https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Sumrall
https://player.fm/series/life-after-mlm/episode-230-sandy-rusk
People are starting to notice in town a "Church" does not look like a church...there is
no cross
anywhere in or around their buildings... What is wrong with this picture?
Alot!
https://ministrywatch.com/stovall-and-kerri-weems-litigations-accusations-dismissals-appeals/
https://www.heartlandchurch.com/
https://www.northviewchurch.us/
“This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, when he tramples on our citadels, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and He will deliver us from the Assyrian when he attacks our land and when he tramples our territory” (Mic 5:5-6).
Many who read my devotionals are Jewish, like myself. We did not come to faith in Yeshua because we were looking for another religion, but because we wanted to understand our own more deeply. The most Jewish place to begin that journey was not later rabbinic writings, but the Torah of Moses and the prophets.
As we studied the Hebrew Scriptures, we encountered ancient passages that looked unmistakably like the Yeshua of the New Testament, the very one we were told was not for us. Yet the powerful connection between prophecy and fulfillment convinced our minds, and the love of God revealed through Yeshua’s sacrifice captured our hearts.
Almost immediately, however, we were warned away. Rabbis insisted the New Testament ripped verses from their original context to falsely prove Yeshua was the Messiah. A classic example is Isaiah 7:14, which critics say cannot point to the Messiah because it refers to events in the Assyrian period.
But what about Micah 5? The prophecy of the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2) is also set in the context of Assyrian invasion (Mic 5:5-6). The same is true of Isaiah’s promise of a child called Mighty God (Isa 9:6-7) and the shoot from Jesse who restores Eden-like peace (Isa 11:1-9).
When these passages are read in their literary rather than purely historical context, we discover something remarkable: they are placed within visions of God’s kingdom in the “last days” (Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1).
The more closely we read the Hebrew Scriptures, the more convinced we become that Yeshua truly is the promised Messiah.
“So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God’” (John 6:67-69).
The
TRUTH about TOWN
Counsel
Matthew 18:15-17
Outlines a biblical process for resolving conflict and addressing sin within a Christian community: first, privately confront the person; if they refuse to listen, bring one or two witnesses; if still unresolved, tell the church; and if they reject the church's counsel, treat them as an outsider, all with the goal of restoration, not punishment.
The term
"town counsel" likely refers to
"Tell the Church,"
meaning bringing the matter to the local congregation for resolution, emphasizing communal accountability.
"Record broken" means someone achieved a new best in a measurable activity, like sports (fastest sprint) or unusual feats (most t-shirts worn), often verified by Guinness World Records. It can also refer to the idiomatic phrase "like a broken record," meaning someone repeatedly says the same thing,
stemming
from a
scratched vinyl record
skipping
Recent examples include Taylor Swift's record-breaking tour and a dog's slam dunking feats
Guinness World Records.
Breaking Records (Achievements)
- Examples:
Usain Bolt (sprinting), Taylor Swift (highest-grossing tour), David Rush (multiple unusual feats).
- Process:
Involves applying, following strict rules, gathering evidence (witnesses, video), and submitting to organizations like Guinness World Records.
- Motivation:
Often driven by personal goals, promoting STEM, or just challenging human/animal limits.
- Definition:
To surpass the highest known standard in speed, time, distance, quantity, etc.
Tabitha (Dorcas)
The Model Seamstress
- Her Ministry: She used her sewing skills to create tunics and cloaks for widows and the poor, demonstrating active charity and compassion.
- Her Impact: Her good works were so significant that when she died, weeping widows showed Peter the garments she had made, leading to her resurrection by the Apostle Peter (Acts 9:36-42).
- Her Legacy: She returned to her work with renewed energy, teaching others, and became a symbol of benevolent service, showing how a simple tool (a needle) becomes a powerful instrument for Christ.
- Other Biblical
HEBREW Figures & CONCEPTS
- Hannah (1 Samuel 2:19): Known for making a yearly coat for her growing son, Samuel, a tangible expression of her love and faith.
- Proverbs 31 Woman (Proverbs 31:10-31): A capable businesswoman involved in the textile trade, manufacturing and selling fine garments and sashes, representing diligence and provision.
- Adam & Eve (Genesis 3:7): Their first act after sin was sewing fig leaves into aprons, marking the first instance of sewing in the Bible, but representing shame rather than service.
Seamstresses in the Torah were women whose needlework was a ministry, embodying
practical
love, provision, and Christian service, with Dorcas being
the most prominent example.
Mary Magdalene
is widely considered a very wealthy and the
FIRST Apostle of Jesus,
using her own resources to support his ministry
and being a
prominent witness to his crucifixion and resurrection,
indicating a
high social status and wealth,
possibly
from her family
rather than a life
of sin
as once portrayed
She was from Magdala, a prosperous town, and
supported
Jesus
FINACIALLY,
WHO WANTS TO COOK
FOR
FREE !?!?
...Didn't "think" So.
suggesting she was a woman of substance.
The Anointing at Bethany
is ONE
of the most significant events
in all the
Hebrew Torah
Recorded in the Gospels
(Matthew, Mark, John), where Mary of Bethany used
very expensive perfume to anoint Jesus' head/feet,
an ACT
Jesus defended as preparation for His burial, contrasting Mary's devotion with Judas's hypocrisy and foretelling His death, marking a key moment before His crucifixion
The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant
is found
in 2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1 Chronicles 13:9-12. As the ark was being transported,
the oxen
pulling the cart stumbled, and a man named Uzzah
took hold of the ark.
God’s anger burned against Uzzah and He struck him down and
...he died :(
Uzzah’s punishment
does appear to be extreme for what we might consider to be a
good deed.
However,
there are the reasons why God took such severe action.
The connection between wheat, Virgo (the Virgin), and the Bible is a symbolic interpretation, particularly in Christian astrotheology, linking the constellation Virgo (often holding a sheaf of wheat, symbolized by the star Spica) to the Virgin Mary and Jesus as the "Bread of Life," a theme reinforced by Jesus's parable of the dying seed, Pentecost (the wheat harvest), and Bethlehem (House of Bread). This imagery connects ancient zodiac symbolism, agricultural cycles (harvest), and core Christian doctrines of death, resurrection, and spiritual nourishment through Christ.
Jesus the True Vine
(Isaiah 27:1–13)
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.
He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.
No Greater
Love
As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.
Remain in My love.
If you keep My commandments,
you will remain in My love, just as
I have kept My Father’s commandments
and
remain in His love.
I have told you these things so that My joy may
be in you
and your joy may be
Complete
This is My commandment, that you love one another
as I have loved you.
Greater love
has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do what I command you.
No longer do I call you servants,
for a servant does not understand what his master is doing.
But I have called you friends,
because
everything I have learned from My Father I have
made known to you.
You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and
bear fruit--fruit that will
remain--
so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
This is
My command to you: Love one another.
The Greek word agape is often translated “love” in the
New Testament
How is “agape love” different from other types of love? The essence of agape love is goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. Unlike our English word love, agape is not used in the New Testament to refer to romantic or sexual love. Nor does it refer to close friendship or brotherly love, for which the Greek word philia is used. Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will. It is distinguished from the other types of love by its lofty moral nature and strong character. Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13.
The Hatred of the World
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’
If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.
But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.
Now, however, they have -no excuse- for their sin.
Whoever hates Me hates My Father as well.
If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be
guilty of sin;
but now they have
Seen and hated
both
Me and My Father.
But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’
When the Advocate
comes,
whom I will send to you from the Father--
the Spirit of truth
who
proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
And you also must testify,
because
you have been with Me from the beginning.
Foot
notes for sticky notes
John 13:16
Psalm 35:19, Psalm 38:19, and Psalm 69:4.
Comforter or Helper or Counselor;
Greek Paraclete
Jesus Heals the Man Born
Blind
Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth, and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.
While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
When Jesus had said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes. Then He told him, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”).
So the man went and washed, and came back
seeing
At this, his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging began to ask, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
Some claimed that he was, but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
But the man kept saying, “I am the one.”
“How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
He answered,
“The man they call Jesus made some
mud
and anointed my eyes, and He told me to
go to Siloam and wash.
So I went and washed and received my sight.”
“Where is He?” they asked.
“I do not know,” he answered.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.
So the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.
The man answered,
He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can
see
Because of this,
some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?”
And there was division among them.
So once again they asked the man who had been blind,
“What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?”
“He is a prophet,” the man replied.
The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight
until they summoned his parents
and asked, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he can now see?”
His parents answered, “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But how he can now see or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
That was why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God!
We know that this man is a sinner.”
He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know.
There is one thing I do know:
I was blind, but now I see!”
What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?”
He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
Then they heaped insults on him and said,
“You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses.
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we do not know where this man is from.”
“That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes.
We know
that God does not listen to sinners,
but He does listen
to the one who worships Him
and does His will.
Never before has anyone heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”
They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, He found the man and said,
“Do you believe in the
Son of Man?”
Who is He, Sir?” he replied. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”
You have
already SEEN Him,” Jesus answered.
“He is the -One- speaking with you.”
“Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.
Then Jesus declared,
“For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”
Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him,
“Are we blind too?”
If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be
guilty of sin.
But since you
claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
2 Kings 5:10
Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.”
Isaiah 35:5-6
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. / Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
Isaiah 29:18
On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
Isaiah 32:3
Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
Exodus 4:11
And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
Jeremiah 18:6
“O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
Job 33:6
I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.
Psalm 146:8
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
Matthew 9:29-30
Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” / And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one finds out about this!”
Mark 7:33-35
So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue. / And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). / Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.
Mark 8:23-25
So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked. / The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.” / Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 3:34
For the One whom God has
sent
speaks the words of God,
for God
gives the Spirit without limit.
The "eye of a needle"
The small hole in a sewing needle, but more famously, it's a metaphor Jesus used in the Bible (Matthew 19, Mark 10) to highlight how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God, comparing it to a camel passing through this tiny opening. While some theories suggest it meant a narrow city gate (the "Eye of the Needle" gate), most scholars believe Jesus used hyperbole (exaggeration) to emphasize that salvation for the wealthy is impossible without God's grace, requiring them to shed worldly burdens and humble themselves, a feat as improbable as a camel fitting through a needle's eye.
Camels "spit" as a defense mechanism, but it's actually a foul-smelling mix of saliva and regurgitated stomach contents (cud) or bile, thrown at perceived threats to surprise, distract, and deter them. It's a strong warning, often preceded by bulging cheeks, signaling agitation or fear, and can be quite unpleasant, functioning like a chemical deterrent. Males also display a throat sac (dulla) during mating, which looks like they're spitting it out but is part of their dominance display.
To be spiritually blind is not to see
Christ,
and not to see
Christ is not to see God
(Colossians 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 4:6).
Spiritual blindness is a grievous condition experienced by those who do not believe in God, Jesus Christ, and His Word (Romans 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:12). Those who reject Christ are the lost (John 6:68-69). Being spiritually blind, they are perishing (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Revelation 3:17). They choose not to accept the teachings of Christ and His authority in their lives (Matthew 28:18). They are blind to the manifestations of God as revealed throughout His Word and Jesus Christ (John 1:1; Acts 28:26-27). They are described as those who “do not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Peter spoke of such people as “scoffers [who] will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” (2 Peter 3:3; see also Proverbs 21:24; Jude 1:18). Those who reject Christ and His Word are spiritually blind and cannot understand the truth of the Scriptures. The truth sounds foolish to them (Isaiah 37:23; 1 Corinthians 1:18). The Bible describes those denying God as fools (Psalm 14:1; Matthew 7:26). Because of their blindness and rejection of God and His Word, they are in a perilous, unsaved condition (John 12:48; Hebrews 2:2-4).
The spiritually blind are simply unable to understand God’s Word (Matthew 13:13; Deuteronomy 29:4). Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). Paul echoed this when he told the believers in Rome, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:8-9). Those outside of Christ are not of God because their lives are steeped in the things of the world with all its passions, their eyes blind to the Spirit of God. The Apostle John said, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” but that person’s love “is from the world” (1 John 2:15-16).
The cause of spiritual blindness is made quite clear in the Scriptures: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Paul refers to Satan as the “god of this world.” Extraordinarily evil (John 8:44), Satan destroys the flesh (1 Corinthians 5:5), masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and is the cause of all temptations (Luke 4:2; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Corinthians 7:5). He revels in scheming against and trapping the unbelievers (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:26). Satan’s goal is to devour the weak who fall prey to temptation, fear, loneliness, worry, depression, and persecution (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Without God and left to ourselves, we easily succumb to the devil’s schemes.
