For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” Hebrews 10:30 NASB Repay – What is your view of justice? What is its purpose? Is vengeance and retribution a necessary part of the social order, a requirement to keep evil in check? Or is something…
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 1 Thessalonians 4:3 NASB Sexual immorality – Have you ever wondered just how much of our ideas of sexual purity are cultural rather than biblical? Have you considered the apparent evolution of sexual standards from Genesis to the apostolic writings? …
Thus says the Lord, “What injustice did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and walked after emptiness and became empty?” Jeremiah 2:5 NASB Became empty – Certainly you recognize this Hebrew word. It is famous illustrated in the opening of Ecclesiastes: “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is…
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28 NIV Do good/bless – So you want to follow the Messiah. You want to live by his instructions, obey him as your master, incorporate his…
O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. Jeremiah 20:7 NASB Deceived/overcome – Sometimes the translator’s morality gets in the way of communicating the crass and deliberately offensive speech of the Bible’s prophets. Of course, since…
Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the Lord speaks, “Sons I have reared and brought up, but they have revolted against Me. “An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand.” Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the Lord,…
“ . . . and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32 NASB Truth – It’s time to write your autobiography. Well, no, not really. Did you ever think about the illogical assumptions of an autobiography. First, of course, is the fact that the real meaning of a life can’t…
Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. Hosea 4:1 NASB Knowledge of God – “Hosea’s central complaint against the people is that they do not…
When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.” Hosea 1:2 NASB A wife of harlotry – Hollywood loves the prostitute with the golden heart. Perhaps the best known Hollywood version of this romantic fantasy is Pretty Woman. Frankly, it’s…
Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me. Psalm 66:20 NASB Has not turned away – As we discovered yesterday, the biblical standard is holiness. Absolute holiness. There is no “bell curve” of righteousness. There is no appeasement policy. There is no “life” insurance because you once made some…
