Bible

The LORD’S Countenance Beholds The Upright

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In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain?”  For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.
The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth. Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.  For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright.

Psalm 11:1-7

There is none who are righteous, so there is none who are upright;  except One.

That One is the ever living Son of God who paid the price for our sin.  The costs of our sin is death, and in the death of Jesus Christ the Righteous One, He became sin for us; He became our unrighteousness, so that we  might become the righteousness of God.

How can that be?  The holy, righteous, sinless, Son of God was born as a babe in a manger, so that He became flesh, like we are, yet without sin; because He was God Incarnated and cannot sin. Yet, when He was nailed to that cross He was everything that God hated, and the Father poured out all His wrath on our sin, the wrath that should have been mine and yours.

We are saved by grace through faith in the gift of the cross, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  So we must call on His name by faith in Him, confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing that Jesus was raised from the dead we will be saved.  Being made the righteousness of God, we shall see the countenance or the face of God.

Fear Of The LORD

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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.  For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.  If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

Proverbs 9:10-12

The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

Proverbs 10:27

In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Provoerbs 14:26-27

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Proverbs 15:33

Our loving the LORD means that we fear Him, and we trust Him, because He will always do what He says He will do.  His positive as well as His negative promises will come to pass, just as He has said.

Someone has said, “If we fear GOD we need to fear nothing else.”

Hate What God Hates

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The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.  But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

Proverbs 8:13, 35-36

Proverbs eight and nine personifies wisdom, and she is speaking of the need, for we descendants of Adam, to possess her.  She is mentioned in chapter one verses 20 through 33; and she says quite a bit there for us to hear.

Wisdom is a gift from God, that comes with knowledge, and understanding.  In chapter six we are given seven things which God hates.  I do not believe this is an exhausted list, but that each of these evil things include all the evil that we do; and God hates it.

As you can see in verse 13 of chapter 8 above, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.”  Wisdom is telling us that we are to hate everything that the LORD hates.

God hates sin and evil so much that he sees us in the bondage of wickedness of evil, and knows we cannot defeat it on our own.  So seeing us in the condemnation of sin, evil, wickedness, sent His holy,  ownly begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die in our place to purchase our salvation.

Jesus died on that old wooden cross as the propitiation for our  sins, by becoming sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  When we turn away from sin to Christ Jesus that is repentance and faith, then we are no longer in condemnation.  We are freed from the bondage of sin and evil.

The wisest thing we can do is to find life through Him.  The greatest evil you can do is to reject wisdom and turn down God’s greatest gift.  That is the mind of a fool.

Loving God and His Word

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PE. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.
The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed forThy commandments.
Look Thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as Thou usest to do unto those that love Thy name.
Order my steps in Thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep Thy precepts.
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; and teach me Thy statutes.
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.

Psalm 119:129-136

The writer of this part (PE), one of what is the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Each eight verse section begins with a letter in the Hebrew text.

Notice the love the Psalmist has for the word of God.  Notice, also his love for his fellowman; “Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.”

We  need a great love for God and His word – commandments, etc; and great love for our fellow man.

You LORD, Have Helped Me

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I will extol thee, O LORD; for Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.
O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.  For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  And in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.”
LORD, by Thy favour Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled.  I cried to Thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise Thee? Shall it declare Thy truth?
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper.  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.

Psalm 30:1-12

This is a Psalm of David which  was sung at the dedication of the house of David.

David was a man greatly blessed by God, who was the first and only king of Israel whom the LORD referred to him, “As a man after my own heart.”

This is a song of praise.

Christians are followers of Jesus Christ alone.  We are to worship Him and praise Him with our mouth and with our lives; loving Him, and living for His glory.

Because He Is Great, The LORD Is Holy

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The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
The LORD is great in Zion; and He is high above all the people.  Let them praise Thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.  The king’s strength also loveth judgment; Thou dost establish equity, Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy.  Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon His name; they called upon the LORD, and He answered them.  He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept His testimonies, and the ordinance that He gave them.  Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though Thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

Psalm 99:1-9

It could also be said, “Because our LORD is holy, He is great.”

