Aug 3, 2022
JEREMIAH
26-27:
In
yesterday’s reading, some important points were revealed: The
people the Lord was about to send into exile to the North would
return to Him wholeheartedly and God would bring them back to their
land. God would put it into their hearts to return to him! Those
remaining in the land at the point of exile and their king would be
scattered, cursed, and vanish. The exiles would come back after 70
years, and afterward Babylon would have its turn to be punished and
would remain a ruin forever— as in fact it is! That 70 year time
was important to the prophet Daniel when he discovered it when
reading this book!
PROVERBS 1:
In our poetry readings this year, we
started with Job, then Psalms, and now we enter the wisdom
literature with Proverbs. Solomon wrote and compiled these proverbs
around the year 950 BC, in the height of Israel’s golden age. We
will hear the theme statement of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes today in
verse 7 (NLT), “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true
knowledge.” There is a clear division in the organization of this
book. The first 9 chapters are highly thematic and are especially
directed to giving wisdom to Solomon’s sons. Then there are
proverbs giving every-day advice to everyone, followed by advice to
rulers. The very last chapter is the one that extols the
blessedness of having a wise wife. I thank Kayla Gray for reading
the parts of Lady Widsom throughout the first part of Proverbs.
Kayla and Austin Gray, with their five children, are members of our
church, and (currently in 2024) are preparing for roles with
Pioneer Bible Translators in Dallas.
1CORINTHIANS 8:
Summarizing important points about our position
that we have heard in 1 Corinthians 6-7: Remember that we are
joined as one with Christ— as in the vine and branch metaphors. We
are ‘of one spirit with the Lord’. (6:17) We each have become the
‘temple of God's Spirit’. (6:19) We are in the humble yet honored
position of being ‘slaves’ of the Lord, the King of Kings. (7:22)
We are not our own. We have been bought with a high price. (6:20
and 7:23)
NLT Translation note:
1Cor.8:13 So if what I eat [would cause/causes]
another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I
live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to
stumble.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.