Living Water Ministries

VERSE OF THE DAY

Psalm 90:2,4 (New International Version)

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Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Before the mountains were formed or you brought the world to be from everlasting to everlasting sent from heaven to earth you alone are God

What Does Psalm 90:2 Mean? ►

Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God.

Psalm 90:2(HCSB)

Verse Thoughts

The book of Genesis tells us about the beginning of creation, but before time and space and matter were brought into being, before the universe came into existence and before man was made in His image and likeness – there was only God.

God is and has always been and will be forever and ever, and the Psalmist seeks to place this concept, that is inconceivable to the mind of man into perspective, with the words – from everlasting to everlasting You are God. for before the mountains were born, the earth the birthed and the world was created, from beginning to end, you are God from eternity past to eternity future You are the Lord.

God is eternal. He is the first and the last and He is without beginning or ending. He is the genesis of all that is and He is the revelation of all that ever will be. He is sufficient in Himself and needs neither man nor angels to find completeness. He existed in sublime glory and exists in great majesty – and in Himself He is self-sufficient, self-sustaining and entirely complete.

It was Frederick Faber who wrote of our limitless, omniscient, glorious, triune God:

Timeless; spaceless;

single lonely –

Yet sublimely Three,

Thou are grandly;

always; only

God in unity.

My Prayer

Loving Lord and heavenly Father my mind cannot comprehend the wonders of Who You are, but I praise Your wonderful name that You have disclosed Yourself to me in Your Word. Help me to know You more, to love You better to follow You more nearly with every passing day – and use me I pray, in Your service, in Jesus name, AMEN

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/psalm-90-2

Psalm 90 – The Prayer of Moses in the Wilderness

This psalm is titled A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Some commentators think this was not the same famous and familiar Moses, but the evidence is much stronger for believing that this was indeed the great leader of Israel. This is the only song of Moses in the psalms, but there are two other songs in the Pentateuch (Exodus 15 and Deuteronomy 32), as well as the blessing of the tribes of Israel in Deuteronomy 33.

 If we connect it with any particular time in the life of Moses, the best suggestion is the time described in Numbers 20. “The historical setting is probably best understood by the incidents recorded in Numbers 20: (1) the death of Miriam, Moses’ sister; (2) the sin of Moses in striking the rock in the wilderness, which kept him from entering the Promised Land; and (3) the death of Aaron, Moses’ brother.” (James Montgomery Boice)

Charles Spurgeon wrote of the phrase, The man of God: “Moses was peculiarly a man of God and God’s man; chosen of God, inspired of God, honoured of God, and faithful to God in all his house, he well deserved the name which is here given him.”

A. Finding refuge in the eternal God.

1. (1) Yahweh the refuge and protection of His people.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

a. Lord, You have been our dwelling place: This prayer of Moses was almost certainly written during the wilderness years on the way to Canaan. In all those years Israel lived in constant need of refuge, shelter, and protection. More than their tents and their armies, Israel had God as their dwelling place, their refuge and their protection.

i. Lord: The psalm “begins with this great affirmation concerning the relation of man to God. Addressing Him, not as Elohim the Mighty One, nor as Jehovah, the Helper, but as Adonai, the Sovereign Lord, the singer declares that He has been the dwelling-place, the habitation, the home of man in all generations.” (Morgan)

ii. Our dwelling place: “The Hebrew word for ‘dwelling place’ may also be translated ‘refuge,’ which is how it appears in Deuteronomy 33:27, one of the other songs of Moses.” (Boice)

b. Our dwelling place in all generations: Moses understood that Yahweh’s help to His people did not begin with the exodus from Egypt. From their pilgrim beginnings under their patriarch Abraham to the days of Moses, God had been their dwelling place, their refuge and protection.

i. It isn’t a good thing to refer to anyone as homeless. Spiritually speaking, that never needs to be the state of the believer. We have our home in Him, and home should be a place where we rest, where we can be ourselves, where love and happiness dominate. All this should mark our relationship with God.

ii. “In this Eternal One there is a safe abode for the successive generations of men. If God himself were of yesterday, he would not be a suitable refuge for mortal men; if he could change and cease to be God he would be but an uncertain dwelling-place for his people.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “He that dwelleth in God cannot be unhoused, because God is stronger than all; neither can any one take another out of his hands, John 10:29. Here, then, it is best for us…to seek a supply of all our wants in God alone.” (Trapp)

2. (2) The eternal origin of Yahweh.

Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

a. Before the mountains were brought forth: In the wilderness on the slow route to Canaan, Moses saw mountains on the horizon and reflected on the truth that God existed before those mountains. It was God who formed the earth and the world.

b. Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God: Before anything existed, God was. From eternity past through eternity future (everlasting to everlasting), He exists, independent of all His creation.

i. “This is the highest description of the eternity of God to which human language can reach.” (Clarke)

ii. “The Psalmist, about to describe man’s fleeting and transitory state, first directs us to contemplate the unchangeable nature and attributes of God.” (Horne)

3. (3) The judgment of the eternal God.

You turn man to destruction,
And say, “Return, O children of men.”

a. You turn man to destruction: Moses had seen the judgment of God turn man to destruction. He saw it with wicked Egypt and disobedient Israel. The eternal God who created all things was and is a God to be appropriately feared and respected by man. God takes interest in the affairs of men and exercises His holy judgment.

b. Return, O children of men: This was not a call to repentance; it was a command of man to return to the dust from which he came, an echo of Genesis 3:19: For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.

i. “Although dust is a different word from that of Genesis 3:19 (‘you are dust, and to dust you shall return’), the idea of returning to it (Turn back) almost certainly alludes to the curse of Adam, and uses the same verb.” (Kidner)

ii. “If we had no Scripture at all to prove this, daily experience before our eyes makes it clear how all men, even the wisest, the strongest, the greatest and the mightiest monarchs and princes in the world, be but miserable men, made of red earth, and quickly turn again to dust.” (Smith, cited in Spurgeon)

B. Man before the God of judgment.

1. (4-6) God’s perception of time and our perception of time.

For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
You carry them away like a flood;
They are like a sleep.
In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers.

a. For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past: Having introduced the idea of God’s eternal being, living outside of time with no beginning or end, Moses poetically repeated the idea. For the eternal God, a thousand years seems like a single day, and a single day in the past, not the present.

i. “He is raised above Time, and none of the terms in which men describe duration have any meaning for Him. A thousand years, which to a man seem so long, are to Him dwindled to nothing, in comparison with the eternity of His being. As Peter has said, the converse must also be true, and ‘one day be with the Lord as a thousand years.’” (Maclaren)

b. You carry them away like a flood: From God’s eternal perspective, the days and the years and each millennium pass quickly. For Moses and Israel in the wilderness, time seemed to pass slowly, but Moses knew this was not God’s perspective. From God’s perspective, a thousand years passes quickly like a sleep.

c. Like grass which grows up: Moses used many poetic pictures to describe God and time. In God’s sight a thousand years was like yesterday, like a watch in the night, like a flood, like a night of sleep. He added this picture: a thousand years is like grass which grows up in the morning and in the evening it is cut down and withers. God’s perspective of time’s passing is very different from ours.

2. (7-8) God’s judgment on their open and secret sins.

For we have been consumed by Your anger,
And by Your wrath we are terrified.
You have set our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.

a. For we have been consumed by Your anger: In the first section of this psalm, Moses connected the idea of God’s eternal nature with His judgment upon man. In this section the two ideas are repeated. The God who stands over time and sees a thousand years as yesterday certainly has the right and the authority to judge mankind, especially His own people.

i. In the wilderness Moses and the people of Israel felt consumed by God’s anger and terrified by His wrath. It must have been crushing for Moses to see a whole generation melt away in the wilderness, dying away under the judgment of God.

ii. “This was specially the case in reference to the people in the wilderness, whose lives were cut short by justice on account of their waywardness; they failed, not by a natural decline, but through the blast of the well-deserved judgments of God.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “Consumed; either naturally, by the frame of our bodies; or violently, by extraordinary judgments. Thou dost not suffer us to live so long as we might by the course of nature.” (Poole)

b. You have set our iniquities before You: The judgment of God came against His people because of their iniquities. When the eternal, holy God saw and considered them, His response was anger and wrath. Moses understood that God’s anger against His people was not unreasonable or unearned.

i. “We do not understand the full blessedness of believing that God is our asylum, till we understand that He is our asylum from all that is destructive…nor do we know the significance of the universal experience of decay and death, till we learn that it is not the result of our finite being, but of sin.” (Maclaren)

c. Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance: It was not only their obvious iniquities but also their secret sins that God saw. Such sins were not secret before God and His judgment.

3. (9-11) Man’s frailty understood against the eternity of God.

For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.

a. All our days have passed away in Your wrath: With poetic power, Moses compared the eternal nature of the holy God with the frail, temporary nature of sinful man. God stands forever, but long days have passed away in Your wrath and we finish our years like a sigh.

i. “It was toward the close of the desert wanderings that Moses wrote this sublime psalm, all the imagery of which is borrowed from the wilderness. The watch around the campfire at night; the rush of the mountain flood; the grass that sprouts so quickly after the rain, and is as quickly scorched; the sigh of the wearied pilgrim.” (Meyer)

b. The days of our lives are seventy years: Moses lived 120 years according to Deuteronomy 31:2 and 34:7. He did not say seventy years as either a promise or a limit, but as a poetic estimate of a lifespan. The emphasis is on the futility of life; even if one should live past the norm of seventy years and live eighty years, the end of it all is only labor and sorrow.

i. Seventy years: “Which time the ancient heathen writers also fixed as the usual space of men’s lives.” (Poole)

c. For it is soon cut off, and we fly away: Moses described the short and often futile sense of this life. The deep cry of Moses seems to anticipate important themes in Ecclesiastes.

d. Who knows the power of Your anger? Moses connected the ideas of a relatively short and frustrating life to the fact of God’s righteous judgment. Moses especially saw and lived this in the wilderness.

i. “Moses saw men dying all around him; he lived among funerals, and was overwhelmed at the terrible results of the divine displeasure. He felt that none could measure the might of the Lord’s wrath.” (Spurgeon)

C. A prayer in light of who God is and how He deals with man.

1. (12) Praying for wisdom.

So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

a. So teach us to number our days: When Moses considered the frail nature of humanity and the righteous judgment of God, it made him ask God for the wisdom to understand the shortness of life.

i. “To number our days; to consider the shortness and miseries of this life, and the certainty and speediness of death, and the causes and consequences thereof.” (Poole)

ii. “Of all arithmetical rules this is the hardest – to number our days. Men can number their herds and droves of oxen and of sheep, they can estimate the revenues of their manors and farms, they can with a little pains number and tell their coins, and yet they are persuaded that their days are infinite and innumerable and therefore do never begin to number them.” (Tymme, cited in Spurgeon)

iii. “To live with dying thoughts is the way to die with living comforts.” (Trapp)

iv. So teach us means that this wisdom must be learned. It isn’t automatic. Most people live with little awareness that life is short, and their days should be numbered. Young people especially often think their days have no number and give little thought to what lies beyond this life.

b. That we may gain a heart of wisdom: Learning to number our days will give us a heart of wisdom. This is wisdom not only for the mind, but for the heart as well.

i. “Let us deeply consider our own frailty, and the shortness and uncertainty of life, that we may live for eternity, acquaint ourselves with thee, and be at peace; that we may die in thy favour and live and reign with thee eternally.” (Clarke)

2. (13-17) Praying for mercy and blessing.

Return, O LORD!
How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.

a. Return, O LORD: This psalm of Moses carefully considered the judgment of God, and yet his prayerful response to that consideration was a plea to God for His presence, for His compassion, and for His mercy – the hesed of Yahweh, His loyal covenant love.

i. In verse 3 God spoke to mankind in judgment, telling him to return to destruction (or, to dust). Now, in prayer, Moses asked God to return. It was as if Moses said to God’s people, “If you continue in sin, you will return to the dust; your only hope is for God to return to you.”

b. How long? This was a meaningful question. Moses asked God not to delay in bringing His presence, compassion, and mercy to His people. It was a bold question, as if accusing God of being late in His help.

i. “When men are under chastisement they are allowed to…ask ‘how long?’ Our fault in these times is not too great boldness with God, but too much backwardness in pleading with him.” (Spurgeon)

c. Satisfy us early with Your mercy: Moses understood that true satisfaction was not rooted in money, fame, romance, pleasure, or success. It was satisfied with God’s mercy, His faithful, covenant goodness to His people.

i. “Alexander Maclaren said, ‘The only thing that will secure life-long gladness is a heart satisfied with the experience of God’s love.’ This means that nothing will satisfy the human heart ultimately except God.” (Boice)

ii. This mercy should be sought early. “There is no hour like that of morning prime for fellowship with God. If we would dare to wait before Him for satisfaction then, the filling of that hour would overflow into all other hours.” (Meyer)

iii. “The renewal of his love is associated with “the morning” (cf. Psalm 30:5; 49:14; 143:8; Lam 3:23), as the light of day is contrastive with the darkness (gloom) of the night. Thus the psalmist prays for a new beginning, which the Lord alone can open up for his people.” (VanGemeren)

d. Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us: Many were the days of their affliction; Moses asked that the days of their gladness would also be many. He hoped the days of gladness would be so long that God’s glory would be evident even to their children.

i. “The New Testament, incidentally, will outrun verse 15’s modest prayer for joys to balance sorrows, by its promise of ‘an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison’ (2 Cor. 4:17).” (Kidner)

ii. “The time of our pilgrimage upon earth is a time of sorrow; we grieve for our departed friends and our surviving friends must soon grieve for us; these are days wherein God afflicteth us.” (Horne)

iii. “Lord, if we must die in this desert, if this whole generation (except Caleb and Joshua) must pass away in the wilderness, then, at any rate, give us the fullness of Thy favor now, that we may spend all our remaining days, whether they be too few or many, in gladness and rejoicing.” (Spurgeon)

iv. According to the days: “The good Lord measures out the dark and the light in due proportions, and the result is life sad enough to be safe, and glad enough to be desirable.” (Spurgeon)

e. Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: Earlier in this psalm Moses spoke of God’s people being consumed and terrified. He prayed that the gracious God would exchange that misery for His own beauty.

i. The beauty of the LORD our God is great beauty. It is impossible to think of a higher level of beauty or goodness.

ii. The beauty of the LORD: “His favourable countenance, and gracious influence, and glorious presence.” (Poole)

iii. “The faithful beseech God to let his ‘beauty,’ his splendor, the light of his countenance, his grace and favour, be upon them.” (Horne)

f. And establish the work of our hands for us: The final aspect of blessing Moses prayed for was for the permanence of the work of God’s people. Without this blessing in our lives, our work and its effectiveness pass quickly and are of little impact.

i. Essentially, Moses asked that God would work with man. “Fleeting as our days are, they are ennobled by our being permitted to be God’s tools.” (Maclaren)

ii. “Good men are anxious not to work in vain. They know that without the Lord they can do nothing, and therefore they cry to him for help in the work, for acceptance of their efforts, and for the establishment of their designs.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “Satisfaction, gladness, success in work must all come from the right relation of man in his frailty to the eternal Lord.” (Morgan)

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

Categories: Old Testament Psalms

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What does Psalm 90:2 mean?