We can become so mired in the affairs of this world and its moral darkness that, in the end, God turns us over to spiritual blindness and eternal condemnation (John 12:40; Romans 1:24-32).
As believers, we have
the Spirit of God
reigning in our lives to ward off
the debilitating effects
of Satan’s power and the world’s
influence
(1 John 4:13).
John tells us,
“Whoever confesses that Jesus IS the
Son of God,
God abides in Him, and he in God”
(1 John 4:15).
Satan wars within and without us. His weapons are
deceitful and crafty schemes to make us doubt and
stumble
(2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 4:14).
Yet God has provided us with powerful weapons to ward off his flaming arrows
(Ephesians 6:10-18).
As believers
we can overcome the evil one and
remain in the Light
and
never become spiritually BLIND
For, in truth, Jesus has given us His wonderful promise:
“I am
the light of the world.
Whoever
follows Me
will
not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life”
(John 8:12).
Matthew 5:17
Jesus is called
the Messiah in Matthew 1:16.
In fact,
every time someone says,
“Jesus Christ,”
he is referring to
Jesus as the Messiah,
since Christ means
“Messiah” or “Anointed One.”
The Old Testament predicts the Messiah, and the New Testament reveals the Messiah to be
Jesus of Nazareth.
There are several things that the Jewish people who anticipated the Messiah expected Him to be, based on Old Testament prophecies. The Messiah would be a Hebrew man (Isaiah 9:6) born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), a prophet akin to Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18), a priest in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4), a king (Isaiah 11:1–4), and the Son of David (Matthew 22:42) who suffered before entering His glory (Isaiah 53).
Jesus met each of these messianic requirements.
Jesus fulfilled the requirements
of the Messiah
in that He was a HEBREW of the tribe of JUDAH (Luke 3:30),
and He was
born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4–7) to a
VIRGIN (Luke 1:26–27).
Another proof that Jesus was the Messiah is the fact that He was a prophet
like Moses.
Both Moses and Jesus were prophets “whom the LORD
KNEW
face to face”
(Deuteronomy 34:10; cf. John 8:38).
But Jesus is an even greater prophet than Moses
in that,
while Moses delivered Israel from
slavery,
Jesus frees us
from the bondage of
death and sin.
Unlike Moses,
Jesus
didn’t just represent God--
He is God
(John 10:30).
Jesus doesn’t just lead us to the
Promised Land;
He takes us up to heaven for
eternity
(John 14:1–3).
For these and many more reasons, Jesus is a prophet greater than Moses.
The Messiah was to have priestly duties; Jesus was not a Levite, and only Levites were allowed to be priests. So how could Jesus qualify? Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek (Genesis 14; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 6:20). Melchizedek predated the Jewish temple, and his very name means “King of Righteousness.” Melchizedek was also called the “King of Salem,” which means “King of Peace” (Hebrews 7:2). Melchizedek blessed Abraham (the greater blesses the lesser, Hebrews 7:7), and Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe. Thus, as a priest in the order of Melchizedek, Jesus is greater than Abraham (see John 8:58) and the Levitical priesthood. He is a heavenly priest who offered a sacrifice that removes sin permanently, not just temporarily covers it.
Jesus must also be a king in order to be the Messiah. Jesus was from Judah, the kingly tribe. When Jesus was born, wise men from the East came looking for the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1–2). Jesus taught that He would one day sit on a glorious throne (Matthew 19:28; 25:31). Many people in Israel saw Jesus as their long-awaited king and expected Him to set up His rule immediately (Luke 19:11), although Jesus’ kingdom is currently not of this world (John 18:36). At the end of Jesus’ life, during His trial before Pilate, Jesus did not defend Himself except to answer affirmatively when Pilate asked if He was the King of the Jews (Mark 15:2).
Another way Jesus fits the Old Testament description of the Messiah is that He was the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. On the cross Jesus was “despised” and “held . . . in low esteem” (Isaiah 53:3). He was “pierced” (verse 5) and “oppressed and afflicted” (verse 7). He died with thieves yet was buried in a rich man’s tomb (verse 9; cf. Mark 15:27; Matthew 27:57–60). After His suffering and death, Jesus the Messiah was resurrected (Isaiah 53:11; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:4) and glorified (Isaiah 53:12). Isaiah 53 is one of the clearest prophecies identifying Jesus as the Messiah; it is the very passage that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading when Philip met him and explained to him about Jesus (Acts 8:26–35).
There are other ways in which Jesus is shown to be the Messiah. Each of the feasts of the Lord in the Old Testament is related to and fulfilled by Jesus. When Jesus came the first time, He was our Passover Lamb (John 1:29), our Unleavened Bread (John 6:35), and our First Fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20). The pouring out of Christ’s Spirit happened at Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). When Jesus the Messiah returns, we will hear the shout of the archangel and the trumpet of God. It is no coincidence that the first fall festival day is Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. After Jesus returns, He will judge the earth. This is the fulfillment of the next fall festival, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Then Jesus will set up His millennial kingdom and reign from the throne of David for 1,000 years; that will complete the final fall festival, Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles, when God dwells with us.
To those of us who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, the proof that He is the Jewish Messiah seems overwhelming. How is it that, generally speaking, the Jews do not accept Jesus as their Messiah? Both Isaiah and Jesus prophesied a spiritual blindness upon Israel as a judgment for their lack of faith (Isaiah 6:9–10; Matthew 13:13–15). Also, most of the Jews of Jesus’ time were looking for a political and cultural savior, not a Savior from sin. They wanted Jesus to throw off the yoke of Rome and establish Zion as the capital of the world (see Acts 1:6). They could not see how the meek and lowly Jesus could possibly do that.
The story of Joseph provides an interesting parallel to the Jews’ missing their Messiah. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, and after many ups and downs he was made prime minister of all of Egypt. When a famine hit both Egypt and Israel, Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt to get food, and they met with Joseph—but they did not recognize him. Their own brother, standing right in front of them, yet they were oblivious. They did not recognize Joseph for a very simple reason: he did not look as they expected him to look. Joseph was dressed as an Egyptian; he spoke as an Egyptian; he lived as an Egyptian. The thought that he might be their long-lost brother never crossed their minds—Joseph was a Hebrew shepherd, after all, not Egyptian royalty. In a similar way, most Jewish people did not (and do not) recognize Jesus as their Messiah. They were looking for an earthly king, not the ruler of a spiritual kingdom. (Many rabbis interpret the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 as the Jewish people who have suffered at the hands of the world.) Their blindness was so great that no amount of miracles made a difference (Matthew 11:20).
Still, there were many in Jesus’ day who saw the truth about Jesus. The Bethlehem shepherds saw (Luke 2:16–17). Simeon in the temple saw (verse 34). Anna saw and “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem” (verse 38). Peter and the other disciples saw (Matthew 16:16).
May many more
continue to see that
Jesus is the Messiah,
the ONE who
fulfills
the
Law AND the Prophets
Faith and Belief
(James 2:14–26)
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?
Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
I would like to learn just ONE thing from YOU:
Did you receive
the Spirit
by works of the law, or by
hearing with faith?
Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh?
Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing?
Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law,
or because you hear and believe?
So also,
“Abraham
believed God, and it was credited to him
as righteousness.”
Understand, then, that those who have faith are
sons of Abraham
The Scripture foresaw
that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and
foretold
the
gospel to Abraham:
“All nations will be blessed through you.”
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham,
the man of faith.
Christ
Has Redeemed Us
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written:
“Cursed is everyone
who does not continue to do everything
written
in the Book of the Law.”
Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because,
“The righteous will live by faith.”
The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”
Christ redeemed us
from the curse
of the law by becoming a curse
for us.
For it is written:
“Cursed is everyone who is hung
on a tree.”
He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
The Purpose of the Law
(Romans 7:1–6)
Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.
Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator. A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party; but God is one.
Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law. But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
Sons through Faith in Christ
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Foot Notes
6 a Genesis 15:6
8 b See Genesis 12:3, Genesis 18:18, and Genesis 22:18.
10 c Deuteronomy 27:26 (see also LXX)
11 d Habakkuk 2:4
12 e Leviticus 18:5; see also Ezekiel 20:11, 13, and 21.
13 f Deuteronomy 21:23 (see also LXX)
14 g Literally the blessing of Abraham
16 h Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15
Deuteronomy 21:23
you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Romans 8:3
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,
1 Peter 2:24
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. / But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
Philippians 2:7-8
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. / And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.
Colossians 1:13-14
He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, / in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Romans 3:24-25
and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. / God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
1 John 4:10
And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Hebrews 9:12
He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
Titus 2:14
He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
Isaiah 53:11-12
After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. / Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse
of the law,
being made a curse for us:
for it is written, Cursed is every one that
hangs on a tree:
Galatians 3:10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Galatians 4:5
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Isaiah 55:5-7,10-12
Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee…
being.
2 Kings 22:19
Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 44:22
So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
Jeremiah 49:13
For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.
Deuteronomy 21:23
His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
2 Samuel 17:23
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
2 Samuel 18:10,14,15
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak…
Cursed.
Joshua 10:26,27
And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were
hanging
upon the trees until the evening…
Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. / For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. / The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
Romans 6:16
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
Galatians 1:10
Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Joshua 24:15
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
1 Kings 18:21
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
Philippians 3:18-19
For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. / Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
2 Timothy 3:2-4
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, / unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, / traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
Ezekiel 14:3-4
“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way? / Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry,
Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
2 Corinthians 5:15
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.
Proverbs 3:9
Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the
firstfruits of all your crops;
The key to understanding this commandment is in the definition of the word “covet.” Two different Hebrew words are used in the passages condemning coveting (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21), and both mean “to lust after or to long for with great desire.” Since the commandments are given as “you shall not’s,” the desire in this case is for something that is not the property of the desirer and not rightfully his to long after. In this commandment, the Israelites are told not to lust after their neighbor’s possessions—his house, land, ox or donkey, or the people in his life—his wife or servants, both male and female. The Israelites were not to desire, long for, or set their hearts on anything that belonged to anyone else.
Whereas several of the commandments prohibit certain actions, such as murder and theft, this is one of the commandments that address the inner person, his heart and mind. As James 1:15 tells us, the inner person is where sin originates, and in this case, covetousness is the forerunner of all manner of sin, among them theft, burglary, and embezzlement. At its root, coveting is the result of envy, a sin which, once it takes root in the heart, leads to worse sins. Jesus reiterated this very thought in the Sermon on the Mount when He said that lust in the heart is every bit as sinful as committing adultery (Matthew 5:28). Envy goes beyond casting a longing glance at the neighbor’s new car. Once dwelled upon, envy of the neighbor’s possessions can turn to feelings of resentment and hatred for the neighbor himself. That can turn into resentment against God and questioning Him: “Why can’t I have what he has, Lord? Don’t you love me enough to give me what I want?”
God’s reasons for condemning covetousness are good ones. At its very core, envy is love of self. Envious, selfish citizens are unhappy and discontented citizens. A society built of such people is a weak one because envious malcontents, as stated before, will be more likely to commit crimes against one another, further weakening the societal structure. Furthermore, the New Testament identifies covetousness as a form of idolatry, a sin which God detests (Colossians 3:5). In the end, envy and covetousness are Satan’s tools to distract us from pursuing the only thing that will ever make us happy and content—God Himself. God’s Word tells us that “godliness with contentment is great gain” and that we should be content with the basic necessities of life (1 Timothy 6:6-8), because
TRUE
happiness is not attained
by things,
but by a
personal relationship with God
through Jesus Christ.
By this alone do we gain that which is
worthy, TRUE,
solid, satisfying, and durable
—the unsearchable riches of
God’s GRACE
The Parable of the Sower
(Mark 4:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around Him
that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.
And He told them many things in parables, saying,
“A farmer went out to sow his seed.
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil.
It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because
they had no root.
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.
Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
He who has ears, let him hear.”
The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
(Isaiah 6:1–13; Mark 4:10–12; Luke 8:9–10)
Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been given to you, but not to them.
Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.
Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
This is why I speak to them in parables:
‘Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled:
‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has grown callous;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn, and I would heal them.’
But blessed are your eyes because
they see,
and your ears because they hear.
For truly I tell you,
many prophets and righteous men
longed to see what you see
but did not see it,
and to hear
what you hear but did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)
Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
The Parable of the Weeds
(Ezekiel 17:1–10)
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.
The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field?
Where then did the weeds come from?’
An enemy did this,’ he replied.
So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–19)
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
(Luke 13:20–21)
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
I Will Open My Mouth in
Parables
(Psalm 78:1–72)
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables.
He did not tell them anything without using a parable.
So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
(Zephaniah 1:1–6)
Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom.
