Violence – Praying Pint

How are you living?

Mat 24:6-7  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Mat 24:8  All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Mat 24:37  For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:38  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

Mat 24:39  and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Mat 24:10  And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.

Mat 24:12  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Mat 24:32  “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

Mat 24:33  So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

Mat 24:36  “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

Mat 24:37  For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:38  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

Mat 24:39  and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Amos 6:3-6   O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence?  “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall,  who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,   who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!

Luke 12:19    And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’

Luke 14:18   But they all alike began to make excuses.

Luke 17:26-28    Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.  They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,

2Ti 3:1-5  But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Luke 21:34   “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

Romans 13:14  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

1 Corinthians 7:29    This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short.

31  and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Mat 24:42  Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

Mat 24:44  Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

The world will be found in the same condition that it was in the day of the flood. When the flood came, men were found “eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage,” absorbed in their worldly pursuits, and utterly regardless of Noah’s repeated warnings. They saw no likelihood of a flood. They would not believe there was any danger. But at last the flood came suddenly and “took them all away.” All that were not with Noah in the ark were drowned. They were all swept away to their last account, unpardoned, unconverted, and unprepared to meet God. And our Lord says, “so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (Ryle)

The Lord Jesus Christ is coming back. His return could be today. Are you looking for it? Are you living like He is coming within the next hour? Or, are you just living each day as if tomorrow will be the same as today, buying, selling, eating, working, etc…?

What is the application of these verses to our lives today? Surely we eat, sleep, work, buy, and sell as normal living requires. Imagine knowing the exact year, month, day, and time of the return of Jesus. Would you live differently than you are now? Would you stop neglecting the Word of God? Would you be less complacent in holy living? Would you think about what it means to live so that all of your thoughts, words, and actions honor and glorify Jesus Christ? Would you think different thoughts, speak different words, and would your actions be different? As the day approaches would you eagerly be telling others about its coming? Would you be giving less and less thought to worldly and fleshly desires? Would you be more kind, generous, loving, patient, humble, honorable, thankful, joyful with anticipation, rejoicing, praising, longing, and all in preparation for the return of Jesus your redeemer and savior?

If any answer to these questions is yes, are we living awake?

Think about how much of our time is consumed by cell phones, texting, Instagram, Twitter, Google, FaceBook, Rumble, ESPN, CNN, CMBC, etc…., not to mention what we consider leisure time. How much of this time is conducted with the ever-present thought that Jesus’s return could be within the next second?

It is so easy to be consumed with the busyness of living and the worries of today that the eyes of our hearts and minds are blind to living and eagerly watching and waiting for the return of Jesus.

Will He find you watching and living in such a way that reveals this anchored in your heart and mind?

Oh, that the Holy Spirit’s leading would be desired and listened to in our lives and guide us in how to live so that Jesus Christ is honored and glorified in all of our thoughts, words, and actions should Jesus’s return be within the next second or 100 years. There should be no difference.

He who has an ear, let him hear?

52.d. Wilderness – 16.j. “You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD”

Deu 25:13  “You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the LORD your God.

Proverbs 11:1   A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.

Proverbs 16:11    A just balance and scales are the LORD’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.

Proverbs 20:10     Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

Micah 6:11-12    Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?  Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Deuteronomy 6:18     And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you

Deuteronomy 5:33  You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you

Deuteronomy 4:40  Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days

Ephah was the common measure among the Israelites, by which all the others were made and adjusted. They are not only forbidden to use divers weights and measures, one large or heavy to buy with, and another small and light to sell with, but they were not even allowed to keep such in the house. It is observable also, that these too common but dishonest actions are branded as “an abomination to the Lord,” equally with idolatry, and other scandalous crimes.

