis. Here, David began by declaring his great confidence in and trust upon God.

i. Psalm 62 seems to come from a time of trouble, yet it asks God for nothing. It is full of faith and trust, but has no fear, no despair, and no petition.

ii. “There is in it throughout not one single word (and this is a rare occurrence), in which the prophet expresses fear or dejection; and there is also no prayer in it, although, on other occasions, when in danger, he never omits to pray.” (Amyraut, cited in Spurgeon)

c. He only is my rock and my salvation: David trusted in God alone for his strength and stability. The description is of a man completely focused upon God for His help, firmly resolved to look nowhere else.

i. “Because God only is our Rock, let us ever be silent only for God.” (Morgan)

ii. He is my defense: Or, fortress. “The tried believer not only abides in God as in a cavernous rock; but dwells in him as Warrior in some bravely defiant tower or lordly castle.” (Spurgeon)

2. (3-4) David complains to his enemies and of his enemies.

How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah

a. How long will you attack a man: David’s faith was in God alone, but he had words for his enemies. He rebuked them for their crazy persistence in attacking him, and warned them of judgment to come (you shall be slain).

b. Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence: David’s image is clear enough, but there is disagreement among translators and commentators as to whom this applies. The New King James Version presents the opponents of David as the leaning wall and a tottering fence. Others think that David himself was the leaning wall, in his weakness unfairly set upon by his enemies.

i. Spurgeon gave the sense of the first: “Boastful persecutors bulge and swell with pride, but they are only as a bulging wall ready to fall in a heap; they lean forward to seize their prey, but it is only as a tottering fence inclines to the earth upon which it will soon lie at length.” (Spurgeon)

ii. The English Standard Version gives the second sense: How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence.

c. They only consult to cast him down: David described his enemies as those who only think through a matter if it involves bringing down a man of God. They were liars, especially in the sense of being two-faced (they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly).

3. (5-7) David’s calm confidence in God alone.

My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

a. My soul, wait silently for God alone: In the opening lines of the psalm, David said that this was the state of his soul. Here he spoke to his soul, telling it to remain in that place of trust in and surrender to God. David’s complete expectation was upon God.

i. “David now urges on himself the silence which he simply stated in verse 1.” (Kidner)

ii. For God alone: “They trust not God at all who trust him not alone. He that stands with one foot on a rock, and another foot upon a quicksand, will sink and perish, as certainly as he that standeth with both feet upon a quicksand. David knew this, and therefore calleth earnestly upon his soul (for his business lay most within doors) to trust only upon God.” (Trapp)

b. He only is my rock and my salvation: David assured himself by repeating the lines from Psalm 62:2. It was true for David and he wanted it to remain true.

i. He is my defense: “Not my defender only, but my actual protection.” (Spurgeon)

c. I shall not be moved: David repeated the idea from Psalm 62:2, but with this small variation. In verse 2 he wrote, I shall not be greatly moved. In this verse he seems to come to an even stronger position: I shall not be moved.

i. “There may be deep meaning in the slight omission of ‘greatly’ in the second refrain. Confidence has grown.” (Maclaren)

d. My refuge is in God: The emphasis again reflects David’s decision to trust in nothing or no one else. God alone is his salvation, his glory, his rock, his strength, and his refuge. We sense David was tempted to trust many different things, but he refused and kept his expectation in God alone.

i. “Observe how the Psalmist brands his own initials upon every name which he rejoicingly gives to his God – my expectation, my rock, my salvation, my glory, my strength, my refuge; he is not content to know that the Lord is all these things; he acts in faith towards him, and lays claim to him under every character.” (Spurgeon)

B. David teaches others and teaches himself.

1. (8) Teaching the people to trust in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

a. Trust in Him at all times, you people: David felt what was good for him was good for others, also. As a leader of God’s people he spoke wisdom to them, reminding them that God was worthy at all times of their trust in Him.

i. “The comforts which David had found, he exhorteth others to seek, in faith and prayer.” (Spurgeon)

b. Pour out your heart before Him: God’s strength and stability made David rightly think of Him as a rock. Yet God was not insensitive or unfeeling like a rock. God invites His people to pour out their heart – their sorrows, their joys, their trust, and their doubt, all of it – before Him.

i. “Pour it out as water. Not as milk, whose colour remains. Not as wine, whose savour remains. Not as honey, whose taste remains. But as water, of which, when it is poured out, nothing remains.” (Le Blanc, cited in Spurgeon)

c. God is a refuge for us: He welcomes the poured-out heart as the cities of refuge welcomed the hunted man in ancient Israel.

2. (9-10) Teaching the people what not to trust in.

Surely men of low degree are a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.

a. Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie: This psalm speaks much of trusting in God alone. Now David explained why it was important to not set trust in man. David understood that whether they are men of low degree or high degree, they are altogether lighter than vapor. There is no substance there worthy of trust.

i. “Common men can give no help. They are vanity, and it is folly to trust in them; for although they may be willing, yet they have no ability to help you: ‘Rich men are a lie.’ They promise much, but perform nothing; they cause you to hope, but mock your expectation.” (Clarke)

ii. However, it is possible that David did not intend the reader to understand a distinction between men of low degree and men of high degree; it may simply be an expression of Hebrew poetic repetition and parallelism. “The distinction of ‘lowborn men’ and ‘the highborn’ is based on the different words for ‘man’ in the MT [Masoretic Text]: adam and ish (Psalm 62:9; cf. 49:2). But it is equally possible to treat both [parts] of Psalm 62:9 as a general reference to mankind: ‘mankind is but a breath; mankind is but a lie.’” (VanGemeren)

iii. “The point, then, is not so much that we have nothing to fear from man (as in Psalm 27:1ff.), as that we have nothing to hope from him.” (Kidner)

b. Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery: David had seen men advance through cruel or dishonest ways. He warned the people against this, understanding that the results never justify the evil used to get the results.

c. If riches increase, do not set your heart on them: As a king, David ended up being a very wealthy man, though most of his earlier years were lived in deep poverty. David knew what it was to see riches increase, and he knew the foolishness of setting one’s heart on them. It’s possible to hold great wealth without trusting in those riches, but it isn’t easy.

i. “If they grow in an honest, providential manner, as the result of industry or commercial success, do not make much account of the circumstance; be not unduly elated, do not fix your love upon your money-bags.” (Spurgeon)

ii. There are at least three ways in which one may set the heart on riches.

· To take excessive pleasure in riches, making them the source of joy for life.

· To place one’s hope and security in riches.

· To grow proud and arrogant because of riches.

iii. “Whether rightly or wrongly won, they are wrongly used if they are trusted in.” (Maclaren)

iv. “Riches are themselves transient things; therefore they should have but our transient thoughts.” (Caryl, cited in Spurgeon)

v. “As we must not rest in men, so neither must we repose in money. Gain and fame are only so much foam of the sea.” (Spurgeon)

vi. “1 Timothy 6:17ff. may be alluding to this verse in its own careful treatment of the subject.” (Kidner)

3. (11-12) Teaching himself about God’s power and mercy.

God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his work.

a. God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God: This truth was deeply ingrained in David’s soul. Through repetition he understood that power belongs to God and to none other. This is why David was so determined to trust in God and God alone.

i. Since power belongs to God, David refused to look for strength anywhere else. Since power belongs to God, David did not long for power unto himself. Since power belongs to God, David did not become arrogant as a ruler, knowing any power he held was as God’s representative.

b. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy: Gratefully, David understood that God’s nature was much more than power. He also is rich in mercy. Just as men could and should look to God for power, so they should look to Him for mercy.

i. Mercy translates one of the great words of the Old Testament, hesed. It may perhaps be better translated as love, lovingkindness, or loyal love. David knew power belongs to God, but that God is a God of love who is loyal and good to His people.

ii. “The second attribute used to be translated ‘mercy’, but verse 12 makes it particularly clear that this word (hesed) has its basis in what is true and dependable. It is closely linked with covenant-keeping, hence the modern translations, steadfast love or ‘true love.’” (Kidner)

iii. “David says that he has learned two lessons: that God is strong and that God is loving.” (Boice)

iv. This meant that David had no expectation of mercy from man. If it came he was pleased, but he knew that ultimately this great covenant love [mercy] belonged to God.

v. “This tender attribute sweetens the grand thought of his power: the divine strength will not crush us, but will be used for our good; God is so full of mercy that it belongs to him, as if all the mercy in the universe came from God, and still was claimed by him as his possession.” (Spurgeon)

vi. “This is the only truly worthy representation of God. Power without love is brutality, and love without power is weakness. Power is the strong foundation of love, and love is the beauty and the crown of power.” (Perowne, cited in Boice)

vii. “The power of God is more than the strength of the adversaries; the mercy of God is equal to dealing with all the need of the failing soul.” (Morgan)

c. For You render to each one according to his work: We don’t normally think of this as an expression of God’s mercy. In some ways it sounds more like God’s judgment. Yet David had in mind the good man or woman whose goodness is despised by this world. The God of mercy would reward their goodness (even on a relative measure) as the world ignored or rejected it.

i. “Man neither helps us nor rewards us; God will do both.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “To all mankind, therefore, the prophet here recommendeth meditation on these two most interesting subjects; the ‘power’ of God to punish sin, and his ‘mercy’ to pardon it. Fear of the former will beget desire of the later.” (Horne)

(c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com

What Does Psalm 62:1 Mean? ►

My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation.

Psalm 62:1(NASB)

Verse of the Day

David, the man after God’s own heart, was beset by difficulties and dangers and encompassed about by many enemies and those that would seek his life to destroy him. But David’s confidence was in the Lord Who was his Rock, his Defender, and his mighty Fortress.

Like so many of David’s psalms, the clarion call of this canticle is that God alone is the source and sphere of David’s need, and God alone has the right to demand our own undivided trust and worship. For God alone is our salvation and strength, He alone is our Rock of defence, our Shepherd and King, our Lord and our Life – our Way, our End, and our God.

Like David, we must secure our undivided confidence in the Lord our God, for He alone is the foundation upon which our hope is established, our source of supply, our fountain of grace, and from Him alone flow rivers of living water. God alone is the only One in Whom our trust must be continuously founded, for He alone is worthy.