The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the
Harvesters are
Angels
As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send out
His angels,
and they will weed out of His kingdom
every cause of sin
and all who practice lawlessness.
And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
He who has ears, let him
hear.
The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.
When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.
So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Have you understood all these things?”
“Yes,” they answered.
Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
The Rejection at Nazareth
(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30)
When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place. Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?
Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?”
And they took offense at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”
And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
Matthew 4:10
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Joshua 24:15,19,20
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD…
1 Samuel 7:3
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
mammon
Luke 16:9,11,13
And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations…
1 Timothy 6:9,10,17
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition…
The Lamp of the Body
…But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?…
Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. / For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. / The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
Romans 6:16
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
Galatians 1:10
Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Joshua 24:15
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
1 Kings 18:21
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
Philippians 3:18-19
For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. / Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
2 Timothy 3:2-4
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, / unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, / traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
Ezekiel 14:3-4
“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way? / Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry,
Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
2 Corinthians 5:15
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.
Proverbs 3:9
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops;
Matthew 4:10
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Joshua 24:15,19,20
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD…
1 Samuel 7:3
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
mammon.
Luke 16:9,11,13
And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations…
1 Timothy 6:9,10,17
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition…
Prayer for the Son
When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
Prayer for the Disciples
I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours. All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine; and in them I have been glorified. I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You.
Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one. While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to You; and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them. I have given them Your word and the world has hated them. For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, just as
I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by the truth;
Your word is truth.
As You sent Me into the
world,
I have also sent them into
the world.
For them I sanctify Myself
so that they too
may be sanctified by the truth.
Prayer
for All Believers
I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one— I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.
Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me. And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Footnotes:
a Literally all flesh
Literally Your name, which You gave Me;
Your name.
These You have given Me; similarly in verse 12
Giving to the Needy
(Deuteronomy 15:7–11)
“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them.
If you do,
you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
The Lord’s Prayer
(Luke 11:1–4)
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
So then, this is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your NAME
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive yours.
Proper Fasting
When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
(Luke 12:32–34)
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy,
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Lamp of the Body
(Luke 11:33–36)
The eye is the lamp of the body.
If your eyes are good,
your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eyes are bad,
your whole body will be full of darkness.
If then the light
within you is darkness, how great is that
darkness!
No one can serve two masters:
Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be
devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry
(Luke 12:22–31)
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the Gentiles strive after all these things,
and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them.
But seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness,
and all these things will be added
unto you.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
The Parables of the Treasure and Pearl
…Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in
search of fine pearls.
When he found one very precious pearl,
he went away and sold all he had and bought it.
Once again,
the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was
cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.…
Philippians 3:7-8
But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. / More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Proverbs 2:4
if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,
Luke 14:33
In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.
Isaiah 55:1-2
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! / Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.
Revelation 3:18
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, / but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
Colossians 2:3
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Proverbs 3:13-15
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding, / for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold. / She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her.
1 Kings 3:11-14
So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— / behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be. / Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. ...
Job 28:12-19
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell? / No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. / The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’ ...
Luke 18:22
On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
Hebrews 11:24-26
By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. / He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. / He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.
Psalm 119:72
The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. / Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, / treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Proverbs 2:4
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Isaiah 33:6
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.
1 Corinthians 3:21-23
Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; …
Mark 10:28-31
Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee…
Luke 18:28-30
Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee…
Acts 20:24
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
The Faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah
…By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
And
without faith it is impossible
to please God,
because anyone who approaches Him must believe that
He exists
and that He rewards those who earnestly
seek Him.
By faith Noah,
when warned about things
not yet seen,
in
godly fear built an ark
to
save his family
By faith
he condemned the world and became
heir of the
righteousness that comes by faith.…
Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
James 1:6
But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; / in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Mark 11:22-24
“Have faith in God,” Jesus said to them. / “Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him. / Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 4:3
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
James 2:23
And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. / And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
2 Chronicles 15:2
So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Luke 11:9-10
So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Hebrews 3:12,18,19
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God…
Hebrews 4:2,6
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it…
Numbers 14:11
And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Job 21:14
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
Psalm 73:28
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
Romans 10:14
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Hebrews 11:26
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Ruth 2:12
The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of
The
LORD God of Israel,
Under whose Wings
thou Art
Come to Trust
Diligently
1 Chronicles 28:9
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
Psalm 105:3,4
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD…
Psalm 119:10
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. / For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. / The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
Romans 6:16
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
Galatians 1:10
Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Joshua 24:15
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
1 Kings 18:21
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
Philippians 3:18-19
For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. / Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
2 Timothy 3:2-4
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, / unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, / traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
Ezekiel 14:3-4
“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way? / Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry,
Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
2 Corinthians 5:15
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.
Proverbs 3:9
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops;
Psalm 119
Your Word Is a Lamp to My
Feet
א
ALEPH
1Blesseda are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the Law of the LORD.
2Blessed are those who keep His testimonies
and seek Him with all their heart.
3They do no iniquity;
they walk in His ways.
4You have ordained Your precepts,
that we should keep them diligently.
5Oh, that my ways were committed
to keeping Your statutes!
6Then I would not be ashamed
when I consider all Your commandments.
7I will praise You with an upright heart
when I learn Your righteous judgments.
8I will keep Your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
ב
BETH
9How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to Your word.
10With all my heart I have sought You;
do not let me stray from Your commandments.
11I have hidden Your word in my heart
that I might not sin against You.
12Blessed are You, O LORD;
teach me Your statutes.
13With my lips I proclaim
all the judgments of Your mouth.
14I rejoice in the way of Your testimonies
as much as in all riches.
15I will meditate on Your precepts
and regard Your ways.
16I will delight in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.
ג
GIMEL
17Deal bountifully with Your servant,
that I may live and keep Your word.
18Open my eyes that I may see
wondrous things from Your law.
19I am a stranger on the earth;
do not hide Your commandments from me.
20My soul is consumed with longing
for Your judgments at all times.
21You rebuke the arrogant--
the cursed who stray from Your commandments.
22Remove my scorn and contempt,
for I have kept Your testimonies.
23Though rulers sit and slander me,
Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24Your testimonies are indeed my delight;
they are my counselors.
ד
DALETH
25My soul cleaves to the dust;
revive me according to Your word.
26I recounted my ways, and You answered me;
teach me Your statutes.
27Make clear to me the way of Your precepts;
then I will meditate on Your wonders.
28My soul melts with sorrow;
strengthen me according to Your word.
29Remove me from the path of deceit
and graciously grant me Your law.
30I have chosen the way of truth;
I have set Your ordinances before me.
31I cling to Your testimonies, O LORD;
let me not be put to shame.
32I run in the path of Your commandments,
for You will enlarge my heart.
ה
HE
33Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
and I will keep them to the end.b
34Give me understanding that I may obey Your law,
and follow it with all my heart.
35Direct me in the path of Your commandments,
for there I find delight.
36Turn my heart to Your testimonies
and not to covetous gain.
37Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
revive me with Your word.c
38Establish Your word to Your servant,
to produce reverence for You.
39Turn away the disgrace I dread,
for Your judgments are good.
40How I long for Your precepts!
Revive me in Your righteousness.
ו
WAW
41May Your loving devotion come to me, O LORD,
Your salvation, according to Your promise.
42Then I can answer him who taunts,
for I trust in Your word.
43Never take Your word of truth from my mouth,
for I hope in Your judgments.
44I will always obey Your law,
forever and ever.
45And I will walk in freedom,
for I have sought Your precepts.
46I will speak of Your testimonies before kings,
and I will not be ashamed.
47I delight in Your commandments
because I love them.
48I lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love,
and I meditate on Your statutes.
ז
ZAYIN
49Remember Your word to Your servant,
upon which You have given me hope.
50This is my comfort in affliction,
that Your promise has given me life.
51The arrogant utterly deride me,
but I do not turn from Your law.
52I remember Your judgments of old, O LORD,
and in them I find comfort.
53Rage has taken hold of me
because of the wicked who reject Your law.
54Your statutes are songs to me
in the house of my pilgrimage.
55In the night, O LORD, I remember Your name,
that I may keep Your law.
56This is my practice,
for I obey Your precepts.
ח
HETH
57The LORD is my portion;
I have promised to keep Your words.
58I have sought Your face with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to Your promise.
59I considered my ways
and turned my steps to Your testimonies.
60I hurried without hesitating
to keep Your commandments.
61Though the ropes of the wicked bind me,
I do not forget Your law.
62At midnight I rise to give You thanks
for Your righteous judgments.
63I am a friend to all who fear You,
and to those who keep Your precepts.
64The earth is filled with Your loving devotion, O LORD;
teach me Your statutes.
ט
TETH
65You are good to Your servant, O LORD,
according to Your word.
66Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in Your commandments.
67Before I was afflicted, I went astray;
but now I keep Your word.
68You are good, and You do what is good;
teach me Your statutes.
69Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep Your precepts with all my heart.
70Their hearts are callous and insensitive,d
but I delight in Your law.
71It was good for me to be afflicted,
that I might learn Your statutes.
72The law from Your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.
י
YODH
73Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
give me understanding to learn Your commandments.
74May those who fear You see me and rejoice,
for I have hoped in Your word.
75I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous,
and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76May Your loving devotion comfort me, I pray,
according to Your promise to Your servant.
77May Your compassion come to me, that I may live,
for Your law is my delight.
78May the arrogant be put to shame for subverting me with a lie;
I will meditate on Your precepts.
79May those who fear You turn to me,
those who know Your testimonies.
80May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,
that I may not be put to shame.
כ
KAPH
81My soul faints for Your salvation;
I wait for Your word.
82My eyes fail, looking for Your promise;
I ask, “When will You comfort me?”
83Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke,
I do not forget Your statutes.
84How many days must Your servant wait?e
When will You execute judgment on my persecutors?
85The arrogant have dug pits for me
in violation of Your law.
86All Your commandments are faithful;
I am persecuted without cause—help me!
87They almost wiped me from the earth,
but I have not forsaken Your precepts.
88Revive me according to Your loving devotion,
that I may obey the testimony of Your mouth.
ל
LAMEDH
89Your word, O LORD, is everlasting;
it is firmly fixed in the heavens.
90Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
You established the earth, and it endures.
91Your ordinances stand to this day,f
for all things are servants to You.
92If Your law had not been my delight,
then I would have perished in my affliction.
93I will never forget Your precepts,
for by them You have revived me.
94I am Yours; save me,
for I have sought Your precepts.
95The wicked wait to destroy me,
but I will ponder Your testimonies.
96I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but Your commandment is without limit.
מ
MEM
97Oh, how I love Your law!
All day long it is my meditation.
98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are always with me.
99I have more insight than all my teachers,
for Your testimonies are my meditation.
100I discern more than the elders,
for I obey Your precepts.
101I have kept my feet from every evil path,
that I may keep Your word.
102I have not departed from Your ordinances,
for You Yourself have taught me.
103How sweet are Your words to my taste--
sweeter than honey in my mouth!
104I gain understanding from Your precepts;
therefore I hate every false way.
נ
NUN
105Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
106I have sworn and confirmed
that I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107I am severely afflicted, O LORD;
revive me through Your word.
108Accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,
and teach me Your judgments.
109I constantly take my life in my hands,
yet I do not forget Your law.
110The wicked have set a snare for me,
but I have not strayed from Your precepts.
111Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
112I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes,
even to the very end.
ס
SAMEKH
113The double-minded I despise,
but Your law I love.
114You are my hiding place and my shield;
I put my hope in Your word.
115Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may obey the commandments of my God.
116Sustain me as You promised, that I may live;
let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117Uphold me, and I will be saved,
that I may always regard Your statutes.
118You reject all who stray from Your statutes,
for their deceitfulness is in vain.
119All the wicked on earth You discard like dross;
therefore I love Your testimonies.
120My flesh trembles in awe of You;
I stand in fear of Your judgments.
ע
AYIN
121I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122Ensure Your servant’s well-being;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation,
and for Your righteous promise.
124Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion,
and teach me Your statutes.
125I am Your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know Your testimonies.
126It is time for the LORD to act,
for they have broken Your law.
127Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold,
even the purest gold.
128Therefore I admire all Your precepts
and hate every false way.
פ
PE
129Wonderful are Your testimonies;
therefore I obey them.
130The unfolding of Your words gives light;
it informs the simple.
131I open my mouth and pant,
longing for Your commandments.
132Turn to me and show me mercy,
as You do to those who love Your name.
133Order my steps in Your word;
let no sin rule over me.
134Redeem me from the oppression of man,
that I may keep Your precepts.
135Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
and teach me Your statutes.
