Today is the first day of the new year, what will we do with this new year? People choose January to be the month to make resolutions and decide to make changes in their lives. Diets are started, smoking is stopped, and other resolutions are made. And I agree that resolutions should be made and, when made, they should be kept. Those that are children of God should take care of their bodies because they are the temples of God. The Apostle Paul is quite explicit in his warning in 1Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. God is holy and He expects His temple to be holy. If we do not keep His temple holy, God will destroy it. Believers are to be sanctified and set apart to God and if believers choose to go in directions that do not glorify God, He will at first chastise the believer. If the chastisement fails and the believer does not respond, then God will take further action. As we make resolutions for the new year, let us keep in mind God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus Christ is coming soon as we are promised in Hebrews 10:37 For yet, a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. We have just finished celebrating His first advent here on earth and Jesus Christ has not made His return yet because it is not time yet. God has His own timetable and Jesus Christ has not tarried – He WILL return when God says that it is time.

In the meantime, there is nothing wrong with making resolutions, but let be sure to make spiritual resolutions as well as physical resolutions. Frances Havergal wrote the following as a poem in her New Years greeting cards and then it was turned into a hymn.

1) Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

2) Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

3) Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee. (Frances Havergal)

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

Believers can boldly go before the throne of God – this verse is not speaking of pride or arrogance, believers must humbly go to God, but assured that God has kept His promises in the past and will keep them in the future. But why can believers boldly enter into the holiest? Because of what was written previously in chapter 10 and truly the whole Book of Hebrews. But for today, go back to verse 14.

Hebrews 10:14-18 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. (15) Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, (16) This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

For by one offering…ONE offering was all that Jesus Christ had to offer for the remission of sin. ONE offering was all that Jesus Christ had to offer to perfect or to consecrate or to set apart those that believe on Him. ONE offering was all that Jesus Christ had to offer for the salvation of those that trust in Him and have repented of their sin. Multiple offerings are not necessary anymore. When the Tabernacle or the Temple was in place and before the first advent of Jesus Christ, then sins were only remitted through the sacrifice of animals and the sins were only temporarily taken care. The shedding of the blood of bulls and goats was necessary for payment of sin, but they were not the perfect sacrifice that Jesus Christ was and is and forever will be. The bulls and goats that were sacrificed had to be unblemished but they were still not the perfect sacrifice. If they were, then Jesus Christ would not needed to be sacrificed on the cross of Calvary. Only ONE offering was necessary when Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross, because, as God, Jesus Christ was and is and forever will be the only perfect sacrifice. That is why believers in Jesus Christ do not need to perform animal sacrifices today, because HE was the ONE offering – no more are needed. Look at verses 17 and 18:

Hebrews 10:17, 18 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

What a blessed thought for believers in Jesus Christ: when we have confessed our sins and repented of them to God, then He will not remember our sins anymore. Believers are not under the Law, they are under God’s grace, because the Law that was given to Moses never saved anyone. The Law was given so the Israelites and the Gentiles could see their desperate need for the Messiah. The Law only brings death in the end because trying to solely keep the Law will bring the person under the judgment and wrath of God. Nobody was ever able to keep the Law other than Jesus Christ and nobody will ever be able to keep the Law. It is Jesus Christ that gives life because He was willing to die for my sins and the sins of everyone else in the world past, present and future. And because of His sacrifice, as the Bible says in verse 18, there is no more need for offerings for sin. And that is why believers are to be LIVING sacrifices for God, in obedience to God, in the service of God.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

That gives us an inkling why believers can boldly enter into the holiest and go before God – because as the Bible says in verse 19: Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, – believers can only go there because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ – AND ONLY by the blood of Jesus Christ – there is no other way to Heaven. There is no other way to go before God but by His Son, Jesus Christ. We have been studying the Tabernacle for Sunday School and just as there was only one entrance into the Tabernacle, there is only one way to God – through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:19, 20 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

We just finished celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, but it was not His birth that saved anyone. The Bible does not tell us that we may boldly enter the holiest by the life of Jesus Christ, believer enter by the blood of Jesus Christ – because of His death, believers have a new and living way. Believers have been made sacred because of His sacrifice. The veil of the Temple was torn at the moment of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, showing people that everyone may enter the presence of God. This was only possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In verse 20, the Greek word “new” means “recently slain.” What does that mean for us today? That through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus Christ has opened up a new and living way to God. Animal sacrifices are no longer needed, Jesus Christ was the only sacrifice needed. And He only had to be sacrificed once.

Hebrews 10:21, 22 And having a high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

The blessing in all of this is that Jesus Christ was not only the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world through His sacrifice, but He is also the High Priest who performs the sacrifice because He gave up His life on the cross. Note in verse 22 the invitation that is given, but to whom is it given to? The word “us” is used here implying born again believers in Jesus Christ, but I believe that verse can be applied to those coming to Jesus Christ for salvation as well. The writer of the Book of Hebrews is pointing to the priests of the Old Testament in verses 21 and 22and how they needed to be washed before serving God in the Tabernacle or the Temple. When they were dedicated to the service of the priesthood for God, they were washed with water (Exodus 40:12), and they were set apart for the service of God. Not just anyone could serve in the Tabernacle, just those that were set apart by God to serve. Today, all believers are set apart by God and are priests unto God. As the Apostle Peter wrote: 1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Believers are a peculiar people, people set apart and have been washed with pure water. But that water is not two parts Hydrogen and one part Oxygen, but the washing by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Note in Hebrews 10:22 that the Bible says in full assurance of faith. That statement has nothing to do with the amount of faith any of us have. Think about this: if any of us had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20) or tell a sycamore tree to plant itself in the ocean (Luke 17:6). in full assurance of faith has nothing to do with the amount of my faith – instead, it has everything to do with the object of my faith, Jesus Christ. We can place our faith in some person here on earth, but we will be disappointed in them at some point. We can place our faith in something, like entertainment, sports, school, drugs, alcohol, or intellect but they will all disappoint in the end. True faith is based on Jesus Christ, not myself, because I will ultimately disappoint in the end too. True faith means that you have truly received Jesus Christ as your Saviour. True faith trusts in Him alone.