Here, in what is likely the oldest of all the psalms, Moses answers a question which comes up even today: When did God begin? The answer is that He did not “begin;” He has always existed, and He always will exist. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He lived before He formed the mountains and brought the earth and the universe into existence. This is not merely something Scripture claims. It is also a logical necessity—there must be one un-created and un-caused “something” to originate everything else. Otherwise, there could never be anything, at all.

The Son of God is also eternal. He described Himself to the apostle John on the island of Patmos as “‘the Alpha and the Omega…’who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty'” (Revelation 1:8). John 1:2–3 affirms that the eternal Son of God “was in the beginning with God,” and “all things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” The Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, is also eternal. Hebrews 9:14 tells us Jesus offered Himself as the flawless sacrifice “through the eternal Spirit.” Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the eternal members of the Trinity, and each played a role in creation. The Father spoke everything into existence through His Son, and the Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1).

Context Summary

Psalm 90:1–2 cites God as eternally existent and Israel’s dwelling place, meaning their refuge. He also describes God as the Creator. God is not part of the creation; He existed before He created the mountains, the earth, and the world. He has always existed and always will exist. Genesis 1 and 2 describe God’s creative process, and Hebrews 11:3 points out that God created the universe by His spoken word.

Chapter Summary

Psalm 90, likely the oldest psalm, opens with Moses addressing God as eternal and Israel’s dwelling place, but quickly shifts to an acknowledgement of man’s brief life on earth. Our iniquity is the reason God directs His wrath at us. In most cases, a person can expect to live somewhere around 70 or 80 years, barring disease or misfortune. Short or long, life is full of toil and trouble. In view of life’s brevity, Moses asks the Lord to fill His people with wisdom. He also asks the Lord to reveal His work, demonstrate His power, grant His favor, and make Israel’s labor successful

What does Psalm 90:4 mean?

In contrast to man’s frailty and finiteness (Psalm 90:3), the Lord is not subject to time. He regards a thousand years the way a human being might think of a 24-hour period or a single watch during the night.

A “watch” refers to a guard’s shift. There were three nighttime watches, each one lasting four hours. In the middle of the night most people would not notice the guard keeping watch because they were asleep. Similarly, a thousand years pass almost like they didn’t happen when compared to eternity.

In answer to the scoffers who believed the coming of the Lord will never happen because everything has continued unchanged from creation (2 Peter 3:4), the apostle Peter declares, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). God lives in eternity (Isaiah 57:15), whereas man lives in a span of days, weeks, months, and years.

Context Summary

Psalm 90:3–10 reflects on life’s brevity and God’s wrath. Psalm 8:4 raises the question of man’s status, and James 4:14 describes life as finite and fleeting. Numbers 14:33–35 spells out God’s judgment on the Israelites for refusing His call to enter Canaan.

Chapter Summary

Psalm 90, likely the oldest psalm, opens with Moses addressing God as eternal and Israel’s dwelling place, but quickly shifts to an acknowledgement of man’s brief life on earth. Our iniquity is the reason God directs His wrath at us. In most cases, a person can expect to live somewhere around 70 or 80 years, barring disease or misfortune. Short or long, life is full of toil and trouble. In view of life’s brevity, Moses asks the Lord to fill His people with wisdom. He also asks the Lord to reveal His work, demonstrate His power, grant His favor, and make Israel’s labor successful

Why Eternal Security?

https://devotedheartministries.wordpress.com/2022/06/06/why-eternal-security/
— Read on devotedheartministries.wordpress.com/2022/06/06/why-eternal-security/

Hebrews 3:13

New International Version

13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Be encouraging to one another each day as if each day was today so that each of you won’t become hardened to God

Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise)

<< Hebrews 2 | Hebrews 3 | Hebrews 4 >>Complete     Concise

Chapter Contents

The superior worth and dignity of Christ above Moses is shown. (1-6) The Hebrews are warned of the sin and danger of unbelief. (7-13) And of necessity of faith in Christ, and of stedfastly following him. (14-19)

Commentary on Hebrews 3:1-6

(Read Hebrews 3:1-6)

Christ is to be considered as the Apostle of our profession, the Messenger sent by God to men, the great Revealer of that faith which we profess to hold, and of that hope which we profess to have. As Christ, the Messiah, anointed for the office both of Apostle and High Priest. As Jesus, our Saviour, our Healer, the great Physician of souls. Consider him thus. Consider what he is in himself, what he is to us, and what he will be to us hereafter and for ever. Close and serious thoughts of Christ bring us to know more of him. The Jews had a high opinion of the faithfulness of Moses, yet his faithfulness was but a type of Christ’s. Christ was the Master of this house, of his church, his people, as well as their Maker. Moses was a faithful servant; Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is rightful Owner and Sovereign Ruler of the Church. There must not only be setting out well in the ways of Christ, but stedfastness and perseverance therein to the end. Every meditation on his person and his salvation, will suggest more wisdom, new motives to love, confidence, and obedience.

Commentary on Hebrews 3:7-13

(Read Hebrews 3:7-13)

Days of temptation are often days of provocation. But to provoke God, when he is letting us see that we entirely depend and live upon him, is a provocation indeed. The hardening of the heart is the spring of all other sins. The sins of others, especially of our relations, should be warnings to us. All sin, especially sin committed by God’s professing, privileged people, not only provokes God, but it grieves him. God is loth to destroy any in, or for their sin; he waits long to be gracious to them. But sin, long persisted in, will make God’s wrath discover itself in destroying the impenitent; there is no resting under the wrath of God. “Take heed:” all who would get safe to heaven must look about them; if once we allow ourselves to distrust God, we may soon desert him. Let those that think they stand, take heed lest they fall. Since to-morrow is not ours, we must make the best improvement of this day. And there are none, even the strongest of the flock, who do not need help of other Christians. Neither are there any so low and despised, but the care of their standing in the faith, and of their safety, belongs to all. Sin has so many ways and colours, that we need more eyes than ours own. Sin appears fair, but is vile; it appears pleasant, but is destructive; it promises much, but performs nothing. The deceitfulness of sin hardens the soul; one sin allowed makes way for another; and every act of sin confirms the habit. Let every one beware of sin.

Commentary on Hebrews 3:14-19

(Read Hebrews 3:14-19)

The saints’ privilege is, they are made partakers of Christ, that is, of the Spirit, the nature, graces, righteousness, and life of Christ; they are interested in all Christ is, in all he has done, or will do. The same spirit with which Christians set out in the ways of God, they should maintain unto the end. Perseverance in faith is the best evidence of the sincerity of our faith. Hearing the word often is a means of salvation, yet, if not hearkened to, it will expose more to the Divine wrath. The happiness of being partakers of Christ and his complete salvation, and the fear of God’s wrath and eternal misery, should stir us up to persevere in the life of obedient faith. Let us beware of trusting to outward privileges or professions, and pray to be numbered with the true believers who enter heaven, when all others fail because of unbelief. As our obedience follows according to the power of our faith, so our sins and want of care are according to the prevailing of unbelief in us.

What does Hebrews 3:13 mean?

This passage is a warning to Christian believers not to allow stubbornness, sin, or a lack of faith to rob them of God’s promised blessings. The nation of Israel suffered when it failed to “hold fast,” and spent forty years wandering in the desert. So too can a Christian suffer when they lack trust and faith in God.

One key to avoiding this pitfall is the influence of other Christian believers. One of the great benefits of healthy church relationships is loving correction. Having a meaningful, personal relationship with other Christians means “watching each other’s back.” This means warning our brothers and sisters in Christ when they are being pulled away into sin and helping them to resist temptation and error. The author’s urgency is highlighted by using the phrase “as long as it is called ‘today.'” This, in more modern terms, could be stated as “do it while you still can.”

The New Testament often explains that sin is deceptive, destructive, and deadly (2 Timothy 3:13; Titus 3:3). It can also create a spiritual callous, making us less sensitive to our own sin (1 Timothy 4:2). Fellow Christians should love each other enough to “exhort,” meaning “encourage, uplift, or challenge” each other when it comes to living a righteous life.

Context Summary

Hebrews 3:7–14 uses the example of Israel’s forty years in the wilderness (Numbers 13—14) as a warning. This is directed at Christians who fail to ”hold fast” their faith in God during persecution. Israel was saved from Egypt, as believers are saved from eternal death through salvation. Israel was offered the Promised Land, as believers are promised victory through our spiritual inheritance. Israel lost faith and didn’t trust God against the ”giants” of Canaan, as believers can be tempted to lose faith in the face of persecution. The ancient Israelites were not sent back to Egypt, just as God does not revoke the salvation of Christian believers. However, both can expect hardship and a loss of fellowship if they fail to trust in God.

Chapter Summary

Hebrews chapter 3 uses a reference to Israel’s wandering in the desert from the story of the Exodus. In this incident, the nation of Israel came to the border of the Promised Land and then lost confidence in God. Rather than trusting Him, most of the people gave up hope. As a result, only a tiny remnant of the nation was allowed to enter into Canaan. This chapter explains that Jesus Christ is superior to Moses and all of Moses’ accomplishments. Christians, therefore, need to encourage each other to fully trust in God, in order to see fulfillment of His promises

Encourage One Another

https://hevnswtangel.com/2022/06/05/encourage-one-another-2/
— Read on hevnswtangel.com/2022/06/05/encourage-one-another-2/

VERSE OF THE DAY

Proverbs 15:1 (New Living Translation)

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A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

Being Kind in answers promotes positive responses but negative harsh words make raging temper flares

Bible Gateway Proverbs 15 :: NIV. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

What Does Proverbs 15:1 Mean? ►

A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

Many verses in the book of Proverbs are contrasting couplets that stand-alone as a wise piece of advice for men and women of every generation. But like this first verse in chapter 15 which says, “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” it is also linked to a much wider body of teaching that could impact the lives of all who take note of its intrinsic wisdom and apply it in their lives.

The verse in question not only deals with the immense power of speech, for good or ill, but also touches on the issue of ones controlled actions or unguarded reactions to the words, behaviour, language, and speech of others.

Words can be helpful and healing. They can provide hope and encouragement. Wise and gracious words are a powerful tool in ‘pouring oil on troubled waters’ or diffusing a situation that could quickly escalate into a serious conflict.

However, the words we speak and the messages from our lips should also be spoken in spirit and in truth… in grace and in love. For just as a gentle, controlled, thoughtful, or caring word can calm the troubled breast, bring hope to the hopeless, healing to the injured, or grace to an offender, so a harsh, hateful, cruel, or careless comment, can as easily be used to wound or discourage, hurt or hinder, harm or handicap, or speedily stir up strife and anger.

Although this proverb is applicable to every category of humankind, and if used in the corridors of power, the interactions of everyday life, or the privacy of our own homes, would impact our local community and the wider world for good… its target audience are the redeemed of God. How much influence for good this proverb would command if it were applied within the churches of Christendom and practiced in the individual lives and homes of Christians?

Not only does this first verse highlight the need for good, gracious, and gentle answers, but five further verses in the same chapter give greater insight into the need for godly interactions and wise words rather than ungodly speech or careless remarks.

Verse 2 explains that, “the tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly,” while verse 4 suggests that, “a soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perverse speech, crushes the spirit.” Verse 7 is an important reminder that, “the lips of the wise spread knowledge, but this is not so from the hearts of fools.”

The chapter concludes with three further wise sayings connected with words and language. Verse 23, “A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word!” Verse 26, “Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, but pleasant words are pure.” And verse 28, “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”

Every verse in this Psalm and every reference in Scripture on the correct use of gracious speech and wise language encourages us to give thoughtful questions and circumspect answers… timely words and godly interactions, controlled comments and a refusal to engage in unnecessary chit-chat and unwholesome gossip.