136My eyes shed streams of tears
because Your law is not obeyed.
צ
TZADE
137Righteous are You, O LORD,
and upright are Your judgments.
138The testimonies You have laid down are righteous
and altogether faithful.
139My zeal has consumed me
because my foes forget Your words.
140Your promise is completely pure;
therefore Your servant loves it.
141I am lowly and despised,
but I do not forget Your precepts.
142Your righteousness is everlasting
and Your law is true.
143Trouble and distress have found me,
but Your commandments are my delight.
144Your testimonies are righteous forever.
Give me understanding, that I may live.
ק
KOPH
145I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD!
I will obey Your statutes.
146I call to You; save me,
that I may keep Your testimonies.
147I rise before dawn and cry for help;
in Your word I have put my hope.
148My eyes anticipate the watches of night,
that I may meditate on Your word.
149Hear my voice, O LORD, according to Your loving devotion;
give me life according to Your justice.
150Those who follow after wickedness draw near;
they are far from Your law.
151You are near, O LORD,
and all Your commandments are true.
152Long ago I learned from Your testimonies
that You have established them forever.
ר
RESH
153Look upon my affliction and rescue me,
for I have not forgotten Your law.
154Defend my cause and redeem me;
revive me according to Your word.
155Salvation is far from the wicked
because they do not seek Your statutes.
156Great are Your mercies, O LORD;
revive me according to Your ordinances.
157Though my persecutors and foes are many,
I have not turned from Your testimonies.
158I look on the faithless with loathing
because they do not keep Your word.
159Consider how I love Your precepts, O LORD;
give me life according to Your loving devotion.
160The entirety of Your word is truth,
and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.
ש
SIN and SHIN
161Rulers persecute me without cause,
but my heart fears only Your word.
162I rejoice in Your promise
like one who finds great spoil.
163I hate and abhor falsehood,
but Your law I love.
164Seven times a day I praise You
for Your righteous judgments.
165Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
166I wait for Your salvation, O LORD,
and I carry out Your commandments.
167I obey Your testimonies
and love them greatly.
168I obey Your precepts and Your testimonies,
for all my ways are before You.
ת
TAW
169May my cry come before You, O LORD;
give me understanding according to Your word.
170May my plea come before You;
rescue me according to Your promise.
171My lips pour forth praise,
for You teach me Your statutes.
172My tongue sings of Your word,
for all Your commandments are righteous.
173May Your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen Your precepts.
174I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
and Your law is my delight.
175Let me live to praise You;
may Your judgments sustain me.
176I have strayed like a lost sheep;
seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.
Proverbs 6:23
For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
2 Peter 1:19
We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Psalm 19:8
The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
John 1:4-5
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
Matthew 4:16
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
Ephesians 5:8-9
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, / for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
1 John 1:5-7
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. / If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. / But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Psalm 43:3
Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain and to the place where You dwell.
Luke 1:78-79
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high, / to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Proverbs 4:18
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
2 Samuel 22:29
For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.
Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.
John 12:35-36
Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. / While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them.
Psalm 19:8
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalm 43:3
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Proverbs 6:23
For the commandment is a lamp;
and
the law is light;
and
reproofs of instruction are the
Way of Life:
lamp.
Psalm 18:28
For thou wilt
light
My Candle:
the
LORD my God will
Enlighten
my darkness.
Job 29:3
When his candle shined upon
my head,
and when by
his light
I walked through darkness;
The Living Stone and Chosen People
(Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22)
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone,
a chosen and precious cornerstone;
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame.”
To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
and,
“A stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
Submission to Authorities
(Romans 13:1–7)
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority, or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Live in freedom,
but do not use your freedom as a cover-up
for evil;
live as servants of God.
Treat everyone with high regard:
Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God,
honor the king.
Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable. For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended. How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
Christ’s Example of Suffering
(Isaiah 53:1–8)
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example, that you should follow in
His footsteps:
“He committed no sin,
and no
deceit was found in His mouth.”
When they heaped abuse on Him,
He did not retaliate;
when He suffered, He made no threats,
but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
He Himself bore our sins
in His body on the tree,
so that we might die to sin
and live to righteousness.
“By His stripes you are healed.”
For “you were like sheep going astray,”
but now you have
returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
FOOT notes:
6 a Isaiah 28:16 (see also LXX)
7 b Psalm 118:22
8 c Isaiah 8:14
10 d Hosea 2:23
17 e Literally Love the brotherhood
18 f Or in all fear
22 g Isaiah 53:9
24 h Isaiah 53:4 (see also LXX)
24 i Isaiah 53:5
25 j Isaiah 53:6
In Philippians 2:9–11 we read that Jesus has the name above all names: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” What did Paul mean when he said that God gave Jesus the name that is above every name?
In this passage, the apostle appeals to believers to cultivate an attitude of humility. He gives them an example to emulate, namely, Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate model of humility. He says in verses 6–9 that Jesus, who is God and who has always been God, did not hold tightly to His position of equality with God. Instead, Jesus emptied Himself or made Himself nothing. He left His high rank in heaven to become a humble, human servant. He set aside His rights and privileges as God to live a life of humble service and obedience, even to the point of dying a horrible death on the cross for sinners.
As a result of Jesus Christ’s self-emptying and self-humiliation, God exalted Him to the highest place of honor. Jesus, who stooped down low, was raised by the Father to His glorious position in heaven. The name that is above all names is the supreme name—the divine name Lord. This name acknowledges Jesus Christ’s absolute lordship as divine King of the universe, and it brings with it the right to be worshiped.
It was humbling for the Son of God to become a man. Taking on the character of a servant was even more humbling. But Jesus went a step beyond. He was willing to die one of the most disgraceful forms of execution as a condemned criminal on a cross. Following His humiliation and obedience, God elevated Jesus to His rightful place of glory. After Christ’s victorious resurrection from the dead, God bestowed honor upon His humble, obedient Son: “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne” (Hebrews 12:2, NLT).
When Paul said, “At the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10, CSB), the emphasis was on every creature in the universe acknowledging Jesus as Lord over all creation. When he stated, “Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (verse 11, CSB), he meant that every living thing, both in heaven and on earth, will honor Christ. Heavenly forces and demonic powers, people who reject Christ and His faithful in the church—all will bow before Him (Isaiah 45:23–24). Every tongue will acknowledge Jesus for who He is—the Sovereign Lord of the universe.
The verses stating that all creation will honor Jesus Christ do not mean that everyone will be saved. Instead, they point to the time when every being acknowledges His authority. The exalted Christ, who sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand (Colossians 3:1) is Lord over all (Acts 10:36; Romans 10:12). He has the supreme Name; He is Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). He is the one Lord, “Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:6, NLT). Jesus is Lord of both the dead and the living (Romans 14:9). He is the Lord upon whom the church calls (1 Corinthians 1:2). Jesus is our Mediator (Hebrews 3:1–6; 8:6; 9:15; 12:24), Intercessor (Hebrews 7:24–25; Romans. 8:34), Reconciler (Ephesians 2:12–17; Romans 5:1), and the One who gives us entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven (Hebrews 4:1, 11; 6:19–20).
Jesus has the NAME above all names
because
Jesus Christ is Lord!
This name, given to Him by the Father,
affirms
His divinity and supreme
authority
The idea of “circumcision of the heart” is found in Romans 2:29. It refers to having a pure heart, separated unto God. Paul writes, “A Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” These words conclude a sometimes confusing passage of Scripture regarding circumcision and the Christian. Verses 25-29 provide context:
“For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”
Paul is discussing the role of the Old Testament Law as it relates to Christianity. He argues that Jewish circumcision is only an outward sign of being set apart to God. However, if the heart is sinful, then physical circumcision is of no avail. A circumcised body and a sinful heart are at odds with each other. Rather than focus on external rites, Paul focuses on the condition of the heart. Using circumcision as a metaphor, he says that only the Holy Spirit can purify a heart and set us apart to God. Ultimately, circumcision cannot make a person right with God; the Law is not enough. A person’s heart must change. Paul calls this change “circumcision of the heart.”
This concept was not original with the apostle Paul. As a Jew trained in the Law of Moses, he was certainly aware of this discussion from Deuteronomy 30. There, the Lord used the same metaphor to communicate His desire for a holy people: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). Physical circumcision was a sign of Israel’s covenant with God; circumcision of the heart, therefore, would indicate Israel’s being set apart to love God fully, inside and out.
John the Baptist warned the Pharisees against taking pride in their physical heritage and boasting in their circumcision: “Do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham” (Matthew 3:9).
True “children of Abraham” are those who follow Abraham’s example of believing God (Genesis 15:6). Physical circumcision does not make one a child of God; faith does. Believers in Jesus Christ can truly say they are children of “Father Abraham.” “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
God has always wanted more from His people than just external conformity to a set of rules. He has always wanted them to possess a heart to love, know, and follow Him. That’s why God is not concerned with a circumcision of the flesh. Even in the Old Testament, God’s priority was a spiritual circumcision of the heart: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done” (Jeremiah 4:4).
Both Testaments focus on the need for repentance and inward change in order to be right with God. In Jesus, the Law has been fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). Through Him, a person can be made right with God and receive eternal life (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). As Paul said, true circumcision is a matter of the heart, performed by the Spirit of God.
Luke 12:31
But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 3:1-2
Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. / Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; / in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
1 Timothy 6:11
But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Psalm 34:10
Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
1 Kings 3:11-14
So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— / behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be. / Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. ...
Deuteronomy 28:1-2
“Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. / And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the voice of the LORD your God:
The condemnation you are like whitewashed tombs was part of Jesus’ indictment of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. It is one of seven woes Jesus pronounced on the religious leaders as He confronted them about their hypocrisy.
Whitewashed tombs means exactly what it sounds like: tombs or mausoleums that have been covered with white paint, so they “look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27). This speaks to the spiritual condition of the scribes and Pharisees. Outwardly, they were holy and clean, but inside they were spiritually dead.
The comparison to whitewashed tombs would have been quite offensive because the Mosaic Law states, “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days” (Numbers 19:11, ESV). For a group of people who prided themselves on ceremonial cleanliness and following the law, the accusation that they were full of dead bodies would be insufferable. That was precisely Jesus’ point, though. They may have been ceremonially clean, but, inside, they were the highest level of unclean—full of the death and decay they tried so hard to avoid.
Such a harsh statement from Jesus reveals His anger at the hypocrisy in the religious leaders, who only cared about appearances. They took care of what people could see—and took pride in it—but they neglected what God could see. They “painted the outside,” leaving the inside full of greed and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:25). In their eyes, if they followed the law to the letter, they were holy, and the condition of their hearts wouldn’t matter. Jesus needed to confront the superficiality of these dangerous leaders who did not practice what they preached. The whitewashed tombs were leading themselves and others to death and separation from God (Matthew 23:15).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that the law was less about what to do and not do and more about changing the heart. One analogy is that the law is like a mirror, revealing the flaws in man and how much they need God, like a mirror showing the food stuck between one’s teeth. The law can reveal uncleanness, but it cannot be used to make a person righteous; only God can do that. The Pharisees were taking the mirror off the wall and trying to use it to pick their teeth. It simply does not work.
Whitewashed tombs work as a good contrast to Jesus Himself, the Son of Man, who came to bring life (John 10:10). He offered rest and grace instead of the impossible burden and condemnation of the Pharisees (Matthew 11:28–30). The superficial cleanness of whitewashed tombs cannot compare to the deep-cleaning blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
1 Kings 3:11-13
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; …
1 Kings 17:13
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
2 Chronicles 1:7-12
In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee…
the kingdom.
Matthew 3:2
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 13:44-46
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field…
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Isaiah 45:24
Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
Jeremiah 23:6
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Matthew 19:29
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Leviticus 25:20,21
And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: …
Psalm 34:9,10
O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him…
The Woman and the Dragon
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
The War in Heaven
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
The Dragon Persecutes the Woman
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 66:7-8
“Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. / Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.
Micah 4:9-10
Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor? / Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!
Isaiah 26:17-18
As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD. / We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world.
John 16:21
A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
Galatians 4:19
My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
Matthew 24:8
All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Jeremiah 4:31
For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child—the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, “Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!”
Romans 8:22
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.
Isaiah 13:8
Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.
Hosea 13:13
Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.
1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Isaiah 54:1
“Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.
Micah 5:3
Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.
Psalm 48:6
Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.
Isaiah 21:3
Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.
Revelation 12:4
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Isaiah 53:11
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 54:1
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
Matt 5:17
Many Messianic Jews refer to themselves as
“completed Jews,”
since they believe that their faith in the God of Israel has been “completed” or fulfilled in Yeshua.
