Monthly Archives: February 2020

YOU WILL NEVER DIE

Everyone wants to live longer, and many scientists are convinced that science holds secrets, we can unlock that will move our lifespan well beyond 120 years. In Genesis, God tells us human life can be expected to be 120 years (Gen. 11:10-24), which is a significant reduction from the oldest man, Methuselah- 969 years. Of course, most scientists don’t check with the Bible. Whatever the lifespan turns out to be, even with medical breakthroughs, we will still die- unless Rapture occurs. Jesus said something that is difficult for those driven solely by the natural world to accept; we can live forever. That possibility has nothing to do with science or healthy living. Eternal life is possible because Jesus died and rose again. This is why today is so important and why we celebrate Easter. The resurrection of Jesus makes our own resurrection possible.

Read John 11:25-27

Here is clear and concise language which simply states that Jesus Christ is the only, ‘I am the,’ way of salvation. What is salvation? It is deliverance from a certain eternal death and total separation from God for all of eternity. ‘I am the.’ This means that there is only one means of being saved. He did not say, ‘I am ‘one of’ the ways,’ which would open the door for alternative paths to heaven. He said, ‘I am ‘the’ way.’ Emphasis on ‘I.’ And ‘the’ which refer to Christ alone and to only one means of salvation.
‘I (Jesus Christ) am the resurrection (a total overhaul of the physical body into a resurrection body) and the life.’ Resurrection will come to all who have died prior to this event, and to all who remain alive when this event (resurrection) occurs.
          There will be a generation who will be alive when the Rapture occurs. That is the resurrection of the Church Age. There will not be a generation, which will be the recipients of a living resurrection, when the Old Testament believers are resurrected at the end of the Tribulation. Those who remain alive on earth at that time, will continue living into the Millennium. Then at the end of the Millennium the last of all those who remain alive (which should be almost everyone) will be resurrected into resurrection bodies for entrance into eternity. This resurrection is distinguished from the resurrection of unbelievers. This is the resurrection ‘and the life.’ Life belongs to God and all who choose for God through Christ. Those who choose against God and His plan with Jesus Christ as the principle instrument of salvation, will be resurrected unto death. They will be resurrected for the purpose of receiving their wish of total separation from God. Unbelievers reject God, so God will grant them their wish and give them their separation. That will not be what they want or expect, but then they all had their chance to believe God when He tells them that the Lake of Fire is not a good destination for any traveler. But then that is exactly what stubborn attitudes get. They reject the truth, and force something worse onto themselves.
        How Does anyone get this resurrection and life? By believing in Christ. Such a simple price. A mere thought. ‘Father (God) I believe in Jesus Christ.’ Now just how difficult can that thought be. Yet there will be millions who will refuse, all during their life, for years and years, to have that simple thought run through their heads. This promise is open to everyone. Anyone who has ever lived has an opportunity to believe in the Son of God. The only Son. There is only one Son. There are no other substitutes. No other prophets. No other persons, or things by which we can pray to, or believe in, and receive salvation from God. He set up a very simple plan for the salvation of mankind, and if you look all around us then you’ll see millions going through elaborate schemes of alternative methods of attempting to get into heaven. Why would anyone try to redefine such a simple entrance ticket? ‘Father, I believe in Christ.’
      Now of course we all live in this devil’s world. We have to go to school, learn to read and write. We have to get a job and earn some income, and so forth, but …. That is our second and temporary job for this world. Our primary obligation is spiritual growth. We do not have to study 24 hours a day. We don’t have to pray 24 hours a day. But we have an obligation to think 24 hours a day, at least when we are awake. Just as unbelievers make their fatal mistake and lose everything by rejecting God, and they make their decisions based on false information and beliefs, so too, believers make their fatal decisions in life by not sticking with a daily Bible study plan for their own life. Furthermore, believers who do some study, still have the hurdles of believing what they learn, and still more believers have difficulty in applying what they learn to their lives. This last part seems to be the most difficult step in the spiritual life. We all have our comfort zones, but they are generally based on a foundation laid out by our sin natures. We have our certain compromises we feel are right for our life.

But despite all of this, the spiritual life remains very simple, and is elusive only to those who maintain a defiant attitude toward their daily study. The question which Jesus asked applies, ‘ Do you believe this?’ And our answer to it is ‘Yes,’ then we ask why do you not get with a solid daily Bible study? And if your answer is ‘No,’ then we ask, what do you have that is better?

Read John 20:24-25

We move to one of the times Jesus appeared after His resurrection. John writes about those telling Thomas that they have seen Him and He has risen. The person here spoken of, is described by his Hebrew name Thomas, and his Greek one Didymus, which both signify a twin; and perhaps he was one. It was common with the Jews to have two names, a Jewish and a Gentile one; by the one they went in the land of Israel, and by the other when without the land; nay, they often went by one name in Judea, and by another in Galilee; where Thomas might go by the name of Didymus with the Greeks, that might live with the Jews in some of those parts: he is also said to be “one of the twelve” apostles, which was their number at first, though Judas now was gone off from them, and therefore are sometimes only called the “eleven”; but this having been their complement, it is still retained; but what is observed of him to his disadvantage and discredit is, that he was not with them when Jesus came. He either had not returned to the rest after their scattering one from another upon the apprehending of Christ; or did not choose to assemble with the rest, for fear of the Jews; or was taken up with some business and affair of life; however, he was not with the rest of the disciples, when they were assembled together, and Jesus appeared among them: as it is of good consequence to attend the assemblies of Christ’s disciples and followers, so it is of bad consequence to neglect or forsake them: it is frequently to good purpose that persons attend them; here God comes and blesses his people, Jesus grants his presence, the graces of the Spirit are increased, and drawn forth into exercise; souls that have lost sight of Christ find him, disconsolate ones are comforted, weak ones strengthened, and hungry ones fed: on the other hand, not to attend is of bad consequence; neglect of assembling together exposes to many snares and temptations; brings on a spiritual leanness; leads to an indifference and lukewarm: issues in a low degree of grace, and a non-exercise of it, and in a loss of Christ’s presence.

The other disciples therefore said to Thomas that they had seen the Lord.
Some time in the same week, as they had opportunity of seeing him, with great joy, and full assurance of faith in Christ’s resurrection. They had not only the testimony of the women, and the declaration of the angels, but they saw him with their own eyes, and beheld even the very prints of the nails in his hands and feet, and of the spear in his side. Therefore, they could not be mistaken that a spiritual sight of Christ is a blessing often enjoyed by attending the assembly of the saints to see Christ, is the desire of every gracious soul. This is the end of their meeting as it now as became a social worship. The word and ordinances have a tendency to lead souls to a sight of him; and it may be expected, because it is promised; and whenever it is enjoyed, it is very delightful. A soul that meets with Christ in an ordinance, cannot but speak of it to others; and which he does with joy and pleasure, in an exulting, and even in a kind of a boasting manner; and that for the encouragement of others to attend likewise.

Thomas said that expect I shall see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe. Aren’t we glad that we will not believe unless we can touch these wounds? That nails were used in the crucifixion of Christ, is certain, though nowhere else mentioned; whereby the prophecy of him in ( Psalms 22:16 ) was fulfilled. For nails were not always used in this kind of death. The bodies of men were sometimes fastened to the cross with cords, and not nails. How many were used, whether three or four, or more, as were sometimes used, is not certain, nor material to know. The Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions read, “the place of the nails”; that is, the place where the nails were drove. Thomas knew that Christ was fastened to the cross with nails, and that his side was pierced with a spear. Though not present, John, who was an eyewitness as the only disciple at the cross. Though they had all seen him alive, Thomas would not trust to their testimony; nay, he was determined not to believe his own eyes; unless he put his finger into, as well as saw, the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into his side, as well as beheld the wound made by the spear, he is resolved not to believe. And his sin of unbelief is the more aggravated, inasmuch as this disciple was present at the raising of Lazarus from the dead by Christ, and had heard Christ himself say, that he should rise from the dead the third day. We may learn from hence how great is the sin of unbelief that the best of men is subject to it; and that though this was over ruled by divine providence to bring out another proof Christ’s resurrection. Yet this did not excuse the sin of Thomas: and it may be observed, that as Thomas would not believe without seeing the marks of the nails and spear in Christ’s flesh; so many will not believe, unless they find such and such marks in themselves, which often prove very ensnaring and distressing.

After Thomas had seen the resurrected Jesus for himself, he would continue to follow Jesus. When Jesus ascended back to heaven, Thomas was there (Acts 1:2, 9-13). When the disciples obeyed Jesus by waiting and praying for the Holy Spirit to come, Thomas was there (vv. 12-14). When the Spirit came in power, Thomas was there with the other disciples (2:1). Thomas was not afraid to follow Jesus. He simply wanted to be certain that it was truly Jesus who was leading the way (Luke 24;11, John 20:20). How can we be certain?

Read John 20:26-29

Interestingly, Jesus shows Thomas what he wanted all along. No questions, just an action. Although, given Thomas’ earlier demands, perhaps with a bit of an edge. But Thomas doesn’t need proof anymore. His old reality of death and defeat and limitations has been swept away in light of his encounter with the Risen Lord. And from this new and transformative vantage point, he makes the great confession of John’s Gospel – indeed, the New Testament! – confessing Jesus not only as his Lord, but also his God. And then comes Jesus’ reply- I wonder if at this point Jesus’ words are actually less directed to Thomas and more directed to us. That’s right, us. Because here’s the thing: all those people John was writing for none of them got to see Jesus, and yet they believed. So, I don’t think Jesus was scolding Thomas so much as he is blessing all those since – including us! – who have heard the story of Jesus and have believed.