What a difference the Church would make in the world, if the simple message that, “a soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words incites anger,” were applied in lives of all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. What a change could be wrought if we simply followed Christ’s example – Who only said and did those things He heard from His Father in heaven. No surprise that the people, “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/proverbs-15-1

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/proverbs-15-1

Proverbs 15:1 Meaning of Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

Sep 12, 2020 by Editor in Chief

Proverbs 15:1
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Explanation and Commentary of Proverbs 15:1

If someone is angry with you, if they are wrathful towards you, the difficult thing is to refuse to return malice for malice, wrath for wrath, but doing so is crucial if you want to “turn away wrath.” A gentle answer will remove all the fuel from the fire of anger. But the natural inclination of the average person is to return a harsh word. Even if someone is not already angry, a harsh word can cause them to become so.

The question remains, how does one become the sort of person who can give a gentle answer in the face of wrath, or abstain from hurling out the harsh word that feels so natural? The key is to be supernatural, or spiritual, rather than natural. The natural man cannot help but return evil for evil, but the spiritual man doesn’t trade that way. For the spiritual man, or the one who is in Christ, there is no need. Wrathful words pose no threat to the man or woman who has been saved by grace, forgiven by God, redeemed and justified, and walks by the Holy Spirit. This is the one who obeys Jesus’ command to “turn the other cheek” (Mt 5:38-40). This is the man or woman who lives in freedom because of who God is, what he has done sending Christ to die, and who it means that we are. Walk in Christ and give a gentle answer in the face of anger and wrath.





Breaking Down the Key Parts of Proverbs 15:1

#1 “A gentle answer…”
These are gentle and understanding words, given in a gentle and understanding tone. This is best done not by self-control, but by true freedom from anger obtained by deep integration of the truth of the gospel.



#2 “…turns away wrath,”
It is a rare person who will stay in their rage in the face of humble gentleness.

#3 “but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
A person who is not angry can quickly become so when given a harsh word. A harsh word can be a powerful trigger to defensiveness and rash impulses. When the person is already angry, a harsh word will be like gasoline thrown on an already blazing fire.

Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15 – The Words of the Wise

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.

a. A soft answer turns away wrath: When people come to us in wrath, we are often tempted to be harsh in response. Wisdom shows us the value of a soft answer, one without sharp edges or points. That kind of answer can actually turn away wrath.

i. “Soft speech is like oil on bruised skin to soften and heal it (cf. Judges 8:1-3); painful speech has the effect of oil poured on fire (cf. 1 Kings 12:1-16).” (Waltke)

ii. “Pride and passion on both sides strike together like two flints. We indulge in sarcasm as if we would rather lose a friend than miss scoring a point in the argument. All this the world excuses. But the Gospel sets before us our Savior’s example and imbues us with his spirit; so we should be careful not to provoke a chafed or wounded spirit.” (Bridges)

b. A harsh word stirs up anger: A harsh response to wrath often only stirs up more anger. It may feel good at the moment but ends up making the situation worse, not better.

i. “Many conflicts arise not because the issues separating the parties are so great but because of the temperaments people bring to a confrontation.” (Garrett)

ii. “How was Saul enkindled by Doeg, and David by Nabal’s currishness! Rehoboam, with one churlish breath, lost ten tribes.” (Trapp)

iii. “Gideon in Judges 8:1-3 is a classic example of the soft answer that brings peace, whereas Jephthah illustrates the harsh answer that leads to war (Judges 12:1-6).” (Ross)

Proverbs 15:2

The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

a. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly: The wise man or woman will show their right use of knowledge by the words they say. The words of their tongue demonstrate their wisdom.

i. Uses knowledge rightly: “Expressing what he knows prudently and gracefully; taking due care both what, and when, and to whom, and in what manner he speaks.” (Poole)

ii. “This is very difficult to know: – when to speak, and when to be silent; what to speak, and what to leave unspoken; the manner that is best and most suitable to the occasion, the subject, the circumstances, and the persons…. Even wise counsel may be foolishly given.” (Clarke)

b. The mouth of fools pours forth foolishness: A fool will be revealed by their words. It isn’t enough for a man or woman to claim they have wisdom in their heart or mind; what they say proves either their wisdom or folly.

i. Pours forth: “Hebrew, Bubbleth it out; blurteth it out, as a fountain casteth out its waters, with a great force and swiftness.” (Trapp)

Proverbs 15:3

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

a. The eyes of the Lord are in every place: Wisdom understands that we are always under the eye of God. He sees us in every place, even when we are hidden to human eyes.

i. The eyes of the Lord: “The eyes of Christ are ‘as a flaming fire.’ [Revelation 1:14] And the school of nature teacheth that the fiery eye needs no outward light, that sees extra mittendo, by sending out a ray.” (Trapp)

ii. “So how will I meet these eyes? Will I meet them as a rebel or as a child?” (Bridges)

b. Keeping watch on the evil and the good: God takes note of both the evil and the good. He will deal with the evil according to His righteous judgment, and He will bless and reward the good. Among men, evil is often unpunished and good is often unrewarded – but God sees and notes all.

i. We might say that God has night vision and sees all that happens under the cover of darkness.

ii. Keeping watch: “The word employed describes a very active and purposeful seeing. The statement is far more than that God sees; it is that He is investigating, observing…. He is keeping watch upon the evil. It is never out of His sight. It loves the darkness rather than the light, but He sees as well in the darkness as in the light.” (Morgan)

iii. And the good: “The Lord’s eyes also see the good. He sees them in outward destitution, in secret retirement, in deep affliction. He pierces the prison walls. He is with them in the furnace and in the storm.” (Bridges)

Proverbs 15:4

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

a. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: Good words are like a tree that continually brings life from its shade and fruit. Our words have the power to do far more good than we often think.

b. Perverseness in it breaks the spirit: If someone’s tongue is perverse (twisted, crooked, corrupt) instead of wholesome, their words will break the spirit of others. Our words have the power to do far more harm than we often think.

Proverbs 15:5

A fool despises his father’s instruction,
But he who receives correction is prudent.

a. A fool despises his father’s instruction: Proverbs is written as advice from a father to his children. A fool would despise the wisdom that comes from a godly parent and God’s word.

i. “One’s attitude toward parental teaching will determine one’s lifelong attitude toward authority and instruction.” (Garrett)

b. He who receives correction is prudent: Learning wisdom is more than learning facts; it is to receive correction. If what we learn only confirms what we already know, it probably isn’t wisdom we are learning.

Proverbs 15:6

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.

a. In the house of the righteous there is much treasure: Because wisdom and godliness tend to bring prosperity, this is generally true of material treasure. Thankfully, the treasure in the house of the righteous isn’t only material; the greater treasure is spiritual.

i. “Every righteous man is a rich man, whether he hath more or less of the things of this life.” (Trapp)

b. In the revenue of the wicked is trouble: Even what the wicked man or woman earns (the revenue) can be a problem. Instead of treasure, they have trouble.

i. Revenue of the wicked: “Though he may obtain great revenues, yet they are attended with much trouble and vexation; either because they are strangely blasted and taken from them, or because they are embittered to them by their own insatiable desires, or tormenting cares and fears, or the horrors of their guilty consciences, or by divers other ways.” (Poole)

Proverbs 15:7

The lips of the wise disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the fool does not do so.

a. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: The wise man or woman will spread (disperse) knowledge and wisdom. It is within them and will be given to others by the words they say.

b. The heart of the fool does not do so: Since wisdom isn’t in the heart of the fool, it won’t be on their lips either. They are unable to spread the blessing of wisdom to others through their words.

Proverbs 15:8

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

a. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: Without godliness, religious ritual, such as sacrifice, can be an abomination to God. As Samuel said to Saul, Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).

b. The prayer of the upright is His delight: The godly man or woman delights God with their prayer. The wicked one goes to the trouble and expense of offering a sacrifice, but it does not delight God in the way the prayer of the upright does.

Proverbs 15:9

The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves him who follows righteousness.

a. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: God rejects the religious ceremonies of the wicked (Proverbs 15:8); therefore, much more does God consider the sinful life of the wicked as an abomination.

b. He loves him who follows righteousness: The one who lives and follows righteousness does so in surrender and love to God, and they do what Jude advised; they keep themselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21).

Proverbs 15:10

Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way,
And he who hates correction will die.

a. Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way: When a man or woman departs from God’s path (the way), in mercy God will send them harsh discipline. This discipline is a warning and opportunity to change one’s ways.

b. He who hates correction will die: The one who rejects God’s loving and merciful correction seals his own fate and sets his own course. They are on the way of death and will remain there.

i. “He that is embittered by rebukes, and not bettered by chastisements, shall die…they that will not obey that sweet command, ‘Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,’ shall one day have no other voice to obey but that terrible [word],‘Go ye cursed into everlasting flames.’” (Trapp)

ii. “The one who hates correction will die (see Proverbs 5:23; 10:21) an eternal death without God, the tragic and inevitable end of apostates who have become hardened against truth.” (Waltke)

Proverbs 15:11

Hell and Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.

a. Hell and Destruction are before the Lord: These two destinies are symbolically pictured as persons who are before the Lord to serve His purpose. The sobering truth is that God has a plan and a purpose for both Hell and Destruction.

i. “Sheol and Abaddon represent the remote underworld and all the mighty powers that reside there (see Proverbs 27:20; Job 26:6; Psalm 139:8; Amos 9:2; Revelation 9:11).” (Ross)

ii. God can see what we cannot. Hell and Destruction are presently invisible to us, but they are before the Lord. If we could see Hell and Destruction, we would think and live much differently. “We, silly fishes, see one another jerked out of the pond of life by the hand of death; but we see not the frying pan and the fire that they are cast into, that ‘die in their sins,’ and refuse to be reformed.” (Trapp)

iii. “God’s surveillance extends to the realm of the dead in the depths of the earth, as remote from heaven as possible, and he will be met in every corner of this pitch-black place shrouded in mystery and secrecy and of no apparent value to humanity or God.” (Waltke)

b. How much more the hearts of the sons of men: If God has a plan and a purpose for those two destinies, it is much more true that He has a plan and purpose for humanity (the sons of men).

i. “This is a simple method of drawing attention to God’s perfect knowledge of all the deepest and hidden things. If that which is most full of mystery to us is perfectly known to Him, how well He must know our hearts.” (Morgan)

ii. “And not only so, but we have known cases in which the thoughts of men have been revealed from the pulpit. I have sometimes seen persons nudge with their elbow, because they have got a smart hit, and I have heard them say, when they went out, ‘That is just what I said to you when I went in at the door.’ ‘Ah!’ says the other, ‘I was thinking of the very thing he said, and he told me of it.’ Now, if God thus proves his own Omniscience by helping his poor, ignorant servant, to state the very thing, thought and done, when he did not know it, then it must remain decisively proved that God does know everything that is secret, because we see he tells it to men, and enables them to tell it to others.” (Spurgeon)

Proverbs 15:12

A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.

a. A scoffer does not love one who corrects him: Because the fool and the scoffer hate correction, they will hate (not love) the one who brings it.

i. Does not love one who corrects him: “As Ahab did Micaiah; Herodias, John Baptist; the Pharisees, our Saviour.” (Trapp)

b. Nor will he go to the wise: In rejecting correction, the scoffer rejects wisdom and will remain trapped in his folly.

Proverbs 15:13

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

a. A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: If someone has happiness and joy, it should be seen on their face. They should have a cheerful countenance.

i. “This cheerfulness, however, is very different from the noisy mirth of the ungodly. The word cheerful was often used by the old writers. It was Foxe’s favorite description of the holy joy of the martyrs.” (Bridges)

b. By sorrow of heart the spirit is broken: Those who have deep sorrow of heart will display their broken spirit. We can observe both the happy and the sad with understanding and sympathy for both the merry heart and those with sorrow of heart.

i. “The words used here stress the pain and the depression with a note of despair.” (Ross)

Proverbs 15:14

The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

a. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge: The scoffer avoids wisdom’s correction (Proverbs 15:12), but the one with understanding and wisdom in his or her heart will seek after more wisdom.

i. Seeks knowledge: “As a hungry man seeks meat, or a covetous man gold, the more he hath, the more he desires.” (Trapp)

b. The mouth of fools feeds on foolishness: In this sense, the normal course of humanity is that the wise become wiser and that fools feed on more foolishness.

i. “Let fools feed on foolishness, as swine do on swill, as flies do on blotches, as carrion kites do on stinking carcasses.” (Trapp)

Proverbs 15:15

All the days of the afflicted are evil,
But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

a. All the days of the afflicted are evil: To live in days of affliction is to know the trouble and evil of life and this fallen world.

b. He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast: When a merry heart instead of an afflicted heart marks our attitude towards life, there is a sense of continual bounty and enjoyment.

i. A continual feast: “Hath constant satisfaction and delight in all conditions, yea, even in affliction.” (Poole)

ii. “It is a full feast, a lasting feast; not for a day, as that of Nabal, not for seven days, as that of Samson, no, nor of hundred and eighty days, as that of Ahasuerus, but a durable continual feast, without intermission of solace, or interruption of society.” (Trapp)

Proverbs 15:16

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble.

a. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord: Especially in our materialistic and consumer age, we constantly want more, and we fear living with little. Yet life is better with little if lived with reverence and honor to God (the fear of the Lord).

i. “If saints be sad, it is because they are too busy here below, and, Martha-like, troubled about many things, with neglect of that one thing necessary.” (Trapp)

b. Than great treasure with trouble: To have great treasure and great trouble is not a good life. Because the fear of the Lord spares us from much trouble, it is better to have that than great treasure.

i. “Riches, though well got, are but as manna, those that gathered less had no want, and those that gathered more, it was but a trouble and annoyance to them.” (Trapp)

Proverbs 15:17

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.

a. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is: The presence of love makes up for a lot. We can live on a humble diet but can never flourish without love.

i. “Riches and poverty are more in the heart than in the hand. He is wealthy who is contented. He is poor who wants more.” (Bishop Hall, cited in Bridges)

b. Than a fatted calf with hatred: One may enjoy the extravagant abundance of a fatted calf, but hatred will spoil it all. Nothing really makes up for a lack of love.

i. “A fattened ox (see Proverbs 7:22; 14:4) represents the king of domesticated animals at its very best and functions as a synecdoche for the finest foods (cf. Luke 15:23).” (Waltke)

Proverbs 15:18

A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

a. A wrathful man stirs up strife: When strife is stirred up, it doesn’t happen by accident. Usually, the cause is a wrathful man or woman who stirs up strife.

b. He who is slow to anger allays contention: The wise man or woman is slow to anger, and they have a way of bringing peace and smoothing over contention instead of stirring up strife.