D. L. Moody once said, “A rule I have had for years is to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. When I go away from home I bid my wife and children goodbye; I bid my friends and acquaintances goodbye, but I never heard of a poor backslider going down on his knees and saying, ‘I have been near you for ten years; your service has become tedious and monotonous; I have come to bid you farewell. Goodbye, Lord Jesus Christ.’I never heard of one doing this. I will tell you how they go: they just run away!”

As we make resolutions this year, let us not only resolve to take care of the physical, let us also resolve to focus on the spiritual, with Jesus Christ as the focus. I am going to close today with the resolutions that Jonathan Edwards wrote back in the 1700′s.

Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), from the Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 1

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humble entreat Him, by His grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ’s sake. [I will] remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general.

Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.

Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

Resolved, Never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.

Resolved, Never to do anything out of revenge.

Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession which I cannot hope God will accept.

Resolved, To ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month, and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.

Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them; what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

Resolved, Always to do that which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak.

Death is central to the Christian life. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? But death is absolutely essential to the life of the believer in Jesus Christ. First, it is because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that gives everyone the good news of eternal life with Jesus Christ – if people would repent and believe in Him. Second, it is His sacrificial death on the cross that paid the wages of my sin debt. Third, death is an ongoing process for the believer as he or she seeks to mortify their members and die to self in order to better love and serve God and to better love and serve their neighbor. Turn to Luke 9:

Luke 9:22-26 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. (23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (26) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

Look at verse 26: Jesus Christ is putting in practical terms what the believer is going to go through every day of his or her earth-bound life. Every day believers are going to be in situations – whether purposely or by accident – that their actions and words will demonstrate whether or not they are ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Words. Believers live in a world that encourages them to “Just Do It” and “Do whatever feels goods,” but those they are probably not the right things for believers to be doing or saying. It is natural for the believer to want to follow their fleshly desires and to say “YES” to themselves, however, God tells believers to deny themselves in order to love and serve and others better. People want to be accepted by others, that is a natural characteristic of people: we want others to like us. But to be a believer in Jesus Christ, there will be times that we have to choose whether we want others to like us or if we want to follow God. In Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles, after being imprisoned and scolded by the high priest and the chief of the temple, declared: We ought to obey God rather than men.

For the believer to grow and mature in their walk with Jesus Christ, they must be willing to slay their desires and wants when they conflict with God and His Holy Word. Believers must be willing to reject themselves and things in order to better follow Jesus Christ. The question becomes, what are you going to do or say, when a situation arises: are you going to be ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word or are you going to be willing to say, “Thus saith the Lord!” Look at Luke 9:26 again, if we are going to be ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word, then Jesus Christ is going to be ashamed of us! That alone should be enough to motivate us to serve and love God. And to serve and love Him in the fashion that He desires, not the way that pleases me. Believers need to be willing to let go of their fears and doubts and trust that Jesus Christ will work things out to His glory.

A drunken man entered his row boat one night to cross the river. He picked up the oars and pulled away-so he thought. He rowed all night but did not reach the destination. When daylight came, he was surprised to find that he was just where he started the night before. He had forgotten to untie his boat. So it is with many of the Lord’s followers. They are tied to their habits, desires, wills, or some cherished idol or idols of the heart. Consequently, their lives are fruitless. Shore-bound Christians never flourish and are of little or no help to others.

Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

That is the order for the believer today as well: rejected, slain, raised. There will be times when people of this world will reject the believer because they are willing to take a stand on God’s Word. Believers will be called unloving and hateful. As believers, do we want to be seen as being ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word? That may be the easy route, but it will cause Jesus Christ to be ashamed of us and it will be harder to take a stand later on God’s Word, because people will not believe the strength of your convictions. Believers will be rejected by the people around them and that is not easy to bear, but Jesus Christ tells us to take up our cross daily – not weekly or monthly – but daily.

Romans 6:2-3 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Believers in Jesus Christ are dead to sin from the standpoint that Jesus Christ died for our sins. That does not mean that the believer no longer sins, but fortunately, when the believer is properly walking with the Lord, then they will not sin. If believers just continuously walk with God, then they would not sin, because God is not going to lead anyone to sin! Furthermore, God is willing to help the believer to walk the way they are suppose to walk. Isaiah 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee… Someone once said: “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it.” The cost of obedience is nothing compared with the cost of disobedience. Turn to Galatians 2:20:

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

What does this verse mean for the believer? When Jesus Christ gave up His life on the cross of Calvary not quite two thousand years ago, believers also died with Him. The people that have trusted Jesus Christ for salvation and repented of their sin died with Him on the cross and were resurrected with Him three days later and believers are still connected to Him today. He indwells every believer. What a wonderful blessing that is and something that no other religion claims. Believers have died to sin, but believers still have a sin nature and will have that sin nature for the rest of their lives. But believers are never alone. Unashamed believers will be abandoned by the world, but they are never alone because Jesus Christ lives in every believer as it says in Galatians 2:20. Believers have no power over sin on their own, only through Jesus Christ can anyone have victory over sin. Believers cannot crucify themselves. They cannot be alone and be crucified. A person can die many ways alone – they may take poison or hang themselves or shoot themselves, but they cannot crucify themselves. The believer may be able to nail one hand to the cross, but how will they nail the other? Believers were crucified with Jesus Christ when He died on the cross. Back to Romans 6.

Romans 6:2-3 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Please realize that as we read through Romans chapter 6, that when the word “baptized” is used, it is not referring strictly to water baptism. Water baptism is important for the believer and it is commanded by God, but this passage is not solely about water. The word “baptize” is a Greek word that the King James Bible translators made into an English word. The word “baptize” essentially means “immersed” – in other words fully covered. So what the apostle Paul is stating in verse 3 is that the believer is immersed with Jesus Christ or identified with Jesus Christ. Believers are identified or baptized into Jesus Christ and His death. Think of it this way: Jesus Christ was sacrificed on the cross of Calvary and every believer was there too. But I was the guilty one – not Jesus Christ. You were the guilty one. My sin and your sin put Jesus Christ on the cross and believers are identified with Him.