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And so, despite the difficulties and dangers that encompassed king David and in spite of the enemies that would seek his life to destroy him, David, the man after God’s own heart, waited in silence for God. David knew that in quietness and in confidence is our strength, for salvation is from the Lord and He alone is the one upon whom we must depend.

What a testimony of David’s dependence on the Lord that according to Jedudthun, one of the king’s chief musical directors in Israel, David in the midst of profound difficulty and distress waited in quiet confidence on the Lord his God.

May our soul also wait in silence for God – for from Him alone is our salvation.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the cloud of witnesses that demonstrated a quiet confidence in You. Hush my heart today and help me, like them, to fix the thoughts of my mind and the meditation of my heart on You alone as I quietly wait in silence for You, knowing You are my Rock of salvation, my Defence and my Defender. You are my Lord, my Life, my Way, and my all in all. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/psalm-62-1

VERSE OF THE DAY

Proverbs 19:20-21 (New Living Translation)

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Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Learn all the knowledge that you can in advise and law of spiritual holy law you can Jesus law not the government law but the law of God. You can make a series of many plans but the lords plans he has for you he has consumed with purpose and will prosper

PROVERBS 19 – FOOLS AND FAMILY LIFE

Proverbs 19:1

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

a. Better is the poor who walks in his integrity: Previous proverbs have been critical of the poor, but here Solomon recognized that not all poverty is caused by moral failure or weakness. There are definitely poor people who walk in their integrity.

i. “Often men put under their feet those whom God carries in his heart. Man honors the perverse for their riches and despises the poor because of their poverty.” (Bridges)

b. Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool: The Book of Proverbs is honest about the disadvantages of poverty. Yet it also recognizes that being poor is in no way the worst thing a person can be. It is far worse to be a fool who speaks twisted, perverse things.

i. “Once again a proverb correlates poverty with piety and wealth with impiety. The poor may be miserable for the moment, but the unethical rich are miserable for eternity. Thus the proverb teaches the pilgrim to walk by faith, not by sight.” (Waltke)

Proverbs 19:2

Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
And he sins who hastens with his feet.

a. It is not good for a soul to be without knowledge: When a person (a soul) has no wisdom (is without knowledge), it is never good. It may be common, but it is not good.

b. And he who sins hastens with his feet: Solomon listed a second thing that was not good – the one who rushes toward sin (hastens with his feet). On this side of eternity, we will also struggle with sin, but we don’t have to run towards it. We should be those who battle against sin, not run towards it.

Proverbs 19:3

The foolishness of a man twists his way,
And his heart frets against the LORD.

a. The foolishness of a man twists his way: it is true that a fool is foolish because they are twisted, crooked. Yet it also true that the foolish man finds his way more and more twisted. Foolishness leads to more twistedness.

b. His heart frets against the LORD: God intended us to be at peace with Him, but because of rebellion (both inherited and chosen), we are in many ways against the LORD. The foolish man or woman has no peace in God; their heart frets against the LORD. They are angry and perhaps bitter against God for their twisted way.

i. “Fools will try to blame God when they ruin their lives…The fool is not willing to accept failure as his own. Of course, to blame God is also folly.” (Ross)

ii. “Such is the pride and blasphemy of a proud spirit. The criminal blames the judge for his righteous sentence.” (Bridges)

Proverbs 19:4

Wealth makes many friends,
But the poor is separated from his friend.

a. Wealth makes many friends: When a person is wealthy, it draws many people to them in friendship. Yet these friendships may not be sincere or meaningful.

i. “Although a crowd, each one forms the friendship out of what he can gain, not for what he can give. The proverb anticipates the Lord’s teaching to use of money to win friends and an eternal reward in the kingdom of God (Luke 18:1-9).” (Waltke)

b. The poor is separated from his friend: The wealthy man has advantages and draws many friends, but the poor man does not have these advantages. Their would-be friends find it easy to separate from them.

Proverbs 19:5

A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not escape.

a. A false witness will not go unpunished: The first idea in this proverb is probably that of the law court, and in the court, it is essential that the false witness be punished. Justice depends upon it. This principle extends beyond the court of law into our daily life. God loves the truth and wants us to speak the truth.

b. He who speaks lies will not escape: Among men, sometimes the falsewitness and liars escape the discovery and penalty of their sin. With God, he who speaks lies will not escape. Jesus said our every word would be held to account (Matthew 12:36).

i. “This is a statement made in faith, for perjurers may escape human justice. Even the stern law of Deuteronomy 19:18-21 availed nothing for Naboth—or for Jesus.” (Kidner)

Proverbs 19:6

Many entreat the favor of the nobility,
And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.

a. Many entreat the favor of the nobility: When someone is of high status and importance (of the nobility), many people want their favor. There are advantages in having the favor of influential people.

b. Every man is a friend to the one who gives gifts: Many people who offer friendship do so out of selfish motives. They want the benefit of the favor of the nobility and the gifts that others may offer.

Proverbs 19:7

All the brothers of the poor hate him;
How much more do his friends go far from him!
He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.

a. All the brothers of the poor hate him: To be poor is often to be rejected by men, even by brothers and friends. What a contrast to Jesus, who Himself became poor (2 Corinthians 8:9) to draw near to us in our poverty and need.

b. He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him: By nature, people run from the poor person, even when he tries to persuade and pursue them with words. In contrast, God pursues the poor and needy.

Proverbs 19:8

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will find good.

a. He who gets wisdom loves his own soul: The possession and pursuit of wisdom is so good and helpful to us that we can and should get wisdom simply out of self-interest. In so doing we love our own soul, our own life.

i. Loves his own soul:“Or loveth himself, because he procures great good to his soul, or to himself, as it follows; as sinners, on the contrary, are said to hate their souls, Proverbs 29:24, because they bring mischief upon them.” (Poole)

b. He who keeps understanding will find good: Wisdom isn’t just something to get; it is also something to keep. We find good when we keep understanding.

Proverbs 19:9

A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies shall perish.

a. A false witness will not go unpunished: The words and sense of this proverb were previously presented in Proverbs 19:5. The repetition reminds us that this is an important principle. In the law court and in daily life, God wants us to be people of the truth and so He promised that a false witness will not go unpunished.

b. He who speaks lies shall perish: This speaks to the certainty of God’s justice towards those who lie. Revelation 21:8 warns that liars are among those who will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Proverbs 19:10

Luxury is not fitting for a fool,
Much less for a servant to rule over princes.

a. Luxury is not fitting for a fool: The sense is that there are some wisdom-rejecting fools who enjoy luxury, but it doesn’t seem right. It isn’t fitting for a fool to live in luxury.

b. Much less for a servant to rule over princes: Solomon spoke according to the wisdom of the natural man, which places great trust in nobility and family lineage. This is one of the proverbs that the gospel and the new covenant turn on its head, where those who would be great should be as servants and not as princes (Matthew 20:26 and 23:11).

i. “The slave, who is incompetent both by disposition and training, will be drunk from the feeling of power and his rulership will develop into unbearable despotism. The consequences for the community are only incompetence, mismanagement, abuse of power, corruption, injustice; in brief, social chaos (cf. Ecclesiastes 10:5-7).” (Waltke)

ii. “The slave has the same rational power as his sovereign. But lesser habits of mind make him unfit to rule. There are, however, exceptions to this, as in the case of Joseph.” (Bridges)

Proverbs 19:11

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

a. The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger: It isn’t necessarily weakness or lack of courage that makes a man slow to anger. It may be wisdom, here described as discretion.

b. His glory is to overlook a transgression: A wise man or woman knows that they have been forgiven much, and this shapes how they deal with others. They don’t act as if they must hold everyone accountable for every transgression but know when to overlook a transgression.

i. “The virtue which is indicated here is more than a forgiving temper; it includes also the ability to shrug off insults and the absence of a brooding hypersensitivity.” (McKane, cited in Ross)

ii. “The manlier any man is, the milder and readier to pass by an offence. This shows that he hath much of God in him (if he do it from a right principle), who bears with our evil manners, and forgives our trespasses, beseeching us to be reconciled.” (Trapp)

Proverbs 19:12

The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.

a. The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion: The roar of a lion is terrifying in itself, even without the understanding that destruction will swiftly follow. The same is true for the wrath of a king or any other influential person. It is much truer regarding the wrath of God or the wrath of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5).

i. “Hebrew, Of a young lion, which, being in his prime, roars more terribly; sets up his roar with such a force that he amazeth the other creatures whom he hunteth, so that, though far swifter of foot than the lion, they have no power to fly from him.” (Trapp)

ii. “There is nothing more dreadful than the roaring of this tyrant of the forest. At the sound of it all other animals tremble, flee away, and hide themselves. The king who is above law, and rules without law, and whose will is his own law, is like the lion.” (Clarke)

b. His favor is like the dew on the grass: This means the king’s favor is refreshing and life-giving; it also means that it is fleeting, as the dew on the grass. The favor of God is certainly refreshing and life-giving, but it is not fleeting, as if God were an impossible-to-please tyrant.

i. “Dew, which in the climatic conditions of Palestine was essential to the survival of vegetation in the hot, dry summer, is a gift from God.” (Waltke)

ii. “This proverb would advise the king’s subjects to use tact and the king to cultivate kindness.” (Ross)

Proverbs 19:13

A foolish son is the ruin of his father,
And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.

a. A foolish son is the ruin of his father: It is grieving to any parent to have a foolish son or daughter. This may run from grief to ruin as the grief destroys the father’s health and life, or as the father ruins himself to rescue the foolish son.

b. The contentions of a wife are a continual dripping: This proverb of sympathy for a man’s problems as a father now looks at a man’s potential problem as a husband. A wife who often contends (fights, argues) with her husband is like a continual dripping in at least three ways.

· It is an always-present annoyance and trouble.

· It wastes and destroys, eroding good and valuable things.