Proverbs 15:19

The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the way of the upright is a highway.

a. The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns: Those who are lazy may not see it in themselves. Often, they may more easily see the result of their laziness, which is a life filled with constant trouble and irritations (like a hedge of thorns).

i. “Because he is slothful, he imagines ten thousand difficulties in the way which cannot be surmounted; but they are all the creatures of his own imagination, and that imagination is formed by his sloth.” (Clarke)

ii. Many times, Proverbs reminds us of what serious sin laziness is.

· Laziness is theft – you live off the work of others.

· Laziness is selfishness – you live for yourself and comfort.

· Laziness is neglect of duty – you don’t do what you should.

iii. In his sermon titled The Hedge of Thorns and the Plain Way, Charles Spurgeon used Proverbs 15:19 in a spiritual sense, speaking to those who are spiritually lazy: “The spiritual sluggard does not believe after that practical fashion. He says, ‘It is true;’ but he acts as if it were false. He is too much a sluggard to become an infidel; he is too lethargic to argue against the truth which condemns him; he nods assent, it is the nod of sleep.” Spurgeon went on to describe the life of the spiritually lazy man:

· His spiritual life is lived as if he were asleep.

· He once gave an effort to forsake sin but did not follow through.

· His spiritual life is a hard way, full of thorns.

· Spiritual things seem long and dreary.

· The Christian life is full of thorny perplexities, problems, and misery.

· He may find that his way to heaven is blocked.

b. The way of the upright is a highway: The wise man or woman – upright and hardworking before the Lord – does not know the same constant troubles and irritations of life that the lazy man must endure. Life for the upright is much smoother and more efficient in its progress.

i. “Unthinking persons suppose that the sluggard lives a happy life, and travels an easy road. It is not so…. Labour of a holy sort has ten thousand times more joy in it than purposeless leisure.” (Spurgeon)

Proverbs 15:20

A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.

a. A wise son makes a father glad: A father is made glad by a wise son, both for the blessing of knowing there is good for the son, and because it vindicates the father’s trust in God and training of the son in wisdom.

b. A foolish man despises his mother: The foolish man or woman brings disgrace to his parents, and their rejection of the parents’ wisdom shows they despise their mother and father.

i. “Tragically the person who needs their instruction, out of his exaggerated opinion of his self-importance, feels that he is better than his godly parents and so is intractable and incorrigible.” (Waltke)

Proverbs 15:21

Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment,
But a man of understanding walks uprightly.

a. Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment: For the fool, his foolishness (folly) is something to take pleasure in. He only hates his folly when they have to pay the bitter consequences of it. Otherwise, it is joy to him.

b. A man of understanding walks uprightly: With wisdom, our life is ordered and upright. The wise man or woman finds joy in what is good and upright.

i. “His sincerity supplies him with serenity; the joy of the Lord, as an oil of gladness, makes him lithe and nimble in ways of holiness.” (Trapp)

Proverbs 15:22

Without counsel, plans go awry,
But in the multitude of counselors they are established.

a. Without counsel, plans go awry: The difference between success and failure can often be found in those who plan with or without counsel. Wisdom understands that other people also have wisdom.

i. “Our wisdom lies in self-distrust, or at least allowing for the possibility that we may often be wrong! So it is most expedient, especially in important matters, to seek experienced counsel.” (Bridges)

b. In the multitude of counselors they are established: Normally there is more insight from many people than from one. Getting many eyes to see and many minds to think about plans can often see those plans established and successful.

Proverbs 15:23

A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!

a. A man has joy by the answer of his mouth: Right and wise words have the potential and power to bring great joy to one’s self and to others.

b. A word spoken in due season, how good it is: The value in a good word is often not only found in its content but also in its timing. The right word at the right time (in due season) is a powerful force for good.

i. “This proverb sets forth the satisfaction of being able to say the right thing at the right moment.” (Morgan)

Proverbs 15:24

The way of life winds upward for the wise,
That he may turn away from hell below.

a. The way of life winds upward for the wise: One of the great benefits of a life of wisdom is that, generally, life gets better as the years go on. The progress of their life winds upward and not down; they move from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

b. That he may turn away from hell below: The progress of a wise life isn’t just in what it heads toward (upward), but also in what it moves away from. Heaven becomes closer and hell becomes further distant behind.

i. Upward…below: “A recognition of the two forces of which man is ever conscious the upward pull and the downward pull with a declaration that wisdom consists in answering the upward.” (Morgan)

ii. From hell below: “Or, from the lowermost hell; not from the grave, as this word is elsewhere used, for no wisdom can prevent that; but from hell properly so called, as this word is elsewhere used, as hath been formerly observed.” (Poole)

Proverbs 15:25

The Lord will destroy the house of the proud,
But He will establish the boundary of the widow.

a. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud: Those who choose pride set themselves against God (James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5), and God will set Himself against them. They and their house will be targets of God’s destruction.

b. He will establish the boundary of the widow: The widow is the picture and representative of a humble, needy person who looks to and depends on God. She represents the opposite of the proud, and God takes special care of those who humbly depend on Him.

i. “When they were too weak to have a voice, God spoke for the poor and needy through Moses (cf. Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17), the prophets (Hosea 5:10), and the sages (Job 24:2; Proverbs 15:25; 22:28).” (Waltke)

ii. “The story of Naboth (1 Kings 21) illuminates the saying; but it is relevant to all kinds of exploitation.” (Kidner)

Proverbs 15:26

The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
But the words of the pure are pleasant.

a. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: Wickedness doesn’t begin with actions; it begins in the heart and thoughts. There is certainly a sense in which our actions are more important than our thoughts, but our actions begin in our thoughts, so what we think is also important to God.

i. “How little most people think they are responsible for their thoughts. They live as if they were on their own and so can indulge themselves without any restraints.” (Bridges)

ii. “Thoughts…in the first line, mean ‘plans’, and the contrasted language of the second line emphasizes the fact that such plans are hateful to God even before they issue in words or deeds.” (Kidner)

b. The words of the pure are pleasant: Solomon knew that a person’s thoughts would be ultimately revealed by their words. God hears the words of the pure and is pleased, contrasting with the thoughts of the wicked.

Proverbs 15:27

He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.

a. He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house: Many of those who are greedy for gain justify it with the excuse that they do it for their family. This is not wise, because being greedy for gain will ultimately bring trouble to one’s house.

i. “The ‘greedy man’ is the one who wants a big cut, who is in a hurry to get rich, and who is not particular how it happens.” (Ross)

ii. “The Papists propose rewards to such as shall relinquish the Protestant religion and turn to them…. Thus they tempted Luther, but he would not be hired to go to hell; and thus they tempted that noble Marquis of Vicum, nephew to Pope Paul V, who left all for Christ and fled to Geneva, but he cried out, Let their money perish with them that prefer all the world’s wealth before one day’s communion with Jesus Christ and his despised people.” (Trapp)

b. He who hates bribes will live: The one who hates bribes is set as a contrast to the one who is greedy for gain. The greedy man or woman will do anything for more money and loves bribes if they can bring more money. God’s blessing is on men and women of integrity who hate bribes and other dishonest ways of doing business.

Proverbs 15:28

The heart of the righteous studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

a. The heart of the righteous studies how to answer: The idea behind the phrase “how to answer” is simply what one says in response. God’s righteous ones – men and women of wisdom – think beforehand what they should and will say. Their words are not based only on impulse and reaction.

b. The mouth of the wicked pours forth evil: There is little self-control when it comes to the mouth of the wicked. Evil words and ideas simply pour out of their mouth, with no wise thought beforehand.

i. “The advice is to say less but better things.” (Ross)

Proverbs 15:29

The Lord is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

a. The Lord is far from the wicked: Men and women who are wicked do their best to separate themselves from God, and in this sense, God is far from them. There is another sense, especially in light of the work of Jesus, in which God draws near to the wicked to offer redemption and wisdom (Romans 5:8).

i. “But this farness or nearness respects not God’s essence, which is every where, but his gracious and helpful presence.” (Poole)

ii. “Proverbs does not envision the wicked as repenting; if they did, they would be righteous.” (Waltke)

b. He hears the prayer of the righteous: God draws near to those who draw near to Him (James 4:8). The prayer of the righteous man or woman is effective before God (James 5:16).

Proverbs 15:30

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the bones healthy.

a. The light of the eyes rejoices the heart: The eyes are something like a lamp to the whole body (Matthew 6:22-23). When the eyes are full of light it brings happiness and contentment to the heart and the whole body.

i. “The light of the eyes may perhaps refer to the radiant face of a friend (cf. Proverbs 16:15); if so, the two lines of the proverb will be speaking of the heartwarming effect that persons and facts, respectively, can bring.” (Kidner)

b. A good report makes the bones healthy: Good news cheers the spirit and brings health to the body. The ultimate fulfillment of this is the gospel – the good news, the good report of what God did in Jesus Christ to demonstrate His love for us and to rescue us (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

Proverbs 15:31

The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.

a. The ear that hears the rebukes of life: Not every ear will listen to correction, but there is a blessing to those that do. Also, life has its own rebukes for those who have the ear to hear. In general, life rewards wisdom and rebukes folly.

i. Hears the rebukes of life: “That receives it gratefully and obeys it. ‘Advice is for them that will take it,’ so says one of our own old proverbs; and the meaning here is nearly the same.” (Clarke)

ii. “The way we receive a rebuke tests our character. It reveals if we possess the graces of humility, sincerity, and self-knowledge.” (Bridges)

b. Will abide among the wise: One of the more important aspects of wisdom is the simple ability to hear and learn. If we can’t learn, we can never abide among the wise.

Proverbs 15:32

He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

a. He who disdains instruction despises his own soul: To refuse wisdom and the instruction that comes from wisdom is to hate one’s own soul. Those who reject wisdom hurt many people, but most of all themselves.

b. He who heeds rebuke gets understanding. To hear and heed rebuke is to get and grow in wisdom (understanding). Receiving rebuke is rarely pleasant, but it is worth it for the wisdom it brings.

i. Heeds rebuke: “Correction is infinitely preferable to the poison of sweet flattery.” (Bridges)

ii. Gets understanding: “Hebrew, possesseth an heart, which the Hebrews make the seat of wisdom.” (Poole)

Proverbs 15:33

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.

a. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom: A common and foundational theme in Proverbs is repeated here. Wisdom begins in the fear of the Lord, and true wisdom flows from it.

b. And before honor is humility: An essential aspect of the fear of the Lord is humility. To properly fear God is to see and recognize Him as He really is. When we see and recognize who we really are, humility comes.

i. Before honor is humility: “Luther observed that ever, for most part, before God set him upon any special service for the good of the church, he had some sore fit of sickness. Surely, as the lower the ebb, the higher the tide; so the lower any descend in humiliation, the higher they shall ascend in exaltation; the lower this foundation of humility is laid, the higher shall the roof of honour be overlaid.” (Trapp)

ii. “Humility; whereby men submit to God, and yield to men, which gains them love and respect; whereas pride procures them hatred and contempt from God and men.” (Poole)

iii. “Paradoxically, the one who grants himself no glory before the glorious God in the end is crowned with the glory and wealth that give him social esteem.” (Waltke)

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

Categories: Old Testament Proverbs

Enduring Word

What does Proverbs 15:1 mean?

Solomon offers wise advice about how to respond to anger. He says a soft or gentle answer can defuse a potentially explosive situation. The word translated “wrath” here means rage. This is the kind of volatile anger that eventually leads to physical conflict. When we’re insulted or angry, the easiest course of action is to become furious and respond to the other person’s rage with similar rage. However, if a person chooses to respond to rage with harsh, hurtful words, he will make matters worse. Cutting, bitter responses only cause the enraged person’s anger to escalate; that results in further hostility.

In contrast, a cool temper refuses to fight fire with fire. The wise person answers gently, and that gentleness extinguishes the fire. At the very least, it gives no more fuel for it to burn. A calm, polite response can take a great deal of tension out of an argument.

This response calls for wisdom, thoughtfulness, concern for the other person, and self-discipline. Romans 12:19–20 tells us not to avenge ourselves, but to know the Lord will repay the wrong. The believer’s responsibility is to show kindness to an enemy: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Context Summary

Proverbs 15:1–5 focuses on the wisdom of responding correctly to disagreement and correction. Several verses note the value in “soft” or “gentle” answers in resolving conflict. Those who unleash a torrent of attacks and criticisms are foolish, compared to those who take the time to consider an answer. Solomon reminds the reader that God sees and knows all, and he gives another reminder of the importance of listening to wise counselors.