Dishonest gain always brings a curse on men’s property, families, and souls. Happy those who judge themselves, repent of and forsake their sins, and put away evil things, that they may not be condemned of the Lord. (Henry)

Integrity, doing right, is something that seems to have lost much of its meaning in our societies. I was talking with a guy who was telling me about how proud he and his son were of the fact that a cashier at a tile store did not charge the correct amount. Instead of charging for 14 cases of tile, she charged for 14 individual tiles. The difference was over $1,000. He was very proud of this accomplishment. Integrity has nothing to do with getting away with something no one can know but you. It has everything to do with doing what is right in the eyes of God, who sees all. Now before you jump on the bandwagon to condemn the actions of this man and his son, which was clearly wrong, how many times do we do what is right in our own eyes and not give thought to what is right in the eyes of God? We might not brag doubt it to others but it is being done either on purpose or out of ignorance.

The devil is always there tempting us to discount things of God. He will give us justification to neglect the Word of God. He will tempt us with the busyness of life as a true and just reason for it. Don’t buy into this. Recognize it as what it is – a temptation to limit the Holy Spirit speaking into your life, and making you ineffective in your witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

One sure way to be a tool for Satan is to neglect the Word of God. We may not see this as very important because we have not determined within our hearts and minds to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions all of the time. When we don’t see the importance we don’t see the need to repent of it. If we don’t repent of it we are blind and deaf and do not hear the Holy Spirit speaking into our lives. Certainly, we do not honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Where is the integrity of our hearts, minds, and souls when we neglect God’s Word? Are we not using a small measure to weigh our standing before God?

Use the full measure of God’s Word. Grow in it. Cherish it. Feed on it. Rely on it. Trust in it. Hold fast to it. Claim it. Believe it. Never let it be said that a day goes by when your thoughts are not feeding on it.

52.a. Wilderness – 16.g. “Therefore be imitators of God”

Deu 24:17-22  “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.

Psalms 94:3-6    O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?  They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.  They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage.  They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;

Psalms 94:20-21    Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?  They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

Jeremiah 22:3    Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

Ezekiel 22:7     Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you.

Ephesians 5:1-2   Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Isaiah 51:1     “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.

It is not hard to prove that purity, piety, justice, mercy, fair conduct, kindness to the poor and destitute, consideration for them, and generosity of spirit, are pleasing to God, and becoming in his redeemed people. The difficulty is to attend to them in our daily walk and conversation. (Henry)

It is hard for us to understand this while we live our separate lives in our ice little realm of society. We are unaffected by the homeless, fatherless, and widows. Yet, they are there if our eyes are opened and our ears listen. Our culture and society claim the unborn fatherless child as nothing more than an unwanted mass or tumor. Laws are made that give strength to this abomination. The arguments made rely on tolerance and personal rights. They will proclaim to those who do not buy into these lies as enemies of liberty and freedom and haters of others. They are very good at this.

God’s Word is clear as the noonday sun. It is wrong to treat those in need with contempt. It is wrong to turn our eyes and ears away from them. It is wrong to be silent.

Standing firm in the love of Jesus Christ. Do not be swayed by empty words spewed out by those who proclaim unrighteous acts of disobedience. Walk in the love of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, and with ears trained and seeking to know the will of God for whatever might come each day.

43.p. “Wilderness” – 7.w. Sojourner, widow, and Orphan

Exodus 22:21  “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Leviticus 19:33    “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.

Deuteronomy 10:19   Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Jeremiah 22:3   Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

Malachi 3:5   “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Deuteronomy 10:18     He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

Isaiah 1:17   learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Zechariah 7:10   do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

James 1:27     Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Governments have the right and responsibility to control borders and immigration; yet there is no doubt of the individual’s responsibility to neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him. It is fair to examine how accommodating we are to the strangers among us. The widow and fatherless child were the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. In an unrestrained, survival-of-the-fittest society, they would be the first to suffer abuse and destruction. (Guzik)

The laws against oppression with three crimes of the deepest dye seems intended to indicate that oppression is among the sins which are most hateful in God’s sight. The lawgiver, however, does not say that it is to be punished capitally, nor, indeed, does he affix to it any legal penalty. Instead of so doing, he declares that God Himself will punish it “with the sword”. (Ellicott)

Ye shall not afflict the widow, or fatherless child — That is, ye shall comfort and assist them, and be ready upon all occasions to show them kindness. In making just demands from them, their condition must be considered who have lost those that should protect them; and no advantage must be taken against them, nor any hardship put upon them, which a husband or a father would have sheltered them from. (Benson)

It is good for us to take heed of these words from God. All we have has been given to us by God. Oh, that our hearts and minds would be sensitive to the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit leading us to show God’s grace, mercy, and love.