· It points to some underlying, more basic problem.

i. “The man who has got such a wife is like a tenant who has got a cottage with a bad roof, through every part of which the rain either drops or pours. He can neither sit, stand, work, nor sleep, without being exposed to these droppings. God help the man who is in such a case, with house or wife!” (Clarke)

ii. “Like as a man that hath met with hard usage abroad thinks to mend himself at home, but is no sooner sat down there but the rain, dropping through the roof upon his head, drives him out of doors again. Such is the case of him that hath a contentious wife – a far greater cross than that of ungracious children, which yet are the father’s calamities and heart breaks.” (Trapp)

iii. “Delitzsch passes on an Arab proverb told him…‘Three things make a house intolerable: tak (the leaking through of rain), nak (a wife’s nagging) and bak (bugs).’” (Kidner)

Proverbs 19:14

Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

a. Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers: There are good things a man may receive as an inheritance, including material things such as houses and riches. A man is blessed to have such things.

b. A prudent wife is from the LORD: A gift beyond the inheritance one may receive from fathers is this gift from God – a prudent wife. A wife of wisdom, self-control, and appropriate living is a greater gift than houses and riches. A wife who is not prudent may waste whatever wealth a man has. Every man with a prudent, wise wife should give thanks to the LORD.

i. From the LORD: “Nature makes a woman, election a wife; but to be prudent, wise, and virtuous is of the Lord. A good wife was one of the first real and royal gifts bestowed on Adam.” (Trapp)

ii. “Thus the proverb instructs the disciple to look to God (Proverbs 15:8, 29; 16:3; cf. Genesis 24:14) and find his favor through wisdom to obtain from him a competent wife (Proverbs 8:35; 18:22)…. As a result, when a man has a competent wife, he praises God, not himself.” (Waltke)

iii. “The verse does not answer questions about unhappy marriages or bad wives; rather, it simply affirms that when a marriage turns out well, one should credit God.” (Ross)

Proverbs 19:15

Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And an idle person will suffer hunger.

a. Laziness casts one into a deep sleep: There are many problems with laziness, and one of them is that it leads to more laziness, sending the lazy man into a deep sleep. There is no work to be done from a deep sleep.

i. “Laziness plunges him into a state of being so deep in sleep that he is totally unconscious of his situation. Unaware of his tragic situation and unable to arouse himself, the sluggard neglects his source of income and so hungers. His fate is similar to that of drunkards and the gluttons (Proverbs 23:21).” (Waltke)

b. An idle person will suffer hunger: There is a great price to be paid from laziness, one of those prices is the hunger one suffers as one’s needs are not met through hard work. The lazy man or woman puts themselves in a trap of sleep and hunger.

Proverbs 19:16

He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who is careless of his ways will die.

a. He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul: Obedience to the word and commandment of God is of real, practical benefit. Obedience guards and keeps the life, the soul of the wise man or woman who lives according to God’s word.

b. He who is careless of his ways will die: To abandon wisdom and live careless in our ways is to invite death. God gave His commandment to give us life and to keep us from death.

Proverbs 19:17

He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
And He will pay back what he has given.

a. He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD: When we give to the poor (expressing our love and pity towards them), we aren’t wasting our money. It is like lending money to the LORD Himself.

i. “Their just and gracious Creator takes it upon himself to assume their indebtedness and so he will repay the lender in full.” (Waltke)

b. He will pay back what he has given: God will never be in debt to any man. He will never be in a position where He owes anything as a matter of debt. Therefore, to lend to the LORD is to ensure blessing in return. God will certainly pay back what we give in compassion to the poor. God promises that we will never be the loser for generous and compassionate giving.

i. “God will never be in your debt. He is exact and punctilious in His repayment. No man ever dared to do His bidding in respect to any case of need, and found himself the poorer…. Was not Ruth’s love to Naomi well compensated?” (Meyer)

ii. “O what a word is this! God makes himself debtor for every thing that is given to the poor! Who would not advance much upon such credit? God will pay it again. And in no case has he ever forfeited his word.” (Clarke)

iii. “This promise of reward does not necessarily signify that he will get his money back; the rewards in Proverbs involve life and prosperity in general.” (Ross)

Proverbs 19:18

Chasten your son while there is hope,
And do not set your heart on his destruction.

a. Chasten your son while there is hope: There is not an endless window of opportunity to chasten and wisely discipline our children. Age and circumstances limit the opportunity for effective training, so it must be done while there is hope. There may come the time when you wish you had done much more to chasten your son or daughter.

i. “It is far better that the child should cry under healthy correction than that parents should later cry under the bitter fruit to themselves and their children of neglected discipline.” (Bridges)

b. Do not set your heart on his destruction: To fail to chasten your son in the opportune season is to actually work for his destruction. Many parents bring much destruction to their children through neglect, not outright abuse.

i. “Psychologically healthy parents do not consciously desire to kill their children. But if they do not employ the God-given means of verbal reproof to prevent acts of folly and corporal punishment to prevent their repetition, they are in fact unwittingly party to the worst punishment, his death.” (Waltke)

Proverbs 19:19

A man of great wrath will suffer punishment;
For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.

a. A man of great wrath will suffer punishment: Out of control anger brings many problems and costs. Among the fruit of the spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:23), and wisdom does not lead a person to be of great wrath.

i. “He punishes himself. Wounded pride and resentment leave the wretched criminal brooding in his room. He suffers an intolerable burden of self-inflicted punishment.” (Bridges)

b. For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again: The person who can’t control their anger will run into trouble again and again. To rescue them once isn’t enough, because the problem is more in them than in the circumstances that they blame for their anger. It is better for them to face the consequences of their action and hope they learn something from it.

i. “An ungovernable temper will repeatedly land its owner in fresh trouble.” (Kidner)

Proverbs 19:20

Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter days.

a. Listen to counsel and receive instruction: One of the first marks of wisdom is the readiness to receive more wisdom. A teachable person, one who will listen to counsel and receive instruction, has already made much progress on the path of wisdom.

b. That you may be wise in your latter days: The bad effects of the foolish rejection of wisdom may not be seen for many years. Yet in the latter days of a man or woman’s life, it will be clear whether or not they learned wisdom’s lessons and if they did listen to counsel. If you want to be wise later in life, start now.

Proverbs 19:21

There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.

a. There are many plans in a man’s heart: It is in the nature of men (and women) to plan and prepare for the future. Some of the plans may be wise and some may be foolish, but there are many plans in a man’s heart.

b. Nevertheless, the LORD’s counsel – that will stand: Man makes his plans, and he should. Yet every plan should be made with an appreciation of God’s overall wisdom, work, and will.

i. James would later explain this principle this way: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

ii. “This is a perfectly self evident assertion, but, as such, important as to warrant a pause in reading it. The one thing in the heart that may be depended upon is the counsel or guidance of Jehovah.” (Morgan)

Proverbs 19:22

What is desired in a man is kindness,
And a poor man is better than a liar.

a. What is desired in a man is kindness: It is not that kindness is the highest or only virtue for the people of God. Yet, in many ways, it is the one most desired by others, especially in a modern world.

b. A poor man is better than a liar: This proverb shows that kindness, though valuable, is not the only virtue. To be a man or woman of truth – to not be a liar – is also of great value. This proverb reminds us that though we should pursue and value kindness, we should not treat it as the only valued virtue among God’s people.

Proverbs 19:23

The fear of the LORD leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil.

a. The fear of the LORD leads to life: Since the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, it wonderfully leads to life. If we want life, we should begin with this honor, reverent awe and submission to God.

b. He who has it will abide in satisfaction: When we have, and walk in, the fear of the LORD, it leads to a life of satisfaction. The world, the flesh, and the devil want to convince us that a life founded on fear of the LORD leads to misery, but the opposite is true. It brings satisfaction and keeps us from a future of evil.

i. Will not be visited with evil: “When one lives a life of piety, the Lord provides a quality of life that cannot be disrupted by such evil.” (Ross)

Proverbs 19:24

A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl,
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

a. A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl: Solomon pictured a lazy man sitting at his food, with his hand buried in his bowl of food.

i. “This humorous portrayal is certainly an exaggeration. It probably was meant more widely for anyone who starts a project but lacks the energy to complete it.” (Ross)

ii. In the bowl: “The same word in 2 Kings 21:13 leaves no doubt of its meaning. The scene is thus a meal, and the example comically extreme.” (Kidner)

b. And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again: In this humorous, exaggerated picture, the lazy man has so little energy and initiative that he won’t even bring his hand from the bowl to his mouth. This exaggerated picture establishes a principle made elsewhere in proverbs: the lazy man will go hungry.

i. Will not so much as bring it to his mouth again: “To wit, to feed himself; he expects that the meat should drop into his mouth.” (Poole)

ii. “Is it possible to find anywhere a more graphic or sarcastic description of absolute laziness?” (Morgan)

Proverbs 19:25

Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary;
Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.

a. Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary: When a determined fool and opponent of wisdom (a scoffer) is punished, others will learn. The more innocent fool (the simple) may learn from this.

i. “Smite him never so much, there is no beating any wit into him. Pharaoh was not a button the better for all that he suffered; but Jethro, taking notice of God’s heavy hand upon Pharaoh, and likewise upon the Amalekites, was thereby converted, and became a proselyte, as Rabbi Solomon noteth upon this text.” (Trapp)

b. Rebuke one who has understanding: The rebuke of the scoffer seems to do the scoffer no good, though it may benefit the simple. Yet when someone who values wisdom (one who has understanding) is corrected, he learns. He grows in his ability to discern knowledge.

i. “Here are three varieties of mind: closed [scoffer]…empty (the simple—he must be startled into attention), and open [understanding] (…he accepts even a painful truth).” (Kidner)

Proverbs 19:26

He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother
Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

a. He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother: The Bible commands honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12). This proverb considers the person who does the opposite of Exodus 20:12.

i. “When the father and his household lies in ruin, the mother (see Proverbs 1:8) is left in a tragic situation without the provision and protection and of her husband. By ruining his father, the imbecile (cf. Proverbs 17:2) leaves his mother as good as a defenseless widow.” (Waltke)

b. Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach: One cannot disobey God and the standards of human society without paying a price. One price to be paid from the mistreatment of parents is to bring shame and reproach upon one’s self.