I love Jesus’ statement in verse 29: “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” The people of the time of John’s Gospel, if they decide to join the Church and believe in Christ as Lord and God, have to rely on and fully accept the apostolic eyewitness and tradition about him. They have to follow a way very different from the way of Thomas as presented in John 20:24-29. Thomas, because he saw the risen Jesus, believed. The Christians of the time of John’s Gospel, and of the years and centuries to follow, are those who have not seen and (yet) believed (Jn. 20:29). The Evangelist has included the Thomas incident, with its concluding beatitude, in his Gospel, obviously in order to encourage all those people of the present and of the future who had to believe in the Lord without seeing him. And what would be more encouraging than a beatitude coming from the mouth of the risen Lord? The beatitude encountered in John 20:29, however, is not there just for reasons of encouragement. It certainly has a much deeper meaning. What is this meaning? Why are the believers involved in this case called blessed. The answer seems to be twofold.

First, moving from the state of unbelieving to the state of believing, not through seeing but through relying on the apostolic eyewitness, seems to imply an increased amount of faith.[30] Seeing produces a degree of compulsion,[31] somehow diminishes the risk and makes believing easier. Not seeing yet believing, on the other hand, involves more willingness, more decisiveness, more readiness for exposure to all kinds of probable dangers.

Secondly, the beatitude in this case might be understood with the assistance of another passage from the Gospel of John, namely, John 1:50.[33] This passage reads: “Jesus answered and said to him (i.e. to Nathanael), ‘Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.'” This text, in terms of formation and syntax, presents strong similarities to the passage John 20:29: (Thomas) “because you have seen me, you believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and (yet) believe.” Both passages have a first part dealing with believing after sense related evidence. The second part of John 20:29 is a beatitude, and the second part of John 1:50 is a promise of astonishing things to come.[34] An aspect then, of the blessedness of the believers in John 20:29 could be the experience of the greater things promised in 1:50. These greater things were fully manifested in the post-resurrection time, more specifically in the time after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to the Church and endowed her and the believers with extraordinary gifts and amazing experiences.[35] The Christians who at the time of John’s Gospel have believed without, of course, having seen the risen Christ, were truly blessed, because through their faith, they enjoyed in full all the promised experiences of greater things.

DOES GOD REALLY UNDERSTAND MY SUFFERING?

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Pain and suffering are part of life. No one likes to suffer. We don’t seek out pain, but when we experience it, we usually cry out to God for relief. We may question God when relief doesn’t come when and how we want it to, but one thing we can’t do is accuse God of being indifferent to suffering. Certainly, I had no idea that I was about to have the major problem that came my way. I was hit with cancer and diabetes 2 at the same time- with no real warning. My response, after a bit of time to try to understand this problem, I turned to God to we will get through this together. All of your prayers were vital and provided the help I needed at that time. Jesus knew suffering to a degree we can’t imagine when He was rejected and crucified. Jesus willingly experienced pain and suffering for our salvation. My suffering and problem were nothing compared to His.

Read Isaiah 53:2-4

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant. The He in this verse is the Messiah -Jesus.
Which springs out of the earth without notice; low in its beginning, slow in its growth, liable to be crushed with the foot, or destroyed with the frost, and no great probability of its coming to any perfection; or rather as a little “sucker”, as the word signifies, which grows out of the root of a tree, at some little distance from it, of which no notice or care is taken, nor anything hoped for from it; and the figure denotes the mean and unpromising appearance of Christ at his incarnation; which is the reason given why the Jews in general disbelieved, rejected, and despised him. For this phrase of “growing up” does not design his exaltation, or rising up from a low to a high estate; but His mean entrance into the world, like that of the springing up of a low and insignificant plant or shrub out of the earth. The phrase “before him” is to be understood of God the Father, by whom he was taken notice of, though not by men; and in whose sight he was precious, though despised by men; or his growing up, and the manner of it, or his mean appearance, were all before the Lord, and according to his will: or else it may be understood of Christ himself, and be rendered “before himself”, who was meek and lowly, and was mean and low in his own eyes.

and as a root out of a dry ground;
or rather, “as a branch from a root out of a dry ground”; agreeably to ( Isaiah 11:1 ) , meaning not so much the land of Judea, where he was born; or the country of Galilee, where he was brought up; as the family of David, from whence he sprung, which was reduced to a very low condition when he was born of it. He hath no form nor comeliness; like a poor plant or shrub just crept out of the ground, in a dry and barren soil, ready to wither away as soon as up; has no strength nor straightness, of body; without verdure, leaves, blossom, and fruit things which make plants comely and beautiful. This regards not the countenance of Christ, which probably was comely, as were his types Moses and David; since he is said to be “fairer than the children of men”; and since his human nature was the immediate produce of the Holy Spirit, and without sin: but his outward circumstances; there was no majesty in him, or signs of it; it did not look probable that he would be a tall cedar, or a prince in Israel, much less the Prince Messiah. When we shall see him: as he grows up, and comes into public life and service, declaring himself, or declared by others, to be the Messiah: here the prophet represents the Jews that would live in Christ’s time, who would see his person, hear his doctrines, and be witnesses of his miracles, and yet say,

There is no beauty, that we should desire him; nothing that looks grand and majestic, or like a king; they not beholding with an eye of faith his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father; only viewing him in his outward circumstances, and so made their estimate of him; they expected the Messiah as a temporal prince, appearing in great pomp and state, to deliver them from the Roman yoke, and restore their nation to its former splendor and glory; and being disappointed herein was the true reason of their unbelief, before complained of, and why they did not desire him, who is the desire of all nations.

He is despised, and rejected of men
Or, “ceases from men”; was not admitted into the company and conversation of men, especially of figure; or ceased from the class of men, in the opinion of others. He was not reckoned among men, was accounted a worm, and no man; or, if a man, yet not in his senses, a madman, nay, one that had a devil: or “deficient of men”; he had none about him of any rank or figure in life, only some few fishermen, and some women, and publicans, and harlots. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, “the last of men”, the most abject and contemptible of mankind; despised, because of the meanness of his birth, and parentage, and education, and of his outward appearance in public life; because of his apostles and audience; because of his instructions.

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: or “known by grief”; he was known by his troubles, notorious for them; these were his constant companions, his familiar acquaintance, with whom he was always conversant; his life was one continued series of sorrow, from the cradle to the cross; in his infancy his life was sought for by Herod, and he was obliged to be taken by his parents, and flee into Egypt. He ate his bread in sorrow, and with the sweat of his brow; he met with much sorrow from the hardness and unbelief of men’s hearts, and from the contradiction of sinners against himself, and even much from the forwardness of his own disciples. Much from the temptations of Satan, and more from the wrath and justice of God, as the surety of his people; he was exceeding sorrowful in the garden, when his sweat was as it were great drops of blood; and when on the cross, under the hidings of his Father’s face, under a sense of divine displeasure for the sins of his people, and enduring the pains and agonies of a shameful and an accursed death; he was made up of sorrows, and grief was familiar to him. Some render it, “broken with infirmity”, or “grief”.

And we hid as it were our faces from him; as one loathsome and abominable as having an aversion to him, and abhorrence of him, as scorning to look at him, being unworthy of any notice. Some render it, “he hid as it were his face from us”; as conscious of his deformity and loathsomeness, and of his being a disagreeable object, as they said; but the former is best.

He was despised, and we esteemed him not; which is repeated to show the great contempt cast upon him, and the disesteem he was had in by all sorts of persons; professors and profane, high and low, rich poor, rulers and common people, priests, Scribes, and Pharisees; no set or order of men had any value for him; and all this disgrace and dishonor he was to undergo, to repair the loss of honor the Lord sustained by the sin of man, whose surety Christ became.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; Or “nevertheless”; notwithstanding the above usage of him; though it is a certain and undoubted truth, that Christ not only assumed a true human nature, capable of sorrow and grief, but he took all the natural sinless infirmities of it; or his human nature was subject to such, as hunger, thirst, weariness. To all the sorrow and pain arising from them; the same sorrows and griefs he was liable to as we are, and therefore called ours and hence he had a sympathy with men under affliction and trouble. To show his sympathizing spirit, he healed all sorts of bodily diseases; and also, to show his power, he healed the diseases of the soul, by bearing the sins of his people, and making satisfaction for them. though the principal meaning of the words is that all the sorrows and griefs which Christ bore were not for any sins of his own, but for the sins of his people; wherefore these griefs and sorrows signify the punishment of sin, and are put for sins, the cause of them and so the apostle interprets them of Christ’s bearing our sins in his own body on the tree, ( 1 Peter 2:24 ). The Targum is, “wherefore he will entreat for our sins;” these being laid upon him, as is afterwards said, were bore by him as the surety of his people; and satisfaction being made for them by his sufferings and death, they are carried and taken away, never to be seen any more.

Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted; so indeed he was by the sword of divine justice, which was awaked against him, and with which he was stricken and smitten, as standing in the room of his people; but then it was not for any sin of his own, as the Jews imagined, but for the sins of those for whom he was a substitute; they looked upon all his sorrows and troubles in life, and at death, as the just judgment of God upon him for some gross enormities he had been guilty of; but in this they were mistaken. The Vulgate Latin version is, “we esteemed him as a leprous person”; the unbelieving Jews call the Messiah a leper. They say, “a leper of the house of Rabbi is his name” as it is said, “surely he hath borne our griefs”; which shows that the ancient Jews understood this prophecy of the Messiah, though produced to prove a wrong character of Him. The words are by some rendered, “and we reckoned him the stricken, smitten of God”, and “humbled”; which version of the words proved the conversion of several Jews in Africa, by which they perceived the passage is to be understood not of a mere man, but of God made man, and of his humiliation and sufferings in human nature.

Read Isaiah 53:5-9

But he was wounded for our transgressions, Not for any sins of his own, but for ours, for our rebellions against God, and transgressions of his law, in order to make atonement and satisfaction for them; these were the procuring and meritorious causes of his sufferings and death, as they were taken upon him by him to answer for them to divine justice, which are meant by his being wounded; for not merely the wounds he received in his hands, feet, and side, made by the nails and spear, are meant, but the whole of his sufferings, and especially his being wounded to death, and which was occasionally by bearing the sins of his people; and hereby he removed the guilt from them, and freed them from the punishment due unto them: he was bruised for our iniquities; as bread corn is bruised by threshing it, or by its being ground in the mill. He was being broken and crushed to pieces under the weight of sin, and the punishment of it. The ancient Jews understood this of the Messiah; in one place they say, “chastisements are divided into three parts, one to David and the fathers, one to our generation, and one to the King Messiah; as it is written, “he was wounded for our transgressions; and bruised for our iniquities”. and weep over the wicked among them; as it is said, “he was wounded for our transgressions”, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; that is, the punishment of our sins was inflicted on him, whereby our peace and reconciliation with God was made by him. Sin is a disease belonging to all men, a natural, hereditary, nauseous, and incurable one, but by the blood of Christ; forgiving sin is a healing of this disease; and this is to be had, and in no other way, than through the stripes and wounds, the blood and sacrifice, of the Son of God. Christ is a wonderful physician; he heals by taking the sicknesses of his people upon himself, by bearing their sins, and being wounded and bruised for them, and by his enduring blows, and suffering death itself for them.

The Iniquity of us all – For “iniquity,” the ancient interpreters read “iniquities,” plural. And the Lord hath caused to meet in him the iniquities of us all. He was the subject on which all the rays collected on the focal point fell. These fiery rays, which should have fallen on all mankind, diverged from Divine justice to the east, west, north, and south, were deflected from them, and converged in him. So, the Lord hath caused to meet in him the punishment due to the iniquities of All.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, He was injuriously treated by the Jews; they used him very ill and handled him very roughly; he was oppressed and afflicted, both in body and mind, with their blows, and with their reproaches. He was afflicted, indeed, both by God and men: or rather it may be rendered, “it was exacted”, required, and demanded, “and he answered”, or “was afflicted”; justice finding the sins of men on him, laid on him by imputation, and voluntarily received by him, as in the preceding verse, demanded satisfaction of him; and he being the surety of his people, was responsible for them, and did answer, and gave the satisfaction demanded: the debt they owed was required, the payment of it was called for, and he accordingly answered, and paid the whole, every farthing, and cancelled the bond; the punishment of the sins of his people was exacted of him, and he submitted to bear it, and did bear it in his own body on the tree; this clearly expresses the doctrine of Christ’s satisfaction.

Yet he opened not his mouth; against the oppressor that did him the injury, nor murmured at the affliction that was heavy upon him: or, “and he opened not his mouth”; against the justice of God, and the demand that was made upon him, as the surety of his people. He owned the obligation he had laid himself under; he paid the debt, and bore the punishment without any dispute or hesitation: “he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb”; or, “as a sheep to the slaughter, and as an ewe before her shearer”; these figurative phrases are expressive, not only of the harmlessness and innocence of Christ, as considered in himself, but of his meekness and patience in suffering, and of his readiness and willingness to be sacrificed in the room and stead of his people. He went to the cross without any reluctance, which; when there was any in the sacrifice, it was reckoned a bad omen among the Heathens, yea, such were not admitted to be offered; but Christ went as willingly to be sacrificed as a lamb goes to the slaughter house, and was as silent under his sufferings as a sheep while under the hands of its shearers. He was willing to be stripped of all he had, as a shorn sheep, and to be slaughtered and sacrificed as a lamb, for the sins of his people: so he opened not his mouth: not against his enemies, by way of threatening or complaint; nor even in his own defense; nor against the justice of God, as bearing hard upon him, not sparing him.

He was taken from ^l prison and from judgment: ^m and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off from the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

From the cross and grave, after that he was condemned. Though he died for sin, yet after his resurrection he will live forever and this his death is to restore life to his members, (Romans 6:9).

Read Isaiah 53:10-12

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.

Therefore, I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was number with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

Jesus willingly submitted to death. Second, Jesus was counted among the rebels or sinners. This is a reference to Jesus’ crucifixion. Being considered as one of the rebels might be seen as negative, but it is clarified as positive in the final line of verse 12. Jesus interceded for the rebels by His death on the cross. To intercede means “to intervene” or “to plead” on the behalf of someone. Jesus dis this when He bore the sins of many at Calvary. The many includes all who trust in Him for salvation. He indeed suffered for our benefit and He does really understand our suffering.

Next: HOW DO I HONOR GOD IN SUFFERING?

HONOR GOD IN MY SUFFERING

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When we have pain, we can think of nothing else. We focus on the pain and can forget everything. Our first thoughts do not automatically go to ways to honor God while we hurt. God gave me a blessing in my “suffering” so far. I have not had any real pain, so my focus was mostly on God and giving others HOPE. For others, they could step away from the pain and see what we’re going through objectively, we could see how our reaction to pain, our attitudes, our words can still reflect a trust in God. In a world focused on self, the believer’s attitude in the difficult times points beyond self to the One we love and trust- the Lord. Every part of life- including difficulties- is an opportunity to glorify God. We don’t need to honor the pain points in our lives, but let’s consider how we can use those pain points as a way to honor God.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-11

Paul began 2 Corinthians 4 by referring to the ministry God had given him and his response of not giving up. We honor God when we “keep on keeping on” and that is exactly what Paul did.

Here in Second Corinthians, Chapter 4, we are examining one of the clearest passages in Scripture, to declare the process by which the power of God is released among men. We long, we pray, for that power to be released among us; everyone wants that to happen. There is increasingly concerned, however, about the ignorance of Christians, not only in other places but right here today, as to their true power. Through Christ we have more power than we realize. We are surrounded by evidences of decay in society, of increasing corruption, of the disintegration of personality, of increasing hurt and darkness and despair. But all the time I can hear Jesus saying to us, “You are the salt of the earth,”(Matthew 5:13 RSV). Salt is designed to stop corruption, so His word to us is, “You Christians are the salt of the earth. You can stop this kind of thing. If there is moral darkness around, so people do not know the difference between good and evil, so they are blind to what is happening, you are the light of the world, and your light can dispel darkness.” Of course, he says, your salt has to have savor; it has to be salty. You cannot merely put on a front of being salty. You have to be salty, that is, you have to have the divine life and power at work in you, because salt without savor is good for nothing. And light has to be visible, Jesus said. You have to put it up on a hill where it can be seen. Nobody lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel. You cannot live isolated from the world around you. You have got to be right out in the midst of it.

Paul has been describing his ministry in terms of direct combat with what he calls the “god of this age,” the invisible being behind this darkness and corruption, the one who has, as he put it in the passage “blinded the minds of the unbelievers,” (2 Corinthians 4:4b RSV). But as Paul lives and speaks in light of the fact that Jesus is Lord, then the light begins to break out in the darkness of the world. That is God’s process. In Verses 7-11 of Chapter 4 there is a detailed description of how to exercise the power of God; and Verses 12-15 describe how to display the glory of God. That is what life is all about. Christians are Christian in order to exercise the power of God and display the glory of God. That is what Paul is talking about here.

First, it is obviously God’s deliberate program that His mighty power be displayed through “earthen vessels.” That term is not very complimentary. An earthen vessel is nothing but a clay pot, that is all, yet it is a beautifully descriptive term for basic humanity. All of us, in one sense, are nothing but clay pots, although some of you have a little finer clay than others, perhaps. You know, clay can be made into beautiful, fragile chinaware, which, of course, cracks easily. Some of you have cracked already! (I hear they are developing a science in California called “psychoceramics.” It deals with cracked pots! – and there are many of those out there.) Others are more rough and rugged. They are made of adobe mud, baked in the sun (half-baked sometimes, perhaps). But this is our humanity. We are nothing but clay pots.