The LORD God who is holy is worthy of our praise and worship.  Why because He is holy.  There is no god; but the LORD He is the only God.  That is why He is holy, and because there is no wickedness, evil, neither uncleanness in Him.

The LORD God even tells His people, “Be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:16).

How can we be holy?  First of all we must realize that we are unholy, and separated from holy God.  The only way we can be  holy is through Jesus Christ, God’s holy and only begotten Son, and believing in Him, confessing Him as Lord, and believing that God raised Him up from the grave alive forever more.

“You be holy, for I am Holy,” saith the LORD.

Treacherous Friends, and The Caring LORD

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He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.  But Thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in Thee.

Psalm 55:20-23

Sometimes you cannot count on trusting your friends; but God cares for you and me.  The apostle  Peter by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has said, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7).

Friends cannot always be counted upon; but God loves you and me so much that He sent His only begotten Son to pay our debt of sin by becoming sin for us, and dying for us.  All He ask of us to to call on His name by faith, turning from our sin to Him, believing Him forever.

Do Not Forget His Benefits

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Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 Psalm 103:1-5

This Psalm, not just the above portion, is called a Psalm of David.

This Psalm is a song about God, and His benefits,  First of all we must realize that the LORD God is holy, separate from all others.

What are some of those benefits?

  1.   First we see that he forgives all our iniquities, and in this day and in all the  times He forgives our iniquities because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
  2.   Then, He is the One, the only one who can heal all our diseases.  When Jesus came to earth to walk among Adam’s race He went about the land of Israel healing  all kinds of sicknesses, and He  is the Great Physician who heals all our diseases.  If a doctor is given credit for a healing of one of  his patients, then he needs to give God the glory for that.
  3.   He redeems us, and keeps us from eternal damnation, and gives us eternal; keeping us  from the pit of hell, through the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed on Calvary’s cross.
  4.   He crowns us with His loving kindness, and tender mercies which are new every morning, and all day long; and all through the night. All because of the sacrifice  of a perfect, spotless Lamb, who is Jesus Christ.
  5.  He gives us good things to eat, to satisfy our desires in the foods we eat; and we can also say that He gives us a cleaner mouth that we might speak to others like He would with His perfect mouth, and with words that point people to God through faith in Christ Jesus.
  6.  Finally, through these things, these benefits we get a renewing to our youth as we age; a renewing like that of the eagle which has been said is renewed by its losing of its feathers, and new ones growing to replace; and also have some  believe – When an eagle gets older its beak over grows, and causes the eagle to be unable to eat if it does not continually rub that beak against the rocky to rid the beak of its problem.

It is for sure that one day we shall receive new bodies which will be given those who have faith in Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection.  Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;  1 Corinthians 15; and Revelation 20.

Will you believe Him today?

Purging Of All Our Transgressions

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Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Sion: and unto Thee shall the vow be performed. O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.
Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.
Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple.  By terrible things in righteousness wilt Thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea: which by His strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power: which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at Thy tokens: Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it.  Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: Thou settlest the furrows thereof: Thou makest it soft with showers: Thou blessest the springing thereof.  Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness.  They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.  The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

Psalm 65:1-13

The Old Testament believers were saved by grace through faith in their coming Messiah.  That Messiah is Jesus Christ which means Jesus the Messiah, and He is the Son of God.  God says of Noah, “But “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:8).

I say that because the only purging of sin that is done is done by the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God who came to take away our sin.  That Lambs name is Jesus.

Excellent Loving Kindness

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The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.  The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.  He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast.
How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.  For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.
O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.  Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

Psalm 36:1-12

The loving kindness of the LORD is greater than our iniquities, and transgressions; far greater than our sin.  His proof of that is in sending His Son Jesus to die for us, paying the debt that was ours.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died, was buried, and He rose again giving us everlasting/eternal life.

It is limited to only those who will believe and call on His name.