In reality, Messianic Judaism began 2,000 years ago. Yeshua Himself was an observant Jew, most of the apostles and writers of the New Covenant were Jewish, and the vast majority of the early believers in Yeshua were also Jewish (see Acts chapter 2).
Messianic Jews continue to celebrate the Jewish festivals and feast days as prescribed in the Hebrew Scriptures (i.e., Feast of Weeks, Feast of Tabernacles, etc.), but their observances are meant to demonstrate how Yeshua has already fulfilled these Holy Days. Most Messianic Jews, if they celebrate Easter, remove the pagan influences and celebrate only what is given in the Bible—viz., the Passover. Jews who now follow Yeshua the Messiah understand that everything given in the Old Covenant was a “mere shadow” of the better things to come in the New.
Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways. Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
"Love is the fulfillment of the law"
(Romans 13:10)
means that a life lived in love for God and neighbor inherently keeps all commandments, as loving actions prevent harm and fulfill the intent behind laws against murder, theft, etc., embodying the core principle of biblical ethics.
This concept, also found in Galatians 5:14, shows love as the ultimate expression and completion of God's law, not a replacement for it, but the active, internal way it's lived out.
Since ancient times, builders have used cornerstones in their construction projects.
A cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of an edifice, to guide the workers in their course. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. The Bible describes Jesus as the cornerstone that His church would be built upon. He is foundational. Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it. As the cornerstone of the building of the church, Jesus is our standard of measure and alignment.
The book of Isaiah has many references to the Messiah to come. In several places the Messiah is referred to as “the cornerstone,” such as in this prophecy: “So this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line’” (Isaiah 28:16–17). In context, God speaks to the scoffers and boasters of Judah, and He promises to send the cornerstone—His precious Son—who will provide the firm foundation for their lives, if they would but trust in Him.
In the New Testament, the cornerstone metaphor is continued. The apostle Paul desires for the Ephesian Christians to know Christ better: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19– 21). Furthermore, in 1 Peter 2:6, what Isaiah said centuries before is affirmed in exactly the same words.
Peter says that Jesus, as our cornerstone, is “chosen by God and precious to him” (1 Peter 2:4). The Cornerstone is also reliable, and “the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (verse 6).
Unfortunately, not everyone aligns with the cornerstone. Some accept Christ; some reject Him. Jesus is the “stone the builders rejected” (Mark 12:10; cf. Psalm 118:22). When news of the Messiah’s arrival came to the magi in the East, they determined to bring Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But when that same news came to King Herod in Jerusalem, his response was to attempt to kill Him. From the very beginning, Jesus was “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall” (1 Peter 2:8).
How can people reject God’s chosen, precious cornerstone?
Simply put, they want to build something different from
what God is building.
Just as the people
building the tower of Babel rebelled against God
and pursued their own project,
those who reject
Christ
disregard God’s plan in favor of their own.
Judgment is promised to all those
who reject Christ:
“Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls
will be crushed”
(Matthew 21:44).
The idea of “circumcision of the heart” is found in Romans 2:29. It refers to having a pure heart, separated unto God. Paul writes, “A Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” These words conclude a sometimes confusing passage of Scripture regarding circumcision and the Christian. Verses 25-29 provide context:
“For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”
Paul is discussing the role of the Old Testament Law as it relates to Christianity. He argues that Jewish circumcision is only an outward sign of being set apart to God. However, if the heart is sinful, then physical circumcision is of no avail. A circumcised body and a sinful heart are at odds with each other. Rather than focus on external rites, Paul focuses on the condition of the heart. Using circumcision as a metaphor, he says that only the Holy Spirit can purify a heart and set us apart to God. Ultimately, circumcision cannot make a person right with God; the Law is not enough. A person’s heart must change. Paul calls this change “circumcision of the heart.”
This concept was not original with the apostle Paul. As a Jew trained in the Law of Moses, he was certainly aware of this discussion from Deuteronomy 30. There, the Lord used the same metaphor to communicate His desire for a holy people: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). Physical circumcision was a sign of Israel’s covenant with God; circumcision of the heart, therefore, would indicate Israel’s being set apart to love God fully, inside and out.
John the Baptist warned the Pharisees against taking pride in their physical heritage and boasting in their circumcision: “Do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham” (Matthew 3:9).
True “children of Abraham” are those who follow Abraham’s example of believing God (Genesis 15:6). Physical circumcision does not make one a child of God; faith does. Believers in Jesus Christ can truly say they are children of “Father Abraham.” “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
God has always wanted more from His people than just external conformity to a set of rules. He has always wanted them to possess a heart to love, know, and follow Him. That’s why God is not concerned with a circumcision of the flesh. Even in the Old Testament, God’s priority was a spiritual circumcision of the heart: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done” (Jeremiah 4:4).
Both Testaments focus on the need for repentance and inward change in order to be right with God. In Jesus, the Law has been fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). Through Him, a person can be made right with God and receive eternal life (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). As Paul said, true circumcision is a matter of the heart, performed by the Spirit of God.
Luke 12:31
But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 3:1-2
Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. / Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; / in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
1 Timothy 6:11
But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Psalm 34:10
Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
1 Kings 3:11-14
So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— / behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be. / Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. ...
Deuteronomy 28:1-2
“Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. / And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the voice of the LORD your God:
The condemnation you are like whitewashed tombs was part of Jesus’ indictment of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. It is one of seven woes Jesus pronounced on the religious leaders as He confronted them about their hypocrisy.
Whitewashed tombs means exactly what it sounds like: tombs or mausoleums that have been covered with white paint, so they “look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27). This speaks to the spiritual condition of the scribes and Pharisees. Outwardly, they were holy and clean, but inside they were spiritually dead.
The comparison to whitewashed tombs would have been quite offensive because the Mosaic Law states, “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days” (Numbers 19:11, ESV). For a group of people who prided themselves on ceremonial cleanliness and following the law, the accusation that they were full of dead bodies would be insufferable. That was precisely Jesus’ point, though. They may have been ceremonially clean, but, inside, they were the highest level of unclean—full of the death and decay they tried so hard to avoid.
Such a harsh statement from Jesus reveals His anger at the hypocrisy in the religious leaders, who only cared about appearances. They took care of what people could see—and took pride in it—but they neglected what God could see. They “painted the outside,” leaving the inside full of greed and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:25). In their eyes, if they followed the law to the letter, they were holy, and the condition of their hearts wouldn’t matter. Jesus needed to confront the superficiality of these dangerous leaders who did not practice what they preached. The whitewashed tombs were leading themselves and others to death and separation from God (Matthew 23:15).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that the law was less about what to do and not do and more about changing the heart. One analogy is that the law is like a mirror, revealing the flaws in man and how much they need God, like a mirror showing the food stuck between one’s teeth. The law can reveal uncleanness, but it cannot be used to make a person righteous; only God can do that. The Pharisees were taking the mirror off the wall and trying to use it to pick their teeth. It simply does not work.
Whitewashed tombs work as a good contrast to Jesus Himself, the Son of Man, who came to bring life (John 10:10). He offered rest and grace instead of the impossible burden and condemnation of the Pharisees (Matthew 11:28–30). The superficial cleanness of whitewashed tombs cannot compare to the deep-cleaning blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
1 Kings 3:11-13
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; …
1 Kings 17:13
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
2 Chronicles 1:7-12
In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee…
the kingdom.
Matthew 3:2
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 13:44-46
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field…
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Isaiah 45:24
Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
Jeremiah 23:6
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Matthew 19:29
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Leviticus 25:20,21
And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: …
Psalm 34:9,10
O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him…
The Woman and the Dragon
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
The War in Heaven
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
The Dragon Persecutes the Woman
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 66:7-8
“Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. / Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.
Micah 4:9-10
Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor? / Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!
Isaiah 26:17-18
As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD. / We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world.
John 16:21
A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
Galatians 4:19
My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
Matthew 24:8
All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Jeremiah 4:31
For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child—the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, “Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!”
Romans 8:22
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.
Isaiah 13:8
Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.
Hosea 13:13
Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.
1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Isaiah 54:1
“Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.
Micah 5:3
Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.
Psalm 48:6
Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.
Isaiah 21:3
Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.
Revelation 12:4
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Isaiah 53:11
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 54:1
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
Matt 5:17
Many Messianic Jews refer to themselves as
“completed Jews,”
since they believe that their faith in the God of Israel has been “completed” or fulfilled in Yeshua.
In reality, Messianic Judaism began 2,000 years ago. Yeshua Himself was an observant Jew, most of the apostles and writers of the New Covenant were Jewish, and the vast majority of the early believers in Yeshua were also Jewish (see Acts chapter 2).
Messianic Jews continue to celebrate the Jewish festivals and feast days as prescribed in the Hebrew Scriptures (i.e., Feast of Weeks, Feast of Tabernacles, etc.), but their observances are meant to demonstrate how Yeshua has already fulfilled these Holy Days. Most Messianic Jews, if they celebrate Easter, remove the pagan influences and celebrate only what is given in the Bible—viz., the Passover. Jews who now follow Yeshua the Messiah understand that everything given in the Old Covenant was a “mere shadow” of the better things to come in the New.
Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways. Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
"Love is the fulfillment of the law"
(Romans 13:10)
means that a life lived in love for God and neighbor inherently keeps all commandments, as loving actions prevent harm and fulfill the intent behind laws against murder, theft, etc., embodying the core principle of biblical ethics.
This concept, also found in Galatians 5:14, shows love as the ultimate expression and completion of God's law, not a replacement for it, but the active, internal way it's lived out.
Since ancient times, builders have used cornerstones in their construction projects.
A cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of an edifice, to guide the workers in their course. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. The Bible describes Jesus as the cornerstone that His church would be built upon. He is foundational. Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it. As the cornerstone of the building of the church, Jesus is our standard of measure and alignment.
The book of Isaiah has many references to the Messiah to come. In several places the Messiah is referred to as “the cornerstone,” such as in this prophecy: “So this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line’” (Isaiah 28:16–17). In context, God speaks to the scoffers and boasters of Judah, and He promises to send the cornerstone—His precious Son—who will provide the firm foundation for their lives, if they would but trust in Him.
In the New Testament, the cornerstone metaphor is continued. The apostle Paul desires for the Ephesian Christians to know Christ better: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19– 21). Furthermore, in 1 Peter 2:6, what Isaiah said centuries before is affirmed in exactly the same words.
Peter says that Jesus, as our cornerstone, is “chosen by God and precious to him” (1 Peter 2:4). The Cornerstone is also reliable, and “the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (verse 6).
Unfortunately, not everyone aligns with the cornerstone. Some accept Christ; some reject Him. Jesus is the “stone the builders rejected” (Mark 12:10; cf. Psalm 118:22). When news of the Messiah’s arrival came to the magi in the East, they determined to bring Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But when that same news came to King Herod in Jerusalem, his response was to attempt to kill Him. From the very beginning, Jesus was “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall” (1 Peter 2:8).
How can people reject God’s chosen, precious cornerstone?
Simply put, they want to build something different from
what God is building.
Just as the people
building the tower of Babel rebelled against God
and pursued their own project,
those who reject
Christ
disregard God’s plan in favor of their own.
Judgment is promised to all those
who reject Christ:
“Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls
will be crushed”
(Matthew 21:44).
The Song of the Vineyard
(Luke 13:6–9)
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
He dug it up and cleared the stones
and planted the finest vines.
He built a watchtower in the middle
and dug out a winepress as well.
He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes,
but the fruit it produced was sour!
“And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
I exhort you to judge
between Me and My vineyard.
What more could have been done for My vineyard
than I have done for it?
Why, when I expected sweet grapes,
did it bring forth sour fruit?
Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
and it will be consumed;
I will tear down its wall,
and it will be trampled.
I will make it a wasteland,
neither pruned nor cultivated,
and thorns and briers will grow up.
I will command the clouds
that rain shall not fall on it.”
For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are the plant of His delight.
He looked for justice,
but saw bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but heard a cry of distress.
Woes to the Wicked
Woe to you who add house to house
and join field to field
until no place is left
and you live alone in the land.
I heard the LORD of Hosts declare:
“Surely many houses will become desolate,
great mansions left unoccupied.
For ten acres of vineyard
will yield but a bath of wine,
and a homer of seed
only an ephah of grain.
Woe to those who rise early in the morning
in pursuit of strong drink,
who linger into the evening,
to be inflamed by wine.
At their feasts are the lyre and harp,
tambourines and flutes and wine.
They disregard the actions of the LORD
and fail to see the work of His hands.
Therefore My people will go into exile
for their lack of understanding;
their dignitaries are starving
and their masses are parched with thirst.
Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat
and opens wide its enormous jaws,
and down go Zion’s nobles and masses,
her revelers and carousers!
So mankind will be brought low, and each man humbled;
the arrogant will lower their eyes.
But the LORD of Hosts will be exalted by His justice,
and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
Lambs will graze as in their own pastures,
and strangers will feed in the ruins of the wealthy.
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit
and pull sin along with cart ropes,
to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work
so that we may see it!
Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come
so that we may know it!”
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who turn darkness to light
and light to darkness,
who replace bitter with sweet
and sweet with bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.
Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine
and champions in mixing strong drink,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe
and deprive the innocent of justice.
Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw,
and as dry grass shrivels in the flame,
so their roots will decay
and their blossoms will blow away like dust;
for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts
and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore the anger of the LORD burns against His people;
His hand is raised against them to strike them down.
The mountains quake,
and the corpses lie like refuse in the streets.
Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;
His hand is still upraised.
He lifts a banner for the distant nations
and whistles for those at the ends of the earth.
Behold—how speedily and swiftly they come!
None of them grows weary or stumbles;
no one slumbers or sleeps.
No belt is loose
and no sandal strap is broken.
Their arrows are sharpened,
and all their bows are strung.
The hooves of their horses are like flint;
their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind.
Their roaring is like that of a lion;
they roar like young lions.
They growl and seize their prey;
they carry it away, and no one can rescue it.
In that day they will roar over it,
like the roaring of the sea.
If one looks over the land,
he will see darkness and distress;
even the light will be obscured by clouds.
10 a Literally ten yoke of vineyard will yield a bath; that is, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day will yield approximately 5.8 gallons or 22 liters of wine.
10 b Literally and a homer of seed will yield an ephah; that is, a homer of seed (approximately 6.24 bushels or 220 liters) will yield a tenth of its weight in grain.
lambs
The Bride’s Admiration
The Bride
I am a rose of Sharon,
a lily of the valley.
The Bridegroom
Like a lily among the thorns
is my darling among the maidens.
The Bride
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He has brought me to the house of wine,
and his banner over me is love.
Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apples,
for I am faint with love.
His left hand is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you
by the gazelles and does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until the time is right.
Listen!
My beloved approaches.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look, he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
My beloved calls to me,
“Arise, my darling.
Come away with me, my beautiful one.
For now the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers have appeared in the countryside;
the season of singing has come,
and the cooing of turtledoves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree ripens its figs;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come away, my darling;
come away with me, my beautiful one.”
The Bridegroom
O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your countenance is lovely.
The Friends
Catch for us the foxes--
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards--
for our vineyards are in bloom.
The Bride
My beloved is mine and I am his;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
Before the day breaks and shadows flee,
turn, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.
Unity in the Body
(Psalm 133:1–3; 1 Corinthians 1:10–17)
As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. This is why it says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captives away,
and gave gifts to men.”
What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
New Life in Christ
(Colossians 3:1–17)
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
But this is not the way you came to know Christ. Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus— to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. “Be angry, yet do not sin.”
Do not let the sun set upon your anger, and do not give the devil a foothold.
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
Alive with Christ
(Colossians 2:6–23)
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
One in Christ
(Philippians 2:1–4)
Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility.
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Christ Our Cornerstone
(Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 1 Peter 2:1–8)
Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints and
members of God’s household,
built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets,
with
Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
In Him the whole building
is fitted together
and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
And in Him you too
are being built
together
into a dwelling place for God
in His Spirit.
Matthew 24:31
And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Isaiah 11:12
He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Zechariah 10:8
I will whistle for them to gather, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they once were.
Matthew 8:11
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Jeremiah 4:6
Raise a signal flag toward Zion. Seek refuge! Do not delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, and terrible destruction.
Isaiah 13:2
Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand,
Luke 13:29
People will come from east and west and north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.
Isaiah 18:3
All you people of the world and dwellers of the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it; when a ram’s horn sounds, you will hear it.
Isaiah 30:17
A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.
Jeremiah 6:22
This is what the LORD says: “Behold, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 49:22
This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
Matthew 22:9-10
Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’ / So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
Isaiah 66:19
I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So they will proclaim My glory among the nations.
Ezekiel 38:15
And you will come from your place out of the far north—you and many peoples with you, all riding horses—a mighty horde, a huge army.
Isaiah 11:12
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isaiah 18:3
All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.
Jeremiah 51:27
Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz;
appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough
caterpillers.
Isaiah 7:18
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
Zechariah 10:8
I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.
end
Isaiah 39:3
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
Psalm 72:8
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 30:16
But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.
Jeremiah 4:13
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
Lamentations 4:19
Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, / that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, / and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 1:16-20
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. / He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. / And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. ...
Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
John 3:13
No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
Acts 1:9-11
After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. / They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. / “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
John 6:62
Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?
John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
1 Peter 3:22
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.
Romans 10:6-7
But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) / or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
1 Timothy 3:16
By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory.
Psalm 68:18
You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
Daniel 7:13-14
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. / And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Psalm 110:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. / Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.
Psalm 8:5-6
You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor. / You made him ruler of the works of Your hands; You have placed everything under his feet:
Ephesians 1:20-23
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, …
Acts 1:9,11
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight…
1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
that he.
Ephesians 3:19
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
John 1:16
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Acts 2:33
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
fill.
Matthew 24:34
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Luke 24:44
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
John 19:24,28,36
They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did…
SING
to the LORD, All the Earth
(1 Chronicles 16:23–36)
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
proclaim His salvation day after day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are
idols,
but it is the LORD who made
the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him;
strength and beauty fill His sanctuary.
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
bring an offering and enter His courts.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness;
tremble before Him, all the earth.
Declare among the nations: “The LORD reigns!”
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.
Let the heavens be glad
and the earth rejoice;
let the sea resound,
and all that fills it.
Let the fields exult,
and all that is in them.
Then all the trees of the forest
will sing for joy before the LORD,
for He is coming--
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in His faithfulness.
Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
John 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...
Psalm 119:103
How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth!
Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.
Revelation 22:2
down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
John 6:57
Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.
Matthew 7:17-20
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. / A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. / Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ...
Hosea 14:6-7
His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. / They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Ezekiel 17:22-24
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. / I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches. / Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”
Luke 6:43-45
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. / For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. / The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, / gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Isaiah 4:2
On that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors.
Song of Solomon 8:5
Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.
Isaiah 4:2
In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
Ezekiel 17:23,24
In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell… my beloved
Song of Solomon 5:9,10,16
What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? …
Psalm 45:2
Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Psalm 89:6
For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
Judges 9:15,19,20
And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon…
Psalm 57:1
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
Psalm 91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
his fruit
Song of Solomon 2:5
Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
Genesis 3:22-24
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: …
Ezekiel 47:12
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
Song of Solomon 2
the mutual love of Christ and his church
The hope
and calling of the church
Christ's care of the church
The profession of the church, her faith, and hope
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
This phrase highlights the uniqueness and desirability of the beloved. In ancient Near Eastern culture, apple trees were valued for their beauty and fruitfulness, often symbolizing love and fertility. The comparison to a forest suggests that the beloved stands out among many, much like Christ is unique among all men.
The apple tree can also be seen as
a type of Christ,
offering sustenance and refuge.is my beloved among the young men.
The beloved is distinguished from others, emphasizing his exceptional qualities. In the context of the Song of Solomon, this reflects the deep admiration and love the bride has for her bridegroom. Spiritually, this can be seen as a reflection of the believer's love for Christ, who is unparalleled among men. The young men may represent worldly attractions, but the beloved surpasses them all.
I delight to sit in his shade,
Shade provides protection and comfort, symbolizing the safety and peace found in the presence of the beloved. In biblical times, shade was a precious commodity in the hot climate of the Middle East. This imagery can be connected to Psalm 91:1, where dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty is a place of refuge. It signifies the rest and security believers find in Christ.
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
The fruit represents the blessings and joys derived from the relationship with the beloved. In a spiritual sense, this can be seen as the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) that believers experience through their relationship with Christ. The sweetness indicates the satisfaction and fulfillment found in communion with Him, echoing the idea that Christ's presence and gifts are deeply satisfying to the soul.
1. The Beloved
Represents the male figure in the Song of Solomon, often interpreted as Solomon himself or a representation of Christ in allegorical readings.
2. The Shulammite
The female speaker in the Song of Solomon, expressing her love and admiration for her beloved.
3. Apple Tree
Symbolizes uniqueness and desirability, standing out among the ordinary trees of the forest.
4. Forest
Represents the world or society, where many choices exist, but the beloved is distinct and special.
5. Shade and Fruit
Metaphors for protection, comfort, and the satisfying nature of the beloved's presence and love.
Teaching Points
Uniqueness of Christ
Just as the apple tree stands out among the forest, Christ is unique and unparalleled among all others. Believers are called to recognize and cherish His distinctiveness.
Seeking Refuge in Christ
The shade of the apple tree represents the protection and comfort found in Christ. Believers are encouraged to seek refuge in Him during times of trouble and uncertainty.
Satisfaction in Christ
The sweetness of the fruit symbolizes the deep satisfaction and joy found in a relationship with Christ. Believers should cultivate a desire for His presence and the nourishment He provides.
Intimacy with Christ
The Shulammite's delight in her beloved's presence reflects the intimate relationship believers are invited to have with Christ. This intimacy is nurtured through prayer, worship, and the study of His Word.
Witnessing to Others
Just as the Shulammite publicly declares her delight in her beloved, believers are called to share the joy and satisfaction they find in Christ with others.
1. What is the meaning of Song of Solomon 2:3?
2. How does Song of Solomon 2:3 illustrate Christ's protection and provision for believers?
3. What qualities of the beloved in Song of Solomon 2:3 reflect Christ's character?
4. How can we seek refuge in Christ as depicted in Song of Solomon 2:3?
5. Compare Song of Solomon 2:3 with Psalm 34:8. How do they relate?
6. How can we apply the imagery of "shade" and "fruit" in our lives?
7. What is the significance of the apple tree metaphor in Song of Solomon 2:3?
8. How does Song of Solomon 2:3 reflect God's love for His people?
9. Why is the imagery of fruit used in Song of Solomon 2:3?
10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Song of Solomon 2?
11. What does 'Do not awaken love until it pleases' mean?
12. What is the Bible's stance on oral sex?
13. How do we reconcile the romantic imagery of Song of Solomon 3 with the more sober views on marriage and lust in other biblical texts (e.g., Matthew 5:28)?
14. How does Song of Solomon 8:5, which suggests a strong marital bond, align with biblical texts that portray marriage in more patriarchal terms?
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest• In a dense forest, most trees look alike; an apple tree stands out because it offers beauty, fragrance, and nourishment. The Shulammite sees her beloved as that single life-giving tree in an otherwise ordinary landscape. Psalm 92:12 speaks of the righteous “flourishing like a palm tree,” and Jeremiah 17:8 likens the devoted believer to “a tree planted by the waters.” Likewise, the bride places her beloved in a category of his own—noticeably fruitful where others are barren.
• For us, the verse reminds that genuine love—and ultimately Christ Himself—outshines every rival (Colossians 1:18). He is not merely different; He is better, supplying what no one else can.
is my beloved among the young men• The comparison shifts from trees to “young men,” underscoring personal choice. Among all potential suitors, one alone captures her heart. Psalm 45:2 proclaims of the Messianic King, “You are the most handsome of men; grace has anointed Your lips,” echoing the bride’s admiration.
• The line also celebrates covenant faithfulness: she names him “my beloved,” a term of exclusive possession. In New Testament fulfillment, believers confess Jesus as “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28), singling Him out from every other figure who might claim authority.
I delight to sit in his shade• Shade offers relief, protection, and intimacy. By choosing to rest beneath his branches, the bride declares both trust and enjoyment. Psalm 91:1 paints a similar picture: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”
• The word “delight” signals not reluctant duty but eager pleasure. Christ invites, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28–29), and those who respond discover comfort no other relationship can supply.
• Practically, disciples find shade in His promises, presence, and power—a refuge from the scorching heat of trial, guilt, and fear.
and his fruit is sweet to my taste• The apple tree does more than shelter; it feeds. Taste is personal and experiential. Psalm 34:8 urges, “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” The bride has done so and testifies to the sweetness.
• In the larger biblical story, Christ’s words and works are that nourishing fruit. He states, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me will never hunger” (John 6:35). Abiding in Him, we bear and enjoy lasting fruit (John 15:4–5; Galatians 5:22–23).
• The phrase warns against settling for mere appearance. Many trees have foliage, but only one yields satisfying fruit. Likewise, many voices promise fulfillment, yet only the Beloved delivers true sweetness.
