THE LORD SPOKE (April 12)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Judges 12-14

Samson’s mommy and daddy did a lot of things right but they also made some dreadful mistakes. Here are twelve principles for child-rearing taken from their example, both good and bad.

1. Recognize that your child is a gift from God (Judg. 13:3).
2. Dedicate your child to the Lord (Judg. 13:5).
3. Watch your own example very carefully (Judg. 13:4,14).
4. Pray for your child before he/she is born (Judg. 13:8.12).
5. Seek counsel from godly people on how to raise your child (Judg. 13:8).
6. Restrict your child’s activities (Judg. 14:1,5,7).
7. Don’t tolerate back-talk (Judg. 14:2-3).
8. Seek the Lord’s direction continuously so you don’t steer blind (Judg. 14:4).
9. Know where your child is and what he’s doing - always (Judg. 14:6,9).
10. Expect and require transparency in open conversation about everything (Judg. 14:6,9).
11. Instill principles and demand principled behavior (Judg. 14:9).
12. Recover and learn from past mistakes (Judg. 14:10).

New Testament: Acts 13

It’s a common Jewish claim even to this day: “A man named Saul, later called Paul, came and spoiled it all!” When, by the Spirit’s direction, he brought Gentiles into the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, they turned against him (Acts 13:44-45).

The previous Shabbat he had been invited by the synagogue rulers to speak to them (Acts 13:15). And what a message it was. Reviewing the five main points of Old Testament biblical theology, he demonstrated their New Covenant application in the person of Jesus the Messiah. What are those five points?

1. People (vs. 17) - God chose the descendants of Abraham and gave them the message first.
2. Possession (vs. 19) - He gave them the Land of Israel as their inheritance.
3. Prince (vs. 23) - Then He gave them a Savior in the person of Jesus, fulfilling His promise to David.
4. Promise (vs. 23) - All of this was according to His original covenant with Abraham.
5. Preservation (vs. 38) - Salvation and the forgiveness of sins is through this Savior - Jesus.

Up to there it might even have been acceptable (see Acts 13:42-44) but when Paul (the name change came in Acts 13:9) began to turn to the Gentiles, many drew back. Quoting Isaiah 49:6, Paul reminded them that God’s plan had never been exclusive. True, there was/is only one way of salvation, but that way is open to all mankind. All, including Gentiles, who are “appointed to eternal life” will believe (Acts 13:48).

Paul continued to go first to the synagogue wherever he went. He tells us that the Gospel is “to the Jew first” (Acts 13:17,26; see Rom. 1:16). That’s not just an historical observation, it’s a methodological instruction. His own example serves as our guide. Hereafter, when he went to a new town, in almost every instance he sought out the synagogue first. The next place he checked out was probably the jail because he knew he’d soon be spending some time there too.

This was a turning point in the direction of the Gospel and Paul’s preaching. If the Jews would no longer respond, he would go elsewhere. Sounds a lot like America today. It would appear that God is now turning to Asia, Africa, and even the Muslim nations. Is anyone in America listening anymore?

THE LORD SPOKE (December 22)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Micah 6-7

He has shown you, O man, what it good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

Why should we “act justly and love mercy”? Of course, one answer, perhaps the first, is “because God says so”. But God is never arbitrary or capricious in what He says. He never throws out commandments just “because I said so”. He doesn’t treat us with a “shape-up-or-ship-out” commander’s bark. Instead, He entreats us with “submit to my Spirit” and a reminder of the Creator’s mark upon us. He made us in His own image and tells us to follow His way, to think His thoughts, to be like Him. He is just and merciful. That’s good reason for us to be.

Micah’s message is a case in point. First of all, he reminds us that God has shown us the good way. At every turn, he acts justly and loves mercy. That’s the message of all the prophets. Though we, like Israel, have sinned, God has always dealt mercifully with us. He longs for us to return to Him and He’s the God of the second chance (e.g. Jonah). He comes out to meet us when we return (e.g. the Prodigal Son).

Look at the close of Micah’s prophecy. “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged to our fathers in days long ago.” (7:18-20). So, how can we not “walk humbly with our God” (6:8)?

Great God of wonders! All Thy ways
Are matchless, Godlike and divine;
But the fair glories of Thy grace
More Godlike and unrivaled shine,
More Godlike and unrivaled shine.

Who is a pardoning God like Thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
Or who has grace so rich and free?

In wonder lost, with trembling joy,
We take the pardon of our God:
Pardon for crimes of deepest dye,
A pardon bought with Jesus’ blood,
A pardon bought with Jesus’ blood.

Who is a pardoning God like Thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
Or who has grace so rich and free?


Proverbs 22

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6)

Don’t take comfort from this verse unless you interpret and apply it correctly. It does not say that every man will come back to his senses if you be sure to take him to Sunday School when he’s little.

Somehow we have gotten the mistaken notion that it’s normal for a child to get out and stretch his wings and sew a few wild oats at some point. But if we’ve been good in his basic training, he’ll eventually come back to his senses, return to the nest, and be a decent person after all.

You can’t get that from Proverbs 22:6. Hebrew grammar is necessary to understand it properly. One of the ways to indicate a possessive in Hebrew is to attach a pronominal suffix to the noun being so defined. That’s how it is here. “Way” is a noun with a first person, masculine, singular, pronominal suffix attached to it. Quite literally it should read “train a child in that child’s way”. In other words, you need to know your child well so that instruction can be properly matched to him and his needs. You need to understand “his way” - his personality, his capacity, his learning style, his needs.

No two children are the same. There’s often a major difference between a first-born and the last baby of the family. Boys are different from girls. Some children are naturally artistic and some are not. You need to understand each child so that your instruction can be properly fitted to his way. Then, you can take comfort in the promise of this verse. If you have properly understood and nurtured that child, it’s not likely that he will stray far from the path.