Chapter Summary

Solomon begins this chapter of Proverbs by addressing subjects such as anger and self-control and how those reactions produce different responses from others. That extends to how carefully a person guards their words, and their responses to questions. Wise people seek wisdom and humbly accept it. Foolish people are careless, lazy, or arrogant. Solomon also notes the importance of perspective, and once again commends those who sincerely seek godly wisdom.

Genesis 34:3

But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words.

So many a time love can be given but misunderstood for control one may fall in love with one and try to win affection by using loving tender words but we mistakenly think it’s to harm us when we find out the truth we begin to think negatively like genesis 32:10

Genesis 32:10

I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant.

We gods children are always shown love and always forgiven for our wrongs love can be mistaken for control or harm but it is love we are shown

What does Genesis 34:3 mean?

Prior verses indicated in relatively graphic terms that Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah, was forcibly raped by Shechem, son of a local prince (Genesis 34:1–2). The terms used were crystal clear: there was no seduction or convincing involved. What happened was every bit an act of violation and brutality.

Now an already-tragic story takes an unexpected turn. One would expect such savagery to be inspired by hate, or indifferent lust. Instead, Shechem is said to have fallen in love with Dinah! Whether he loved her before, and simply would not take “no” for an answer, or became fond of her after his assault, Scripture is not entirely clear. What we are told is that “his soul was drawn to her.” Bizarrely, what Shechem feels now is sincere love for Dinah; his “soul is drawn to” her.

Immediately after treating her with depraved violence, Shechem speaks tenderly to Dinah. Neither this statement, nor the events which happen later, are posed in order to justify Shechem’s action in any way. Rape is abhorrent in every time and place. The as-yet-future law of Moses will sentence rapists to either death or a life sentence of financial support (Deuteronomy 22:25–29). The fact that Shechem suddenly loves Dinah does nothing to make the situation more honorable. He is still a man driven beyond self-control by his own desires, even if that desire is now to marry the woman he humiliated.

The following verses will further show that Shechem is a man who feels entitled to get what he wants, no matter what. He expects his powerful father to deliver it to him.

Context Summary

Genesis 34:1–12 describes a depraved attack on one of Jacob’s children. Dinah, his daughter through Leah, is raped by Shechem, son of the local prince. Jacob waits until his sons return to let them know about this act. With apparently no remorse, the rapist and his father arrive to ask for Dinah to be married to her attacker. Shechem proclaims his love, offering any price to have Dinah as his wife. Dinah’s brothers respond with a combination of deceit and violence that will echo through the rest of Israel’s history.

Chapter Summary

Jacob’s family has settled within sight of the city of Shechem. Dinah, Jacob’s daughter by Leah, is raped by the son of the city’s ruler Hamor, also named Shechem. Shechem decides he loves Dinah and wants to marry her. Dinah’s brothers are outraged. Hamor and Shechem, however, ask for Dinah to be given to Shechem as a wife and for their people to intermarry. Jacob’s brothers pretend to agree, provided the men of the city are circumcised. Instead, while the town’s men are recuperating, Dinah’s brothers by Leah, Levi and Simeon, lead a slaughter of all the men of the city.

What does Genesis 32:10 mean?

Jacob continues his desperate prayer to God out of his fear that Esau’s approaching party of 400 men is set to kill him. In the previous verse, he referred to the Lord as the one who told him to come here within reach of Esau, the one who promised to do good to him.

Now Jacob expresses his deep humility and gratitude before God. He is not demanding anything. In fact, he describes himself as unworthy of even the smallest things God has done out of His love for and faithfulness to Jacob. Jacob recognizes he would have no possessions to lose now if it weren’t for God. Leaving his homeland, he owned nothing but his staff. And, he fled as a direct result of his own manipulations and schemes (Genesis 27:30–35; 27:41–45). Now he possesses enough property, servants, and livestock to fill two large camps.

Before asking for God’s help, Jacob gives thanks for the enormous good God has already done for him. That’s a good pattern for us to follow, as well.

Context Summary

Genesis 32:1–21 describes Jacob’s preparations to meet his brother Esau, who is coming his way with 400 men. This will be the first time Jacob and Esau have spoken since Jacob fled Esau’s rage as described in Genesis 27. Jacob is terrified this approaching force is coming to kill him. He divides his company into two camps. He prays in humility and faith to God for deliverance. He prepares a large gift of 550 animals to be strategically delivered to Esau to appease his presumed anger.

Chapter Summary

As Jacob turns from Laban and returns to his own country, he must face another fearful potential conflict. His twin brother Esau is coming with 400 men. Jacob fears this group approaches to take revenge for cheating Esau out of the family blessing 20 years earlier. Jacob is so afraid that he splits his company into two camps, even as he prays for deliverance. He also prepares an enormous gift to appease Esau. Finally, while alone in the dark, Jacob is unexpectedly forced to wrestle a mysterious man, who turns out to be God Himself in some manifested form. In a profound moment of symbolism, God forces Jacob to state his own name, which God then changes to Israel.

Colossians 1:14

New Living Translation

14 who purchased our freedom[a] and forgave our sins.

God sent his son Jesus to give us forgiveness by taking all our sins away by his crucifixion on the cross in death

What Does Colossians 1:14 Mean? ►

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:14(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

Paul’s prayers were filled with thanksgiving for his Christian brothers and sisters at Colossae, because of their faith in Christ, their love in spirit and truth for one another.. and their heavenly hope in their eternal inheritance – a heritage in Christ’s kingdom of light, which is kept for us.. in heaven.

Like us.. these believers had heard and understood the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ and Paul longed for them to be filled to overflowing with a knowledge of God’s will.. in all wisdom and understanding – so that they might walk worthy of their calling and bear much fruit to the glory of God.

Paul knew the horror of the domain of darkness from which we all have been redeemed and like these dear believers in Colossae, we too have been saved from the wrath to come and brought into the kingdom of God’s dear Son – in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Like them we too have been redeemed from the slave-market of sin – we too have been forgiven of our sins by grace through faith in Christ’s sufficient sacrifice on Calvary’s cross.

God the Father’s love for mankind was so great that He sent His only begotten Son to be our substitute for sin and Christ loved the church so much that He identified with our humanity, became our kinsman-redeemer and gave up His life for love of us.

We have been bought with a price:- the precious blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord. He has not only redeemed us from a lost eternity but has also forgiven us of our trespasses, past, present and future.. and cancelled the incredible debt that our sin incurred.

Praise God that Christ’s saving work on the cross is finished, and that our sins have been removed from us.. as far as the east is from the wests. Praise God for Jesus Christ, our kinsman.Redeemer, in Whom we have redemption – the forgiveness of sins.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/colossians-1-14

Colossians 1:14

by Grant Richison | May 18, 1996 | Colossians | 3 comments

Read Introduction to Colossians

“in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

This verse expresses a couple of our thirty-three eternal positions before God. Our salvation consists of two things in this passage: “redemption” and “forgiveness.” Sin sold us out and therefore enslaved us. If we are to be redeemed, God must redeem us from sin. He does this by forgiveness through the blood of Christ.

“in whom we have redemption”

“Redemption” means rescue by ransom. This is the strongest word for redemption in the Bible. This particular word for redemption means to buy back as a slave from captivity. Figuratively, it means to release from sin by paying a ransom (Eph. 1:7,14; 4:30; Rom. 8:23; Heb 9:15; Lk. 21:28). God procures our liberty by full payment of a ransom. That ransom was the blood of Christ.

Because this term for redemption is intensive (redeem from), it carries the idea of the completeness of our redemption. No subsequent slavery can follow.

We use the word redeem in association with pawnbrokers. If we pawn our ring then later want it back, we must redeem it from the broker. To redeem the ring, we must pay a price with interest. In the case of our salvation, it was Jesus who paid the price (Mark 10:45; Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Tim. 2:5,6; 2 Pet. 2:1).

“through His blood”

Ephesians 1:7 sets forth the same truth, although it adds “through His blood.” Some manuscripts add that phrase here as well. Redemption is not through moral teaching, ethics, or right living. It is through the sacrificial death of Christ. We are not redeemed by the Old Testament laws but by the shedding of the blood of Christ (Rev. 5:9).

“the forgiveness of sin”

“Forgiveness” means “remission” by Christ, who paid the price on the cross (Rom. 3:24-26). God has remitted or canceled the price to be paid because of our sin. The word “forgiveness” means release from captivity. God releases us from the bondage of the penalty of sin. We are pardoned; the death of Christ cancels our sin. God will not bring up our sin against us anymore. Our sin is dismissed and discharged. We are set free.

Principle:

We were held in the grip of the penalty of sin, but Jesus released us from our sin by His shed blood.

Application:

Most people do not realize that God forgives sins once for all. For those who place their faith in the blood of Christ, their sins are gone forever. They stand forgiven eternally. All our sins, whether past, present, or future, are forever forgiven. The slate is wiped clean (Matt. 26:28; Acts 5:31; 10:43; 13:38,39; 1 Jn. 2:1,2).

Have you come to realize that Jesus Christ can separate you from your sins forever? His death paid personally for your sin (Heb. 1:3). If you accept that fact for yourself by faith, your sins are eternally forgiven in God’s eyes (Rom. 4:8). Will you do that now?

What does Colossians 1:14 mean?

This brief verse concludes Paul’s prayer for the Colossians Christians. Verse 13 explained that God has rescued believers in Christ from sin. This phrase used a Greek word meaning “delivered,” or even “translated.” God radically changes our status, completely removing the eternal penalty of sin from those who have faith in Christ. This verse concludes that thought, with a reminder of what Jesus has done: He has provided redemption. Redemption is a theme of both the Old and New Testament, from the redemption of the Passover Lamb to the redemption of Christ on the cross. Through His sacrifice, Jesus provided a means for us to be forgiven for our sin.

This forgiveness of sin is at the heart of the gospel message (Matthew 26:28; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; 24:47). The earliest gospel preaching emphasized Jesus offering forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18). Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Christ’s shed blood offers forgiveness to all who believe in Him (John 3:16).

Context Summary

Colossians 1:9–14 is a prayer on behalf of the Colossian Christians. Paul prays for their continued spiritual growth, including knowledge of God, knowledge of His will, and wisdom. Paul also prays for their strength and endurance. In so praying, Paul reminds the believers of Colossae that salvation is entirely the work of God, who drastically changed their fate by rescuing them from sin.

Chapter Summary

In chapter 1, Paul introduces himself, along with his co-author Timothy. As he often does, Paul gives thanks for what he hears about the faith of the believers in Colossae. Paul includes a prayer for their growth and spiritual strength. The letter then transitions to praise of Jesus, describing Him as absolutely supreme. All created things were made through, by, and for Him. And, since it was His sacrifice which saved us from sin, we can have confidence in our eternal destiny.

Ephesians 4:26

And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
Don’t sin by having anger and temper come from you

Numbers 14:18
‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’

The lord holds no temper or outbursts of anger he is made of unfailing love rescues us friends m any ungodly actions and forgiveness of every kind including rebellion

ThoughHe does not excuse those who are guilty He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ He is a man of Anger and temper but does put his foot down in statements

Numbers Chapter 14

Numbers 14 – The People Reject Canaan

A. The rebellion of Israel at Kadesh Barnea.

1. (1) Israel rebels by mourning at their dilemma between faith and unbelief.

So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

a. Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried: The children of Israel were confronted with two reports regarding the Promised Land. Two of the twelve spies (Caleb and Joshua) say Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it (Numbers 13:30; Numbers 14:6), but the other ten spies said, “what God promised about the land is true; nevertheless, the natives of the land are too mighty, and we cannot overcome them, despite what God has promised.”

i. We should not forget that the twelve spies were sent one from each tribe (Numbers 13:2); in this way, they truly represent the people of Israel, and the lack of faith of the majority of the spies is a lack of faith on behalf of the whole nation.

ii. We also must remember the details of how and why the spies were sent; the idea to send them did not originate with Moses or with God, but with the people (Deuteronomy 1:19-25); Moses unwisely agreed, and God merely told them how many spies to send and that they should represent the whole nation.

iii. But why were the spies sent? There was no military information needed; God had promised them victory over their enemies. Perhaps a reading of the terrain would have been helpful, but Moses told them to see if the land was good, and to see if the people and cities were weak or strong (Numbers 13:17-20) – and this information indirectly led to the bad report of the ten spies!

b. And the people wept that night: The unbelief of the ten spies truly represented the unbelieving heart of the nation. Israel wept that night upon hearing that the enemies in Canaan were formidable. This mourning had a distinct character.

i. It was mourning because God would not make it all “easy.” We often somehow expect that of God, and resent adversity in our lives, forgetting the example of Jesus, who had it “harder” than any of us – and Whom we are not above.

ii. It was mourning filled with a resentful attitude towards God, blaming Him for their “problem” – denying that He is a loving Father who cares for His children.

iii. It was mourning that gave into the feeling of unbelief and fear; mourning that allowed feelings rule in one’s life instead of faith in the living God. Here, their clinging to the feelings of fear and mourning is plain sin and rebellion, and their feelings did not by any means justify their rebellion. Clinging to feelings can be sin.

iv. This was mourning over a loss. We usually mourn because something has died. Here, God was trying to cause something to die – the flesh, the sin-nature, the old man (as much as it could in an Old Covenant sense); and Israel mourned because they wanted the old man to live, not die.

c. And the people wept that night: So here, Israel stood barely a year out of Egypt, on the threshold of the Promised Land. Over the first ten chapters of Numbers they had been fully prepared to walk as Promised Land people – they had been ordered and organized; cleansed and purified; set apart and blessed; taught how to give and how to function as priests; had been made to remember judgment spared and deliverance brought; and had been given God’s presence as a guide and the tools needed to lead the people.

i. Now God invited them to take the land – and they rebelled through their mourning. Unbelief made them think of God’s good for them (the gift of the Promised Land) as something evil.

