THE LORD SPOKE (July 31)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Job 29-31

Job gives us in one word the answer to sexual temptation. He says in Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” How do you do that? It starts with a promise to God which includes a plea for His help. Here are some practical pointers that will assist you:

1. Bounce your eyes away. You can’t avoid seeing things but you can avoid looking at them. When they appear in front of you (and the Devil will make sure they do!), divert your gaze immediately.
2. Now bounce them away again, because you just came back for a second peek. It will take commitment! Every time you catch yourself looking back, bounce your eyes away again.
3. When you have to bounce away the third time (or more) tell the Devil to get outta here! Remember? Our instructions in James 4:7 are, “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.” It really is possible to make him run.
4. Keep your vision high. If always turning your head away and never looking at someone because they’re improperly dressed becomes too awkward, keep your line of sight elevated. Metaphorically too! Keep your eyes on High. Ask Him repeatedly for help in this area. He will do it.
5. Try this. Use that bounce mechanism to trigger a prayer for that girl. “Lord, help her to find the man you have prepared for her. Help her to seek to please you in her life. If she’s not a believer already, please bring someone into her life who will share the Gospel with her....” Amazing how quickly that prayer dissipates lust.

By the way girls, please help us!

1. If it’s not for sale, don’t advertise it. You cannot be too careful in this area. Your self-exposure leads us to sin. Cover up!
2. If you’re married, help your husband obey Proverbs 5:15-23.
3. Pray for us too. Pray that we will be men of God, devoted to righteousness and to pleasing God. If you’re genuinely concerned about things like that - tight, low-cut, and skimpy clothing won’t be an option for you.

What are the options? God’s Word says (Job 31:12), “It is a fire that burns to Destruction, it would have uprooted my harvest.” The option is, you can lose everything. It can take you through hell on earth and right straight to Hell (“Abaddon” is the name of the angel of the Abyss in Rev. 9:11). That’s not a good option. Paul uses similar terminology in I Corinthians 7.

Do like Job. Make a covenant with God about your eyes. It will take a promise - a commitment on your part - and it will take a lot of His help.

How’s it bouncing today?


New Testament: Hebrews 8

The computer world has all but redefined the word “obsolete”. It used to be things would last for awhile. Now, when you buy a new computer or some software, it’s practically obsolete before you get it home from the store.

In the Old Covenant, also known as the Mosaic Covenant, God made a purposefully limited product which lasted very well for 1400+ years. It was never intended to be permanent. Eventually it reached obsolescence. It’s purposes were limited from the start but it did fulfill them very well:

1. To display the holiness of God and identify the standard of holiness required to have fellowship with Him.
2. To identify and reveal sin.
3. To reveal man’s inability and need of atonement.
4. To condemn sinners (to provide the basis for judgment).
5. To point man to the holiness of Messiah, our Savior (it was a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ”, Gal. 3:24).
6. To motivate man to obedience and praise.

The Old Covenant was good but the New Covenant is better. It’s better because it provides for:

1. A Superior Interior - It offers internal motivation and power instead of external lists (vs. 10a).
2. A Superior Relationship - It is based on a close relationship instead of one that is fearful and distant (vs. 10b).
3. A Superior Knowledge - It provides confidence and assurance instead of insecurity and uncertainty (vs. 11)
4. A Superior Forgiveness - It emphasizes forgiveness and mercy instead of failure and wrong (vs. 12).

Toward the end of the chapter, the author refers to how this new covenant will make the first one obsolete (Heb. 8:13). It was in God’s plan from the start but it took the progressive revelation of both Testaments to unroll the full plan.


Note on the New Covenant:
Some have taught that this New Covenant refers only to the nation of Israel (J.N. Darby) while others think that the Church has replaced Israel (Lenski, Allis, Covenant Theology in general). Some dispensationalists taught that there are two New Covenants - one for Israel and one for the Church (Chafer, Ryrie, Walvoord). But the extensive quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34 here in Hebrews 8 is a strong argument that there is only one New Covenant, given initially to Israel but applied to the Church also (Scofield, most recent dispensationalists). How can this be? The answer lies in Abraham’s spiritual descendants (Rom. 4 and Gal. 3). Believers in this age have been included in the Promise given to Abraham which is foundational to both the Old and the New Covenants.

