Bible League: Living His Word May God be gracious to us and bless usand make his face shine on us-- so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Although God's chosen people may have thought otherwise on occasion, although they may have thought that a relationship to God was their exclusive privilege, God has always wanted the knowledge of Him and His ways to be spread over the whole earth and among all nations. Whenever He narrowed His redemptive focus because of sin, as when He narrowed His focus to Israel and later to Judah, His purpose was to retrench for a renewed effort toward His goal, not to permanently exclude the rest of humanity. We know that God wanted to use His people as a springboard to all nations from passages like Jeremiah 33:8-9: "'I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.''' The redemptive cleansing of Judah and Jerusalem, in other words, was a means to achieve God's universal concern. As can be seen from the passage in Jeremiah and from our verse for today, the way that God figured to achieve His purpose was by being gracious to His people, by blessing them abundantly, and by making His face to shine upon them. When the nations would see everything God had done for them they would turn to Him and give Him praise and honor. They would be lured into a relationship with Him by the shining example His people would provide. God's method to reach the nations hasn't changed. He still uses His people to lure the nations. He is still gracious to us, He still blesses us abundantly, and He still makes His face to shine upon us. He makes us so attractive that the nations can't help but notice. They will desire what we have. After all, if there were no benefit to being the people of God, then there would be no incentive to join us. Arise and shine, then, with the reflected glory of God's face. For the "nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:1-3). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingZechariah 1, 2, 3 Zechariah 1 -- The Word of the Lord to Zechariah: The Vision of the Horses; Angel's Prayer; Four Horns and Four Craftsmen NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zechariah 2 -- The Angel with a Measuring Line; God Redeems Zion; the Promise of God's Presence NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zechariah 3 -- Joshua, the High Priest, Receiving Clean Garments; I will bring forth my servant, the Branch NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Revelation 17 Revelation 17 -- The Woman on the Beast; Babylon is doomed; Victory for the Lamb NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”Insight “In the last days'' scoffers will say that Jesus is never coming back, but Peter refutes their argument by explaining God's mastery over time. The “last days'' is the time between Christ's first and second comings; thus, we—like Peter—live in the last days. Challenge We must do the work to which God has called us and believe that he will return as he promised. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Corinthians 15:45 The last Adam.Jesus is the federal head of his elect. As in Adam, every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest, because he is the covenant head and representative of the race as considered under the law of works; so under the law of grace, every redeemed soul is one with the Lord from heaven, since he is the Second Adam, the Sponsor and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love. The apostle Paul declares that Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek met him: it is a certain truth that the believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, when in old eternity the covenant settlements of grace were decreed, ratified, and made sure forever. Thus, whatever Christ hath done, he hath wrought for the whole body of his Church. We were crucified in him and buried with him (read Col. 2:10-13), and to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with him and even ascended with him to the seats on high (Eph. 2:6). It is thus that the Church has fulfilled the law, and is "accepted in the beloved." It is thus that she is regarded with complacency by the just Jehovah, for he views her in Jesus, and does not look upon her as separate from her covenant head. As the Anointed Redeemer of Israel, Christ Jesus has nothing distinct from his Church, but all that he has he holds for her. Adam's righteousness was ours so long as he maintained it, and his sin was ours the moment that he committed it; and in the same manner, all that the Second Adam is or does, is ours as well as his, seeing that he is our representative. Here is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This gracious system of representation and substitution, which moved Justin Martyr to cry out, "O blessed change, O sweet permutation!" this is the very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation, and is to be received with strong faith and rapturous joy. Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. Colossians 2:6,7 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, • having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. Matthew 24:13 "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Luke 8:15 "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. 2 Corinthians 1:24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm. John 9:4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. Galatians 6:8-10 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. • Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. • So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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