Proverbs 19:27

Cease listening to instruction, my son,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

a. Cease listening to instruction, my son: Solomon continued to give wisdom to his children, and here warned of the danger of ceasing to listen to instruction, to wisdom.

b. And you will stray from the words of knowledge: This shows us that attention and effort must be given to remain on the path of wisdom. If one does cease listening to instruction, then they will stray from the words of knowledge. One must set themselves on the path of wisdom and, with God’s help, determine that they will stay upon in.

i. “The meaning here is that it is better not to learn than to learn to refuse to obey.” (Morgan)

ii. “Without constant attention to wisdom depraved human beings unconsciously stray from it. Even Solomon, ancient Israel’s paragon of wisdom, strayed when he ceased listening to his own proverbs.” (Waltke)

Proverbs 19:28

A disreputable witness scorns justice,
And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

a. A disreputable witness scorns justice: The witness who is not committed to truth doesn’t care about the workings of justice. Great harm comes upon society and its legal system when there is not care and promotion of the truth and the disreputable witness is not punished.

i. “The perjurers in the lawsuit against Naboth are called beliyyaal (1 Kings. 21:10, 13), a story that illustrates the lying witnesses’ lethal power.” (Waltke)

b. The mouth of the wicked devours iniquity: The words of the wicked (coming from the mouth) love iniquity so much that they devour it, as a hungry man devours food. This is the kind of person who scorns justice and tears down society.

Proverbs 19:29

Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And beatings for the backs of fools.

a. Judgments are prepared for scoffers: Those who reject wisdom with hostility (scoffers) will not escape penalty. Judgments are prepared for them.

i. Are prepared for: “For these scorners (that promise themselves impunity) are judgments, not one, but many, not appointed only, but prepared long since, and now ready to be executed.” (Trapp)

b. Beatings for the backs of fools: Those who disregard wisdom, bound in their folly (fools) will also have their penalty. Correction will come to them in its appointed way, and sadly – the correction will do little good for them.

i. “Profane and wicked men expose themselves to the punishments denounced against such by just laws. Avoid, therefore, both their company and their end.” (Clarke)

(c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com

VERSE OF THE DAY

Matthew 6:33 (New Living Translation)

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Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Search for the kingdom of God above everything and live in honor and righteousness for then only will he give you all that you need protect your peace

What Matthew 6:33 (Seek First the Kingdom of God) Means

How to Seek the Kingdom of God Now

by

Aaron Shaw & BibleProject Team 3 months ago

Why do we deadbolt our doors at night? Why lock our cars or windows or computers? With threats of injury and loss lurking everywhere, we learn to love personal security above anything else. Jesus values security too. The New Testament authors do not portray him as reckless or blind to our reality. But when he joins us in this painful world, he still chooses to live with love for God and others above anything else, even when doing so includes suffering, injury, and loss.

Is Jesus just a unique hero doing something no one else can? Or is he showing us a way to live on Earth right now?

When Jesus starts preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom, he envisions the fulfillment of God’s long-standing promise to eradicate corruption and death—to completely renew creation and forever establish a world where you love everyone and you know that everyone loves you.

Imagine living in a world where you know that nobody will harm you in any way. It’s a world where security is rooted in common love for one another, not protection against one another. It’s also an abundant world, so there’s no hoarding or competing for resources. No violence, no threats, no death. No deadbolts, no padlocks, and no passwords.

How would you live differently if you lived every day in a world like this?

Jesus saw himself bringing this kind of life to our world through what he called “the Kingdom of God,” by teaching people about the good news of God’s Kingdom. So in Matthew 6:33, when Jesus tells the crowds to continually “seek first the Kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” what is he saying?

Is Jesus offering a new way to keep our instinctive value for personal security above all else? Or is he saying we should stop thinking about securing food, clothing, and shelter altogether because the Kingdom is here? Or is he inviting people to see that God’s Kingdom is here and available—teaching us to practice ways of life rooted in strong love for God and others? What does Matthew 6:33 mean?

For context, let’s explore a few key points in the larger biblical story. It will help bring Matthew 6:33 into clearer focus, especially in terms of what it means to “seek first the Kingdom of God.”

The Choice of How To Live Secure Lives

In Genesis 1 and 2, the biblical authors invite us to see a life-and-death choice that humans have to make. Will we live freely and forever in God’s abundant world (represented by the garden of Eden) by joining his own way of ruling the world according to his wisdom? Or will we try to rule according to our own wisdom?

In Genesis 3:1-15, the humans trust their own perspective on how the world should work more than they trust God’s wisdom. They eat from the tree that God specifically told them to avoid, and they immediately experience fear. They end up outside the good garden, suffering in a world of injury, loss, and death—a place where deadbolts and weapons make sense because life is dangerous and eventually returns to dust.

The biblical story tells us that humanity will be tempted to secure life in ways that might make sense from certain (limited) perspectives, but when those ways disregard God’s instruction, humans always end up bringing harm to creation and one another.

Jesus weaves this thread from Genesis 3 right to the heart of his teaching. He speaks directly to the deep human instinct for survival. What do I need to own, or whom must I defeat, in order to live another day? His electrifying response to this question sums up the essence of his Sermon on the Mount: “But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”

Notice how Matthew 6:33 begins with the contrasting conjunction “but,” telling us that he’s helping us see a contrast with what came before. Earlier in Matthew 6, he describes two worlds: one where humans anxiously secure their lives according to their preferences and personal perspectives, and one where humans freely live according to God’s wisdom and provision—a world where every person trusts that God ultimately gives people everything they need for life.

Surrounded by poverty, crime, and threats of violence, we rightly sense danger everywhere. Working to protect “me and mine” at any cost, even if it includes neglecting or harming others, has become normal, even “virtuous” in popular culture. We’ve got our own problems to deal with, and doing what it takes to generously love each of our neighbors sounds nice but feels unrealistic. So when we hear Jesus say, “Seek first the Kingdom of God,” it sounds idealistic and impractical if not impossible.

But Jesus resists the temptation to depend on violence of any kind to preserve himself. He rejects every selfish way of gaining personal security, and he becomes the clearest example of what it looks like to live in this new way of life.

Seeking First the Kingdom in a Dangerous World

To get a good definition of “Kingdom of God,” it’s helpful to first understand what “kingdom” meant for the biblical authors. In Jesus’ first-century Jewish context, kingdom meant a tangible, real world on Earth, including real citizens, a real king, and a way of life governed by that king. When kings embraced harmful ways of living and governing, everyone in the empire would suffer. But when kings operated according to God’s wisdom, everyone in the empire would experience increased life, provision, and safety.

The tension we feel when Jesus says “seek first the Kingdom” is related to the fact that this Kingdom is not fully here yet. He is the king. He is on the throne. But not everyone realizes this.

It would be easier to practice loving every neighbor with perfect love in a world where every neighbor loves you back the same way, but it’s difficult (even deadly) to practice that way of life in a hostile world. When danger still exists, fear can compel us more than love. We conform to average patterns of life that value security above all else. Possessions, income, and protections help us feel safe. Often this means we feel entitled to what we have, leading us to compete with our neighbors for resources. But to seek first the Kingdom of God means prioritizing love over survival—something Jesus embodies throughout his life and teaching, especially on the cross.

The story about the early Church in Acts 2 gives us a glimpse of people compelled by love and living in the ways of Jesus. They’re living in God’s Kingdom while also surviving in our dangerous world. How?

The story describes them as a community of people choosing to help each other live together in the way of their King. It’s a life marked by selfless giving and freedom from fearful self-preservation. The New Testament’s gospel accounts show us how Jesus encouraged his followers to receive life as an ongoing gift from God and to live as a gift, or grace, toward others. He never suggests that some violence is needed to stay safe or that some selfishness is necessary for improved comfort or efficiency.

He flips that hostile script and lives according to the promised reality of God’s Kingdom becoming just as real on Earth as it is in Heaven. Living in the way of Jesus sets us free to love our neighbors as generously as he does.

Where True Safety and Security Come From

Normal empires and kings tell their citizens that safety and satisfaction result when one has money, stuff, and power over other people. Once we have secured ourselves with these things, then we can serve others.

But Jesus, the King of God’s Kingdom, tells us that safety and satisfaction result when we love God and others as we love ourselves. When Jesus says “all these things will be added to you,” he’s talking about drink, food, and shelter—all symbols of provision, fullness, and life.1 At first, it sounds like he’s talking about a friendlier way to secure, right now, the goods we value above all else. But notice how Jesus tells the crowds that these things “will be” added to you. He’s not promising that this happens quickly.

He’s talking about a long-term vision for whole-world restoration. These things were not all added to Jesus himself during his lifetime. He remained poor and in great danger, even suffering as a victim of brutal murder. But he knew these experiences were not ultimate. Having every possible need met every day appears to be something we will ultimately experience when God’s Kingdom is complete, when everyone everywhere operates and loves according to the King.

Many of us will experience the pain of unmet needs in this life. We may not have the food, medicine, or other provisions we need to survive, even if we faithfully follow Jesus to the end. We may live with justice for all and still receive oppression in return. Some of us will be hurt and have no one to tend to our needs. Jesus’ life and words speak to this reality as well. He himself experienced betrayal, poverty, hunger, and violence as he lived in the ways of God’s Kingdom. But he never felt insecure. Throughout the four Gospels, the story of Jesus shows him remaining confident that his life is in God’s hands.

Jesus did not embrace anxious ways of protection or accumulation, and he consistently teaches his followers to do the same.2 He was banking everything on God’s promise and trusting that the way of love is more satisfying, secure, and safe than any other way.

Though we can experience God’s Kingdom in part right now, especially in communities where others are choosing to live like Jesus3, we still suffer in ways that invite us to rely more and more on God’s generous character and his promise to unite his Kingdom with our whole world.

We’ll stop competing with coworkers. We’ll stop fretting about others’ approval. We’ll stop exhausting ourselves to secure a future we cannot control. The more we practice the ways of Jesus and his Kingdom, the more we enter a kind of freedom that helps us see how we are no longer in danger right now.

God’s got us. We are safe, and we are loved.

All of the fragmented and corrupted ways we use to satisfy our deepest needs will come to an end as Jesus renews Heaven and Earth. Jesus is bringing life as we would imagine it in Eden—peaceful, without threats, filled with adventure and generous love. The biblical story shapes our understanding of this Eden-like life to come, imagining an abundant world free from any kind of threat.

Seeking God’s Kingdom Right Now

So what does living in Jesus’ new way of life actually look like?

We learn how to seek the Kingdom of God when we choose to enter the unique story of God, which has a lot to do with exposing the deception used to build human empires, lies that end up justifying neglectful or violent actions toward others. We learn to trust that God is not lying when he promises that his Kingdom is the world we’re built for and that he will bring it into our world. By trusting that promise (more than fearing what our human empires tell us to fear), we can slowly begin to see how we are already free from any ultimate danger.