In the eyes of God, believers have been identified with Jesus Christ, but what about to the rest of the world. If the believer is unashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word, then people will identify the believer as being a Christian. So do your words match your actions? The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore (1821-1883) lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that  many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be  persons they were not. Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. “All right,” said the official, “we’ll give you a test, and if you pass it we’ll allow you to go through.” Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His work confirmed his word! People follow what we do on the stage of life. They look to see if our conduct squares with our profession. Are we drawing the picture of Christ, as it were, or of a different person? What the world wants to see is reality in our actions. It has been said that God has great and wonderful things to display if He finds suitable showcases. Are you a good showcase for Jesus Christ?

If the believer is properly walking with God, then he or she will be identified with Jesus Christ by the world. Two little children, a boy and a girl, who played together a great deal, received Christ and were converted. One day the boy came to his mother and said, “Mother, I know that Emma is a Christian.” “What makes you think so, dear?” “Because she plays like a Christian. If you take everything she’s got, she doesn’t get mad. Before, she was selfish, and if she didn’t have everything her own way she would say, ‘I won’t play with you; you are a mean little boy.’ ” That’s what the world sees, the result of our possessing part of the fullness of God. If we have God, then we must act like Him.

Death is central to the life of the believer in Jesus Christ. To the world, death is a negative idea – why? Because they have no hope in the future. This world has seen amazing technological advancements in the last 100 years – how many kids to day know what an eight track player was? For the believer, death is necessary for their everyday life with God AND because of the death of Jesus Christ, the believer has hope for the future. Just as Jesus Christ was rejected and slain, the believer must go through the same process – there is no skipping ahead to risen. Jesus Christ did not skip over the first two steps: He was rejected and He was slain by the very people He created. The believer must also be rejected and slain. Everyday, the world intrudes into our lives through our interactions with others and the forms of entertainment we have and the things we read and watch and listen to. The believer’s viewpoint should not mirror the world, it should mirror the kingdom of God. The believer should be willing to deny themselves the things that hinder their walk with God.

Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

To mortify means to bring into subjection or slay. It is a negative statement – to the world, to the lost. The world declares that we should grab all the gusto we can! But the Bible tells us to mortify the deeds of the body. The declares we should do and try everything! But God’s Word tells us to mortify the deeds of the body. The world declares that we should do whatever we want and not worry about the consequences! But the Bible tells us to mortify the deeds of the body – why? So the believer may live. If the believer lives after the flesh, they will die. If the believer lives through the Holy Spirit, they shall live. That means that the believer must deny himself or herself and seek first the kingdom of God, not their own pleasure. That means the believer must humble himself or herself and seek to love and serve God first, then seek to love and serve their neighbor second, then love themselves third. Jesus Christ was rejected and slain, two things every believer must go through as well before the third step: risen. Where is your spiritual walk today? I will close with five questions that each of us need to ask ourselves daily:

1. Whom are you trying to please? 2. What insecurities are you pampering? 3. With whom or what are you competing? 4. What rewards are you seeking? 5. What shame are you covering?

Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

The Book of Proverbs is an exhortation to the believer in Jesus Christ that is as true today as it was thousands of years ago when it was written and compiled. The book is a wonderful source for daily obedient living for the believer toward Jesus Christ. Here in Chapter two we are told to seek after wisdom and understanding and then use them every day of our lives. We are to seek God’s wisdom, however, not man’s wisdom. Man’s wisdom will always lead the believer away from Jesus Christ – maybe not right away, but eventually man’s wisdom will pull the believer toward following man. Why does this happen? Because unsaved mankind looks at the cross of Jesus Christ and considers it to be foolishness that one man should die for everyone else. Or for those that claim to believe in Jesus Christ, they look at the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and believe that they must do something more in order to earn salvation or to keep salvation.

1Corinthians 1:18-21 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (19) For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. (20) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

God uses the “foolishness” of preaching to get His Word out to others. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith only through the hearing of God’s Word. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, those that are wise by the world’s standards will perish and will not truly know God. 1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Paul states God is far wiser than any man and far stronger than any man, therefore it is wiser for mankind to follow God rather than other men. We must always look to God’s Wisdom over man’s wisdom. Wisdom comes from reading and believing God’s Word, the Bible. I took part in a discussion the other day and a person declared that she had read the Bible from cover to cover and then asked, “What does the Bible have to do with anything?” I replied, “The Bible has everything to do with anything.” Man will always lead you astray at some point, God will never lead you astray.

The doubleheader train was bucking a heavy snowstorm as its engines pulled it west. A woman with a baby wanted to leave the train at one of the little stations along the route. She repeatedly called, “Don’t forget me!” to the brakeman responsible to call out the stations they approached. Her husband was to meet her. The train slowed to a stop, and a fellow traveler said, “Here’s your station.” She hopped from the train into the storm. The train moved on again. Forty-five minutes later, the brakeman came in. “Where’s the woman?” “She got off at the last stop,” the traveler said. “Then she got off to her death,” the brakeman responded. “We stopped only because there was something the matter with the engine.” They called for volunteers to go back and search for the woman and child. When they found her, she was covered with ice and snow. The little boy was protected on her breast. She had followed the man’s directions, but they were wrong-dead wrong.

What had happened in this illustration? When the train stopped, a fellow traveler told her it was her stop – not the brakeman. She did not double check what the traveler had said and paid for it with her life and almost the life of her son. Why? Because she did not wait to hear from the authority – the brakeman who was responsible for calling out the stops. The woman relied on the foolishness of a man

that did not really know what he was talking about. This illustration shows each of us (including me) the dangers of following man’s wisdom rather than God’s. The decisions each of us make affect not only ourselves, but also the others around us. Our loved ones see the choices we make and will base their decisions on what we do. Dr Crowley taught: What is improper that is accepted with limitations by Dad will be acceptable by the son without  limitations. What we show to be important to us, will be accepted as being important to our loved ones or those watching us. What is a priority to us will be a priority to others. Likewise, if we do not show something to be a priority to ourselves, then it will be even less of a priority to others.