2. (2-3a) Israel rebels by murmuring.

And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims?”

a. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron: Their murmuring was directed first towards Moses and Aaron, but since these were the Lord’s leaders, they were murmuring against the Lord. The vision of Moses and Aaron (to lead these people into the Promised Land) is the Lord’s vision. Their complaint is against the Lord, even if they want to hide it by directing to Moses and Aaron.

i. Probably some falsely “spiritual” folks among the murmurers said, “Oh no, we trust the Lord. We love the Lord. We would never rebel against the Lord. It’s Moses and Aaron we don’t like.”

ii. But Joshua and Caleb knew: Only do not rebel against the Lord (Numbers 14:9), and the Lord Himself knew: How long will these people reject Me? (Numbers 14:11)

b. If only we had died: The challenge of faith before the people seemed so great – and so grievous – that they would rather have died than go on with what the Lord has for them.

i. Tragically for this generation, God would give them what their rebellious, unbelieving hearts wanted.

c. Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword: Here, they directly accused the Almighty with sin and evil towards them. They were angry with God, accusing Him of plotting the murder of them and their wives and children.

i. This was a deep state of rebellion. God, who can do no evil, with Whom there is no shadow of turning, was called evil and a murderer by His own people.

ii. Some counsel it is a healthy thing to be angry with God, and to let it all out, so that God and you can be reconciled, as sort of a matter of counseling therapy. While it is true that one may be angry with God, and should take every such feeling to God, it is wrong to ever assume or imply that such feelings are justified. If we are angry at God, we are in sin, because God has never done anything that deserves us being angry. We should honestly bring such sin before God, but never for a moment feeling it to be justified.

d. That our wives and children should become victims: The unbelieving among Israel justified their unbelief on the basis of concern for their wives and children. Tragically, because of their unbelief they would die in the wilderness and their children – a new generation of faith – would inherit the promised land.

3. (3b-4) They rebel by longing for the memory of Egypt.

Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

a. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt: This was not better. In the first ten chapters of Numbers, God led Israel through a process intended to change them from a slave-minded people to be a “promised-land” people. Here, they completely revert back to their slave mentality, preferring slavery under cruel, murdering masters than the walk of faith God has for them.

i. Make no mistake; what Israel rejected here was a walk of faith. If God was going to lead them into a deeper trust than they had before, they wanted no part of it. If He made it all easy, that was fine with them – but they did not want a walk of faith.

b. Let us select a leader and return to Egypt: This was pure rebellion. They said that they did not want God’s plan, they did not want God’s leaders, and they did not want God’s land. They believed that they knew better than God.

i. Notice how man-centered their rebellion was: They said to one another (the decision was made among themselves, believing their majority vote had more wisdom than God). Let us select (they didn’t like God’s selection, so they wanted a leader who would truly represent them – in all their rebellion against God).

4. (5-9) The reaction of the godly against the rebellion of the people.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

a. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces: Moses and Aaron were older and wiser and therefore knew how bad the situation was. They simply prostrated themselves in prayer and said not a word to the people (knowing it would do no good), but they knew that they must cry out to God for a miracle if Israel is to be spared.

b. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies, are younger and more optimistic, so they attempt to persuade the people.

i. They tore their clothes, showing utter grief and mourning; acting as if someone had died – or was about to die.

ii. The land… is an exceedingly good land; they reminded the people of the faithfulness of God’s promise. He promised the land would be good, and it was – they saw it with their own eyes. If God promised we could take possession of it, they could trust that promise also.

iii. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people… the Lord is with us: Their fear and unbelief were willful rebellion. Therefore, Joshua and Caleb appealed to their will of the people, asking them to decide to give up their rebellion and return to the Lord. The people of Israel didn’t have to give in to their feelings of fear, of anger to the Lord, of unbelief. By God’s grace they could choose to submit to Him and trust Him.

5. (10) Two responses to the appeal of Joshua and Caleb.

And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

a. All the congregation said to stone them with stones: This was the response of the people. Rebellious, carnal man cannot endure the men of faith, who came with the challenge of faith. They would kill Joshua and Caleb for calling them to forsake their unbelief and to trust God.

i. Nothing can be more vexing, more aggravating to the child of God in rebellion than another child of God who is full of faith and submission to God – and who has godly counsel.

b. The glory of the Lord appeared: This was the response of the Lord. We are not yet told what the glory of the Lord would do, but it isn’t hard to figure out. Their actions and feelings were not consistent with the glory of the Lord.

· Was it consistent with the glory of the Lord to be unbelieving?

· Was it consistent with the glory of the Lord to mourn because the walk of faith was hard?

· Was it consistent with the glory of the Lord to long for death?

· Was it consistent with the glory of the Lord to accuse God of plotting murder?

· Was it consistent with the glory of the Lord to go back to the slavery of Egypt?

· Was it consistent with the glory of the Lord to reject God’s leaders and go with “the people’s choice”?

· Was it consistent with the glory of the Lord to threaten to kill those who call you to a deeper life of trust in God?

B. Moses’ spectacular intercession for the children of Israel.

1. (11-12) God’s charge against Israel and offer to Moses.

Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

a. The Lord said to Moses: God does not even speak with the nation; He knows they are past hearing Him. He will speak with Moses, and Moses alone.

i. Many a child of God in rebellion wonders why they do not hear the voice of God anymore; why should they? They are rejecting what God has already said, do they think they can be open to what more He might say?

b. How long will these people reject Me: God had been only good to Israel and had demonstrated His loving strength towards them countless times. Israel’s rejection of God makes no sense.

c. I will strike them… and disinherit them… I will make of you a nation greater and mightier: This is a dramatic offer to Moses; God says He will give rebellious Israel what they deserve – judgment (indeed, what they said they wanted – to die in the wilderness! [Numbers 14:2]), and He will fulfill His promises of a land, nation, and blessing to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through Moses instead!

i. This was heady stuff for Moses; he is offered the position of “patriarch” – to become a father for Israel in the same way Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were. Moses knew of their greatness and fame – he was used of God to compile their stories in the book of Genesis!

ii. We must regard this as a real “offer” from God; the Lord does not speak make-believe words. If Moses were to do nothing, this plan of God would go into effect – the nation would perish, and somehow, God would start all over again with Moses – and the new nation would be better (greater and mightier) than the present one!

iii. Moses had a similar “offer” from God back in Exodus 32:7-14; will Moses react in the same way now as then?

2. (13-16) Moses intercedes for Israel, appealing to God’s glory.

And Moses said to the Lord: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’”

a. And Moses said to the Lord: Moses did not entertain God’s offer for a moment. Instead, he pled for the nation and loved them despite their rebellion, and he was zealous for the glory of God.

b. Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them: Moses’ zeal for God’s glory was evident. He knew that if God wiped out the present nation and started again with Moses, it would be a black mark on His reputation before the nations – especially Egypt.

i. Perhaps then the nations could claim that the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land. It could be said that the sin and rebellion of man was greater than the power and goodness of God.

c. Which He swore to give them: Moses brought God’s promise before Him. He begged God to not give the nations any opportunity to think God has not been true to His word.

3. (17-19) Moses intercedes for Israel, appealing to God’s power and promise.

“And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

a. Let the power of my Lord be great: Moses glories in the power of God but asks that God would use His power by showing mercy and longsuffering to a rebellious Israel.

b. Just as You have spoken: The list of Numbers 14:18-19 is almost a quote from the words of self-revelation God spoke to Moses in the dramatic encounter Moses had with God in Exodus 34:6-8.

i. Long-suffering… abundant… forgiving iniquity and transgression… by no means clears the guilty… mercy: Each of these are mentioned first in Exodus 34:6-8.

ii. Moses basically said: “Lord, you have revealed Yourself to me by Your word. Your word declares who You are. Now Lord, please act towards Israel according to who You have declared Yourself to be in Your word.

c. Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy: Moses knew God’s power and appealed to it; Moses knew God’s promise and appealed to it, and Moses knew God’s glory and appealed to it. This was a spectacular example of intercession.

i. What made this intercession spectacular was not primarily Moses’ method (appealing to God’s glory, power, and promise); but Moses’ heart. Here, Moses is totally others-centered, not concerned for his own glory, but only for Israel. He displays he shares the heart of God towards His people, and that is what made Moses’ intercession spectacular.

ii. This, of course, was God’s intention all along: To develop and draw out of Moses just this kind of heart, transforming Moses into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), long before the time of Jesus.

C. The fate of Israel after the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea.

1. (20) God’s promise of pardon in response to Moses’ intercession.

Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word;

a. I have pardoned: The heart of Moses and his method of intercession were successful. These are sweet words for any sinner to hear.

b. According to your word: This means that Moses’ prayer mattered. Some may wonder if prayer is some elaborate game, where God threatens to do something He will never do anyway, and we pray, pretending to believe God will do what He has threatened, and when God hears us pray, He forgets His idle threat and does what He was going to do anyway. Prayer definitely does not work that way.

i. We don’t understand the relationship between the eternal, sovereign plan of God and our prayers; but we know it is no game. God never wanted Moses to think of it as a game and wanted Moses to at least think that his prayers had directly affected the outcome: I have pardoned, according to your word! We should pray as if life and death, heaven and hell, would be decided by our prayers!

2. (21-25) The fate of the rebels and the fate of the faithful.

“But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord; because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.”

a. But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord: God’s response to Israel would be full of and reflective of His glory. He would show mercy and pardon, but in a way consistent with His glory.

b. They certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it: Therefore, those who put God to the test and rebelled against His promise, would not see the Promised Land. But the faithful like Caleb would inherit the land.

i. Look at the high praise heaped upon Caleb: My servant Caleb… he has a different spirit in him… [he] has followed Me fully… I will bring into the land. Caleb’s stand of faith seemed futile when Israel rejected him; but it was richly rewarded by God.

c. Tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness: God had brought them to the threshold of the Promised Land, but they rebelled against Him, and did not enter – so God will send them back to the wilderness.

i. Israel has demonstrated they are still slave-minded; they do not think like Promised Land people. It will take more wilderness training until they are a people ready to live in the Promised Land!

3. (26-35) The death sentence upon the rebels.

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. I the Lord have spoken this; I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’”

a. All of you who were numbered… from twenty years old and above: God gave the message to the nation – this generation must die in the wilderness and would never see the Promised Land. It was as if God said to them, “You didn’t want it when it was offered to you, so now you will never have it.”

i. They said, If only we had died in this wilderness! (Numbers 14:2). God will now give them their desire. If they preferred death to a walk of faith, God would make that their destiny.

b. Except for Caleb… and Joshua: These men of faith were the glorious exceptions. They would enter into the land of promise because they have the hearts and minds of new men.

i. Not even Moses and Aaron were excepted. They would also not enter the Promised Land, each for their own reasons. But we remember that Moses was not guiltless in this whole tragedy, having agreed to the request of the people to send out spies instead of just boldly taking the land by faith.

c. But your little ones: When excusing their unbelief, Israel had claimed concern for their children (Numbers 14:3), accusing God of wanting to murder them. Now, ironically, their children would inherit the land, while they perished in the wilderness.

d. The land which you despised: We may imagine many in Israel objected saying, “We did not despise the land. We wanted it. We were just afraid.” But they did despise it, because as much as anything, it was a land of faith for people of faith, and the unbelieving and rebellious do despise the land.

e. Forty days… forty years: The spies, representing the nation, failed in the test of 40 days. Now the nation would be tested 40 years – and they would come forth purified, ready to inherit the Promised Land, but only after the man of unbelief and rebellion has perished in the wilderness.

i. The old man, the man still slave-minded to sin, can never enter into God’s promises; the old man must die – and God will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

ii. This turning point in Israel’s history is an essential lesson for every believer and is trumpeted to us in Psalm 95:7b-11: Today, if you will hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’

iii. Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word, but complained in their tents, and did not heed the voice of the Lord. Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness, to overthrow their descendants among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands. (Psalms 106:24-27)

iv. But they and our fathers acted proudly, hardened their necks, and did not heed Your commandments. They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your wonders that You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion they appointed a leader to return to their bondage. (Nehemiah 9:16-17)

v. Hebrews 3:7-4:16 makes it clear: God has a place of rest and promise for every believer to enter in to, and it can only be entered by faith. The man of unbelief, self-reliance, and self-focus can never enter into God’s rest and abundance.

4. (36-38) An immediate death sentence upon the ten unfaithful spies.

Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.

a. Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land… died by the plague before the Lord: If the death of the unbelieving generation would take some 38 years (the number of years left to make a total time of the exodus forty years), the death of the ten unfaithful spies was to be immediate.

b. Died by the plague before the Lord: God has one prescription for the old man, and the flesh: to kill it. It can’t be reformed. We are not called to turn over a new leaf for God. The old man dies, and only then can the new man, patterned after Jesus Christ, inherit God’s land of rest and promise.

5. (39-45) Aftermath: Failure of the attempt to take the Promised Land by man’s strength and wisdom.

Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned!” And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed. Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.” But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop; nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.

a. The people mourned greatly: They were indeed sorry; many people are sorry for the consequence of their sin. But they were not so sorry as to turn their hearts to a genuine trust of the Lord.

b. They rose early… went up to the top of the mountain… “Here we are, and we will go up . . .we have sinned!”They wanted to make it all better with a few religious works and words, but their hearts were not changed. All this was on their initiative, as a way of doing God’s will their way, and hoping to reap the same blessings. It could not work. Moses spoke rightly: For this will not succeed.

c. The Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah: It did not succeed because God was not with them. They made a futile attempt in the flesh to accomplish what they had rejected by faith, and it ended in defeat. It was now back to the wilderness.

i. When God was with them, they did not think it was enough; now that God was not with them, they thought they could do it.