Song of Solomon 2:3
paints a vivid portrait
of
exclusive, satisfying love
The bride’s Beloved is uniquely life-giving, preferred above all others, offering shade that protects and fruit that delights. In Him she rests and rejoices. For followers of Christ, the verse becomes a celebration of His unrivaled splendor, His protective grace, and the soul-sweet nourishment found only in abiding fellowship with Him.
(3) Apple tree.--So the LXX. and Vulg.; Heb., tappuach. Out of the six times that the word is used, four occur in this book, the other two being Proverbs 25:11--"apple of gold"--Joel 1:12, where it is joined with vine, fig, &c, as suffering from drought. It has been very variously identified. The quince, the citron, the apple, and the apricot have each had their advocates.The apple may be set aside, because the Palestine fruit usually called the apple is really the quince, the climate being too hot for our apple. (But see Thornson, The Land and the Book, p. 546.) The requirements to be satisfied are (1) grateful shade, Song of Solomon 2:3; (2) agreeable taste, Song of Solomon 2:3-5; (3) sweet perfume, Song of Solomon 7:8; (4) golden appearance, Proverbs 25:11. The quince is preferred by many, as being by the ancients consecrated to love, but it does not satisfy (2), being astringent and unpleasant to the taste till cooked. The citron does not, according to Thomson and Tristram, satisfy (1); but according to Rev. W. Drake, in Smith's Bible Dictionary, "it is a large and beautiful tree, gives a deep and refreshing shade, and is laden with golden-coloured fruit." The apricot meets all the requirements, and is, with the exception of the fig, the most abundant fruit of the country. "In highlands and lowlands alike, by the shores of the Mediterranean and on the banks of the Jordan, in the nooks of Judiaea, under the heights of Lebanon, in the recesses of Galilee, and in the glades of Gilead, the apricot flourishes, and yields a crop of prodigious abundance. Many times have we pitched our tents in its shade, and spread our carpets secure from the rays of the sun. . . . There can scarcely be a more deliciously-perfumed fruit; and what can better fit the epithet of Solomon, 'apples of gold in pictures of silver,' than its golden fruit as its branches bend under the weight, in their setting of bright yet pale foliage?"
Verse 3. - As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. That these are the words of the bride there can be no doubt. The apple tree is noted for the fragrance of its blossom and the sweetness of its fruit; hence the name tappuach, from the root naphach, "to breathe sweetly." The trees of the wood or forest are specially referred to, because they are generally wild, and their fruit sour and rough, and many have no fruit or flower. The Chaldee renders, "citron;" Rosenmuller and others, "quince." The word is rare (see Proverbs 25:11; Joel 1:12). It is sometimes the tree itself, at other times the fruit. It occurs in proper names, as (Joshua 12:17), "The King of Tappuah," etc., and that shows that it was very early known in Palestine. It occurs frequently in the Talmud. The word is masculine, while "lily" is feminine. "I sat with delight" is expressed in true Hebrew phrase, "I delighted and sat," the intensity of feeling being expressed by the piel of the verb. By the shadow is intended both protection and refreshment; by the fruit, enjoyment. Perhaps we may go further, and say there is here a symbolical representation of the spiritual life, as both that of trust and participation. The greatness and goodness of the tree of life protects and covers the sinner, while the inner nature and Divine virtue of the Saviour comes forth in delicious fruits, in his character, words, ministry, and spiritual gifts. If there is any truth in the typical view, it must be found in such passages as this, where the metaphor is so simple and apt, and has been incorporated with all religious language as the vehicle of faith and love. Hymnology abounds in such ideas and analogies.
Hebrew
Like an apricot tree
כְּתַפּ֙וּחַ֙
(kə·ṯap·pū·aḥ)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8598: An apple, the fruit, the tree
among the trees
בַּעֲצֵ֣י (ba·‘ă·ṣê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood
of the forest
הַיַּ֔עַר (hay·ya·‘ar)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3293: A copse of bushes, a forest, honey in the comb
is my beloved
דּוֹדִ֖י (dō·w·ḏî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1730: To love, a love-token, lover, friend, an uncle
among
בֵּ֣ין (bên)
Preposition
Strong's 996: An interval, space between
the young men.
הַבָּנִ֑ים (hab·bā·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son
I delight
חִמַּ֣דְתִּי (ḥim·maḏ·tî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2530: To desire, take pleasure in
to sit
וְיָשַׁ֔בְתִּי (wə·yā·šaḇ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry
in his shade,
בְּצִלּוֹ֙ (bə·ṣil·lōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6738: A shadow
and his fruit
וּפִרְי֖וֹ (ū·p̄ir·yōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6529: Fruit
is sweet
מָת֥וֹק (mā·ṯō·wq)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4966: Sweet, sweetness
to my taste.
לְחִכִּֽי׃ (lə·ḥik·kî)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2441: Palate, roof of the mouth, gums
The tree of life
has been a powerful image in Jewish tradition
for thousands of years –
signifying much more than immortality
The Sermon on the Mount
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him,
and He began to teach them, saying:
The Beatitudes
(Psalm 1:1–6; Luke 6:20–23)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
Salt and Light
(Mark 9:49–50; Luke 14:34–35; Philippians 2:12–18)
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Anger and Reconciliation
(Luke 12:57–59)
You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
(Leviticus 18:1–30)
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.
Divorce
(Deuteronomy 24:1–5; Luke 16:18)
It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths and Vows
(Numbers 30:1–16)
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.
Love Your Enemies
(Leviticus 24:17–23; Luke 6:27–36)
You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Teachings about Divorce
(Mark 10:1–12)
When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.
Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?
Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning.Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.
His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.”
Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.
For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
Jesus Blesses the Children
(Mark 10:13–16; Luke 18:15–17)
Then little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.
The Rich Young Man
(Mark 10:17–31; Luke 18:18–30)
Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”
“Why do you ask Me about what is good?”
Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life,
keep the commandments.”
Which ones?” the man asked.
Jesus answered,
“‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother,
and love your neighbor as yourself.’
“All these I have kept,” said the young man.
“What do I still lack?”
Jesus told him,
“If you want to be perfect, go,
sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow Me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them,
“Truly I tell you,
in the
renewal of all things,
when the
Son of Man sits on His glorious throne,
you who have followed Me
will also sit on twelve thrones,
judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.
Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi
When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab. Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.
Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me.
May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.”
And she kissed them as they wept aloud and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands? Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
But Ruth replied:
“Do not urge me to leave you
or to turn from following you.
For wherever you go, I will go,
and wherever you live, I will live;
your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.
Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
May the LORD punish me,
and ever so severely,
if anything but death
separates you and me.”
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.
The Return to Bethlehem
So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women of the town exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”
So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess.
And they arrived
in Bethlehem at the beginning of the
barley Harvest.
The Genealogy of Jesus
(Ruth 4:18–22; Luke 3:23–38)
This is the record of the genealogy
of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
and Hezron the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
and Nahshon the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of David the king.
Next:
David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,
Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
and Abijah the father of Asa.
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
and Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,c
Amon the father of Josiah,
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers
at the time of the exile to Babylon.
After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
and Eliakim the father of Azor.
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
and Achim the father of Eliud.
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of
Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband
of Mary,
of whom was born Jesus, who is called
Christ.
In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David,
fourteen from David
to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
The Birth of Jesus
(Isaiah 7:10–16; Luke 2:1–7)
In My Father’s House Are Many Rooms
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
(John 16:5–16)
If you love Me, you will keepe My commandments.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate
to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.
But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.
All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
Peace I Leave with You
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe.
I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me. But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.
Get up! Let us go on from here.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
(Psalm 23:1–6; Ezekiel 34:11–24)
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but cli
mbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.”
Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them. So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”
Again there was division among the Jews because of Jesus’ message. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”
But others replied, “These are not the words of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Jesus at the Feast of Dedication
At that time the Feast of Dedication
took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple courtsc in Solomon’s Colonnade. So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf.
But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe. My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him. But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”
“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— then what about the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me of blasphemy for stating that I am the Son of God?
If I am not doing the works of My Father, then do not believe Me. But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works themselves, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father.”
At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
John’s Testimony Confirmed
Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there. Many came to Him and said, “Although John never performed a sign, everything he said about this man was true.” And many in that place believed in Jesus.
Treasures in Heaven
(Luke 12:32–34)
19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rustc destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Lamp of the Body
(Luke 11:33–36)
22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good,d your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad,e your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry
(Luke 12:22–31)
25Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?f
28And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first the kingdom of Godg and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
Jesus had just finished explaining to the disciples the meaning of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, and these two short parables are a continuance of His discussion of the “kingdom of heaven.” He expressed truths about the kingdom in three pairs of parables in Matthew 13: the seed and the sower (vv. 3-23) and the weeds in the field (vv. 24-30); the mustard seed (vv. 31-32) and the leaven (v. 33); and the hidden treasure (v. 44) and the pearl of great price (vv. 45-46).
The similarities of these two short parables make it clear they teach the same lesson—the kingdom of heaven is of inestimable value. Both parables involve a man who sold all he had to possess the kingdom. The treasure and the pearl represent Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers. And while we cannot pay for salvation by selling all our worldly goods, once we have found the prize, we are willing to give up everything to possess it. But what is attained in exchange is so much more valuable that it is comparable to trading an ounce of trash for a ton of diamonds (Philippians 3:7-9).
In both parables, the treasures are hidden, indicating that spiritual truth is missed by many and cannot be found by intelligence or power or worldly wisdom. Matthew 13:11-17 and 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, 14 make it clear that the mysteries of the kingdom are hidden from some who are unable to hear, see, and comprehend these truths. The disobedient reap the natural consequences of their unbelief—spiritual blindness. Those whose eyes are opened by the Spirit do discern spiritual truth, and they, like the men in the parable, understand its great value.
Notice that the merchant stopped seeking pearls when he found the pearl of great price. Eternal life, the incorruptible inheritance, and the love of God through Christ constitute the pearl which, once found, makes further searching unnecessary. Christ fulfills our greatest needs, satisfies our longings, makes us whole and clean before God, calms and quiets our hearts, and gives us hope for the future. The “great price,” of course, is that which was paid by Christ for our redemption. He emptied Himself of His glory, came to earth in the form of a lowly man and shed His precious blood on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.
The phrase earthly treasures originates from Matthew 6:19, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (ESV). That command is linked to the one in the next verse, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Jesus contrasts earthly treasures with their heavenly counterpart, clearly stating that the latter is more important. Heavenly treasures are eternal, while earthly treasures are temporary and can be destroyed.
The term earthly treasures refers to material wealth and possessions. Treasures encompass anything of significant value, and in the context of Matthew 6:19, it includes riches and assets on earth. Houses, cars, and even clothes fall under earthly treasures. In ancient times, the wealthy prized items like clothing, gold, silver, raiment, etc. Modern definitions of wealth may vary slightly from the ancient priorities, but there is an overlap.
Jesus’ teaching on earthly treasures is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This series of teachings continues to captivate both Christians and non-Christians today, just as it did the initial listeners (Matthew 7:28–29). At the beginning of Matthew 6, Jesus demonstrates how to properly carry out righteous practices like giving, fasting and prayer. He then turns His attention to the subject of money.
Walking by the Spirit
(Ezekiel 36:16–38; Galatians 5:16–26)
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.a 2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set youb free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin.c He thus condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the fleshd cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alivee because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the deadf will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
Heirs with Christ
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Future Glory
(2 Corinthians 5:1–10)
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
God Works in All Things
(Ephesians 1:3–14)
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.
More than Conquerors
(Psalm 44:1–26)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written:
“For Your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Imitators of God
Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved usa and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Children of Light
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light,
for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Test and prove what pleases the Lord.
Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness,
but rather expose them.
For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself.
So it is said:
“Wake up, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and
Christ will shine on you.”
Wives and Husbands
(Song of Solomon 1:1–17; 1 Peter 3:1–7)
Submit to one another
out of
reverence for Christ
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. For we are members of His body.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Isaiah 49 speaks of a time of blessing for Israel. There is some difficulty in interpreting this passage because at times it seems that Israel is being addressed, and at other times it seems that a single person is being addressed. This person will help bring blessing back to Israel, so he must therefore be distinguished in some way from Israel.
In Isaiah 49:3, God addresses Israel: “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” However, by verse 6, the one addressed is an individual called the Servant of the Lord, and He will also restore Israel:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
From the context it is clear that “a light for the Gentiles” in Isaiah 49:6 is parallel to “my salvation . . . to the ends to the ends of the earth.” The light is spiritual light, corresponding to God’s “splendor” in verse 3. The ends of the earth are the Gentile nations—the people who live everywhere other than Israel.