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (2) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

The Book of Proverbs was written to the believer to encourage them to seek knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. The first basic lesson to be learned is found in Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. We see in Proverbs 2:1 that the believer is to learn the words of the father and to study them and know them. Psalm 119:9-11 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (10) With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. (11) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Charles Spurgeon wrote this about about Psalm 119:11 – The place for God’s Word is not an outside place, but an inside place. It is infinitely better to have it hidden in your heart than it is to have many copies of it laid among the furniture of your house. It may be that your having the Word of God so plentifully at home may increase your damnation, rather then lead to your salvation. Why Charles Spurgeon speak so harshly? Because he wanted people to use their Bibles for more than dust collectors. If the Bible is not opened and read and studied, then it does not do you or anyone else any good.

Believers cannot not only crack open their Bibles on Sunday and neglect them the rest of the week. George Muller wrote: It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the Scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The truth is that in order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray. A telephone company once used the following as its advertising copy: Born to be battered…the loving phone call book. Underline it, circle things, write in the margins, turn down page corners, the more you use it, the more valuable it gets to be. That is true of the Bible as well: the more we use it, the more valuable it becomes to us. The president of American Bible Society, received a letter asking a question: “What do you recommend for keeping the leather on the back of Bibles from getting stiff, cracking and peeling? His reply was, “There is one oil that is especially good for treatment of leather on Bibles. In fact it will insure your Bible will stay in good condition. It is not sold, but may be found in the palm of the human hand.”

Proverbs 2:1 if thou wilt receive my words,– we are to receive the Word of God and take it into ourselves and store it there – and hide my commandments with thee; We are to keep God’s Words inside us so that we are then able to apply them to situations in our lives and be ready to use them to talk to others and answer their questions. As Peter wrote: 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Incline thine ear unto wisdom means to keep your ear open when listening to the Word of God. J. Vernon McGee wrote: Something is to enter the head through the ear gate, but its final destination is the heart. When the Word of God gets into the heart, it brings understanding.

Proverbs 2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

Think about that for moment and think back to your days in high school. Who usually did better in class? Those that came to class prepared and studied and took notes or those that only showed to class? Those that studied and prepared usually received the better grades. The same is true in the life of the believer: those that cry out for knowledge and understanding will receive it. Those that study and read will receive knowledge and understanding. Peter wrote: 1Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: Think about how cats react when they hear a can being opened, they come running. Our cats know when they are about to receive canned cat food and as the can is being opened they stand on the back legs with their front legs reaching up as high as they can in anticipation of food. Think how babies are when they see a bottle in front of them: they excitedly start to flail their arms and kick their legs waiting for the food. That is how the believer should be about the Word of God: we are to cry out for knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding – anxious to be fed the Word of God. You will never be spiritually fed if all you eat is spiritual fast food. If all you read is books and devotionals about the Bible, but never really study the Bible, you will not be fed spiritually.

Proverbs 2:4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

If we look for treasures in the Bible, then we will find them. If we look at Bible reading as drudgery, then that is what we will find. Reading the Bible should be like mining for silver by looking for the vein of silver everywhere until we find it. What we put into our Bible reading is what we will get out of it. While studying in the Holy Lands, a seminary professor met a man who claimed to have memorized the Old Testament–in Hebrew! Needless to say, the astonished professor asked for a demonstration. A few days late they sat together in the man’s home. “Where shall we begin?” asked the man. “Psalm 1,” replied my professor, who was an avid student of the psalms. Beginning with Psalm 1:1, the man began to recite from memory, while the professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible. For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, my professor discovered something even more astonishing about the man–he was an atheist! Here was someone who knew the Scriptures better than most Christians ever will, and yet he didn’t even believe in God. (Jack Kuhatschek) Even though this atheist knew the Old Testament better than most Christians, he obviously had not cried out to God for knowledge or sought silver among its pages. The Bible should not just sit on a shelf and seldom be opened. If we are to grow closer to God and have our faith grow, then the Bible must be opened and read and re-read! By every believer!

The new pastor was asked to teach a boys’ class in the absence of the regular teacher. He decided to see what they knew, so he asked who knocked down the walls of Jericho. All the boys denied having done it, and the preacher was appalled by their ignorance. At the next deacons’ meeting he told about the experience. “Not one of them knows who knocked down the walls of Jericho,” he lamented. The group was silent until finally one long time deacon spoke up. “Preacher, this appears to be bothering you a lot. But I’ve known all those boys since they were born and they’re good boys. If they said they didn’t know, I believe them. Let’s just take some money out of the repair and maintenance fund, fix the walls, and let it go at that.”

Proverb 2:1-5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (2) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; (3) Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; (4) If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; (5) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

That is all one sentence, by the way. If the believer in Jesus Christ does what is in the first four verses, then verse 5 comes to pass. Remember Proverb 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Devotional reading is very good, but most devotionals only center around a few verses. To truly study the Word of God, we need to dig in and look for the hidden treasures and the silver; we need to cry out and lift up our voices for knowledge and understanding; we must listen for the wisdom found in the Bible and have God’s Words deep inside of us. If our only Bible reading is only devotionally based, then we will not grow in knowledge, understanding, and in the fear of the Lord.

An unknown writer said, “This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.

Today I want to focus on the King Zedekiah’s reign over the kingdom of Judah. Zedekiah had been made king over Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonians came against the kingdom of Judah three times – the first two times they took into captivity Judah’s royalty (including Jehoiachen the previous king) and the talented people of the land: the military, the skilled workers, and such. Nebuchadnezzar left behind the so-called lower class people and the criminals and the poor. When the Babylonians came back the third time, they destroyed the city of Jerusalem and ransacked and burned down the Temple of God. Zedekiah had been taken into captivity originally, but was brought back to reign as a puppet king for Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah had pledged loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar, but he ended up rebelling against him instead.