39.r. “The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.”

Genesis 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

Psalms 26:9    Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

Psalms 64:2    Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,

2 Corinthians 6:14    Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Proverbs 1:15-16   my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,  for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

Proverbs 12:5    The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

Our soul is our honor; by its powers we are distinguished from, and raised above, the beasts that perish. We ought, from our hearts, to abhor all bloody and mischievous men. Cursed be their anger. (Henry)

Simeon and Levi are brothers,…. Not because they were so in a natural sense, being brethren both by father and mother’s side, for there were others so besides them; but because they were of like tempers, dispositions, and manners (f), bold, wrathful, cruel, revengeful, and deceitful, and joined together in their evil counsels and evil actions, and so are joined together in the evils predicted of them, instruments of cruelty. (Gill)

Being in agreement with someone and joining together in an act does not necessarily make that act right, good, or just. It may make us think it is, but that will never make it so. Being angered at an act of another person(s) will surely come to us at some point in our lives, whether it be an act against us, our family, our friends, our community, or our nation. For some reason, anger is a part of our nature, and rightly so. Having the ability to recognize right and wrong, good and bad, just and injustice, and have either indignation or pleasure from it seems to be within our nature. How we treat this recognition in light of our knowledge and application of God’s Word is the difference between that which brings honor and glory to Jesus Christ or not.

By faith, trust, and reliance on God and His promises we can choose to lay the burden of our hearts about wrongs, injustice, and other sinful actions of others at His feet. Why???

Beloved, never avenge yourselves but leave it to the wrath of God
Vengeance is mine; I will repay
Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.
For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
“O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries.
I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.
Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you.
O shameless nation, before the decree takes effect —before the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger of the Lord, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the Lord.
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
the Lord is an avenger in all these things

I think it is good that we can see wrongs and feel indignation and anger. This means we have the ability to know the difference. However, some people may be angered by good. The civil war is an example of two groups of people who saw the same thing, one calling it wrong and one calling it good. When we look at abortion there are those who call killing unborn babies good and those who call it bad. The same can be said about pornography, sex trafficking, LGBTQ, looting and burning businesses in an outcry of retaliation, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, etc…. Let us know that it is from the heart that seeks and desires to honor and glorify Jesus Christ that a person will discern what is right, true, just, and good. Praise God that we have been given the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us unto truth in all matters. Praise God that we have been given discernment. Praise God that we have been given His promises of handling all wrongs, injustices, and cruelty. Praise God who gives us promises that allow us to lay these at His feet and know, in His Holiness and in His time they will be justly handled. Praise God we can rest and have peace when all around us are in fear and anger. Praise God and rejoice for He is God and in Him, we have hope for today and assurance for tomorrow.

32.l. “And the violent take it by force.”

Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

Luke 16:16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.

I read Matthew 11:12 over and over but could not make sense of it. I sent a note to my Pastor asking for references or some commentary that would help me understand. Thankfully he pointed me in the right direction.

One would think “suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” to be a negative act by those carrying it out. We might think brutality, savagery, cruelty, and heartlessness are meant by the use of “violence and violent” in the verse. This makes it hard to read and understand. Here is a case where the greek language sentence structure does not quite align with English. The Greek verb can be presented in three voices, active, passive, and middle. Here it is clear it is either middle or passive which changes how we would define violence and violent.