Peace For Israel

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They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.  As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people from henceforth even for ever.
For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.  Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

Psalm 125:1-5

The place called Mount Zion is Jerusalem, which cannot be removed.  Why because God has said so.  The LORD God is the protector of Israel, and those who try to destroy Israel will themselves be destroyed.

Who better to bring peace to Israel, than the Prince of Peace, who is Christ Jesus.

The LORD still loves and protects Israel.  Believe God’s word.  It shall come to pass.

The LORD’S Loving Kindness Is Better Than Life

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O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.
Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.  Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips:  When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.
Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.  My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me.  But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.  They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.  But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by Him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Psalm 63:1-11

This is a Psalm of David while fleeing from king Saul, who was trying to kill him.   What can I learn from this Psalm?

Partial Obedience – Disobedience

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In the lessen of King Saul we learn that obedience is what God requires.  Saul did not obey the LORD.

Samuel also said unto Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”
And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.  And Saul said unto the Kenites, “Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, “It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
1 Samuel 15:1-11

The LORD, through Samuel had given king Saul a command to go and destroy the Amalekites, because they had not treated Israel right when they were in the wilderness.

Now,  I know what people of today in the year 2025 are thinking as we read this event; “That is genocide,” or “That is very cruel,” yet that is God’s way of dealing with evil.  Who are we to question our Creator?  If God gives a command to do something, then we need to do it when, and where He says; and with haste.

As followers of Jesus Christ – Christians, we are to love our neighbors, and our neighbor maybe an enemy.   We must first deal with the evil within ourselves.  At a time a few years back, I was in prayer, and concerned about the evil I saw in the world, and I asked the Lord, “Why do you allow evil in the world? You could with the snap of Your finger destroy evil.”  Then this thought came to my heart and mind, “If God were to destroy evil, He would need to destroy me.”  That has been my answer for that question ever since then.

God will be compassionate to whom He will be compassionate.  He is merciful to whom He will be merciful.  The LORD God is wiser, and smarter than billions of the wisest people working together.

Something to think about concerning the complete destruction of a group of evil people is that the Amalakites is that there was evidently one that was shown mercy who grew up, and one of the descendants of Agag, was born as Haman in the  book of Esther.  Haman tried to kill all the Jews in Persia, but He failed.

When we fail to obey the commands of God we sin.  Even if we succeed in obeying in part of the command, and fail in the hard part, we have been disobedient children.  King Saul lost the kingdom – a dynasty that could have been his, but He failed to obey the LORD.

We are not redeemed, we are not saved, we are not justified by keeping commandments, but Jesus tells us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).  Since we are justified by grace through faith, then we will desire to keep His commandments, because we love Him.  If You do not have a desire to always be on the right side of God, and do His will, then you are not justified by grace through faith.

Jesus Christ died for our sins; we were  a rebellious, disobedient, and evil people; yet God so loved us He sent His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ – to  go to the cross, become the curse of sin, taking the judgment that we  deserved, dying for us.  He was buried, and He rose again.  Because He rose again we can come to Him, confessing Him as Lord, and believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, and He saves us unto eternal life.

Will you trust Him today?  It is His will that you do so.

Christian Soldiers, Fear Not

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When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, and shall say unto them, “Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
Deuteronomy 20:1-4

As a Christian we are soldiers of the Lord, and there is not a time when we are not at war.  We however fight a different kind of warfare.  It is not in or of the flesh, but a spiritual battle (2 Corinthians 10:4-6); and we are to fight first of all to be personally holy and pure before God.

There are times when we may get fearful of something, or someone, and get all stressed out about it. There are  times I do anyway, and I have found that when I am that way, that I have allowed something to get between the Lord and myself.  When I realize it, that is when I pray, and turn it over to Him.

There are in this world many things that cause us fear, and mostly it is of things we can do nothing about, and it sometimes something that is future, whether there is going to be an economical collapse  or whether our nation will go to war or not.