“Oh death,” says the Apostle Paul, “where is your sting?”4 He was already seeking first the Kingdom of God above all else, even in the face of punishment by imprisonment and death. The threat undoubtedly scared him, but his love for Jesus and neighbors overpowered that fear. Love compelled Paul—not fear.

Everyone has real needs, and Jesus does not minimize them. He teaches people to give to one another and to receive from each other. It’s a way of seeking the Kingdom first, starting to live right now like we always will in God’s renewed world.

Jesus says that “all of these things will be added to you,” not “you shouldn’t want these things.” Our human desire for survival is not bad. Jesus himself expressed his own desire to survive when he prays in the garden of Gethsemane, “Please take this cup from me.”5 The cup is a metaphor for the responsibility God gave him to suffer unto death rather than retaliate in order to preserve himself. He’s pleading with God to help him survive another day. But his value for personal security is not above all else. His top priority is God’s will. So after expressing his desire to survive, he also affirms: “Yet not my will be done, but yours.”6 That’s a picture of seeking first the Kingdom of God even in the face of death.

Lastly, to seek first the Kingdom of God is a way of daring to hope. Jesus’ appointed messengers speak of a day when we won’t need to seek the Kingdom any longer because it will be fully here.7 It will be a world where everyone deeply, truly loves everyone else. There will be no injury or loss or death, no deadbolts, and no threats.

So we seek, love, and anticipate what is both arriving and already here. We’re almost home.

1. e.g. Matt. 6:19-32 2. e.g., Luke 12:29-31 3. e.g. Acts 2 4. 1 Cor. 15:55 5. Luke 22:42a 6. Luke 22:42b 7. e.g., 1 Cor. 13:9; Heb. 8:7-13



This article was written by Scholar Fellow Aaron Shaw in collaboration with Editing and Research Scholar Dr. Ben Tertin. Copy-edited by Kenzie Halbert-Howen with additional editorial support from Mike Fleming and Nina Simone. BibleProject Articles are produced by Brad Witty.

What Does Matthew 6:33 Mean? ►

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33(NASB)

Verse of the Day

Not one word in Scripture is superfluous and when the word BUT starts a sentence, it is a conjunction of contrast – it is a word that introduces an opposite outcome and is a clue that the upcoming statement is about to qualify something important. Having taught His disciples to pray to the Father in faith, Christ gives a long dissertation on the futility of fretting, the fruitlessness of worry, and the anxiety that is caused when our primary attention is on how we can provide for our own, temporal needs and necessities rather than relying on the Lord.

Through a series of beautiful examples, Jesus points out that both the birds of the air and the flowers of the field neither fret for their food nor worry about their clothing, but are graciously cared for by the Lord… a poignant reminder that God’s blood-bought children are infinitely more precious to Him than pretty flowers or feathered foul.

Don’t be worried about the things connected to your life is Christ’s clear command. Don’t fret about what you are going to eat or what you will drink, and don’t be concerned for your body, as to what you will wear, were the comforting words of Jesus to His people. If the birds of the air and the flowers of the field are fed and clothed so beautifully, don’t you think that your Heavenly Father is able to supply all your needs? – were Christ’s reassuring words. 

But then followed an important lesson, that instead of futile fretting and needless worry, our principal thoughts and primary pursuit should be on the eternal kingdom of God and the righteousness that flows from Him, rather than seeking to provide for ourselves through the bankrupt dominions of this passing world system.

God in His grace invites us to live a life that is free from worry and devoid of anxieties by seeking first the kingdom of God and the righteousness with which we are clothed, when we trust in Him for salvation. We are to first be concerned about God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and when we have the right priorities, all of these other things will be provided for us as well.

God knows that worry entraps the heart and fear fractures faith, which can cause a believer to spiral down into a pit of despair. BUT He also knows that we have daily needs, and has given many precious promises throughout Scripture that He will be the Provider for all the needs and the Supplier of all the necessities of life – if we will but trust in Him.

Instead of seeking first the things of this world through our own effort, we are urged to seek Him first, to develop a right perspective, to exchange natural thinking for godly thinking.

So as we trust Him to fulfil His promise to provide for our needs, remembering that He is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, let us take the words of Jesus to heart to seek HIM first, and make HIM our main focus, today and every day.

My Prayer

Loving Father, I know that too often a lack of faith in Your promises of provision, have caused me to seek after the things of this world by myself. I confess this is a lack of faith in You. From now on, may I seek Your kingdom and righteousness first, knowing that You are my great Provider. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/matthew-6-33

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_6:33

VERSE OF THE DAY

Ephesians 5:1 (New Living Translation)

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Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

As a father to a child we as parents want the best for them and we show that example be being that example and as the child we mimic what is the parent has shown leaving us to imitate what we know

It’s the same way with God

God just wants the best for us as his children he wants us to imitate what he teaches us and remember his laws he wants us to teach what he has taught us and mimic and imitate him in everything we do like father and child we are his example we are his child we are his example

1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

What is the meaning of Ephesians 5 1?

Imitate God (5:1)

It is natural for children to be like their parents. We are to act as children imitating our father. We want to imitate God the Father because we have experienced extraordinary love as his children. Now obviously we cannot be like God for there are many attributes he possesses that we cannot possess.Mar 2, 2014

What Does Ephesians 5:1 Mean? ►

Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.

Ephesians 5:1(HCSB)

Verse of the Day

Having detailed our unity in the Spirit, our union with Christ, and the unsearchable riches of God that have been freely bestowed on us by grace, Paul contrasts the corrupt lives of unregenerate man with the normal Christian walk, which should exhibit the tenderness, forgiveness, and grace that we see in the character of God and the life of Christ.

Having built up this worthy argument, Paul then exhorts us, “Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.” We are being called here to live as sons and daughters of God, whereby our lives reflect the kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness of the Father in the same way that God in Christ has forgiven us.

These are beautiful qualities that are exhibited in a life that is living in spirit and truth, under the guidance of the Spirit, in union with Christ, and in fellowship with the Father. We have been freely forgiven and have received the unsearchable riches of God’s grace. We receive all of this because of Christ, Who gave Himself for us.

Because we are in union with Christ and identified with Him, we are exhorted to follow Him in our attitudes and actions, and even the motives of our hearts that are known only to God. We are called to be like Christ; to follow His example, to imitate His life and character, to grow in grace, and to be conformed into His likeness.

The only way to grow in grace and mature in the Christian faith is to put away all the influences and characteristics of the old sin nature that are exhibited in a wide range of outward actions, inward attitudes, and secret motives that are acceptable to God.

We are not to take part in actions, attitudes, and motives that are unacceptable to God. Rather, we are to imitate the beautiful life that Christ lived by living our life in the same way that Christ did – by walking in spirit, sharing the truth in love, growing in grace, and learning obedience through the things that we suffer. 

My Prayer

Loving Father, I want to be more and more like Christ, to walk in newness of life, and to truly be a life where Christ can be seen in me. In His name I pray, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-5-1

QUESTION

What does it mean to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1)?

ANSWER

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul instructs the believers, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1). We are to imitate Christ and model our lives after Him.

This word translated as “imitators” or “followers” in English versions of the Bible is mimētai in the Greek, the root of our word mimic. It has the positive connotation of emulating a pattern set by an admired mentor, and it is used seven times in the New Testament to advocate following or emulating certain early church leaders, Christ, and, ultimately, God.

A child imitating his or her parent is the most natural thing in the world. It’s how children learn everything from brushing their teeth to putting away toys to treating others with respect. Young children want to grow up to be like their parents, and they will often pretend to be their parents—trying on their parents’ shoes, wearing their hats, etc. It’s an important part of childhood play as they imitate what they see in their parents. This is the type of mimicry that Paul alludes to in Ephesians 5.

In Ephesians 5:1–21, Paul discusses what behavior is and is not a worthy imitation of God and befitting of God’s children. “For at one time you were darkness,” he says, “but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

When Paul instructed the believers to be imitators of God, he did not indicate that this meant they should act as if they were also divine, omniscient, or possessed of any God-like powers. Instead, he specified “be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1, emphasis added). Perhaps this is why some translations use the word followers instead, to emphasize that Christians must imitate God in such a way that follows His example. Beloved children do not presume to become their parents; however, children may be seen imitating the behaviors and actions of their parents.

To properly imitate God, we must first be His children. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13). If we receive Christ and believe in His name, we become God’s beloved children.

We must also know God’s ways so we might know what to imitate. Ephesians 5:1–21 gives several examples. “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. . . . And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:3–4, 18–21). We can learn of the Lord and His ways through prayerful study of biblical passages like this one.

God gave us the ultimate example to follow in Christ. Discerning how to live based on our God who supersedes the universe can be difficult, but, in the life of Christ, we see a practical example of how a person should live on this earth. “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). As we look to Christ, we learn we are to walk in love, giving sacrificially to others and offering ourselves fully as a sacrifice to God.

Imitators of God will be imitators of Christ, striving to walk in love and submission to God as beloved children walk in obedience to and imitation of a father.

1 Kings 19:4

Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

Many a time we feel alone and depressed we want to have our life finished rather than remain alone

Though we feel alone God is always around yet we still may ask for dead to not feel the loneliness and solitude

4 ¶ But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a ajuniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

1 KINGS 19 – GOD ENCOURAGES DISCOURAGED ELIJAH

Audio for 1 Kings 19:

1 Kings 18:20-19:21 – A Great Victory & the Aftermath of It

A. Elijah flees to the wilderness.

1. (1-3) Jezebel’s threat.