A pot, or a vessel, is made to hold something. This is a beautiful figure to use, because basic to our humanity is that we are not designed to operate on our own. We were made to hold someone; and that someone is God himself. The glory of humanity that we can never get away from is that somehow God designed us to correspond to his deity; and that his marvelous deity, with its fullness and wisdom and power should somehow relate to and correspond to and be manifest through our basic humanity. We are earthen vessels, and that is what Paul is talking about — clay pots. He is very likely thinking of that Old Testament story of Gideon, who was called of God to deliver Israel from the hands of Midian hosts which had come into the land. Gideon was nothing but an obscure member of one of the more remote tribes of Israel. He had no reputation, he regarded himself as inferior to everyone else, and yet God called him to deliver the nation. When 32,000 men gathered to help him, God cut the number down to 300. God told them to take earthen jars, common clay pots, put candles in them, and during the darkness of the night to circle the Midian camp. At the signal of the sound of the trumpets, they were to break the pots so that lights would spring up on every side. When they did that the Midian army was demoralized. They suddenly saw lights springing up all over the mountainside. Thinking they were ringed by an army they panicked and began to kill each other. That story has great significance for us, because it is really telling us that if we begin to live on the basis of the new covenant, acting and living as though Jesus is Lord, in control of everything in our life and the life of the whole world, we can demoralize the antagonists of Christianity and they will begin to attack one another.

Christians have no longer to fight hard, pitched battles, for the battle is often won. That is what Paul is saying here. God’s purpose in your life and mine is that we so live that people are actually baffled when they look at us. They say, “I don’t get it. I know this person. He (or she) is so ordinary; there is nothing outstanding there, but yet what happens as they go through life is so remarkable that I just don’t understand it.” They can see that the power is not coming from you; it is coming from God. Paul goes on to describe the way it is going to appear, in Verses 8-9: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 RSV). I like the graphic way William Barclay translates these verses: “We are sore pressed at every point, but not hemmed in; we are at our wit’s end, but never at our hope’s end; we are persecuted by men, but never abandoned by God; we are knocked down, but not knocked out” (2 Corinthians 4:8-8 Wm Barclay).

Notice the weakness of the “pot” there, and the transcendence of the power. “Transcendent” means “beyond the ordinary.” The power of God is not ordinary. It is different than any other kind of power we know about. Therefore, it is wrong to expect it to be dramatically visible. It is a quiet power that is released in quiet ways, and yet what it accomplished is fabulous. Here is the weakness of the pot: “We are sore pressed; we are at wit’s end, we are persecuted, we are knocked down.” On the other hand, here is the transcendent power: “We are not hemmed in; we are not at hope’s end; we are never abandoned, and we are never knocked out.” That is the way God expects us to live. The remarkable thing, and the place where we struggle is, it takes both of those. It takes the weakness in order to have the strength. That is what we do not like. We all want to see the power of God in our lives, but we want it to come out of untroubled, peaceful, calm, circumstances. We want to move through life protected from all the dangers and all the difficulties. But that is not what God has in mind. We are to have difficulties and afflictions and persecutions. That is the point. We ought to expect to be “sore pressed,” and “at wit’s end,” and “persecuted,” and “knocked down but never knocked out.” We are not even permitted to choose the scene of our own martyrdom. We cannot go through a list and choose, “Well, I’ll take a few afflictions, but I don’t want to be knocked down.” We get what God sends. Whatever he wills is what we have to go through. Yet we are never to be knocked out, that is the point.

Paul is saying that we are not protected from life. I wish people could get over that idea. It is difficult, I know, because the “folk” religion that we are constantly exposed to today is telling us something else. It is telling us, “If you’re a Christian, God will keep you from all these dangers and troubles. Why, you won’t even get sick. If you’re really a Christian, you’ll have no physical illnesses; troubles will evaporate and never come to you.” This is absolutely wrong. Christians can get cancer, Christians can have financial collapse, Christians can go through difficulties, family separations, divorce, problems of every sort. Sure, they can. In spite of all they do, no matter how close to the Lord they walk, they can have these difficulties because out of them God wants to demonstrate a different attitude, a different reaction than other people have. He wants to demonstrate that there is an obvious love and joy and peace about your life that can never be explained in terms of you, but always must be explained only in terms of God at work in you. Even that is not automatic, because I know many Christians who are afflicted and they are often crushed; they have perplexities that drive them to despair; they are persecuted; they feel abandoned; they are knocked down and often they are knocked out for weeks and years at a time. What makes the difference? Paul’s answer is in Verses 10-11. Here we have a marvelous setting out of the process of walking in victory: “…always carrying in the body, the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:10 RSV) Notice that the “life of Jesus” always rests upon the “death of Jesus.” We must have, in our experience, the “death of Jesus” in order to have the “life of Jesus.”

“For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that [in order that] the life of Jesus may he manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:11 RSV) What we want, of course, is the “life of Jesus;” every one of us wants to be like him. But the power of God is the miracle of others seeing in us, in the midst of our pressures and trials, the character and the life of Jesus coming out. I have always been amused and challenged by the verse in Colossians 1, where Paul prays that his friends in Colossae may be “strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might,” (Colossians 1:11). What are they going to use all this power for? It sounds as though Paul ought to say, “So that you can go about doing great miracles; so that you can astonish people with the tremendous magnetism of your preaching and teaching and be followed by great crowds, making a great impact.” But that is not what he says at all. He says, “I pray that you may be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, unto all endurance and patience with joy,” (Colossians 1:11 RSV). That is what takes power; that is where the life and the power of God is manifest. That is the “life of Jesus.”

How do you get it? Well, here is the way. The secret, Paul says, is our consent to sharing the dying of Jesus, “always carrying in the body the dying of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” What does he mean by the “dying of Jesus”? You know he does not mean that we have to go out and get ourselves nailed to a cross. But that cross is a symbol of something very real in our experience. What was Jesus like on the cross? He was not powerful, and impressive, and significant; He was not being applauded by the multitudes who listened to his every word. No. The cross was a place of physical weakness, of rejection by the proud and arrogant world around him. It was a place of obscurity, a place where he was willing to lose everything he had built and trust God to bring it back and make it significant. But the Christian gospel cuts right across all that. That is the very thing that the “cross” says has to die. We have come to the end of our dependence on ourselves and rest upon the willingness of God to be at work in us, without any flash or demonstration, but in loving, quiet ways to change our whole character until it is like Jesus in the midst of rejection and lack of recognition. Are you willing to do that? If so, you can have the “life of Jesus.”

Read 2 Corinthians 4:12-15

So, then death worketh in us. This is the conclusion of the foregoing account, or the inference deduced from it; either the death, or dying of Christ, that is, the sufferings of his body, the church, for his sake, ενεργειται, “is wrought in us”; fulfilled and perfected in us; see Colossians 1:24 or rather a corporeal death has seized upon us; the seeds of death are in us; our flesh,

our bodies are mortal, dying off apace; death has already attacked us, is working on our constitutions gradually, and unpinning our tabernacles, which in a short time will be wholly took down and laid in the dust: but life in you. Some understand these words as spoken ironically, like those in 1 Corinthians 4:8 but the apostle seems not to be speaking in such a strain, but in the most serious manner, and about things solemn and awful; and his meaning is, ours is the sorrow, the trouble, the affliction, and death itself, yours is the gain, the joy, the pleasure, and life; what we get by preaching the Gospel are reproach, persecution, and death; but this Gospel we preach at such expense is the savor of life unto life to you, and is the means of maintaining spiritual life in your souls, and of nourishing you up unto eternal life; and which is no small encouragement to us to go on in our work with boldness and cheerfulness: or these words regard the different state and condition of the apostle, and other ministers, and of the Corinthians; the one were in adversity, and the other in prosperity.

We are having the same spirit of faith – The same spirit that is expressed in the quotation which he is about to make; the same faith which the psalmist had. We have the very spirit of faith which is expressed by David. The sense is, we have the same spirit of faith which he had who said, “I believed,” etc. The phrase, “spirit of faith,” means substantially the same as faith itself; a believing sense or impression of the truth. We also believe … – We believe in the truths of the gospel; we believe in God, in the Savior, in the atonement, in the resurrection, etc. The sentiment is, that they had a firm confidence in these things, and that, as the result of that confidence they boldly delivered their sentiments. It prompted them to give utterance to their feelings. “Out of the abundance of the heart,” said the Savior, “the mouth speaks,” Matthew 12:34. No man should attempt to preach the gospel who has not a firm belief of its truths; and he who does believe its truths will be prompted to make them known to his fellow-men. All successful preaching is the result of a firm and settled conviction of the truth of the gospel; and when such a conviction exists, it is natural to give utterance to the belief, and such an expression will be attended with happy influences on the minds of other people.

Being fully confident; having the most entire assurance. It was the assured hope of the resurrection which sustained them in all their trials. This expression denotes the full and unwavering belief, in the minds of the apostles, that the doctrines which they preached were true. They knew that they were revealed from heaven, and that all the promises of God would be fulfilled. Shall raise up us also – All Christians. In the hope of the resurrection they were ready to meet trials, and even to die. Sustained by this assurance, the apostles went forth amidst persecutions and opposition, for they knew that their trials would soon end, and that they would be raised up in the morning of the resurrection, to a world of eternal glory.