Christian, let’s face it.  We are in a battle against the enemies of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the leader of those against Him is known as Satan, or the devil.  The devil is a real being, a fallen, and defeated angel of darkness, who as a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).  Know this; that roaring lion lost his teeth on the day Jesus died on the cross, and the resurrection seals the security of the saints in Christ Jesus.

Trust in the Lord, and fear not, Christian Soldier.

Remember the Covenant

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If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against Me, and that also they have walked contrary unto Me; and that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:  then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.  The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised My judgments, and because their soul abhorred My statutes.  And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God.  But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 26:40-45

In reading chapter 26 of the book of Leviticus we see God’s word telling His people that He will be their Guide, Provider, Protector,  God and Savior.

The LORD also tell them that there is judgment against their iniquities.  God does and always will  remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God desires to be your God, who is the LORD.  It is only through faith in God’s only begotten Son that can be any cleansing, or forgiveness of sin.  Jesus is His name, and Christ is His Title.

Defense

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If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. If the men of my tabernacle said not, “Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.” The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.  If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:  did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
Job 31:29-34

Job is reminding God of his life, and how he has helped people, and that he has not ever wished evil  or curse on  an enemy.  Neither should the one’s who are in Christ Jesus.

Around The Heavenly Throne

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After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.  And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.  And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying,

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 4:1-11

No Private Interpretations

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For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the Excellent Glory, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
2 Peter 1:16- 21

Called To Know God Is The LORD

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And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
“Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD;’ Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.   And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.  In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.”
Thus saith the Lord GOD; “Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, ‘Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.’  He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.  So will I stretch out My hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 6:1-14

These are possibly the people of Israel who were first taken captive to Babylon. Ezekiel, a priest, is called by God, the LORD to be His prophet to those captives. He tells them what the LORD is saying. It is grim, but there is light for them as well.

Why does the LORD God have such wrath against those whom He often calls His people? They had fallen into a life of luxury, ease, and full of  themselves, and loved their things and worshiped foreign idols. They had turned their backs on God, rejecting His continued warnings. In there sin they are not a vibrant witness for Him. He is holy, righteous and just; and He sees the greater harm that sin is doing to His people.

I believe it was Charles H. Spurgeon said, “God never allows His children to sin successfully.” That is certainly so of all Israel. It is also true of the follower, disciple of Jesus Christ. There is great chastisement for the child of God who turns their back on God.

There is a phrase all through the Bible. It seems that Ezekiel uses it far more than all the other books combined. That phrase is “You (or They) shall know that I am the LORD.” It is used four times in these fourteen verses. Why does He use this phrase so many times? I have one answer to that question, and that is because the LORD God wants the world to know that He is the LORD God.

He has made that possible by sending His Son Jesus Christ to pay the blood sacrifice on the cross, His burial, and resurrection. When you receive Him through faith you will know that He is the LORD, and you will desire to sin no more, because you have received the Spirit of Christ Jesus, and now your hearts desires have changed.

God is calling you to receive Him today by grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

 

…The glory of the LORD came into the house…

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Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: and, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory. And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.  And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.  So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.  And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.  And He said unto me, “Son of man, the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and My holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.  In their setting of their threshold by My thresholds, and their post by My posts, and the wall between Me and them, they have even defiled My holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in Mine anger.  Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever…”
Ezekiel 43:1-9

Let All The People Praise The LORD

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God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us; Selah.  That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations.
Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee.
Psalm 67:1-3

A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
Proverbs 14:16-17

A Kept Mouth

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Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple.
Psalm 65:4

He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
Proverbs 12:3

Righteousness and Wickedness

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Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not Thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
Psalm 55:1-3

Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
Proverbs 11:4-6

…The LORD will hear when I call unto Him

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But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for Himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto Him.
Psalm 4:3

Wisdom says, “…Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”
Proverbs 1:23

From Moses and the Prophets

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And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying,
“All hail.”
And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him.  Then said Jesus unto them,
“Be not afraid: go tell My brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.”
Matthew 28:9-10

And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and the prophets, from morning till evening.  And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
Acts 28:23-24