Here are some bible scholars commentaries on this verse;

The words describe the eager rush of the crowds of Galilee and Judæa, first to the preaching of the Baptist, and then to that of Jesus. It was, as it were, a city attacked on all sides by those who were eager to take possession of it. The “violent” are men of eager, impetuous zeal, who grasp the kingdom of heaven—i.e., its peace, and pardon, and blessedness. (Ellicot)

In this way is described that eager, irresistible striving and struggling after the approaching Messianic kingdom. (Meyer)

It shows us what fervency and zeal are required of all. Self must be denied; the bent, the frame and temper of the mind must be altered. Those who will have an interest in the great salvation, will have it upon any terms. (Henry)

and the violent take it by force; meaning either publicans, and harlots, and Gentile sinners; who might be thought to be a sort of intruders: or rather the same persons, as being powerfully wrought upon under the ministry of the Gospel; who were under violent apprehensions of wrath and vengeance, of their lost and undone state and condition by nature; were violently in love with Christ, and eagerly desirous of salvation by him, and communion with him; and had their affections set upon the things of another world: these having the Gospel preached to them, which is a declaration of God’s love to sinners, a proclamation of peace and pardon, and a publication of righteousness and life by Christ, they greedily catched at it, and embraced it. (Gill)

Our Lord is describing the energy with which some souls are pressing in, and urging the need of such energy if salvation is to be obtained. (Unknown)

When we look at violence and violently in this scripture their meaning would be more in line with strength, might, power, intensity, without restraint, passion. When the Gospel is revealed to the heart and mind of man and there is a Godly softening of the heart of stone, there is an intentional choice to believe it or reject it. In rejection or denial there can be violent rejection or denial but more than likely there is a mild rejection or denial and they swat away any application of repentance, surrender, holiness, forgiveness, obedience, and reliance on Jesus Christ like they would swat away an annoying fly. But those whose hearts have been enlightened have an urgent need of Christ and with eagerness, zeal, and intensity grab hold of the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.

13.s. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Zechariah 11:4 Thus said the Lord my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.” So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Ezekiel 22:26    Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 8:18     Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

Hebrews 10:26-31   For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

From Matthew Henry’s Bible commentary; Christ came into this world for judgment to the Jewish church and nation, which were wretchedly corrupt and degenerate. Those have their minds woefully blinded, who do ill, and justify themselves in it; but God will not hold those guiltless who hold themselves so. How can we go to God to beg a blessing on unlawful methods of getting wealth, or to return thanks for success in them? There was a general decay of religion among them, and they regarded it not. The Good Shepherd would feed his flock, but his attention would chiefly be directed to the poor. As an emblem, the prophet seems to have taken two staves; Beauty, denoted the privileges of the Jewish nation, in their national covenant; the other he called Bands, denoting the harmony which hitherto united them as the flock of God. But they chose to cleave to false teachers. The carnal mind and the friendship of the world are enmities to God; and God hates all the workers of iniquity: it is easy to foresee what this will end in. The prophet demanded wages, or a reward, and received thirty pieces of silver. By Divine direction, he cast it to the potter, as in disdain for the smallness of the sum. This shadowed forth the bargain of Judas to betray Christ and the final method of applying it. Nothing ruins a people so certainly, as weakening the brotherhood among them. This follows the dissolving of the covenant between God and them: when sin abounds, love waxes cold, and civil contests follow. No wonder if those fall out among themselves, who have provoked God to fall out with them. Wilful contempt of Christ is the great cause of men’s ruin. And if professors rightly valued Christ, they would not contend about little matters.

12.u. “They do not obey or accept correction”

Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law. The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.

God called to His people, but they did not listen. If there is any voice for the sheep to obey, it is the voice of the shepherd. When correction came from the hand of God, they did not recognize it or receive it. You have to wonder if they were saying to themselves that this was just a rough spell, bad time, tough circumstances, whatever – they did not receive the warning as intended. It is not as though God gave any reason not to be trusted. He never proved Himself unfaithful or untrustworthy. People just openly deny and refuse God’s Word and His promises. Though God longs for us to have a close and deep relationship with Him we seem to intentionally choose to reject His desire and go our own way. God displays what righteousness is and what it should look like in our lives, yet we choose to respond by turning away and walking in what delights our own desires and passions. Are we dedicated to humbly serving, honoring, following, glorifying, obeying, and trusting Jesus Christ? Do we allow certain areas of our lives to live in sin and think it is ok? Can we not see the things that are happening all across our nation and the world are at the direct hand of Jesus Christ? God is calling out for each of us. We do well to desire to hear His quite whispers of direction, correction, and purposeful leading for our lives. This does not come to us without desire within our heart, mind, and soul. It comes when we surrender and seek to have Him lead us and direct us and show us where we are acting and thinking thoughts that neither honor or glorify Him. There will be no revival in any heart that is not fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. There will be no revival in any heart that chooses to walk hand in hand with things of this world and what it has to offer. Oh that we were as critical of ourselves as we are of everything and everybody around us.