© 2021 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com

Categories: Numbers Old Testament

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Commentary on Numbers 14:11-19

(Read Numbers 14:11-19)

Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation’s sin, is the turning away the nation’s punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God’s character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.

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Numbers 14:18

The Lord [is] longsuffering
Towards all men, and especially towards his own people:

and of great mercy,
being abundant in goodness, and keeping mercy for thousands:

forgiving iniquity and transgression,
all sorts of sin:

and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation];
which may seem to make against the plea of Moses for mercy and forgiveness; but the reason of these words being expressed seems to be, because they go along with the others in the passage referred to, and are no contradiction to the forgiving mercy of God in a way of justice; nor did Moses request to have the guilty cleared from punishment altogether, but that God would show mercy, at least to such a degree as not to cut off the whole nation, and leave no posterity to inherit the land; which is supposed in visiting the sin of the fathers to the third or fourth generation.

There is one abody, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one afaith, one bbaptism, 6 One God and aFather of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given agrace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

What does Ephesians 4:6 mean?

Paul adds a seventh and final “one” to complete his list begun in verse 4. Christians are all saved by the grace of the same God, uniquely defined and identified in the Old and New Testaments. Contrary to modern notions that Christians worship the same God as other religions, Christian worship a unique God of Father, Son, and Spirit. Legitimate Christianity accepts Jesus as God’s divine Son, as well as Lord.

Paul also noted this Father “is over all and through all and in all.” Each of this verse’s four references to “all” come from the same Greek root word, pas. This phrasing is used by Paul to cover every possible aspect which God could be sovereign over. There is no god or being higher than Him. Every legitimate follower of Christ adheres to this belief of “one God.” This concept is so fundamental, and so critical to the faith, that it can be traced to the first words of Scripture: “In the beginning, God” (Genesis 1:1). A foundational belief of the Torah is that God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4–5).

Context Summary

Ephesians 4:1–10 is Paul’s compelling description of Christian unity. Every saved believer, regardless of talent or skill, Jew or Gentile, male or female, is saved by the same faith in the same God. Each Christian, therefore, is part of a single, universal family of believers in Jesus Christ. At the same time, God gives different gifts to different people, so that they can serve the many roles needed to accomplish His purposes here on earth. Rather than being concerned about what gifts we might lack, each Christian can rejoice in our unity, and focus on serving God to the best of our ability.

Chapter Summary

Truly understanding saving grace, as Paul explained in prior chapters, is the Christian’s first motivation for living a godly life. Here, Paul encourages believers to live in way which honors that gift. All saved Christians are part of a single, unified family, part of the ”body” of Christ. At the same time, different believers are given different talents. Some are called to positions of leadership and authority. All Christians should turn away from the ”old self” we were prior to being saved. Paul’s explanation of the ”new self” includes some basic, practical steps

What Does Ephesians 4:6 Mean? ►

one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:6(NASB)

Verse Thoughts
As members of the Church, we are to live a life that is worthy of our calling. We are to clothe ourselves in humility before God our Father, and we are to walk in the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace. And in this passage, we are given the many elements of unity that are ours in Christ Jesus – our one and only Lord and Saviour.

The universal Church of believers is one Body which is in-dwelt by the same Holy Spirit of God. The Trinity is integral in this passage, where we stand united by one faith – through believing in the one, unchangeable body of truth which is recorded in the inerrant and eternal Word of God.

As believers in the gospel of grace, we were all baptised into the Body of Christ by the Spirit of God and are being built up into a holy habitation for the Lord. We all acknowledge one God and Father of all, “Who is over all and through all and in all,” for by grace through faith in the eternal Son of His love, we have been redeemed and declared righteous in the eyes of God – and He has made us His children.

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The passage under consideration, was written for believers in the Word of truth and clarifies our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Though He is the Creator of all things, God’s relational tie as Father, is for Christians alone. Though men like to boast that every human being is a child of God, only those that have been born of the Spirit have become children of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

The authority to call Him Father is for those that believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. He is Father to all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ. He is Abba – Father to all believers – but not to all mankind.

Those who believe in the sacrificial work of the eternal Son of God are not under His condemnation, but have the right to approach His throne of grace and call Him Abba – Father. However, those that do not believe in the only begotten Son of God remain under His eternal condemnation and can never be identified as God’s children.

As many as received the Word-made-flesh – Jesus Christ the righteous – were given the right to become children of God. Those who believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God have been given the authority to address our Creator God as Father: “For we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba-Father.”

There are those that

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-4-6

Hebrews 13:5

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Don’t gloat over money or materials of the worldly be satisfied and content with all you have. For God tells us and spoke saying “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Hebrews 13:5

New Living Translation

5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.
    I will never abandon you.”[a]

5 Let your conversation be without acovetousness; and be bcontent with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor cforsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Hebrews 13:5 Meaning of Never Leave You nor Forsake You

May 29, 2020 by Editor in Chief

Hebrews 13:5
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

Explanation and Commentary of Hebrews 13:5

In this concluding section, the author reminds the church to keep going as Christians. He says to keep loving, keep showing hospitality, keeping remembering those in prison for the Gospel, keep the marriage bed pure, and “keep your lives from the love of money.” The encouragement is still toward perseverance (Heb 12:1).

These were all topics that were covered by their leaders when they first came to faith, but now a reminder is in order. By the time this letter was written, enough time had elapsed that the early church had lost many who were never really saved (1 Jn 2:19). The author is attempting to stop this from happening. The love of money was a special temptation for those who abandoned the faith (1 Tim 6:10). God provides what we need in trade for our services (generally), and we can continue to trust in Jesus who said that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, he will add all the other things to us that we need to to survive and even thrive (Mt 6:33).

The love of money comes with a healthy dose of fear of not having it. Do you wonder if you love money? How fearful are you about not having as much as you want? Rather than finding meaningful work, or working a job in a meaningful way, trusting God to provide for your needs, many put the pursuit of money before all else, causing them to compromise other values to get it.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Hebrews 13:5

#1 “Keep your lives free from the love of money…”
The fact that we are admonished to keep it free, implies that it is possible to start out with no trace of love for money, only to have it creep in later and wreck our lives. We must learn to recognize the signs that we are beginning to love it. Fear of lack is a sign of a heart that loves money, along with overworking, and the envy of others with wealth.

#2 “…and be content with what you have,”
It is sweet to trust God for what you have. The goal is to work in the Lord in your job, learning to value good and hard effort. Then one must learn to manage money as a steward of all that God has provided, and not foolishly squandering it by poor stewardship. Contentment comes with a trust in God that what you have is what you are supposed to have, and a heart of thankfulness to the God who provided it.

#3 “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
We either believe this, or we do not. If God can be trusted, and he can, then this should be the most comforting fact in existence. We are saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and we cannot lose what we have been truly given. God is not going to forget to protect us, to provide for us, and to love us. He is always going to be there when you need him. Loving money would be a sign of our disbelief in his promises.

Hebrews 13:5b

by Grant | Jan 5, 2020 | Hebrews | 0 comments

Read Introduction to Hebrews

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

be without covetousness [greed];

The desire to acquire more and more is “covetousness.” This includes lust for money, but it also involves undue desire for anything. Covetousness is inordinate desire. It seeks satisfaction in things other than God and His Word. The command “not to covet” requires moderation (Ex 20:17; Ro 7:7).

PRINCIPLE:

The inward motions of sin are deceptive.

APPLICATION:

Covetousness is the obsession with wanting more. These people can never acquire enough; they always want more. They constantly think about things they want. This is what occupies their attention. It makes no difference whether they acquire them or not, but this is their focus in life; they always want something that they do not have (Eccl 5:10). The more they acquire, the more they want. Material things can never satisfy the soul.

The argument of our verse is not that it is wrong to possess wealth. The problem is the “love of money” that spins off all kinds of problems (1 Ti 6:10). It is the trust in wealth that makes it sinful.

We detect some sins better than others. Covetousness is challenging to see because it lies within the heart (Lu 12:15; Co 3:5; Ps 119:36).

What Does Hebrews 13:5 Mean? ►

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5(ESV)

Verse Thoughts

The direction of our life, the tenor of our conversation, and the disposition of our hearts should always be pleasing to the Lord, for we are God’s children. We are to be holy for God is holy. We are to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. We are to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, as, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are being transformed into His image, day by day.

Inner contentment is a significant key in achieving this godly objective. Hearts that seek the Lord learn to be satisfied in every situation of life and the person who is content is one that is not beset by envy or greed. Being comfortable with our life situation, kindling a heart that is content with our lot, and keeping ourselves from an attitude of covetousness, will enable us to live a positive Christian life and the writer to the Hebrews instructs us in this way: “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He, Himself, has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.'”

The closing chapters of Hebrews offer some excellent, ethical instructions on constructive Christian living, brotherly hospitality, and nurturing a godly concern for the needs of others, as well as giving some serious warnings about refusing God’s grace and rejecting His Word. It seems, from this verse, that a spirit of contentment could be a valuable guard against developing covetousness – an ungodly behaviour that spawns discontent, jealousy, grudges, and greed.

Contentment is one of the unnamed cousins of the fruit of the Spirit, for it has conquered the evil lust of covetousness which can be identified in many ungodly behaviours… like the lusts of the world, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life. Contentment is the product of a God-given peace that calms a troubled spirit and brings peace to a striving soul. It is found along the path that leads to purity, and is hidden in the heart of the man or woman who rests in Christ and casts all their cares upon Him.

Contentment is not to be found in financial security nor through the acquisition of things we would like to own. It is not discovered in positions of power nor can it be secured through seats of learning. Contentment has more to do with who a man is than what a man has and Paul put it like this in his epistle to the Philippians: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

While money can be an excellent servant of man and is able to do much good, the writer to the Hebrews identifies the love of money as a key hindrance to inner contentment. In his letter to Timothy, Paul also warns that the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils and that some believers have so hankered after money as to be led astray from the faith. When the love of money rears its ugly head, it spawns a covetous heart and gives birth to a soul that is restless and discontented.

Why should we be content with what we have? The writer to the Hebrews tells us: ” Be content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.'” Why should we Christians cultivate a contented disposition? Well, godliness with contentment is great gain, while a discontented soul breeds murmuring against God, as was seen in Israel’s wilderness walk, and grumbling is a poisonous root of unbelief that demonstrates a lack of faith in the Lord our God.

God, in His grace, has given us many precious blessings and has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, no matter how fiercely the bitter winds of trial batter our lives and irrespective of other people who may have betrayed or hurt us. May we develop a character that is free from the love of money and may we strive to be content in all things, knowing that He Himself has promised to be with us in all the changing scenes of our lives.

Let us ponder on these comforting words of the Lord when we are tempted to envy the life of another or allow seeds of discontent to be sown in our hearts. Let us ponder on these words, rejoice in the Lord always, and be content in Him, for He has promised, “I will never leave you nor will I forsake you.”

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/hebrews-13-5

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/hebrews-13-5

What does Hebrews 13:5 mean? [⇑ See verse text ⇑]

This chapter lists particular points on which the writer wants to encourage proper Christian behavior. These have included brotherly love (Hebrews 13:1), hospitality (Hebrews 13:2), support for the abused and imprisoned (Hebrews 13:3), and an emphasis on sexual morality (Hebrews 13:4). Other places in the New Testament echo the importance of avoiding sexual sin, given its allure and power (Romans 1:24–27). The consequences of immorality, often, are simply the natural consequences of those risky behaviors.

Here, the writer mentions another common theme of biblical morality: the danger of greed. The phrase “money is the root of all evil” is not actually biblical, since wealth can be properly used and enjoyed without sin (Romans 14:14). What the Bible does say, in 1 Timothy 6:10, is that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” That verse notes that unhealthy desire for wealth has led to the ruin of many lives.

Unhealthy obsession with money is closely related to discontent. This is something the Bible implies using words such as “covet” (Exodus 20:17; James 4:2) and “jealousy” (James 3:16). Rather than being unhappy over what we do not have, Christians ought to be thankful for what we do have and hopeful for what we will one day obtain (Hebrews 11:14–16).

A foundation of this trusting, content, forward-looking perspective is the believer’s relationship with Christ (Hebrews 12:2). The phrasing here might be a reference to God’s promise to Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:5). The following verse will amplify this trust by quoting specific Psalms which proclaim the security we have in God.

Context Summary

Hebrews 13:1–6 contains practical, real-world instructions for Christian believers. These mirror some of the more common themes in the New Testament. Brotherly love, hospitality, care for the abused, sexual morality, and contentment are all commended. The writer ties the ability to be content, and faithful, to our trust in Christ to be there with us, and for us, in all of our circumstances. This grounding is strengthened in the following passage.

Chapter Summary

Chapters 1—9 explained how the new covenant in Jesus Christ is superior to the old covenant of animal sacrifices. This comparison drew on extensive use of Old Testament Scripture. Chapters 10––12 applied that evidence to encourage Christians to ”hold fast” despite persecution. The summary of these applications was that believers ought to trust in their faith, and choose to obey God, during times of struggle. Chapter 13 adds a few specific reminders about Christian conduct. This passage also reiterates the idea that Christ is meant to be our ultimate example. The letter concludes with a request for prayer and words of blessing.