2 Chronicles 36:13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

Sadly, when Zedekiah turned away from Nebuchadnezzar, he did not turn toward God. Instead, Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart – meaning that he determined that he would not follow God except in his own fashion. When you read the Book of Jeremiah, you see Zedekiah coming to Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord God, but Zedekiah never follows what God tells him to do.

Jeremiah 38:14-23 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me. (15) Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me? (16) So Zedekiah the king swore secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life. (17) Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: (18) But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand. (19) And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me. (20) But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live. (21) But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath showed me: (22) And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back. (23) So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

Zedekiah secretly came to Jeremiah to ask him to inquire of the Lord and Jeremiah warned Zedekiah to do what God said or suffer grave consequences. If Zedekiah had not hardened his heart against God, then he would have followed God’s instructions. Instead, Zedekiah made a pretense of following God, but he really just followed his own desires. And fears. God told Zedekiah to have all of Judah willingly go into captivity in Babylon. If they did that, then Jerusalem would not be destroyed and after seventy years they would be restored to the land. But Zedekiah feared man more than he feared God. Someone once said: We fear men so much because we fear God so little. Because Zedekiah refused to follow God’s instructions, and chose to follow his own poor wisdom, Zedekiah’s family was killed by the Babylonians, and his own eyes were put out before he was dragged off to captivity in Babylon.

2 Chronicles 36:11, 12 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. (12) And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

Zedekiah followed the example of the wicked kings that had reigned in Judah. He chose to neither follow Nebuchadnezzar or God. You would think that after the trials he had already been through, Zedekiah would have turned to God as previous kings of Judah had. Zedekiah had the privilege of having Jeremiah giving him the Word of God but he rejected it every time.

2 Chronicles 36:14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

The people of the kingdom of Judah followed the example of their leadership and walked in the ways of the heathen. The last four kings over Judah had done evil in the eyes of the Lord and the people of Judah followed suit. Look at what verse 14 states: transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen – they did not just slightly follow the abominations of the heathen, they very much transgressed the laws of God and followed the abominations. Then verse 14 tells us that they polluted the Temple. The Book of Ezekiel chapters 8-10 tells us what the condition of Judah was in and what was going on in the Temple. Ezekiel 8:9-10 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. (10) So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.

The people had decided to follow their own desires rather than follow God. Essentially, they chose to make themselves gods, because they had decided that they knew what was right. They may fooled themselves into thinking that they were following God, but they were not doing anything that glorified Him. God, in His great mercy, reached out to the people of Judah.

2 Chronicles 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up quickly, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

God sent out His messengers – the true prophets of God – to preach to the people and warn them of the wrath to come if they continued to refuse to follow God. The people were warned by the Word of God and look at the results in verse 16:

2 Chronicles 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

The people mocked God’s Word and His messengers. They hated His Word and murdered His prophets. And that brought His wrath down upon them. The prophet Amos warned:

Amos 8:11-12 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: (12) And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

God’s wrath was coming upon His people. The wrath would not have come if the people had repented and turned to God. If they had turned to God, He would have held off His wrath. 2Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

This is the state that the United States of America is in today. The people of America have turned away from God and have chosen to follow their own paths. There are no more moral standards or absolute standards, because the Bible is no longer being read, taught or preached. People are confused about God’s Word because of all the different translations out there. People do not want to hear the truth from God’s Word because it offends them. People will only care about in issue if it affects them, otherwise, they are apathetic. They don’t know and they don’t care. Listen to this quote by Georgia Anne Geyer:

I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to have a moral community or nation without faith in God, because without it everything rapidly comes down to “me,” and “me” alone is meaningless. Today Americans have stopped acting in terms of their own moral, ethical and religious beliefs and principles. They’ve stopped acting on what they knew was right — and the “me” has become the measure of everything. However, moral societies are the only ones that work. If anyone thinks there is not a direct and invaluable relationship between personal integrity in a society and that society’s prosperity, that person has simply not studied history. And this should not surprise us. Great moral societies, built upon faith in God, honor, trust, and the law blossom because they are harmonious; because people love or at least respect their fellowman; because, finally, they have a common belief in something beyond themselves. It simplifies life immensely; you do not waste and spend your days fighting for turf, for privilege, for money and power over your fellowman.

Alexis de Tocqueville said it best in the 1830′s when he realized even at the very beginning of our national life, “America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”

America needs to turn back toward God before His wrath is unleashed upon us. Revival can still happen in this country if everyone would repent and cry out to God. This needs to happen from the President, to the Congress, the Senate, the Judicial system, the states and the people. If we do not repent and cry out soon, it may be too late.

This passage takes place right after Jesus Christ has fed the five thousand and more people and has walked on the water to the boat the the apostles were in. The people have seen the miracles that He has performed and they still want more. But that is human nature: when we see or experience something sensational, we want to see it and experience it again and usually bigger the second time. The spectators had been looking for Jesus and had now found Him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They knew that He had not left with the apostles on the boat, and could not figure out how He got there.

John 6:25, 26 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? (26) Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

Jesus Christ looks past their question of how and when He arrived and goes to their true motivation: they want more food. They want to experience something sensational and, as we will see, they want to do it without any effort on their part. They want full stomachs and they want it for free. They want to be able to come to the table and be fed without any work. That is how many people approach the Christian life: they expect to come to church and be fed without any work or preparation on their part. Believers need to be in prayer before coming to church. Believers need to be in prayer before going to work. Believers need to be in prayer every day in preparation for the day. Believers need to be in the Word of God daily to be ready for the challenges of the day. The Word of God is our armor and our sword and our defense against spiritual darkness! The Word of God is the answer to people’s problems and the Word of God is their hope!

1Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

The people in John chapter 6 were looking to get their bellies filled again without any effort on their part. They wanted to come up to the table and be fed without doing anything ahead of time to prepare for it. Someone once called a preacher to say he wanted to place church membership. But, he went on to explain that he did not want to worship every week, study the Bible, visit the sick, or serve as a leader or teacher. The minister commended him for his desire to be a member, but told him the church he sought was located in another section of town. The man took the address and directions and hung up. When he arrived at that address, the man came face to face with the logical result of his own apathetic attitude. There stood an abandoned church building boarded up and ready for demolition.

John 6:27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Jesus Christ is telling these people to stop trying to get food that will expire and to stop trying to get food that will not last. Instead, He is encouraging the people to get food that will last eternally, to get food that is everlasting. Jesus Christ is telling these people to stop seeking the stuff for today and focus on the eternal. That kind of nourishment can only come from Jesus Christ Himself. That is the meal that will endure for eternity. People need to stop focusing their lives on pleasing themselves right now and look to the Bread of Life. Paul wrote to Timothy that same concept:

1Timothy 4:7-8 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. (8) For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

People need to get their spiritual lives in order first before focusing on their physical lives. On body without a spirit is just as dead as a spirit without a body. Jesus Christ is telling these people that they need to spiritually feed on Him and they will have eternal life. In John chapter 4, Jesus Christ tells the woman at the well that He is the living Water and in chapter 6 He tells the people that He is the Bread of Life. Water and Bread are two essentials for people to live. A person can live on one for a while, but they will not be fully nourished and will not grow. Man needs both bread and water to fully live physically and man needs Jesus Christ – the Living Water and the Bread of Life – to be able to fully live spiritually. How is He able to do this? Because He is the Word.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus Christ came down from the glory of Heaven and took on the form of man. He is 100 percent man and He is 100 percent God and He is the only source of truth and life.

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

The people are asking Him, “What can we do so that we can do the same things?” They are looking to find out what they must do. People are always looking for something to do and eternal life is no different. People are looking to find out what is the minimum that they need to do to be saved. They wonder, “What is the least I can do to go to Heaven?” Again, people must put the spiritual before the physical. A certain family had two sons. The older said he must make a name for his family, so turned his face toward Parliament and fame. The younger decided to give his life to the service of Christ and turned his face toward China and duty. He was Hudson Taylor, the missionary, who died beloved and known on every continent. “But,” someone wrote, “when I looked in the encyclopedia to see what the other son had done, I found these words, ‘the brother of Hudson Taylor.’ ” It may be that some were inclined to ridicule him when he went to the mission field, but in the end, he was respected and admired. His mercifulness had not been in vain, even as far as the world was concerned. But the merciful also receive recognition and reward from God Himself. This takes place both in this world and, in its full measure, in the world to come.

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

This is where so many people get mixed in their beliefs: they believe that they must do something first for salvation. They believe that they must first be good enough or that they must pay enough or that they must go to church enough or that they must do enough good deeds to be saved. What they fail to realize is that they must see that salvation is a work of God FIRST, and then believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. A man once rose up in a meeting to give his testimony to the saving grace of God. He told how the Lord had won his heart and given deliverance from the guilt and power of sin. He spoke of Christ and His work but said nothing of any efforts of his own. The leader of the meeting was of a legalistic mind, and when this man’s testimony was ended he said, “Our brother has only told us of the Lord’s part in his salvation. When I was converted, there was a whole lot I had to do myself before I could expect the Lord to do anything for me. Brother, didn’t you do your part first before God did His?” The other was on his feet in an instant and replied, “Yes, sir, I clean forgot. I didn’t tell you about my part, did I? Well, I did my part for over 30 years, running away from God as fast as ever my sins could carry me. That was my part. And God took after me till He ran me down. That was His part.”

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Jesus Christ is declaring that God is providing the Bread and the Water. God has prepared the meal, people need to accept it through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. People need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him. They must trust Him to provide rather than attempt to do things on their own. The point is that believers will trust in Jesus Christ in some areas, when they should be trusting Him in ALL areas. One night when an ambassador and his valet were obliged to sleep in the same room in a hotel, the valet noticed his master tossing and turning in bed. “Sir, what bothers you?” he asked. “Oh, I have so many things on my mind. The burden of my responsibility is hard to bear.” “Forgive me, sir, but do you think God has been governing the world up till now?” “Of course.” “And do you think He’ll manage even after you’ve left this world?” “Undoubtedly.” “Then don’t you think it’s possible for you to trust Him to do it even during your lifetime?” The ambassador got the point and was soon fast asleep.

When people rely on their own efforts and the efforts of others rather than rely on God, then all is in vain. God will not be glorified and the person will not be found obedient to God. Salvation is much than an outward act, it is recognizing God for who He is and what Jesus Christ has done on the cross for our sins. It is placing faith in Him and repenting of your sins and continuing to exercise that faith and repentance even after salvation.

The program committee for a national barber’s convention devised a graphic means of demonstrating the effectiveness of their profession. They found a social derelict on skid row with long, dirty hair. His face was unshaven and his clothes were ragged and filthy. His body reeked with odors of cheap liquor and filth. The barbers cleaned him up. They gave him a bath, shampoo, shave, haircut and manicure. They liberally sprinkled talcum powder on him and added spicy cologne. He was dressed in a new suit and was presented before the convention as a changed man. He certainly looked the part. However, within a week the man was back on skid row, back in the gutter, back in his former pattern of living. The barbers altered his appearance, but their tonsorial services had not changed his inward nature. Anyone who has the money to spend can put a man in a new suit, but only Christ can put a new man in the suit. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” Christ alters us from the inside out.