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

a. Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done: The report came as a great shock to this champion of Baal and Astarte worship in Israel. She thought so much of these priests that she supported them from the royal treasury, and now they were dead at the hand of Elijah.

b. So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time: Jezebel heard about all that Elijah had done, encompassing the great confrontation at Mount Carmel. Yet her response was not to say, “The silence of Baal and the fire from Yahweh proves that I am wrong and Yahweh is God.” Instead, she responded with a vow to kill within 24 hours the man who exposed the lie of Baal worship and displayed the glory of Yahweh.

i. “He probably thought that the miracle at Carmel would have been the means of effecting the conversion of the whole court and of the country, but, finding himself mistaken, he is greatly discouraged.” (Clarke)

c. When he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba: We cannot say for certain if this was led of God or not. It is clear that God wanted to protect Elijah, but we cannot say if God wanted to protect him at Jezreel or protect him by getting him out of Jezreel. Nevertheless, Elijah went about 80 miles south to Beersheba.

i. “Probably Elijah had played into Jezebel’s hand. Had she really wanted Elijah dead, she surely would have seized him without warning and slain him. What she desired was that Elijah and his God be discredited before the new converts what had aided Elijah by executing the prophets of Baal.” (Patterson and Austel)

ii. “Elijah failed in the very point at which he was strongest, and that is where most men fail. In Scripture, it is the wisest man who proves himself to be the greatest fool; just as the meekest man, Moses, spoke hasty and bitter words. Abraham failed in his faith, and Job in his patience; so, he who was the most courageous of all men, fled from an angry woman.” (Spurgeon)

2. (4) Elijah’s depression.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

a. He himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness: Beyond the distant city of Beersheba, Elijah secluded himself even more.

b. And he prayed that he might die: This mighty man of prayer – mighty enough to make the rain and the dew stop for three and a half years, and then mighty enough to make it start again at his prayer – now he prayed that he might die.

i. Thankfully, this was a prayer not answered for Elijah. In fact, Elijah was one of the few men in the Bible to never die! We can imagine that as he was caught up into heaven, he smiled and thought of this prayer – and the blessed no that answered his prayer. To receive a no answer from God can be better than receiving a yes answer.

c. It is enough: We sense that Elijah meant, “I can’t do this anymore, LORD.” The work was stressful, exhausting, and seemed to accomplish nothing. The great work on Mount Carmel did not result in a lasting national revival or return to the LORD.

i. Perhaps Elijah had especially hoped that the events on Mount Carmel would turn around Ahab and Jezebel and the leadership of Israel in general. If so, Elijah forgot that people reject God despite the evidence, not because of the evidence.

ii. “Elijah said, ‘It is enough,’ yet it was not enough even for his own enjoyment, for the Lord had more blessings in store for him… It was so with Elijah, for he was to have that wonderful revelation of God on Mount Horeb. He had more to enjoy, and the later life of Elijah appears to have been one of calm communion with his God; he seems never to have had another fainting fit, but to the end his sun shone brightly without a cloud. So it was not enough; how could he know that it was? It is God alone who knows when we have done enough, and enjoyed enough; but we do not know.” (Spurgeon)

d. Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers: When Elijah examined the apparent failure of his work, he instinctively set the blame on his own unworthiness. It was because he was a sinner as the rest of his ancestors that the work seemed to fail.

B. God’s ministry to the despairing Elijah.

1. (5-8) God ministers to the physical needs of Elijah.

Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

a. As he lay and slept under a broom tree: This was the mercy of God extended to Elijah. Physically speaking, he needed rest and replenishment. God gave him rest under a broom tree, and provided miraculous food for the replenishment.

i. God first ministered to Elijah’s physical needs. This is not always His order, but physical needs are important. Sometimes the most spiritual thing a person can do is get enough rest and replenishment.

ii. “And how many are there at this day that sit under Elias’s juniper, willing and wishing to lay down that heavy burden imposed upon them by the Almighty!” (Trapp)

b. So he ate and drank, and lay down again: Elijah received this rest and replenishment repeatedly from the LORD. One quick nap and one quick meal wasn’t enough.

i. “Before entering into that communion with him which was for the correction of his false attitude of fear, He commanded him to eat, thus ministering to his physical weakness.” (Morgan)

ii. “The spirit needs to be fed, and the body needs feeding also. Do not forget these matters; it may seem to some people that I ought not to mention such small things as food and rest, but these may be the very first elements in really helping a poor depressed servant of God.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “It was very gracious for God to deal this with his servant. We might have expected rebuke or remonstrance, chiding or chastisement; but we would hardly have expected such loving, gentle treatment as this.” (Meyer)

c. Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you: God set Elijah on a 200-mile, 40-day trip to Mount Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai. This shows that God did not demand an immediate recovery from Elijah. He allowed the prophet time to recover from his spiritual depression.

i. “Elijah’s forty-day journey is not without significance. Indeed, a straight trip from Beersheba would require little more than a quarter of that time. Therefore the period is designedly symbolic. As the children of Israel had a notable spiritual failure and so were to wander forty years in the wilderness, so a defeated Elijah was to spend forty days in the desert.” (Patterson and Austel)

2. (9-10) God allows Elijah to vent his frustrations.

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

a. He went into a cave: Literally, the Hebrew is definite describing the cave. “The cave may well have been the specific ‘cleft of the rock’ where God appeared to Moses (av, Exodus 33:22) rather than the ‘cave-region’ generally.” (Wiseman)

i. “Perhaps no spot on earth is more associated with the manifested presence of God than that sacred mount.” (Meyer)

b. What are you doing here, Elijah: God knew the answer to this question, but it was good for Elijah to speak to the LORD freely and to unburden his heart.

i. “God has ways of teaching all of us in our bones and in our flesh, but he specially knows how to do this with those upon whom he puts any honor in his service. You must not marvel, if God should be pleased to bless you to the conversion of souls, that he should also make you sometimes smart.” (Spurgeon)

c. I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts: Elijah protested to God, “I have faithfully served You and now look at the danger I am in.” To Elijah – and many servants of God since – it seemed unfair that a faithful servant of God should be made to suffer.

d. I alone am left: This was not accurate, but it reflected how Elijah felt. Even back at the confrontation at Mount Carmel, Elijah said I alone am left a prophet of the LORD (1 Kings 18:22). Discouraging times make God’s servants feel more isolated and alone than they are.

d. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life: Strangely, the reasons Elijah provided were actually important reasons for him to remain alive. If he really was the last prophet or believer alive, should not he seek to live as long as possible? If the enemies of God like Jezebel wanted him dead, should he not seek to defeat her wicked will? Elijah, here, powerfully showed the unreasonable nature of unbelief and fear.

3. (11-12) God reveals Himself to Elijah.

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

a. Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD: God knew what the depressed and discouraged Elijah needed. He needed a personal encounter with God. There was nothing fundamentally wrong with Elijah’s theology, but at the time there was something lacking in his experience.

b. Behold, the LORD passed by: God brought His presence before Elijah, but first, to show where He was not. The LORD was not in the wind; He was not in the earthquake; He was not in the fire. Like many others, Elijah probably only looked for God in dramatic manifestations. Certainly, God sometimes appears in such ways, but He often appears in less dramatic surroundings.

i. “This same lesson has to be learned over and over by us all: let us repeat it, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.’ It is to be lamented that the most of professors obstinately cling to the fatal error of looking for displays of power of one kind or another. I hear that a certain church is seeking for a very clever man: she thinks that God is in the wind… That still small voice will be hushed and silent, while the boastings of your wisdom resound like a howling wind or a thunder unaccompanied by rain.” (Spurgeon)

c. After the fire a still small voice: This final phenomenon was a marked contrast to the previous manifestations. God actually met Elijah in the quiet whisper of a voice, instead of the earth-shaking phenomenon that had gone before.

i. Wiseman called the still small voice a gentle whisper.

ii. “And now the thunder ceased, and the lightning was gone, and the earth was still, and the wind was hushed, and there was a dead calm, and out of the midst of the still air there came what the Hebrew calls ‘a voice of gentle silence,’ as if silence had become audible. There is nothing more terrible than an awful stillness after a dread uproar.” (Spurgeon)

iii. Elijah perhaps thought that the dramatic display of power at Mount Carmel would turn the nation around. Or perhaps he thought that the radical display of God’s judgment against the priests of Baal following the vindication at Mount Carmel would change the hearts of the nation. Neither of these worked. This example is important for Christian ministers today, especially preachers. It shows that displays of power and preaching God’s anger don’t necessarily change hearts. Instead, the still small voice of God speaking to the human heart is actually more powerful than outward displays of power or displays of God’s judgment.

iv. “Because the success of Carmel melted like the morning mist, he thought that his career had been a failure all along, and that he had brought no one to reverence Jehovah; but he was reading with the eyes of unbelief, and his imagination was leading him rather than the facts of the case. Here are seven thousand people scattered up and down the country to whom God has blessed Elijah’s testimony. If he had not blessed his big things as he had desired, yet his little things had prospered greatly. It was Elijah’s daily conduct rather than his miracles which had impressed these seven thousand and led them to hold fast their integrity.” (Spurgeon)

4. (13-15) After this ministry, God gives Elijah work to do.

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.

a. He wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave: Immediately, Elijah sensed that God was present in the still small voice in a way that He was not in the previous, more dramatic phenomena. Because he sensed the special presence of God, Elijah immediately humbled himself when he wrapped his face in his mantle.

i. “Through horror and dread of God’s presence, being sensible that he was neither worthy nor able to endure the sight of God with open face.” (Poole)

ii. “He first wrapped his mantle about his face – he became subdued and awe-stricken – full of reverence. Oh! it is a great thing when a sinner is willing to wrap his face when he is confounded, and say, ‘I cannot defend my course; I am guilty.’ We know that if at our judgment-seat a man pleads guilty, he is punished; but at the judgment-seat of the gospel whoever pleads guilty is forgiven. Wrap your face.” (Spurgeon)

b. What are you doing here, Elijah: God asked Elijah the same question – and received the same response – as in 1 Kings 19:9-10. There was something helpful for Elijah in this question-and-answer process.

c. Go, return on your way… anoint Hazael as king over Syria: God gave Elijah something to do. He needed a task to focus on so he could avoid excessive introspection. He needed to stop looking at himself and his own (admittedly difficult) circumstances. He needed to get on with what God wanted him to do.

i. “Then the Lord did what perhaps was best of all for Elijah, he gave him some more work to do. He sent him off about his Master’s business again; and I warrant you that, when Elijah went back over that road, it was with a very different step from that which brought him down to Beersheba. He had come along terrified and distressed; but now he goes back with the majesty that belongs to the Tishbite, he is afraid of no Jezebel now.” (Spurgeon)

5. (16-18) Further assurance to Elijah.

“Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

a. You shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel: God had more work for Elijah to do. He would also demonstrate God’s choice of Jehu to be the king to succeed the corrupt Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

b. Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place: God gave something else to the discouraged and depressed prophet, beyond work to do. He also gave him a friend and a successor.

i. Elijah needed a friend; the core of his complaint before God was that he was alone. God let him know that there was a man ready to learn from the great prophet and be his disciple and companion.

ii. Elijah also needed hope, and since Elisha would be raised up as a successor to Elijah’s prophetic office, Elijah then knew that his work would continue even after his death.

c. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill: This was another source of encouragement to Elijah. With this promise he knew that ultimately justice would be done, and God would not allow the institutionalized persecution and promotion of idolatry to go unpunished.

d. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal: This was a final encouragement to Elijah. He repeatedly bemoaned that he was alone among the true followers of God (1 Kings 18:22, 19:10, and 19:14). This both assured Elijah that he was not alone and that his work as a prophet had indeed been fruitful.

i. This showed Elijah that his quiet ministry over the years actually bore more fruit than the spectacular ministry at Mount Carmel. “Yet, all the while that vile idolatry was spreading in Israel, the worship of the true God was being retained by seven thousand faithful souls, though Elijah did not know that there was even one beside himself. How were they won to Jehovah? Certainly not by Elijah’s impressive demonstration on the top of Carmel, for they were loyal to the Lord before that… The still small voice had been doing for Israel what Elijah could not do” (Spurgeon).

6. (19-21) The call of Elisha.

So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

a. He departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat: Elijah did what the still small voice of God told him to do. He happened to do it in reverse order than God described to him in the previous passage. Perhaps Elijah believed that he first needed a friend and apprentice.

b. Who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him: Elijah found Elisha and commissioned him to ministry when Elisha was at work.

c. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him: The mantle was the symbol of Elijah’s prophetic authority. This was a dramatic symbol that said, “I call upon you to join in my work as a prophet.”

i. “The mantle, or pallium, was the peculiar garb of the prophet, as we may learn from Zechariah 13:4; and this was probably made of skin dressed with the hair on. See also 2 Kings 1:8.” (Clarke)

d. What have I done to you: This question “Could mean, ‘Go back, but remember what I have done to you.’ It might be a rebuke at any delay in following.” (Wiseman)

i. “Elijah’s reply indicates that he himself had not called Elisha; it was God’s call. Whether Elisha would follow that call was his own decision.” (Patterson and Austel)

e. Took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate: This demonstrated Elisha’s complete commitment to following Elijah. He destroyed the tools of his trade in a going-away party for his family and friends.

i. “Elisha must have had a considerable estate, when he kept twelve yoke of oxen to till the ground. If, therefore, he obeyed the prophetic call, he did it to considerable secular loss.” (Clarke)

ii. “Hereby he showed how willingly and joyfully he forsook all his friends, that he might serve God in that high and honourable employment.” (Poole)

©2018 David Guzik – No distribution beyond personal use without permission



How To Escape Depression (1 Kings 19)

By Chris Mueller | July 16, 2023

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How To Escape Depression

A tour through the Old Testament–1 Kings 19

A young lawyer was once very much given to depression. One time he fell into such depression that his friends actually removed all his knives and razors from his house, for fear of him taking his own life. In his journal, he described how he was feeling by writing, “I am now the most miserable man living. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell, I awfully forebode I shall not.” Fortunately, he did recover and later became the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

Who of us in this room has not lost heart? Who has not felt they may never feel better? Who has not been broken by their own emotions? Who has not suffered from depression at some point–that miserable, wretched experience that leaves you exhausted, unmotivated and in deep hopeless despair? The dictionary defines depression as “a state of feeling sad, a disorder marked by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in things, a lowering of vitality, and feelings of dejection.” Depression is a crippling hopelessness.

Christians battle with how to categorize depression. We’re supposed to have that “joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” But sometimes we chant “down, dismayed, dejected and dirt down in my heart.” Experiencing low, thoughtful, weighty, heavy and sober times is not necessarily sinful. Men like David, Job, and Elijah went through seasons like that—and so did Spurgeon and Luther. But whenever your emotions rule, and not the Lord, then you’re moving into a sinful pattern.

Ongoing depression elevates your emotions over Christ. When you live as if your emotions are greater than God, then you know you are sinning with your emotions. First Corinthians 6:12b, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything”–including emotions. You and I are not to be mastered by anything but the Spirit of God–not sleep, food, friendships . . . nothing, including emotions.

It is doubly difficult to battle with depression when you live in a day when evil is good and good is evil. Leaders have no integrity. War is the norm. And total disaster waits just outside our front door. Back in 1973, Newsweek Magazine stated, “There is no doubt that depression, long the leading mental Illness in the U.S.A. is now virtually epidemic”–50 years ago. So what is it now? Today, depression and anxiety attacks 25% of our students, and the rest of us are not exempt.

Nowhere in Scripture are believers promised immunity from the pressure of our culture. Plus, be reminded, Christian–your enemy has one objective, to wipe out all Christians by wrecking your witness. He wants you to keep your eyes on Earth, not Heaven–forget your position with Christ as a forgiven child and steer you away from an intimate walk with Christ. He can do that by encouraging uncontrolled emotions, making one of his best weapons depression–those overwhelmingly dark feelings of misery, sometimes called the common cold of mental illness.

Unless you learn what the Bible says about how to deal with this crippling hopelessness, you will not be able to rise above it, nor help others battling with it. How do you overcome depression, and how do you begin to direct your emotions so they glorify God and not defeat you? The answer is always found in God’s character and His Word.

In Scripture, there are three classic cases of depression. Do you know who battled with it? Moses, Jonah and Elijah–three great men of God, and that’s encouraging (Numbers 11:15, Jonah 4:3 and 1 Kings 19:4). They were so depressed, all three actually prayed for God to take their lives. They were so low, they prayed, “God, kill me.” What is so helpful about their experience is that through it, God teaches you the cause, the cure, and the control for depression. Let’s look at just one of the classic cases of depression found in the life of Elijah to discover these.

ONE  The CAUSE of Depression

Open your Bibles to 1 Kings 18, and then 19–for it’s the backstory which leads to Elijah’s failure with depression. Today, you will learn from God’s dealings with Elijah how to biblically deal with depression and dark times practically. But what is God doing to accomplish His glorious purposes, according to His sovereign will in the lives of His people, theologically?

After Joshua takes the land, then the compromising time of the judges–Israel asks for a king in 1 Samuel and gets Saul. God then gives them king David, followed by the reign of Solomon, when the Lord allows Israel to ascend to its greatest religious, economic and political strength. Then at Solomon’s death, sadly the nation divides in 931 and slowly disintegrates–finally suffering exile in 722 for the north, and 586 for the south.

After its great prosperity, the nation collapses within–does that sound familiar? It is during this season of decline that God uses His prophets to represent His will to the people and call His people to repentance (just like we are supposed to). But it is difficult work, because there are massive attacks of syncretism–trying to blend the true faith with false beliefs and attacks against monotheism, the truth of only one true God by the false religion of Baal and many gods.

God’s prophets were men of great courage and faith, but men who were imperfect and flawed, making them great examples. Eventually God intentionally sends Assyria and then Babylon to take Israel captive and teach them some difficult lessons. But before God does, Yahweh preserves the remnant and challenges the Northern and Southern tribes through His prophets, to remember who He is and what He has promised. Through His prophets, God is calling His people to follow Him in dependent obedience.

God is calling His people to trust Him and not others. God is calling His people to pursue His ways and not their ways. For three and one-half years there was a drought with a great famine that came as judgment upon the nation of Israel and its wicked king Ahab. Elijah had no superstar, just an available servant–so he invites God to use him and God does mightily.

By Elijah’s request, one of the prophets of God, there is a meeting between Elijah and King Ahab. They insult each other and Elijah sets forth a challenge–it’s a contest (1 Kings 18:19) between the prophets of Baal (about 850 of them) versus one prophet of God, with the people of Israel in attendance (affirming again, one plus God constitutes a majority).

Elijah rebukes the people for mixing true faith with Baal worship–then lays out the challenge (1 Kings 18:21). Since Baal was considered the god of heavens, he should demonstrate his power from the heavens and fire should come down and consume their altar. If Baal is God, he will consume the altar–if Jehovah is God, He will demonstrate His power the same way. Elijah gave the priests of Baal the first shot. For six hours (from 6 a.m. till noon) they prayed and Elijah watched in silence (1 Kings 18:27).

At noon, Elijah couldn’t resist any longer–he started to mock. Like the worst razzing you ever received while playing a sport, Elijah ripped on those false prophets–even saying that Baal didn’t answer because he was going to the bathroom. The priests of Baal called out louder, wailed, even cut themselves until evening–but no one answered. Then quickly preparing the alter so all would know that there was no trickery, Elijah prayed quietly and Jehovah God sent the fire down (1 Kings 18:38).

Pandemonium broke out instantly. The people of Israel fell on their faces and acknowledged the one true God–and in the gathering darkness, the people (assisted by Elijah) pursued the fleeing prophets of Baal down the mountain, by the sea, to a brook where all 850 were slaughtered. If that were not enough, Elijah also told Ahab that the drought would end. So that same evening, Elijah prays and the rain comes in a torrent. (Elijah expected his prayers to be answered–Elijah also got involved in his prayers as well.)

After warning Ahab to go home before it got so wet that his chariot would not travel on the soaked land, by God’s strength, Elijah beat Ahab back to Jezreel by running the entire way–a total of 30 miles. When you try, you fail. When you trust, Christ succeeds. Can you imagine how Elijah must have felt? What a high. What a rush. What incredible ministry. Even though Elijah was all alone, he didn’t focus on the problems of his land, but on the potential of what God could do. You could say that Elijah was not problem-oriented, but potential-oriented.

But something awful happens–after a hard day of kinging, Ahab comes home and tells his wife, Jezebel, about what happened that day. But being the main instigator of Baal worship, Jezee was miffed, angered, burned–mad as a hornet. So she makes an oath and tells Elijah she is going to kill him, just like he killed her prophets. And you would think, after taking on 850 prophets single-handedly, that a little threat from a wicked queen would not bother God’s prophet. But it does.

Read 1 Kings 19:3 to 4, “And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, [over 70 miles] which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.’”