12. “For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told”

Habakkuk 1:5 “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!”

Ezekiel 12:25-28    For I am the LORD; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord GOD.”  And the word of the LORD came to me:  “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’  Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord GOD.”

Daniel 9:12    He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.

Acts 13:40-41    Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:  “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”

Look at these words; “For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told”, “I am raising up”, “For I am the LORD; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house”, “None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord GOD.”, “He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity”, “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish”. Pride has a way of blinding people from their sin and the need for Jesus Christ the Redeemer. Their hearts are hardened and their reliance is in the might of their rulers boasting and perceived power. They scoff at God and willingly choose to defy Him. They deny He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present. They trust in worldly things and what the world has to offer without giving thought to the consequences of their actions before God. It is easy for us to call out their disrespect for God. Are we guiltless? Do we lean more toward what society is approving and calling out things that are alright to do but God’s Word clearly speaks against? Do we listen to worldly wisdom over the wisdom and truth in God’s Word? Do we pretend we are alright before God? Do we perform acts, not out of faith but rather out of hoping it will make our lukewarm neglectful complacent lives right before God? Oh, that our hearts and minds sought after God with all our soul and strength. Oh that our hunger and thirst for His Word would be exponentially greater than the time and energy we spend seeking after what this world has to offer. Oh, that our eyes would be opened to see the difference and our ears would be opened to clearly hear Him speak into our lives. We are not guiltless unless Jesus Christ is our Savior, Redeemer, and King of our lives for every minute of every day. Live to honor and glorify the KING OF KINGS.

11.z. “He has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.”

Habakkuk 1:2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

Psalms 13:1-2    How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Revelation 6:10     They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Psalms 94:3    O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?

Psalms 74:10     How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?

Psa 22:24  For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.

Habakkuk prophesied and cried out “how long shall I cry for Help?” He saw iniquity and asked, “why do you make me see this and then sit idly by?” David cried out “how long?”, “Will you forget me forever? Those who were martyred for faith in Jesus Christ during the Tribulation period cried out “how long before you judge and avenge our blood?” David cried out “how long will the wicked be exalted?” If you are a believer and God has opened your eyes and ears to the wicked things of our society that are called and believed to be alright to do, Pornography – (which the thesaurus uses words like improper, indelicate, crude, vulgar, dirty, filthy, corrupting and immoral) for which our society calls “Adult Entertainment”, Abortion – (which is child murder, assassination, homicide, depraved execution, fetal homicide) for which society calls “Women Rights”, Petaphilia – which is called alternative sexual preference, LGBTQ – which is called progressive lifestyle. These are just a tip of the iceberg of what lost souls are being temped with and are buying into it. How long oh Lord? We can see it and be appalled by it but we seem powerless in of ourselves to do anything about it. Remember this “Jesus Christ died for sinners!!!!” He died for each of these with the same amount of grace, mercy, and love He has given to us. Were it not for the Holy Spirit softening our hardened hearts with the Good News of Jesus Christ, we too would be as guilty as any of these. Are they so far lost that they cannot be saved – No they are not. I think we would do much better praying for them and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ rather than calling on God to judge and avenge. That time will certainly come but for now let us remember “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” and keep our focus on advancing the body of Christ by living and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. Who knows what the Holy Spirit will do. A heart and soul may be softened and the person repents, seeks forgiveness, and trusts in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse them from all unrighteousness.