For all things are for your sakes. All these things; these glorious hopes, and truths, and prospects; these self-denials of the apostles, and these provisions of the plan of mercy. For your sakes. On your account. They are designed to promote your salvation. They are not primarily for the welfare of those who engage in these toils and self-denials; but the whole arrangement and execution of the plan of salvation, and all the self-denial evinced by those who are engaged in making that plan known, are in order that you might be benefitted. One object of Paul in this statement, doubtless, is, to conciliate their favor, and remove the objections which had been made to him by a faction in the church at Corinth. That the abundant grace. Grace abounding or overflowing. The rich mercy of God that should be manifested by these means. It is implied here, that grace would abound by means of these labors and self-denials of the apostles. The grace referred to here is that which would be conferred on them in consequence of these labors.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Be ye followers of me. Imitate me; copy my example; listen to my admonitions. Probably Paul had particularly in his eye their tendency to form parties; and here admonishes them that he had no disposition to form sects and entreats them in this to imitate his example. A minister should always so live as that he can, without pride or ostentation, point to his own example; and entreat his people to imitate him. He should have such a confidence in his own integrity; he should lead such a blameless life; and “he should be assured that his people have so much evidence of his integrity,” that he can point them to his own example, and entreat them to live like himself. And to do this, he should live a life of piety, and should furnish such evidence of a pure conversation, that his people may have reason to regard him as a holy man.

Day by day, our physical bodies are in the process of dying. Death is a fact of life—something we all must face eventually. We don’t typically think about this, though, until we start to grow old. But from the moment we are conceived, our flesh is in a slow process of aging until the day we reach our final breath. When we go through times of serious affliction and trouble- like with cancer- we may feel this “wasting away” process more acutely. However, I can say I have never felt closer to God than through this cancer. At the same time, Barbara’s inner spirits shone with remarkable grace and light as they were renewed by God day by day. Her ordeal with cancer wasn’t a “light momentary affliction.” It was the hardest thing both of us had ever faced. And her battle dragged on for nearly two years. During the months of suffering, I thought about this verse, particularly the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” What is this eternal weight of glory? It’s a strange phrase. At first glance, it may sound like something unpleasant. But it refers to the eternal rewards of heaven. Our most extreme difficulties in this life are light and short-lived when compared to the heavy-weighted rewards that will last forever in eternity. Those rewards are beyond all comprehension and comparison. While my loved one was wasting away, she kept her eyes on things that were unseen. They focused on eternity and the weight of glory they are now experiencing fully. Are you disheartened today? No Christian is immune to discouragement. We all lose heart now and then. Maybe your outer self is wasting away. Perhaps our faith is being tested as never before. Like the Apostle Paul who wrote these words, “Like my loved ones, you can look to the unseen for encouragement.” During unimaginably hard days, let your spiritual eyes come alive. Look through a farsighted lens past what is seen, beyond what is transient. With eyes of faith see what cannot be seen and get a glorious glimpse of eternity. The Glorious Future- the title of my book.

Next: HOLY

SALVATION

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While this lesson is about Salvation it deals with the Law. Many don’t know that ignorance of any state or federal law does not excuse anyone from the penalty if a person breaks one of these laws. If that situation leads to a trial it could be that a jury will not convict. Of course, to go to trial is a cost most don’t want to incur. So, it is best to know as many laws as we can.

This situation is almost identical to the situation involved in God’s Law. In the state anterior to law, man is not supposed to know what is sinful and what is not. Conscience, gradually developed, comes in to give him some insight into the distinction, but the full knowledge of right and wrong, in all its details, is reserved for the introduction of positive law (10 Commandments). Law has, however, only this enlightening faculty; it holds the mirror up to guilt, but it cannot remove it. Jesus becomes our “jury” and all He wants to know is do we believe, trust, and give Him your life’s commitment. There is no law involved- just Jesus’ promise of eternal life and God’s mercy and forgives us, any it all happens due to the Holy Spirit.

Read Romans 3:20-22

By the deeds of the law – By works; or by such deeds as the Law requires. The word “Law” has, in the Scriptures, a great variety of significations. Its strict and proper meaning are a rule of conduct prescribed by superior authority. The course of reasoning in this chapters shows the sense in which the apostle uses it here. He intends evidently to apply it to those rules or laws by which the Jews and Gentiles pretended to frame their lives; and to affirm that people could be justified by no conformity to those laws. He had shown Romans 1 that “the pagan, the entire Gentile world,” had violated the laws of nature; the rules of virtue made known to them by reason, tradition, and conscience. He had shown the same Romans 2-3 in respect to the Jews. They had equally failed in rendering obedience to their Law. In both these cases the reference was, not to “ceremonial” or ritual laws, but to the moral law; whether that law was made known by reason or by revelation. The apostle had not been discussing the question whether they had yielded obedience to their ceremonial law, but whether they had been found holy, that is, whether they had obeyed the moral law. The conclusion was, that in all this they had failed, and that therefore they could not be justified by that Law That the apostle did not intend to speak of external works only is apparent; for he all along charges them with a lack of conformity of the heart no less than with a lack of conformity of the life;.; see Romans 1:26, Romans 1:29-31; Romans 2:28-29 The conclusion is therefore a general one, that by no law, made known either by reason, conscience, tradition, or revelation, could man be justified; that there was no form of obedience which could be rendered, that would justify people in the sight of a holy God..

But now. In these latter days. The Apostle conceives of the history of the world as divided into periods; the period of the Gospel succeeds that of the Law, and to it the Apostle and his readers belong. (Comp. for this conception of the gospel, as manifested at a particular epoch of time, Romans 16:25-26; Acts 17:30; Galatians 3:23; Galatians 3:25; Galatians 4:3-4; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:21; Colossians 1:26; 1Timothy 2:6; 2Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 1:1; 1Peter 1:20.)

The righteousness of God. Rather, a righteousness of God—i.e., “bestowed by God,” “wrought out by Him,” as in Romans 1:17. The reference is again, here as there, to the root-conception of righteousness as at once the great object and condition of the Messianic kingdom.

Without the law. With complete independence of any law, though borne witness to by the Law of Moses. The new system is one into which the idea of law does not enter.

Is manifested. Has been and continues to be manifested. The initial moment is that of the appearance of Christ upon earth. The scheme which then began is still evolving itself.

Being witnessed. The Apostle does not lose sight of the preparatory function of the older dispensation, and of its radical affinity to the new. (Comp. Romans 1:2; Romans 16:26; Luke 18:31; Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44; Luke 24:46; John 5:39; John 5:46; Acts 2:25; Acts 2:31; Acts 3:22; Acts 3:24; Acts 17:2-3; Acts 26:22-23; 1Peter 1:10-11.)

(21-22) Such was the condition of the world up to the coming of Christ. But now, in contrast with the previous state of things, a new system has appeared upon the scene. In this system law is entirely put on one side, though the system itself was anticipated in and is attested by those very writings in which the Law was embodied. Law is now superseded, the great end of the Law, the introduction of righteousness, being accomplished in another way, viz., through faith in Christ, by which a state of righteousness is superinduced upon all believers.

A further definition of the nature of the righteousness so given to the Christian by God; it is a righteousness that has its root in faith, and is coextensive with faith, being present in every believer. By faith of Jesus Christ i.e., by faith which has Christ for its object, “faith in Christ.” “Faith” in St. Paul’s writings implies an intense attachment and devotion. It has an intellectual basis, necessarily involving a belief in the existence, and in certain attributes, of the Person for whom it is entertained; but it is moral in its operation, a recasting of the whole emotional nature in accordance with this belief, together with a consequent change in character and practice. From this, it my belief that an intense attachment and devotion is the only faith we should have and for it to be in everything we do. (This what I am able to do more of due to my health situation).

Read Romans 3:23-26

All have sinned and come short. Strictly, all sinned; the Apostle looking back upon an act done in past time under the old legal dispensation, without immediate reference to the present: he then goes on to say that the result of that act (as distinct from the act itself) continues on into the present. The result is that mankind, in a body, as he now sees them, and before they come within the range of the new Christian system, fall short of, miss, or fail to obtain, the glory of God.

Glory of God. What is this glory? Probably not here, as in Romans 8:18; Romans 8:21, the glory which will be inaugurated for the saints at the Parusià, or Second Coming of the Messiah—for that is something future—but, rather, something which is capable of being conferred in the present, the glory which comes from the favor and approval of God

                            Paul’s view of the purpose of the law.
       He has been quoting a mosaic of Old Testament passages from the Psalms and Isaiah. He regards these as part of ‘the law,’ which term, therefore, in his view, here includes the whole previous revelation, considered as making known God’s will as to man’s conduct. Every word of God, whether promise, or doctrine, or specific command, has in it some element bearing on conduct. God reveals nothing only in order that we may know, but all that, knowing, we may do and be what is pleasing in His sight. All His words are law.
        But Paul sets forth another view of its purpose here; namely, to drive home to men’s consciences the conviction of sin. That is not the only purpose, for God reveals duty primarily in order that men may do it, and His law is meant to be obeyed. But, failing obedience, this second purpose comes into action, and His law is a swift witness against sin. The more clearly we know our duty, the more poignant will be our consciousness of failure. The light which shines to show the path of right, shines to show our deviations from it. And that conviction of sin, which it was the very purpose of all the previous Revelation to produce, is a merciful gift; for, as the Apostle implies, it is the prerequisite to the faith which saves. As a matter of fact, there was a far profounder and more inward conviction of sin among the Jews than in any heathen nation. Contrast the wailings of many a psalm with the tone in Greek or Roman literature. No doubt there is a law written on men’s hearts which evokes a lower measure of the same consciousness of sin. There are prayers among the Assyrian and Babylonian tablets which might almost stand beside the Fifty-first Psalm; but, on the whole, the deep sense of sin was the product of the revealed law. The best use of our consciousness of what we ought to be, is when it rouses conscience to feel the discordance with it of what we are, and so drives us to Christ. Law, whether in the Old Testament, or as written in our hearts by their very make, is the slave whose task is to bring us to Christ, who will give us power to keep God’s commandments.
       Another purpose of the law is stated in Romans 3:21, as being to bear witness, in conjunction with the prophets, to a future more perfect revelation of God’s righteousness. Much of the law was symbolic and prophetic. The ideal it set forth could not always remain unfulfilled. The whole attitude of that system was one of forward-looking expectancy. There is much danger lest, in modern investigations as to the authorship, date, and genesis of the Old Testament revelation, its central characteristic should be lost sight of; namely, its pointing onwards to a more perfect revelation which should supersede it.