John 6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

This is perhaps the saddest verse of the passage we have read today. These people have seen the feeding of the five thousand – that alone should have been sufficient for these people to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. They were not really interested in believing in the Jesus Christ, they just wanted to be fed some more. They wanted more evidence from Jesus Christ, as if miraculously feeding them was not enough. People are still that way today: they want to see more, they want to feel more, and they want to experience more. They focus on feelings rather than simple faith. They say, “It feels right therefore it must be right.” But that is not faith. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

A man once defined faith by saying, “Faith means Forsaking All, I Take Him.” Saving faith is leaving the spot where we are now standing and jumping into the arms of Jesus with full confidence that He is able to bear us up. It is like trying to swim. Swimming is work as we know. Before we can swim, we must believe that the water is able to bear us up; saving faith is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ first and then swimming in the great sea of His love and everlasting mercy. This is a faith that saves. As believers we must continue to exercise that faith daily in order to grow in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is not seeing, but still believing. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Our faith grows by hearing God’s Word not by feelings or experiences. As I speak to you, you do not see the words coming from my mouth. When I am reading something, I hear my voice in my head reading the words as I read. Faith comes from following God’s Word and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, not through the actions that others do or that we do.

Hosea 2:1-13 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. (2) Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; (3) Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. (4) And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms. (5) For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. (6) Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. (7) And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now. (8) For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. (9) Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness. (10) And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. (11) I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. (12) And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. (13) And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgot me, saith the LORD.

The prophet Hosea preached to the people of the kingdom of Israel about the same time frame that Isaiah prophesied. Hosea was told by God to marry a wife of whoredoms – a harlot and his marriage was to be an example of how Israel behaved toward God. Sadly, Hosea’s wife, Gomer, cheated on him and ran off. However, we see Jesus Christ pictured in the Book of Hosea chapter 3 as Hosea pays a price and redeems his unfaithful wife, just as Jesus Christ paid the price for His unfaithful people. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins – He did not deserve such a death because He was without sin, but Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross to pay to penalty that each man and woman should have to pay for their sins. We deserve death, Jesus Christ did not. He died so that we can live.

Hosea 2:1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

Hosea had three children by Gomer and in chapter 1 we are told that their names are: Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah, and Lo-ammi. Turn to Hosea 1:6 and then 9.

Hosea 1:6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

Hosea 1:9 Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

Names in the Bible are very important and they often tell a story on their own. Here we see in Hosea 1 that the first child is Jezreel which means “God will scatter.” Jezreel is the name of a city and is also and area of land that is going to be a part of the Battle of Armageddon. Jezreel is a name associated with battles and death and this name given by God points out that God will scatter and not restore the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. The second child is named Lo-ruhamah which means “not having obtained mercy, not pitied.” Furthermore, looking at the name Lo-ruhamah, we come to realize that the name implies that this child never knew a father’s pity which points that Hosea may not have been the physical father. Hosea’s wife was unfaithful to him, just as God’s people have committed spiritual adultery against Him by worshiping idols and false gods.

When you read through the minor prophets, you see the idolatry and spiritual adultery that Israel and Judah chose to indulge in. They continued to pay God lip service and go through the outward motions of their worship, but inwardly they were deep into adultery. They may have felt they were very sincere in their worship and they likely justified their actions. But that does not change the fact that their actions were wrong, no matter how sincere they may have been. Sincerity without truth is wrong. You can sincerely believe you are boarding an airplane to California, when the plane is actually flying to Florida. It does not matter how sincerely you believe it, the truth is that airplane is flying to Florida.

The third child born was a son, whom God directed be named “Lo-ammi.” His name means “not my people” which means for Hosea this son was not his, and God is telling the nation of Israel that they are not His people. Why? Because they have turned away from Him. But we know that Israel will be God’s people again, read verses 10 and 11.

Hosea 1:10-11 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. (11) Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Let us continue to chapter 2 verse one.

Hosea 2:1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

In the last two verses of the preceding chapter we saw that (1) Israel will experience a great increase in population; (2) in the nation there will be a great turning to God; (3) the northern and southern kingdoms will reunite so that the twelve tribes will again form a single nation; (4) they will appoint themselves one head, who will be the Messiah (McGee). Please note that in verse one here the children are called Ammi and Ruhamah – Ammi meaning “my people” and Ruhamah meaning “pitied.” God is not done with the Israelites yet, despite their unfaithfulness to Him.

Hosea 2:2,3 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; (3) Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

God is telling the children to go to their mother, Gomer, and plead for her to come back to Hosea. Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea, despite his love for her. Likewise, Israel was unfaithful to God, despite His love for them. Gomer had a husband that loved her and took care of her and she still ran back to her old ways of prostitution. Israel had God who loved them and took care of them and they still ran back to idolatry. J. Vernon McGee wrote: The greatest sin in all of the world is not murder or theft or lying… But judging from what the Scriptures teaches, the worst sin one can commit is to become unfaithful to one who loves you. Applying this to our own lives, what is the greatest sin a Christian can commit? Many people feel that it is murder or lying or even coveting, but the greatest sin unfaithfulness to God who has redeemed you and who loves you. There is no greater sin than that, my friend.

In verses 3 and 4, we see that God will judge the nation of Israel for their sin and no mercy on them if they refuse to repent. The whole nation is in idolatry or spiritual adultery.

Daniel 1:9-10 Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. (10) And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

Daniel was favored by the prince of eunuchs and we see God’s hand in this, as He intervenes for His children. The eunuch feared for his own life if Daniel and his friends looked less healthy than the rest of the captive Israelites.

Daniel 1:11-13 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, (12) Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. (13) Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

The four young men did not want to defile themselves and asked the prince of the eunuchs to provide them with diet of vegetables and grains. They asked Melzar to give them ten days on the diet of pulse and if they looked worse than the other young men that ate of the king’s meat, then they would eat from the king’s meat as well.

Daniel 1:14-15 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. (15) And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

After ten days of eating pulse, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah looked healthier than the men who ate the portion of the king’s meat. Harry Ironside wrote: Some who read the account in our day may also consider it all a mere quibble on the part of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. But it brings out a principle of great force and beauty that should appeal to every Christian’s heart and conscience. The only way to grow in the Lord is by being faithful in little things. He who honors the Lord by conscientious adherence to His Word in what some would call minor details is likely to be exercised about greater things.