THE LORD SPOKE (December 05)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Daniel 9-10

Daniel’s prayer (Dan. 9:4-19) was generated from the Word of God and governed by the will of God.

It was generated by the Word of God as he was studying Jeremiah’s prophecy (9:2) and Moses’ Law (9:11,13). Jeremiah had written 50+ years earlier and Moses 900+ years. By comparing Scripture with Scripture, Daniel had come to some clear insights and some strong convictions. His prayer is characterized by humility (9:3), worship (9:4), confession (9:5-15; notice the frequent use of “we”), and petition (9:16-19). That his prayer was governed by the will of God is seen in 9:3 where he tells us that he “turned to the Lord God” to plead Israel’s case. He recognizes that her own sin had brought about the current disaster (9:12) in fulfillment of God’s word but he reminds God of His “covenant of love” (9:4) and then pleads for God’s mercy (9:18). Daniel’s prayer begins with a right perspective, is saturated with reverent praise, and concludes with a righteous petition - that God’s honor would be restored in Jerusalem (9:16).

What follows is one of the greatest dispensational prophecies of the entire Bible. It is replete with a timeline that invites you to draw it out in chart form, with details of beginning and ending events for each phase, with covenants and identifiable people (s) to whom they apply, even with a gap that awaits a specific event to restart the prophetic clock ticking. Those who say it has already been fulfilled, foolishly ignore Christ’s own reference to this yet-future prophecy (Mat. 24:15). Those who try to “redefine” (and explain away) every messianic prophecy of the Old Testament will have a hard time squirming out of this one since it specifically mentions Messiah, “the Anointed One” (9:26). Those who want to lump together all the end time events into one general resurrection and amorphous return of the Lord will have to bury their heads a little deeper in the sand and ignore (again) the clear words of Scripture.

Does prophecy confuse you? It shouldn’t. Its purpose is to reveal. Try a little harder and dig a little deeper. One of the Holy Spirit’s main jobs is to “guide you into all truth”, particularly with regard to “what is yet to come” (Jn. 16:13). The result will be that, like Daniel (10:18,19), you will be strengthened and encouraged. Yes, he was initially left speechless and feeling helpless (10:15-16). It can take your breath away (10:17). But when we seek God’s help in the spirit and with the dedication of Daniel, He will answer our prayers (9:23; 10:12).


Proverbs 5

When it comes to the temptations of sexual sin, we need all the help we can get and this chapter and the next (Prov. 5 & 6) provides it.

1. To start with, we must pay attention to wisdom (Prov. 5:1-2). That begins right here with this book. Read Proverbs regularly until you begin to think God’s thoughts. If you “bind them on your heart” they will guide you, watch over you, and speak continuously to you (Prov. 6:21-22).
2. Don’t listen to the world’s advice and philosophy in this area (Prov. 5:3-4). It “drips honey” but is “bitter as gall”. It presents itself as smooth but it will cut you deeply and then leave you alone and bleeding. In contrast, “the corrections of discipline” received from Scripture will keep you from sin and are the way to know and experience real life (Prov. 6:23).
3. Keep out of those paths (Prov. 5:5-6). Just don’t go there! It’s a crooked trail and doesn’t lead anywhere good. Don’t let yourself go that direction - it will destroy you. In the end it will reduce you to a worthless crust of bread - not even the birds will pick at it (Prov. 6:26).
4. Think carefully of how much you’ll lose (Prov. 5:7-14). You’ll come to the end of your life bankrupt. Your wealth will be gone, your health will be broken, and your reputation will be worthless. Chances are better than good that you’ll have an STD to go with it. It’s a fire and it will burn you - be sure of it (Prov. 6:27-29).
5. Be content with what God has given you (Prov. 5:15-20). In fact, develop and delight in that. It’s pure and properly measured out exactly right for you. It will bring deep and lasting satisfaction if you will cultivate it as God intended. It’s all the difference between lust and love (Prov. 6:32).
6. Remember always that God is watching you (Prov. 5:21-23). He loves you and cares deeply that you follow His way. Don’t let sin trap you, bind you, and destroy you. Keep your Fathers commands (Prov. 6:20).

To do otherwise is “a great folly”!