Being justified (v.24). We should more naturally say, “but now are justified.” The construction in the Greek is peculiar and may be accounted for in one of two ways. Either the phrase “being justified” may be taken as corresponding to “all them that believe” in Romans 3:22, the change of case being an irregularity suggested by the form of the sentence immediately preceding; or the construction may be considered to be regular, and the participle “being justified” would then be dependent upon the last finite verb: “they come short of the glory of God, and in that very state of destitution are justified.” Freely.—Gratuitously, without exertion or merit on their part. (Comp. Matthew 10:8; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:17.) By his grace. By His own grace. The means by which justification is wrought out is the death and atonement of Christ; its ulterior cause is the grace of God, or free readmission into His favor, which He accords to man.

In verses 25-26. the death of Christ had a twofold object or final cause: (1) was to be, like the sacrifices of the old covenant, an offering propitiatory to God, and actualize in the believer through faith. (2) It was to demonstrate the righteousness of God by showing that sin would entail punishment, though it might not be punished in the person of the sinner. The apparent absence of any adequate retribution for the sins of past ages made it necessary that by one conspicuous instance it should be shown that this was in no sense due to an ignoring of the true nature of sin. The retributive justice of God was all the time unimpaired. The death of Christ served for its vindication, at the same time that a way to escape from its consequences was opened out through the justification of the believer.

Precisely in what sense the punishment of our sins fell upon Christ, and in what sense the justice of God was vindicated by its so falling, is another point which we are not able to determine. Nothing, we may be sure, can be involved which is in ultimate conflict with morality. At the same time, we see that under the ordinary government of God, the innocent suffered for the guilty, and there may be some sort of transference of this analogy into the transcendental sphere. Both the natural and the supernatural government of God are schemes “imperfectly comprehended.” In any case, Christ was innocent, and Christ suffered. On any theory there is a connection between His death and human sin. What connection is a question to which, perhaps, only a partial answer can be given.

(25) Hath set forth. Rather, set forth, publicly exhibited, in the single act of the death upon the cross. (26) To declare. The second object of the death of Christ was to remove the misconceptions that might be caused by the apparent condoning of sins committed in times anterior to the Christian revelation. A special word is used to indicate that these sins were not wiped away and dismissed altogether, but rather “passed over” or “overlooked.” This was due to the forbearance of God, who, as it were, suspended the execution of His vengeance. Now the Apostle shows by the death of Christ that justice that had apparently slept was vindicated.

Thus, God appeared in a double character, at once as just or righteous Himself, and as producing a state of righteousness in the believer. Under the Old Testament God had been revealed as just; but the justice or righteousness of God was not met by any corresponding righteousness on the part of man, and therefore could only issue in condemnation. Under the New Testament the justice of God remained the same, but it was met by a corresponding state of righteousness in the believer a righteousness, however, not inherent, but superinduced by God Himself

through the process of justification by faith. In this way the great Messianic condition of righteousness was fulfilled.

Where is boasting then? Where is there ground or occasion of boasting or pride? Since all have sinned, and since all have failed of being able to justify themselves by obeying the Law, and since all are alike dependent on the mere mercy of God in Christ, all ground of boasting is of course taken away. This refers particularly to the Jews, who were much addicted to boasting of their special privileges; See Romans 3:1, By what law? The word “law “here is used in the sense of “arrangement, rule, or economy.” By what arrangement, or by the operation of what rule, is boasting excluded? “(Stuart).” See Galatians 3:21; Acts 21:20.

Of works. The Law which commands works, and on which the Jews relied. If this were complied with, and they were thereby justified, they would have had ground of self-confidence, or boasting, as being justified by their own merits. But a plan which led to this, which ended in boasting, and self-satisfaction, and pride, could not be true. Nay – No. The law of faith. The rule, or arrangement which proclaims that we have no merit; that we are lost sinners; and that we are to be justified only by faith.

(v.28) There is a remarkable division of some of the best authorities in this verse between “therefore” and “for.” The weight of authority seems somewhat in favor of “for,” which also makes the best sense. That boasting is excluded is much rather the consequence than the cause of the principle that man is justified by faith. This principle the Apostle regards as sufficiently proved by his previous argument. We conclude. This conveys too much the idea of an inference; the statement is rather made in the form of an assertion, “we consider,” or “we hold.” “For we hold that a man (any human being—whether Jew or Greek) is justified by faith, independently of any works prescribed by law.” It is the unavoidable tendency of dependence upon our own works, less or more, for acceptance with God, to beget a spirit of “boasting.” But that God should encourage such a spirit in sinners, by any procedure of His, is incredible. This therefore stamps falsehood upon every form of “justification by works,” whereas the doctrine that our faith receives a righteousness that makes the sinner just, manifestly and entirely excludes “boasting”; and this is the best evidence of its truth. This and no other way of salvation is adapted alike to Jew and Gentile. That a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Next: Faith

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When I come to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, I am humbled and excited both. Humbled because there has been so very much excellent preaching on this passage (David Jeremiah here in Cincinnati) that I have nothing unique to add. But excited because I have an opportunity with you to study in greater detail one of the most beloved parables that Jesus ever taught. There are so many who are LOST- and don’t know it.

Read Luke 15:11-12

The Parable of the Prodigal Son follows two shorter parables in which something that was lost is searched for and found, followed by a celebration. Each of them is intended to illustrate that “There is rejoicing in the presence of God over one sinner who repents” (15:10). The Pharisees had grumbled about Jesus’ attention to the “sinners” and tax collectors; Jesus’ response is that God is delights when these lost ones repents and turns to Him.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son makes the same point — God’s joy at the repentance of a lost and wayward son. But most often we look only at the first part of the parable that focuses on the younger, wayward son, who represents the “sinners” and tax collectors. The second part of the parable focuses on the older son’s reaction — one of anger and jealousy — and represents the Pharisees’ own reaction to Jesus seeking the sinners. Now that we’ve looked at the overall context, let’s examine the details of the first part of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Giving the Younger Son His Share (15:11-12)

“Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So, he divided his property between them.’ ” The three characters are introduced at once: a man with two sons — a common enough occurrence. What was very uncommon was the youngest’s request to inherit his share of the estate prior to his father’s death — and the father’s willingness to grant his request. The father is depicted as a wealthy farmer, with servants and lands, so that his sons would have enjoyed privileged status in the community. But the youngest isn’t satisfied with his lot. He wants everything that will be his, and he wants it now. In some ways he fits the Middle Eastern stereotype of a younger son, “lazy, irresponsible, covetous, and greedy.”

Inheritance laws in Israel were designed to favor the older son, giving him a double share (probably with the purpose of keeping a family’s land holdings together and preserving the family farm intact; Numbers 27:8-11; 36:7-9; Deuteronomy 21:17). If there were four sons, the older son would receive two shares, with each of the other three sons one share apiece. Typically, the older son would be the executor and assume the role as family head after his father’s death. Sometimes an older son would decide not to split up the family holdings between the brothers (Luke 12:13). Dividing up a father’s estate before his death was known but frowned upon. In this case, the property would pass to the sons, but the father would continue on enjoying the usufruct, that is, “the right to utilize and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another so long as the property is not damaged or altered.”

Read 15:13-16

Squandering Wealth in Wild Living (15:13)

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” (15:13) The younger son’s share of the estate may have been partly in land, but the phrase “got together all he had” indicates that he sold what he needed to and turned his share into portable capital. The Greek word, sunago, here has the sense “turn into cash” rather than its normal meaning “gather together.”

With lots of money in his pocket, the younger son sets out on a journey to a far-away land — far away from his father, far away from his older brother, and far away from any sense of responsibility and moral restraint. So long as his father is alive, he has a responsibility to support his father with his share of the family wealth, but he ignores this and spends it all on himself. He squanders his money. The Greek word is diaskopizo, “scatter, disperse” and in our passage “waste, squander.” His focus is “riotous living” (KJV). The Greek adjective is asotos, “dissolutely, loosely,” from the noun asotia, “debauchery, dissipation”[6] (see Ephesians 5:18; Titus 1:6; 1 Peter 4:4). The English word “prodigal,” which we often use to name this parable, comes from a Latin word prodigere, “to drive away, squander.”[7] His brother protests to the father that the prodigal brother has wasted all his inheritance on prostitutes (15:30). No doubt the Prodigal Son enjoys wine, women, and song until his funds run out.