The question is, how does Israel do this? How do they act as a light to the Gentiles?
Certainly, if Israel had been loyal to the Lord, other nations would have taken notice and perhaps been drawn to the Lord (see Deuteronomy 4:6). But that did not happen. So Isaiah speaks of a new situation. The Servant who is identified with Israel but also distinguished from Israel be the light instead. This is somewhat mysterious. However, this makes sense if the king of Israel is the one in view. The king is the representative of Israel, yet he is distinguished from Israel. He can do things for Israel but can also do things as Israel. But Isaiah does not reveal this king’s identity.
In the New Testament, the identity of the Servant, the King, and the Messiah is revealed in reference to the Isaiah passage:
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel’” (Luke 2:25–32, ESV).
According to Simeon under the influence of the Holy Spirit, it is Jesus, the King of Israel, who is the glory of Israel and a light to the Gentiles.
Matthew 4:12–16 also applies to Jesus a similar idea from another passage in Isaiah:
“Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
“‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned’” (Isaiah 9:1–2).
Galilee, both in the time of Isaiah and in the time of Christ, had a large Gentile population. By preaching there, Jesus was bringing light to the Gentiles.
Furthermore, Paul applies Isaiah 49:6 to himself and Barnabas as representatives of the King and preachers of the gospel. On the first missionary journey, they were rejected by the Jewish population in Pisidian Antioch: “On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
“Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ‘It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
“I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”’
“When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region” (Acts 13:44–49, BSB).
Thus, Paul and Barnabas, as Israelites and authorized representatives of the King of Israel, were also a fulfillment of Isaiah 49:6.
In summary, Israel is a light to the nations because Jesus, as the King of Israel, provided salvation for the nations (Gentiles) and then authorized His representatives to spread the good news throughout the world (see Matthew 28:18–20 and Acts 1:8).
There are a number of passages in the Bible where God announces His purpose for what He is doing. Perhaps the most succinct of those references is Isaiah 48:11, where God declares that “for My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another” (NKJV).
Some have referred to this as God’s doxological purpose, or God’s purpose to demonstrate His own glory. It is evident that everything God does is for the demonstration or expression of His own glory. In Ephesians 1, for example, Paul explains why God provides salvation: the Father predestines, the Son redeems, and the Spirit seals, all for the praise of His glory and the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). David explains that God created the heavens as a declaration of His glory (Psalm 19:1). God is glorified by the salvation of Israel (Isaiah 60:21) and by the mercy He has shown to the Gentiles (Romans 15:9). Jesus glorified the Father (John 17:4), the Father glorified Jesus (John 17:5), and the Spirit glorifies the Son as well (John 16:14). God is glorified when Jesus’ disciples bear much fruit (John 15:8). The beasts of the field glorify God (Isaiah 43:20). God will glorify Himself in the culmination of all things (Ezekiel 39:13). One day Jesus will return and be glorified among the people (2 Thessalonians 1:10). Ultimately, because God has bought us, we are to glorify God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20). In all these ways (and many more), God will be glorified, and He said, “I will not give my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
God’s glory—His magnitude or worthiness—is great, and it belongs to Him. He expresses His muchness (to borrow a term from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland) in His handiwork, and because these things are the expression of His own character, the praise and glory are due Him. Any of His created beings that seek to praise themselves are seeking to steal from God what is rightfully His. This is why God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)—because God has said, “I will not give my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
God will not allow another to take credit for His character or handiwork. In similar fashion, the work of a renowned artist is recognizable as the work of that artist, and attempts to copy that work are considered forgeries. Just as we acknowledge copyrights or the ownership of one’s intellectual property, we must acknowledge that God is the sovereign Creator and Owner of everything. His revealed purpose is the demonstration of His own character and magnitude (glory).
Because God has said, “My glory I will not give to another,”
human responsibility includes walking humbly before our God
(Micah 6:8).
This is why Solomon refers to the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7)—we need the proper perspective of God, recognizing He is the fearsome Creator who has communicated graciously with His creation. Then we can begin to understand His design and purpose in our own lives, and we can understand what He desires from us. If we begin by exalting the Lord and recognizing our relative lowliness, we can begin to see from His perspective as He has revealed it to us in Scripture, and we can avoid the error of trying to take for ourselves that which belongs only to Him. He has said, “I will not give my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
Isaiah 49 speaks of a time of blessing for Israel. There is some difficulty in interpreting this passage because at times it seems that Israel is being addressed, and at other times it seems that a single person is being addressed. This person will help bring blessing back to Israel, so he must therefore be distinguished in some way from Israel.
In Isaiah 49:3, God addresses Israel: “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” However, by verse 6, the one addressed is an individual called the Servant of the Lord, and He will also restore Israel:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
From the context it is clear that “a light for the Gentiles” in Isaiah 49:6 is parallel to “my salvation . . . to the ends to the ends of the earth.” The light is spiritual light, corresponding to God’s “splendor” in verse 3. The ends of the earth are the Gentile nations—the people who live everywhere other than Israel.
The question is, how does Israel do this? How do they act as a light to the Gentiles?
Certainly, if Israel had been loyal to the Lord, other nations would have taken notice and perhaps been drawn to the Lord (see Deuteronomy 4:6). But that did not happen. So Isaiah speaks of a new situation. The Servant who is identified with Israel but also distinguished from Israel be the light instead. This is somewhat mysterious. However, this makes sense if the king of Israel is the one in view. The king is the representative of Israel, yet he is distinguished from Israel. He can do things for Israel but can also do things as Israel. But Isaiah does not reveal this king’s identity.
In the New Testament, the identity of the Servant, the King, and the Messiah is revealed in reference to the Isaiah passage:
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel’” (Luke 2:25–32, ESV).
According to Simeon under the influence of the Holy Spirit, it is Jesus, the King of Israel, who is the glory of Israel and a light to the Gentiles.
Matthew 4:12–16 also applies to Jesus a similar idea from another passage in Isaiah:
“Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
“‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned’” (Isaiah 9:1–2).
Galilee, both in the time of Isaiah and in the time of Christ, had a large Gentile population. By preaching there, Jesus was bringing light to the Gentiles.
Furthermore, Paul applies Isaiah 49:6 to himself and Barnabas as representatives of the King and preachers of the gospel. On the first missionary journey, they were rejected by the Jewish population in Pisidian Antioch: “On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
“Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ‘It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
“I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”’
“When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region” (Acts 13:44–49, BSB).
Thus, Paul and Barnabas, as Israelites and authorized representatives of the King of Israel, were also a fulfillment of Isaiah 49:6.
In summary, Israel is a light to the nations because Jesus, as the King of Israel, provided salvation for the nations (Gentiles) and then authorized His representatives to spread the good news throughout the world (see Matthew 28:18–20 and Acts 1:8).
There are a number of passages in the Bible where God announces His purpose for what He is doing. Perhaps the most succinct of those references is Isaiah 48:11, where God declares that “for My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another” (NKJV).
Some have referred to this as God’s doxological purpose, or God’s purpose to demonstrate His own glory. It is evident that everything God does is for the demonstration or expression of His own glory. In Ephesians 1, for example, Paul explains why God provides salvation: the Father predestines, the Son redeems, and the Spirit seals, all for the praise of His glory and the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). David explains that God created the heavens as a declaration of His glory (Psalm 19:1). God is glorified by the salvation of Israel (Isaiah 60:21) and by the mercy He has shown to the Gentiles (Romans 15:9). Jesus glorified the Father (John 17:4), the Father glorified Jesus (John 17:5), and the Spirit glorifies the Son as well (John 16:14). God is glorified when Jesus’ disciples bear much fruit (John 15:8). The beasts of the field glorify God (Isaiah 43:20). God will glorify Himself in the culmination of all things (Ezekiel 39:13). One day Jesus will return and be glorified among the people (2 Thessalonians 1:10). Ultimately, because God has bought us, we are to glorify God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20). In all these ways (and many more), God will be glorified, and He said, “I will not give my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
God’s glory—His magnitude or worthiness—is great, and it belongs to Him. He expresses His muchness (to borrow a term from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland) in His handiwork, and because these things are the expression of His own character, the praise and glory are due Him. Any of His created beings that seek to praise themselves are seeking to steal from God what is rightfully His. This is why God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)—because God has said, “I will not give my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
God will not allow another to take credit for His character or handiwork. In similar fashion, the work of a renowned artist is recognizable as the work of that artist, and attempts to copy that work are considered forgeries. Just as we acknowledge copyrights or the ownership of one’s intellectual property, we must acknowledge that God is the sovereign Creator and Owner of everything. His revealed purpose is the demonstration of His own character and magnitude (glory).
Because God has said, “My glory I will not give to another,”
human responsibility includes walking humbly before our God
(Micah 6:8).
This is why Solomon refers to the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7)—we need the proper perspective of God, recognizing He is the fearsome Creator who has communicated graciously with His creation. Then we can begin to understand His design and purpose in our own lives, and we can understand what He desires from us. If we begin by exalting the Lord and recognizing our relative lowliness, we can begin to see from His perspective as He has revealed it to us in Scripture, and we can avoid the error of trying to take for ourselves that which belongs only to Him. He has said, “I will not give my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
The Shepherds and the Angels
And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men
on whom His favor rests!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.
Jesus Presented at the Temple
When the eight days before His circumcision had passed, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived.
And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
The Prophecy of Simeon
Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what was customary under the Law,
Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised,
You now dismiss Your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
which You have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to Your people Israel.”
The Child’s father and mother were amazed at what was spoken about Him.
Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary:
“Behold, this Child is appointed to cause
the rise and fall of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed--
and a sword will pierce your soul as well.”
The Prophecy of Anna
There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years, and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four.
She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Return to Nazareth
(Matthew 2:19–23)
When Jesus’ parents had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
And the Child grew and became strong.
He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.
The Boy Jesus at the Temple
Every year His parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the Feast.
When those days were over and they were returning home, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but His parents were unaware He had stayed.
Assuming He was in their company, they traveled on for a day before they began to look for Him among their relatives and friends.
When they could not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him. Finally, after three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers.
When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. “Child, why have You done this to us?” His mother asked. “Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.”
Why were you looking for Me?” He asked. “Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
But they did not understand the statement He was making to them.
Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Isaiah 42:6
“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,
Isaiah 49:6
He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Isaiah 60:1-3
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. / For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. / Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
John 1:4-9
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. / There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. ...
Acts 13:47
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Acts 26:23
that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
Matthew 4:16
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.
Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
Isaiah 11:10
On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.
Romans 15:8-12
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, / so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.” / Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” ...
Revelation 21:23-24
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp. / By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory.
Malachi 4:2
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.
Psalm 98:2-3
The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations. / He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 9:2
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Isaiah 42:6,7
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; …
Isaiah 49:6
And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Psalm 85:9
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Isaiah 4:2
In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
Isaiah 45:25
In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
1When Jesus realized that the Pharisees were aware Hea was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although it was not Jesus who baptized, but His disciples), 3He left Judea and returned to Galilee.
4Now He had to pass through Samaria. 5So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Since Jacob’s well was there, Jesus, weary from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.b
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9“You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)c
10Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11“Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water? 12Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?”
13Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
15The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17“I have no husband,” the woman replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are correct to say that you have no husband. 18In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. You have spoken truthfully.”
19“Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21“Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
25The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”
26Jesus answered, “I who speak to you am He.”
The Disciples Return and Marvel
27Just then His disciples returned and were surprised that He was speaking with a woman. But no one asked Him, “What do You want from her?” or “Why are You talking with her?”
28Then the woman left her water jar, went back into the town, and said to the people, 29“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30So they left the town and made their way toward Jesus.
31Meanwhile the disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32But He told them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33So the disciples asked one another, “Could someone have brought Him food?”
34Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. 35Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are riped for harvest.
36Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. 37For in this case the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days.
41And many more believed because of His message. 42They said to the woman, “We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world.”
Jesus Heals the Official’s Son
(Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10)
43After two days, Jesus left for Galilee. 44Now He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. 45Yet when He arrived, the Galileans welcomed Him. They had seen all the great things He had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they had gone there as well.
46So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die.
48Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”
49“Sir,” the official said, “come down before my child dies.”
50“Go,” said Jesus. “Your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at His word and departed. 51And while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was alive.
52So he inquired as to the hour when his son had recovered, and they told him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.e”
53Then the father realized that this was the very hour in which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and all his household believed.
54This was now the second sign that Jesus performed after coming from Judea into Galilee.