The believer in Jesus Christ must determine in their heart to follow in love and obedience Jesus Christ. It may be a case of rejecting things that bring us pleasure in order to please Jesus Christ. Believers need to understand that they will need to deny themselves some things in order to come closer to Jesus Christ. It must be a conscience decision on the believer’s part. Barnabas encouraged the people of Antioch to do this:

Act 11:22-23 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. (23) Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

The believer must purpose in his or her heart to not defile themselves. There can be no compromise with the world and the things that defile the believer. Truth is truth – it is as simple as that. God’s Word is truth and we must follow it and show its truth to others. The other Hebrews with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, chose to compromise the values that God gave them. They chose to eat the portion of the king’s meat and they were not rewarded by God, unlike Daniel and his friends.

Daniel 1:17-20 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. (18) Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. (19) And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. (20) And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

God’s hand was upon the four men because they chose to follow God despite the consequences that were before them. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. When we allow something into our life that will defile us, it may seem small at first, but the sin will grow. As the sin grows in our life, it will darken our view of God and it will deaden our sensitivity to the things of God. God no longer becomes a light unto our feet and we will stumble and choose to go deeper into sin. Proverb 4:18-19 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. (19) The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

When an individual has the attitude of compromise in regard to spiritual values and truths, dark days are ahead. All who strive to be Christians feel a certain amount of pressure from the world. Through the strength that Christ gives, we can overcome the world and its temptations.

A man starting a fish business put out his sign that read, “Fresh Fish For Sale Today” and invited all to visit his place of business on opening day. Many came and congratulated him on his new business, but one suggested that he change his sign. “Why the ‘Today’? It is today.” So he removed the “Today”.

Someone else said, “Why, ‘For Sale’? Everybody knows you have fish for sale-or else why the store?” The words “For Sale” came off the sign. Another said, “Why the word ‘Fresh’? You are a man of integrity, that guarantees your fish to be fresh.” “Fresh” came off the sign. Only one word was left, “Fish” and one complained about it. “I smelled your fish two blocks away.”

The individual that tries to satisfy everybody ends up by pleasing nobody. If we start compromising, we will end up serving the devil. The man should have put up his sign and then stood by it. This is what we are to do in life. Accept God’s will for our lives and stand on His promises. Believers must purpose in their hearts to follow God.

Daniel 1:1-8 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. (2) And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. (3) And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; (4) Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. (5) And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. (6) Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: (7) Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. (8) But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

The Babylonians invaded the kingdom of Judah three times. On the third time, they destroyed the city and took most everybody into captivity. The invasion described in the beginning of the Book of Daniel was the first invasion and it took place about 604 BC. Daniel and his three friends were taken along with thousands of others. Some of the vessels from the house of the Lord were taken and placed into the temple of the god of Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 1:3 And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;

When invading a foreign land, Babylon would take the best people from that land and put them to work for Babylon. We see here in verses 3,4 that certain young men were set apart and chosen for their wisdom and understanding so that they could serve as advisers to King Nebuchadnezzar. It is believed that Daniel would have been about seventeen and it is also believed that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were made eunuchs. Verse 3 tells us that the master of the eunuchs watched over them and verse 9 Dan 1:9 Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs points in that direction. This would fulfill the prophesy made by Isaiah to King Hezekiah: Isaiah 39:7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Why would Nebuchadnezzar have them made into eunuchs? So the men would remain focused on studying science and wisdom rather than being distracted by other pursuits.

Daniel 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

They were chosen for their smarts and also their ability to communicate and conduct themselves. I like what J. Vernon McGee wrote about this verse: I want to submit to you that the Bible was not written by a bunch of ninnies – it wasn’t written by men who were ignorant. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt. The Egyptians were quite advanced; they knew the distance to the sun, and they knew that the earth was round. It was a few Greeks who came along later and flattened out the earth. They were the “scientists” in that day, you see. Science taught the the earth was flat. The Bible never did teach that; in fact it said it was a circle (see Isaiah 40:22). Daniel, too, as a young man was outstanding. He must have rated high on the list of tests in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Don’t despise the learning of that day. There were many men who were well advanced in knowledge, in science, and in many other areas. Daniel is going to be exposed to all that.

Daniel 1:5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

These young men were to fed with the best food in the kingdom – the same food that King Nebuchadnezzar would be eating. The idea was that they would be ready to stand before the king ready to advise him after three years. The king’s meat would include foods that were prohibited by God’s Law. Daniel was a Jew and was forbidden by God to eat unclean animals which included certain meats, birds and fish.

Daniel 1:6,7 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: (7) Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego.

The Jewish names for these young men point toward their allegiance to God and their Hebrew names incorporate the name of God in some fashion. Each of these men were devoted to God as their names suggest, but the prince of eunuchs determined that they needed new names to show their subjection to the Babylonians. So the names Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego incorporate the names of the gods of the Babylonians. Obviously, as we read through the Book of Daniel, the men did not follow the gods that they had been re-named after. They chose to follow Jehovah and remain obedient to Him even at great risk to their lives.

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

This is the key phrase in this chapter: Daniel purposed in his heart: Daniel decided early on that he would not defile himself for the sake of getting along. Daniel decided in his heart that he would take a stand against what he knew was wrong. Daniel decided in his heart that he would not compromise despite the consequences of his actions. The goal of the Babylonians was to make these men into Babylonians – they were to learn Babylonian knowledge, they were to dress like Babylonians, they were to eat like Babylonians, and they were to behave like Babylonians. Daniel and his three friends purposed in their hearts that they would not compromise and adopt the ways of the Babylonian world. The king of Babylon had ordered that the men were to eat of the king’s meat and so it looks like they would have to follow those orders. There are those that would argue this is true and that there is no individual responsibility in this matter. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did not see it this way and purposed in their hearts to follow God. They chose to obey God’s Word and not man’s law. They chose to honour God and glorify Him rather than compromise and follow the Babylonian example. The Christian should never compromise on what God’s Word declares. Paul Harvey once told the story of the uncertain soldier in the Civil War who, figuring to play it safe, dressed himself in a blue coat and gray pants and tiptoed out onto the field of battle. He got shot from both directions!