Reduced to Feeding Swine (15:14-16)

It probably takes him several years to go through his third of a wealthy father’s money. But it doesn’t last forever. Finally, it is gone. His friends desert him, his Ferrari is repossessed, he is evicted from his penthouse apartment, and he is destitute. “After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So, he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” (15:14-16)

Not only is he broke but there was a prolonged famine that puts everyone, even average farmers, on the edge of survival. Where he might have gotten a job in normal times, now few are hiring. Crops have failed, and in the agrarian economy of the First Century, the landless are out of luck.

Remember, this is a story, a parable that Jesus is telling. But he paints it well and his hearers can imagine the man’s desperate situation. They are waiting to see what happens. But his situation gets even worse. He finds a job, but the job requires him to feed carob pods (Ceratonia siliqua, a Palestinian tree) to swine — and he can’t even eat the pods he is feeding the pigs. Only the very poor would eat such food. Rabbi Acha (about AD 320) remarks, “When the Israelites are reduced to carob pods, then they repent.” Not only is his food almost non-existent, his job of feeding swine is considered unclean, since swine were unclean animals for Jews. For a Jewish man, nothing could be lower! There isn’t even anyone to help him by giving alms. Jesus says, “no one gave him anything” (14:16b). He is in a “far country” and “the practice of almsgiving was little observed among the Greeks and Romans.” The picture Jesus paints is of a man reduced to the lowest of the low.

Read Luke 15:17-24

The Father’s Compassion (15:20b-21)

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ This is a good, telling verse: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him” (15:20b). The father has been longing for his son’s return for many years. His eyes often turn to the road coming into the estate. And his afternoon he glances up to the road as he has thousands of times before. Far down the road is the figure of a man coming towards the house. We don’t know whether the son was dragging himself slowly home or walking more quickly as he saw the house. But the father recognized his characteristic walk when he was far off. It is my son! Compassion floods his heart, burying the pain and hurt of rejection. The old man gets up and begins to run to his son. On the one side is the son, rehearsing his speech, coming with trepidation and fear that his father will not receive him, moving at an uncertain pace toward the house. And on the other side is the father running, running, his robes blowing behind him as he hurries to his son whom he has longed for.

This is no stiff, awkward meeting. The father throws his arms around his son in a happy embrace and kisses him as a sign of welcome and love. I can sense though in the son a kind of stiffness. Things aren’t the same as when he left. He has failed. He has sinned. He has changed. Will his father accept him if he knows the extent of it all? And so, he begins his rehearsed speech about sin and lack of worthiness, but the father stops him. The father has heard reports. The father knows what the son has done. The father doesn’t seek to salve his injured psyche. He is just glad his son is home. He is overjoyed — overflowing with joy.

Kill the Fatted Calf (15:22-23)

The father breaks into the apology and turns to the servants excitedly: “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.” The son may need to say his speech, but for the father it is irrelevant. He has already accepted the boy back. For years he has longed for this day — hoped against hope — and now it has come. What is necessary now is a proper celebration of the father’s joy.

The best robe. He honors the son who has dishonored himself.
A ring. He lavishes on the boy a sign of his love and wealth.[10]
Sandals on his feet. His boy is destitute, barefoot. The father is quick to clothe him and care for his needs. Sandals were the sign of a freeman as opposed to a slave.
The fatted calf. A man of the father’s station would have a calf that had been specially fed in order to be ready for a special occasion such as this.
Dead and Alive Again (15:24)
He calls for a feast and a celebration. It is only fitting considering the joy and magnitude of the occasion: ” ‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So, they began to celebrate.” The father expresses his joy in extravagant language. Dead, lost. That’s the way it had seemed from the father’s perspective. But now his son for whom he had despaired of hope was now alive and found! As we probe for meaning, we need to be aware of a couple of caveats. (1) We’ve only looked at part one of a two-part parable. The second part is designed to illustrate the indignation of the elder son who represents the Pharisees and scribes. (2) We get into difficulty when we try to press any parable. Parables are only illustrations Jesus is using to make a point, but no illustration has complete correspondence on every point, as would a full allegory. This parable isn’t a real allegory, but an analogy. The father, of course, represents God the Father. The Prodigal Son represents those who have rebelled against God, who have repented, and return to God.
Here’s what we learn from this parable:
God’s Freedom does not prevent us from sinning and rebelling. We have freedom to do so.
Repentance is necessary for us to return to God. Without repentance we act as if we have a right to something. Repentance recognizes and confesses our moral bankruptcy and changes direction. Repentance is a strong theme here, since Jesus mentions it in each of these three parables.
Conviction shows God loves us immensely, God waits patiently until we “come to our senses.” We can’t talk, pursue, or persuade people into repenting. It is a conviction they must come to by themselves with the help of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). Of course, the Holy Spirit can work strongly through anointed preaching and witnessing, but without the Holy Spirit’s work, such preaching can come across as judgmental.
No claim on the Father. The sinner is morally bankrupt and has absolutely no claim on the Father, only the Father’s love.
Abundant Mercy- God our Father is ready to show abundant mercy. The son deserves nothing, but the father heaps upon him the accouterments of sonship. It’s not due to merit but to mercy. Part of the charm of this story is the utter graciousness of the father contrasted with the stinginess and jealousy of the older son.
If this is the way my Father in heaven feels towards the wayward and sinful — full of compassion and mercy — so must we nurture His attitude toward the lost around us. As a disciple we must not be proud or self-righteous but boast only of the grace of God. It’s not a matter of fairness toward sinners, but of love. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a story, a wonderful story that Jesus told to illustrate the Father’s joy at the repentance of a lost sinner. But these are more than stories — of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. Jesus lived out this seeking and rejoicing day by day. He sought out those who were wandering and gave them hope. He treated the lost and shunned of righteous society with respect and love. And at the conversion of Zacchaeus, one of those real-life sinner tax collectors, Jesus rejoices and sits down to a jubilant dinner with the man and his friends, saying, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:9-10).
Questions

What does this story tell us about the father’s character? About the younger son’s character?
Why do you think that the younger son asked for his share of the father’s estate ahead of time? Why do you think the father granted his request?
How can the father be so patient? Why doesn’t he run after the son and try to convince him to return?
What are the four elements of the son’s prepared speech? (15:18-19) In what ways do they model an appropriate apology?
Why does the father restore the son so quickly to full sonship?
What is the point of this parable in its context with the Parables of the Lost Sheep (15:3-7) and the Lost Coin (15:8-10)?
What do we learn about God in this parable? What difference should this knowledge make in our life and ministry?

Next: SALVATION

HOLY

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When was the last time you experienced either a feeling from the Holy Spirit or you felt close to God? Or maybe you have felt an unusual closeness to Jesus. We can do all three every day when we read God’s Word, pray in Jesus’ name, and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. Read the Four spiritual Laws tact, found here in our prayer room (or see my article on this on my website). This three-some (Trinity) must be at the core of our beliefs and choose to put into our lives daily. Without the Trinity, no other “religion” is real or had God’s power, mercy, love, and most of all the Eternal Promise. In these passages, Isaiah does not identify clearly to which of these three about which he was talking. However, it is certain Isaiah was speaking of God, the Father. Of course, as we have studying in Isaiah on Wednesdays (to begin again this Wednesday 3/3), Isaiah does talk about all three in great details in his book, even predicting how the Messiah would be born, treated and crucified some 600+ years before it happened. There are some do not agree with me on the following, but I believe Isaiah was the greatest prophet of all times.

There was, however, a problem that needed to be confronted in Isaiah’s time that needed to be corrected. Many of the Jewish people who had been taken into exile all those decades ago, along with many who had been born and raised during the exile, had had their faith in God shaken and Isaiah 40:12-31 seeks to rectify this. These final 20 verses of chapter 40 thus prepare for chapters 41-48.

Read Isaiah 40:25-26

The book of Isaiah is centered on the Babylonian exile, which began in 586 B.C. when Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylonia destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and enslaved the Jewish people. The exile ended in 539 B.C. when Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild their temple. The book of Isaiah makes it clear that Nebuchadrezzar was Yahweh’s (God’s) instrument to punish the Jewish people for their sins, and Cyrus will be Yahweh’s instrument to set them free. Everyone agrees that chapter 40 begins a new emphasis. Chapters 1-39 warn of God’s judgment if the people place their trust in secular rulers rather than in God. Chapters 40-55 lift up the promise of redemption for a people who are experiencing the judgment about which the prophet warned in the earlier chapters. Chapters 56-66 deal with the return of the Jews to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the city and the temple. Verses 12-26 promise that Yahweh has the power necessary to deliver his people.

Making and worshipping an idol is foolishness and a lie, because a manmade image can never truthfully represent the Eternal God. For a son of God, worshipping idols is irrational (and plain stupid) (Acts 17:29), to look to something physical as important or more important than God defies all wisdom. The way the world looks to physical objects is superstition (e.g. good luck charms, religious crosses, shrines.) From the second commandment, it is obvious that God expressly forbids the making of any representation of Him. Any such picture or statue is automatically a lie because, other than knowing that we are in His physical image as to form and shape, everything else that He is cannot be expressed in a mere physical depiction.