VERSE OF THE DAY

Psalm 56:4 (New Living Translation)

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I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

I praise God for the good he has done and what he has promised. I trust and put my faith in God that I shall not be afraid why should I fear? What can man do to me? He has no power over me.

4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my atrust; I will not bfear what flesh can do unto me. 5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they await for my soul.

What Does Psalm 56:4 Mean? ►

In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid What can mere man do to me?

Psalm 56:4(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

How hard it is to know that you are in God’s will and fulfilling His purpose in your life, and yet have powerful people opposing you, and jealous enemies trying to take your life. David was such a man, who had been anointed by Samuel, the prophet, to be Israel’s future king. Because King Saul had disobeyed the Lord, his kingly position was to be removed and given to David.

Saul had broken the Law by making an unlawful sacrifice to God. This was an act, which could only be undertaken through the priestly line of Levi. Only one Man, in the history of the world, has the authority to be Prophet, Priest, and King – the Lord Jesus Christ – our God and Saviour. Knowingly or unknowingly, Saul had elevated himself into a messianic role, which Christ alone could fulfil – which greatly angered the Lord.

King Saul did evil in the sight of the Lord, and so his rulership over Israel was terminated. His kingly authority was to be given to David, the son of Jesse – the shepherd boy of Israel, who killed Goliath. David was a man after God’s own heart. He was called and chosen to be Israel’s greatest king, and yet we discover that his life was plagued with adversity and surrounded by various enemies. He was hated by many and attacked on all sides, but David had trusted God from his childhood and had proved the Lord to be faithful to His Word.

So David began his prayer, in Psalm 56, by crying out for divine help, and godly intervention. “Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me. Fighting all day long he oppresses me.” David bewailed that his foes ‘swallowed him up’ all day long. He lamented that his enemies arrogantly fought against him – despite being the Lord’s anointed.

The supplicatory prayer of this oppressed servant of God quickly turned into a declaration of God’s precious promises, which remain as relevant to God’s servants in the 21st century, as they were when David was being hotly pursued by Saul, and his enemies were constantly attacking him. “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You,”  he announced, with great boldness, “I will trust in God, whose word I praise. In God, I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?”

David did not simply plead for God’s protection, but in faith, he claimed God’s precious promises as his own. David’s statement of faith in God was a demonstration of faith in action as he claimed God’s promises to Israel in his particular situation. David was prepared to claim what was rightfully his. He was prepared to make a statement of fact, because God’s Word is true and the promises of God applied to him, personally.

Too often, as Church age believers, we plead, and petition, and ask, and beg the Lord to give us what is already ours, by faith in Christ. God has given us all we need for life and godliness. In His divine power, He has given us everything required to live a holy life, through the knowledge of Him – through faith in Christ, Who called us by His own glory and goodness. 

Too often we do not fully access the hope of His calling, which are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints – in US!  Too often we do not access the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. The privileges and promises of God are already ours, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might… which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places – so that IN HIM, we too have been raised up with Christ, and seated with Him in the heavenly places!!!!! 

We are already victorious in Christ against all enemies, foreign and domestic – human and spiritual. Victory is already ours in Him – what CAN mere man do to us? Why SHOULD we be afraid?  Should we not ALL be ready and able to declare the truth?  Should we not declare boldly, and in faith… “It is God, whose word I praise! In God, I have put my trust! I shall not be afraid! What can mere man do to me?”

AHH, but be careful Christian, that you do not fall into the trap of the ungodly “Word of Faith” movement, who promote their unbiblical ‘positive declarations’, and delight in their heretical, ‘name-it-and-claim-it’ behaviour, which is an abomination to the Lord. These “Word of Faith”  preachers deceive countless numbers of people, who buy into their false gospel, in the belief that God will supply all they want… if they simply make a positive proclamation! These fools believe that declaring their own words and wishes, will force God to carry out their carnal desires and provide them with an abundance of health and wealth, simply because they named what they want and claim it as their right. By cherry-picking scriptures, taking them out of context and using them to promote their unbiblical doctrine is a total distortion of the truth and a slur on the goodness of God.

GOD FORBID, that David’s beautiful demonstration of trust in God… when he declared the Lord’s faithfulness in fulfilling all His precious promises, by proclaiming the biblical truths, be used to support the unbiblical, and heretical “Word of Faith” teachings!

May we be bold in declaring the goodness of God in the land of the living. May we be prepared to access ALL the many privileges we have, because we are positioned in Christ – by faith. May we come boldly before the throne of grace, and declare God’s Word as fact, in the face of the enemy, so that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need- just as David did, when man tramples us, fights against us, and oppresses us all day long.

And may we declare, with godly boldness, “The Lord is MY God, Whose word I praise. In God, I have placed my faith. The Lord is my Helper, I shall not be afraid.  The Lord is the strength of my life. What can mere man do to me?”

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/psalm-56-4

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/psalm-56-4

Psalm 56

Psalm 56 – Faith in the Midst of Fear

The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath. It is probable (though not certain) that The Silent Dove in Distant Lands was the tune to which this psalm was sung; some connect it with the theme, thinking it represents a dove in trouble even as David was in trouble.

Like Psalm 16 and the next four psalms, Psalm 56 is called A Michtam of David. The title Michtam is best understood as golden, though others think it is related to a word meaning to cover, implying necessary secrecy in a time of crisis.

The time when the Philistines captured him in Gath is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. It deals with the period between the visit to the tabernacle at Nob and David’s arrival at Adullam. David was alone, desperate, afraid – and not thinking too clearly.

A. Fear and faith in response to constant danger.

1. (1-2) Looking to the Most High for mercy.

Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
My enemies would hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

a. Be merciful to me, O God: David was in great and constant danger from many enemies – both the Philistines and Saul’s servants. He cried out to God, knowing that divine help could rescue him from any man-made threat. He appealed to the mercy of God, not relying on what he may or may not deserve.

i. “Instead of building up gradually to his complaint, the psalmist pours out his heart immediately.” (VanGemeren)

ii. Swallow me up: “The open mouths of sinners when they rage against us should open our mouths in prayer.” (Spurgeon)

b. There are many who fight against me, O Most High: On earth David was greatly outnumbered, so he looked for help from the God who is enthroned above. David knew the strategic value of high ground in battle; it made sense for him to look for help from the Most High.

i. “To set forth the indignity of the thing, he repeateth the same sentence again in the plural number, noting that there were not a few of them bitterly bent by might and main to mischief him, a poor forlorn, friendless man.” (Trapp)

ii. Adam Clarke understood O Most High in a different way: “I do not think that this word expresses any attribute of God, or indeed is at all addressed to him. It signifies, literally, from on high, or from a high or elevated place: ‘For the multitudes fight against me from the high or elevated place.’” (Clarke)

2. (3-4) Afraid and not afraid.

Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

a. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You: The young man who killed the lion and the bear, who killed Goliath, and was a successful young captain in Israel’s army, did not deny the presence of fear. There were times when he was afraid. Yet he knew what to do with that fear, to boldly proclaim His trust in God despite the fear.

i. “He feared, but that fear did not fill the whole area of his mind, for he adds, ‘I will trust in thee.’ It is possible, then, for fear and faith to occupy the mind at the same moment.” (Spurgeon)

ii. Many do not serve God or speak a word in His name to others out of fear, and they wait for a time when they are no longer afraid to do so. David would counsel them, “I am sometimes afraid – but I trust in God and do what is right to do.” Don’t wait for the fear to stop before you do what is right before the Lord.

iii. “It is a sure sign of grace when a man can trust in his God, for the natural man, when afraid, falls back on some human trust, or he thinks that he will be able to laugh at the occasion of fear.” (Spurgeon)

b. I will praise His word: In the midst of the declaration of his trust in God, David calls attention to the praiseworthiness of God’s word. His trust in God was directly connected with God’s word. His trust wasn’t a blind hope or wish cast up to heaven; it was based on God’s revealed character and revealed promises.

i. We say we trust God, but how do we confidently know anything about God? We know it through His Word, through His self-revelation to us.

ii. “It might also be the case, however, that David is thinking specifically of the words of God that were brought to him by the prophet Samuel, assuring him that he would be king over Israel (cf. 1 Samuel 16:1-13).” (Boice)

c. In God I have put my trust; I will not fear: Trusting God has given David the momentum toward even greater faith. He began by trusting God even while afraid; with that trust rewarded, he can take a further step: I will not fear.

i. “First, the singer declares that in the hour of fear he will trust. Then he declares he will trust and not be afraid.” (Morgan)

d. What can flesh do to me: Our instinctive reply to this rhetorical question is, a lot of harm. We constantly hear of and experience great harm that comes from mankind. Yet in the context of David’s trust in the Most High, he realizes that with God for him, it doesn’t matter what man or men may be against him.

3. (5-7) The continuing danger.

All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

a. All day they twist my words: The attacks against David were not only violent; they were also devious, with the twisting and distortion of his words and intentions. His many enemies constantly plotted against him for evil, hoping to lie in wait and kill David with a surprise attack.

i. “The unremitting pressure is the worst part of the ordeal. It was the first thing David emphasized: all day long…all day long (Psalm 56:1,2); and now he tells of it again (Psalm 56:5).” (Kidner)

ii. “The verb ‘twist’ is derived from a root that signifies a laborious, toilsome, unrewarding act. They plot so as to undo whatever the godly man has spoken and has planned to do right.” (VanGemeren)

iii. Twist my words: “This is a common mode of warfare among the ungodly. They put our language on the rack; they extort meanings from it which it cannot be made fairly to contain.” (Spurgeon)

b. Shall they escape by iniquity: David appealed to God’s justice. It wasn’t right for these wicked enemies to triumph over him. Whether they were the Philistines of Gath or Saul’s servants, David asked God to cast them down.

B. God’s sympathetic care for David.

1. (8-9) God noticed David’s misery.

You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me.

a. You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle: In this period of David’s life, before coming to Adullam Cave (1 Samuel 22), he was completely alone. This made him value the sympathy and care of God all the more, and he found great comfort in the thought that God noted his misery.

i. “The reason for hope in God’s justice lies in his divine nature and promise to vindicate his children. For this purpose the psalmist adds a personal note about the extent of his suffering.” (VanGemeren)

ii. “Put my tears into thy bottle; regard, and remember, and pity them.” (Poole)

iii. “His sorrows were so many that there would need a great wine-skin to hold them all.” (Spurgeon)

iv. My tears into Your bottle: “Here is an allusion to a very ancient custom, which we know long obtained among the Greeks and Romans, of putting the tears which were shed for the death of any person into small phials, called lacrymatories or urnae lacrymales and offering them on the tomb of the deceased. Some of these were of glass, some of pottery, and some of agate, sardonyx, etc. A small one in my own collection is of hard baked clay.” (Clarke)

v. Spurgeon noted this practice and such ancient bottles, but believed that David made no allusion at all to this Roman practice.

b. This I know, because God is for me: This was the ground of David’s confidence. His wanderings and tears did not mean that God was against him. Instead he knew that God was for him, and would answer his prayer for rescue.

i. God is for me: “What can we possibly desire more, than this assurance, that, how many, or how formidable soever our enemies may be, yet there is one always ready to appear in our defence, whose power no creature is able to resist? ‘This I know,’ saith David; and had we the faith of David, we should know it too.” (Horne)

ii. God is for me: “Paul was to echo the triumphant end of this verse (or Psalm 118:7a), and cap it with ‘who is against us?’ (Romans 8:31).” (Kidner)

2. (10-11) Confidence in God declared again.

In God (I will praise His word),
In the LORD (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

a. I will praise His word: For the second and third times in this psalm, David declared the greatness of God’s word. This was how he knew that God was for him. It wasn’t just a wish, a dream, or a hope. It was well-grounded, because God said it in His word.

b. In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me: David repeated this phrase again, preaching confidence to himself. Because God was for him (confirmed by His word), David need not fear what man could do to him.

i. “When news came to Luther, that both emperor and pope had threatened his ruin, he bravely answered, I care for neither of them, I know whom I have trusted.” (Trapp)

3. (12-13) Fulfilling the vow.

Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;
I will render praises to You,
For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?

a. Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You: David referred to the sacrifice he would offer for the deliverance he knew God would bring. He was a long distance from God’s altar so the sacrifice could not yet be made; but in David’s heart it was already done, as was the anticipated rescue.

i. “So sure is he of deliverance, that, as often in similar psalms, his thoughts are busied in preparing his sacrifice of thanks before the actual advent of the mercy for which it is to be offered.” (Maclaren)

ii. Render praises: “Thank offerings can be a term for literal sacrifices (e.g. Leviticus 7:12) and for songs of gratitude (e.g. Psalm 26:7).” (Kidner)

iii. “Reader, what hast thou vowed to God? To renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful desires of the flesh; to keep God’s holy word and commandment; and to walk before him all the days of thy life. These things hast thou vowed; and these vows are upon thee. Wilt thou pay them?” (Clarke)

b. You have delivered my soul from death: On his way to Gath, in Gath, and on his way from Gath, David’s life was in constant danger. God and God alone delivered His life from his enemies, and kept his feet from falling.

c. That I may walk before God in the light of the living: David knew that this was why God spared his life. It wasn’t so that David could do his own thing or live unto himself. It was so that he could live rightly before God.

i. “Thus in this short psalm, we have climbed from the ravenous jaws of the enemy into the light of Jehovah’s presence, a path which only faith can tread.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “The fact that Jesus seems to have used the last words of Psalm 56:13 in John 8:12 makes us think of verse 13 in light of the deliverance Jesus brings to those who trust him and the ‘life’ as his gift of salvation by the Holy Spirit.” (Boice)

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

Categories: Old Testament Psalms

Enduring Word