This man is depressed–he is wallowing in self-pity. He is in “a big downer”. You and I have all experienced it at some time or another. Do you remember the last time you started to feel this way? You lost a job, lost a spouse, lost a child, or lost a friend . . . had a great disappointment or multiple mini-trials . . . experienced lots of change all at once with the loss of routine . . . had a big move, had to start over, started a new job . . . experienced a big financial loss or the loss of health . . . you went through a disaster, burglary, fire or wreck. Then your emotions lead you to the depths of depression.

Here is Elijah, dangerous now depressed. How did that happen? What circumstances make you ripe for depression. What leads to this emotional darkness?

1.  Depression comes after something EXCITING

A high, an experience, a victory, a culmination. Elijah’s was the fire called down from Heaven, then the 850 prophets killed—he was tired, prayed for rain, ran 30 miles. This was the climax of Elijah’s life. He longed for Israel to repent, to put away their foreign gods and worship the one true God. For many pastors, it is Mondays after preaching Sunday for 2.5 hours. It may be the day after an athletic contest or boxing match. Depression comes after something exciting.

2.  Depression comes after INTENSE emotion

Elijah killed the prophets of Baal–can you picture what a righteous slaughter looks like? You are killing people who are evil, vile, false, and lying–but they are people. That is intense. Then afterward he feared for his life. It may be exams for students, interviews, public speaking.

3.  Depression comes after a LOW experience

A failure, a bad event, a loss, disappointments in life. There was no revival for Israel, even after his courageous witness. All of it seemed futile–the nation did not change. Did you notice that Elijah had become a hypocrite? Did he really want to die? No. If not, then why did he run over 120 miles? He could have stayed where he was and Jezee would have been glad to accommodate Elijah’s request.

Prayer is asking God for what He wants–not what we want. Aren’t you glad God does not answer all your prayers? Depression comes after a disappointing experience.

4.  Depression comes after being WORN OUT

Elijah was worn out. He had lots of exercise (killing those prophets was not easy, nor running 30 miles, or fleeing to the wilderness with no food and probably no sleep–he’s worn out). Reminding you that depression can be a physical problem. The first step in serious depression is to get a physical.

5.  Depression comes when you focus on SELF

You have a pity party–I alone am left feeling sorry for myself. Like Peter, when he walked on the water–if you look at the waves, you’re sunk. But if you look at Christ, you stand. Ingrown eyeballs are the first step to depression. Those are some of the causes. What are the cures?

TWO  The CURE to Depression

What are the steps to prevention and recovery? There are seven of them here–all clearly seen in how God dealt with Elijah. I believe recovery requires all seven steps and most preferably in order. It is definitely not always this simple and straightforward, but more often than not, it is. It is not always this simple.

Read verses 5 to 8, “He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, ‘Arise, eat.’  6Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, ‘Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.’ 8So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.”

1.  Sleep  Verses 5 to 6

“He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; 6and lay down again.” The Hebrew tells us Elijah had not slept. If you’re depressed, you usually do not want to sleep–you want to solve your problem, but you desperately need to sleep. We all know the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But we do not realize the very reason that keeps you from smoking or taking drugs is the same principle that should move you to get enough sleep.

Let’s take a brief survey–everyone is different so be honest, raise your hands. How many here usually need 8 hours or more? How many do with less than 7 every night? Less than 6? 5? 4? God requires that you sleep to function correctly, think biblically and control your emotions. And on another note–God is not going to work until you stop running.

2.  Eat  Verses 5 to 6

“Behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, ‘Arise, eat.’  6Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank.”

I remember sitting in my car, leaving my college campus, with thoughts that were super depressed–strangely weird. And not at all me. I literally ran out of gas physically. As I was waiting for the light to change, and marveling over my depressive thoughts, I woke up to the fact that I had not eaten anything for 36 hours. You must eat, and you must eat right–not energy drinks, sugar, but real protein, real body fuel.

3.  Exercise  Verses 7 to 8

“The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, ‘Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.’ 8So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.” Exercise is crucial to your spiritual well-being. God sent Elijah went on a long journey. Get your body working. No exercise clogs the brain. You can’t think right without some working out, walking, riding a bike. As sergeants love to say, “Move, people.”

4.  Solitude with God  Verses 9 to 10

“Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 10He said, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’”

Then after a display of divine power (verses 11 to 13a), there was a sound of a gentle wind blowing in 13b to 14, “And behold, a voice came to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 14Then he said, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’” There are several things involved here–to deal with depression you must . . .

1  Get alone with God

Pray and talk to your Father regularly

2  Monitor your thoughts

Are you thinking correctly? Are you listening to yourself or talking truth to yourself?

3  Do you have a correct view of God?

You need to pursue truth–get accountable to thinking biblically in order to get things into perspective. Be honest. True worship will always do that for you, where you offer yourself to Christ as a living sacrifice. You must seek Him.

5.  A Task  Verse 15

“The Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram.” Stop sitting around waiting for your emotions to die down. Get excited about how to please the Lord. Get going–move it! God already rebuked Elijah for being out in the middle of nowhere–that is not for God’s man. No, the servant of God is not to be a monk, but engaged in the mainstream of life–involved with people, proclaiming God’s character and message.

Once, Dr. Karl Menninger, a famous psychiatrist, was giving a lecture on mental health and was answering questions from the audience. One person asked, “What do you do to help a person who said they felt a nervous breakdown was coming on?” To their astonishment, he did not say, “Consult a psychiatrist.” What he did say was, “Lock up your house, go to the poor part of town, find someone in need and do something to help that person.”

Service is more than a duty, it is physically and spiritually healthy. It is what we were made for–and often, service to others puts things into perspective. It keeps us from the best kindling to a depression fire—ingrown eyeballs.

6.  Companion(s)  Verses 16 and 18

“And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.” God says, “Wake up, Elijah—you are not alone. Elisha is going to come alongside of you and help you, and then take your place.” Then in verse 18, “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel.” There are 7,000 others who are still with me. There are no solo saints, there are no closet Christians.

You were made to be in a Body–the Church. People outside of the Church are not spiritual people. No believer is ever to be disconnected from the Body, ever. Even missionaries were meant to have a strong lifeline. Seek out some who can be trusted–close friends, a discipleship group, brothers or sisters. They are worth millions of dollars to your soul. It’s dangerous when Christians choose not to establish friendships with others in their church–for when they stumble or fall, they are not roped to anyone. But what about you? The reason why some are subject to depression is they have not made the effort to interconnect with believers in their church.

7.  Encouragement  Verses 17 to 18

“’It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.’” This is good news–the bad guys will be removed and those who worship the one true God will prevail.

Be encouraged, Elijah, and encourage others too. Maybe you are like me–I often find myself running to those who are encouraging when I am really under it. People wrongly think pastors are above depression, or above needing encouragement—nope. They think that way because some pastors act like they don’t, and die inside. Another reason is others think they perfectly live all that they preach–wrong. The Holy Spirit hits me too. But how do I keep from getting depressed in the first place?

THREE  The CONTROL of Depression

How can you prevent depression from happening? Paul gives that answer in 2 Corinthians 4 and 5. Among other essential truths, Paul talks about not losing heart and being of good courage in chapters 4 and 5 of 2 Corinthians. As he does so, he gives us his three secrets to controlling depression. Briefly look at each main point to control depression–Paul gives us three preventive steps. Look at chapter 4 verse 1, “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we receive mercy, we do not lose heart.” The first thing you must cultivate in order to prevent depression is . . .

1.  A Sense of WONDER over Christ

Wonder over what? Wonder, awe, and gratefulness that you are saved by God’s gift and that you can serve. Think about all Paul could be depressed over–he persecuted the Church, he was the least of the apostles. Yet he received mercy and was allowed to minister–and as a result of that, he had a sense of wonder. Do you? If you’ve lost that, you’ve lost one of the most important elements of your walk with God.

Take salvation by the King and service for the King out of your daily Christian experience and you’ve cut Christ out of your life. It should not surprise you–when you get depressed, the wonder and absolute joy that God saved you and that He also will use you as a tool, if you are willing, is a key to controlling depression, being blessed and having purpose.

2.  Daily DEPENDENCE on Christ

Look at verse 16, “Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Paul says, every day I am dying more and more. Every day I feel the effects of beatings, stonings, shipwrecks and persecutions more and more. But every day, as I cling to God, he continually renews my inner man.

Every day, I’m (you’re–have you noticed?) getting older, getting uglier. Put your priority on the inner man and let Him renew you daily as you refresh your heart through a quiet time or study of the Word–or listening to MP3s, or read good books. As you are renewed, your internal person gets younger even as your external person gets older.

3.  A FUTURE with Christ

Look at chapter 5, verse 8, “We are of good courage [why, Paul?] I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” This life is going to be filled with groanings, pain, suffering, disappointments, highs and lows, discouragements, tough circumstances and injustice.

So Paul says, to beat depression–remember you have a perfect heavenly home, and for all eternity, you will get to be with Jesus. Keep that thought on your mind throughout the day and you will not only control depression, but be a joyful witness of Christ Himself. Don’t you long for Heaven? If not, it means you are in love with this world.

In my heart, I find myself clinging to the feet of Jesus in prayer. I find myself saying, “Come, Lord.” I find myself often longing to be home. Sometimes, it’s because of the lack of justice today. Sometimes over my sinfulness. Sometimes over weariness. But I long for Heaven. A key to controlling depression is constantly remembering this life is a vapor–and perfect peace, love, joy and perfection await us for all eternity.

TAKE HOME

Do you know what causes depression? Do you know what you will do to cure it? Will you take steps to control it? And most importantly–have you ever been depressed? If so, then join the ranks of everyone else in the human race.

Listen to the testimony of Charles H. Spurgeon. “I am the subject of depression so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to. But I always get back again by this–I know that I trust Christ. I have no reliance but in Him, and if He falls, I shall fall with Him. But if He does not, I shall not. Because He lives, I shall live also, and I spring to my legs again and fight with my depressions of spirit and get the victory through it.

“And so may you do, and so you must, for there is no other way of escaping from it. We all go through it, but only those who know Christ have divine recourses to battle it. If you are one who has no purpose, no peace, no joy, no hope, it is because you do not know your Creator. You do not know what you were made for, and therefore cannot have the blessings that come from being in a right relationship with the One who made you. And that only comes through Christ.”

Let’s pray.

Posted in The Faith Love of the King – Journey Thur the OT



About Chris Mueller

Chris is the teaching pastor at Faith Bible Church – Murrieta.

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