John 1:18 confirms this truth: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” God is unique; nothing compares with Him. There is no point of contact, no physical reference, to which a human being can compare Him, revealing the absolute folly of image-making. Even Jesus‘ declarations regarding God are never about what He looks like, but are all about His authority, position, purpose, character, and attributes. However, knowing the importance of His purpose to our lives, should we not strive to learn what He is like? God does not want us concerned about what He looks like, for that puts the emphasis in the wrong area. He gives us enough information for us to know that He looks like a man—and that is enough. However, He greatly desires that we know what He is. The entire Bible reveals His mind, character, attributes, offices, power, will, promises, plan, and relationship to us. The third commandment deals with these areas of study and application because they deeply affect the quality of our response to Him.

Verses 12-24 open with a series of questions, such as, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,” that remind the exiles of Yahweh’s majesty. They say that “the nations are like a drop in a bucket” (v. 15) and the inhabitants of the earth, from Yahweh’s perspective, “are like grasshoppers” (v. 22). Many see verse (25) as starting the third part of Isaiah 40:12-31 but it does not appear to be a new rhetorical question, rather, it appears to merely repeat the opening question of the second part (see 40:18). For this reason, it should be taken as rounding out that section. The passage which this verse closes out began as follows: 18 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? 19 The idol! a workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for its silver chains. 20 He who is impoverished chooses for an offering wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an image that will not move.

By basically repeating the opening question of this section verse 25 not only closes it out but also prepares for what follows: They invite the exiles to lift up their eyes to the heavens and to know that Yahweh knows every star’s name—that every star takes its place at Yahweh’s command (v. 26). The next verses will give these exiles a God’s-eye view—will assure them that Yahweh “calls them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power” (v. 26). The people are bidden to lift up your eyes on high and view the planets (hosts) and consider the greatness of his might and that he is strong in power. His might in power is manifested in the fact that not one of these planets is missing. In contrast to the stability of the planets the idol maker has to take care to use would that will not quickly rot, and ensure that the idol will be crafted in such a way that it will not move, i.e., topple during a victory procession (verse 20). The question who created these? should be seen as a polemic against the creation of idols mentioned in verse 18-19. Who created the wood, the gold, the silver that the Babylonians used to make things they called their gods?

Read Isaiah 40:27-28

Verses 27-28. Why says thou, O Jacob? The consolatory part of the prophet’s discourse begins at this verse, wherein the foregoing doctrine and prophecy are applied to the comfort of the church, complaining, amid her various afflictions, that she had been neglected of the Lord; which complaint makes the basis of the consolation contained in this period. Why dost thou give way to such jealousies concerning thy God, of whose infinite power, and wisdom, and goodness, there are such evident demonstrations? My way is hidden! He takes no notice of my prayers, and tears, and sufferings, but suffers mine enemies to abuse me at their pleasure. This complaint is uttered in the name of the people, being prophetically supposed to be in captivity. My judgment is passed over from my God. My cause- God has neglected to plead my cause, and to give judgment for me against mine enemies. Hast thou not known? Art thou ignorant, wilt thou not consider that the everlasting God who had no beginning of days, and will have no end of life; who was from eternity, and will be to eternity, and with whom therefore there is no deficiency, no decay; the Lord! Hebrew, JEHOVAH, the self-existent Being; the Creator of the ends of the earth, that is, of the whole earth, to its utmost bounds, and of all that is in it; faints not, neither is weary with the care of his church, or of the world?

He is not by age or labor became weak and unable to help his people, as men are wont to be; nor is the care of them any burden to him. There is no searching of his understanding His providence comprehends all things, and nothing is exempted from it: and the counsels by which he governs all the world, and, in an especial manner, the affairs of his people, are far above the reach of any human understanding. Therefore, we act ignorantly and foolishly if we pass a rash judgment upon the ways of the infinitely wise God. As verse 27 continues, since these things are so, thou hast no reason to think that thine interest (“way,” that is, condition, Ps 37:5; Jer. 12:1) is disregarded by God. Judgment is passed over, “My cause is neglected by my God; He passes by my case in my bondage and distress without noticing it.” my God—who especially might be expected to care for me. He does not undertake my cause, nor plead it against my enemies, or right my wrongs, and avenge the injuries done me, or deliver me out of the hands of those that contend with me. The answer to which complaint follows, and which clearly shows there was no just foundation for it.

Hast thou not known (v.28)? This is the language of the prophet reproving them for complaining of being forsaken and assuring them that God was faithful to his promises. This argument of the prophet, which continues to the close of the chapter, comprises the main scope of the chapter, which is to induce them to put confidence in God, and to believe that he was able and willing to deliver them. The phrase, ‘Hast thou not known? refers to the fact that the Jewish people had had an abundant opportunity of learning, in their history, and from their fathers, the true character of God, and his entire ability to save them. So many of these exiled people had 70 years to prepare and live for God, as told by Jeremiah twice, that they would be in captive that long. No people had had so much light on this subject, and now that they were in trial, they ought to recall their former knowledge of his character and remember his dealings of faithfulness with them and their fathers. It is well for the people of God in times of calamity and trial to recall to their recollection his former dealings with his church. That history will furnish abundant sources of consolation, and abundant assurances that their interests are safe in his hands. Again-Hast thou not heard? From the traditions of the fathers; the instruction which you have received from ancient times. A large part of the knowledge of the Jews was traditionary; and these attributes of God, as a faithful God, had, no doubt, constituted an important part of the knowledge which had thus been communicated to them. This makes hard for me to believe that any Jewish person can believe that Jesus is NOT the Messiah predicted by Isaiah. The everlasting God! The God who has existed from eternity, unlike the idols of the pagan! He was from eternity (John 1:1), he is unchangeable, and his purposes could not fail.

Read Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives power to the faint, to his weak and feeble people. This is one of his attributes; and his people, therefore, should put their trust in him, and look to him for aid (compare 2 Corinthians 12:9). The design of this verse 29 is to give consolation to the afflicted and down-trodden people in Babylon, by recalling to their minds the truth that it was one of the characteristics of God that he ministered strength to those who were conscious of their own feebleness, and who looked to him for support. It is a truth, however, as applicable there are truth inestimably precious to those who feel that they are weak and feeble, and who look to God for aid.

Verses 29-31. He giveth power to the faint. He hath strength enough, not only for himself, but for all, even the weakest of his creatures, whom he can easily strengthen to bear all their burdens, and to vanquish all their oppressors. The prophet seems to speak with an especial reference to those among God’s people whose faith and hope were very low, which he would support, even until their promised deliverance. Even the youths shall faint. Those that make the greatest boast of their strength, as young men are apt to do, shall find it fail them whenever God withdraws his support. But they that wait upon the Lord, that rely on him for strength to bear their burdens, and for deliverance from them in due time; shall renew their strength. shall grow stronger and stronger in faith, patience, and fortitude, whereby they shall be more than conquerors over all their enemies and adversities. They shall mount up on wings as eagles. Which, of all fowls, fly most strongly and swiftly, and rise highest in their flight, and out of the reach of all danger (the bird of our country). Bishop Lowth reads, They shall mount up and put forth fresh feathers, like the molting eagle; observing, “It has been a common and popular opinion, that the eagle lives and retains his vigor to a great age; and that, beyond the common lot of other birds, he molts in his old age, and renews his feathers, and with them his youth.’ Thou shalt renew my youth like the eagle, says Isaiah. The eagle extends his age to a great length, while the old feathers failing, he grows young by a new succession of feathers.

Even the youths shall faint. The most vigorous young men, those in whom we expect manly strength, and who are best suited to endure hardy toil. They become weary by labor. Their powers are soon exhausted. The design here is, to contrast the most vigorous of the human race with God, and to show that while all their powers fail, the power of God is unexhausted and inexhaustible (v.30). The meaning is, that the most chosen or select of the human family – the most vigorous and manly, must be worn down by fatigue, or paralyzed by sickness or death; but that the powers of God never grow weary, and that those who trust in him should That wait upon the Lord; that rely upon him for strength to bear their burdens, and for deliverance from them in due time.
Verse 31 (NIV)- But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; shall grow stronger and stronger in faith, and patience, and fortitude, whereby they shall be more than conquerors over all their enemies and adversities. They shall mount up with wings as eagles; which fly most strongly, and swiftly, and high, out of the reach of all danger. They shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint; they shall be enabled to run or walk in their way as they please, without any weariness. never become faint. “They shall put forth fresh feathers as eagles” are said to renovate themselves; the parallel clause, “renew their strength,” confirms this. The eagle was thought to molt and renew his feathers, and with them his strength, in old age However, English Version is favored by the descending climax, mount up—run—walk; in every attitude the praying, waiting as a child of God who is “strong in the Lord” (Ps 84:7; Mic 4:5; Heb 12:1).

This was and still is likely Barbara’s (my late wife) favorite verse. I have a large hanging cloth peace that was on my living room wall, with this verse Isa. 40:31, under I moved recently. It would be in my current room now, but it got put in storage cause of my unstable condition that prevented me from going to the moving date.

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Revelations of Heaven

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Monthly Archives: February 2020

YOU WILL NEVER DIE

DOES GOD REALLY UNDERSTAND MY SUFFERING?

HONOR GOD IN MY SUFFERING

SALVATION

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