Podcasts about moabites

A @Christadelphians Video: Description: The history from the times of the patriarchs to the Babylonian exile is outlined. Although the relationships between Jew and Gentile were often hostile, they were not necessarily so. Some Gentiles came to be associated with the promises which God made to Abraham, through their faith. To this day Gentiles can share in these blessings through belief and baptism into the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.# SummaryThis PRESENTATION delves into the history of the nations surrounding Israel, focusing on groups such as the Philistines, Phoenicians, Syrians, Kenites, and the descendants of Abraham, including the Amalekites, Moabites, and Ammonites. It explores their origins, interactions with Israel, and the impact of their relationships on the biblical narrative. The speaker highlights both the conflicts and alliances formed between these nations and Israel, emphasising the overarching theme of redemption and faith in God's plan, exemplified through figures like Ruth and Naaman.

“What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do” May 11, 2025 2 Chronicles 20:1-23 Rev. Bill Vogler  Sermon Application [file]    ----more---- 2 Chronicles 20:1 After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. [2] Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). [3] Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. [4] And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. [5] And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, [6] and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. [7] Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? [8] And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, [9] ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.' [10] And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— [11] behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. [12] O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” [13] Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. [14] And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. [15] And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. [16] Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. [17] You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” [18] Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. [19] And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. [20] And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” [21] And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” [22] And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. [23] For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.      I. Recognize Our Weakness    II. Turn Our Eyes to God's Character   III. Remember God's Faithfulness in the Past   IV. Trust God's Promise for the Present    V. Move Forward in Faith, Not Fear

Deuteronomy 23 contains sundry laws. Verses 1-8 talk about those who have been excluded from the congregation of the LORD. The first excluded group was the eunuchs – either those who became so through accident, or through human agency. Verses 2-6 tell of the exclusion of the children to their tenth generation from forbidden unions, of Ammonites and Moabites. The hostility of the Ammonites and Moabites being the reason for their exclusion. In addition to coming against Israel in warfare, while the people of the LORD we're approaching the Promised Land the Moabites sought the services of Balaam the seer in an effort to curse the congregation of God. Edomites were excluded for two generations – their grandchildren were allowed to join in union with the Israelites. Verses 9-14 describe some causes of uncleanness and consequent prohibition of entry to the camp. These verses also speak of the removal of refuse from the camp of God in order to prevent both physical corruption and to ensure health and holiness. Verses 15-25 tell of sundry laws which cover care and kindness for the stranger; the morality of the nation's virgins; the forbidding of unconscionable interest being charged of the LORD's people – “usury” could be imposed upon foreigners (but again, in the spirit of the chapter, it is to be hoped that care and kindness will be shown to them). Vows were to be performed with faithfulness. The chapter concludes with the call for the people of the Almighty to allow their neighbours to satisfy immediate hunger, but not to take advantage of one another.

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    I Kings 11:1-11   1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:    2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.    3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.    4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.    5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.    6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.    7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.    8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.    9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,    10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.    11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept MY covenant and MY statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.   

We fight our daily battles in the strength of the King who has already won the war. #daybydaylw Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org! ~~~ Scripture: 2 Samuel 23:8–12 (with reflection on Christ) Theme: Jesus, the greater David, has won our greatest battle. Reflection: We are told that these mighty men of David fought overwhelming enemies—Philistines, Moabites, Egyptians—and stood firm when no one else would. But even in their faith and courage, we see a foreshadowing of someone greater. Jesus, the Son of David, fought the ultimate battle—not against flesh and blood, but against sin and death itself. And unlike David's men, we didn't stand with Him. We fled. He fought alone and won. Jesus didn't just overcome external enemies—He conquered our internal enemy: sin. And He didn't do it to hand the sword back to us and say, “You finish the job.” He did it so we would trust Him daily for strength to overcome temptation and live in His victory. As believers, we still face battles, but we do so in the armor of the King who fights for us. This means your spiritual battles today—against anger, pride, addiction, despair—are not yours to win alone. They are fought in the strength of the Lord. He supplies the grace, the courage, and the victory. We fight not for victory, but from it. Prayer Points: Thank Jesus for fighting and winning the battle against your sin. Ask Him to clothe you in His strength for today's temptations. Pray to grow in daily dependence on Christ's finished work. 2 People to pray for Bryan & Pam Risner, our missionaries in Romania The Romanian Lifeword broadcast for the people of Romania Summary: We fight our daily battles in the strength of the King who has already won the war.

In this episode, we explore the historical and biblical context surrounding Israel's second judge, Ehud, during a time when the Israelites once again turned away from God after the death of Othniel. As a result, God allowed King Eglon of Moab—along with allies from the Ammonites and Amalekites—to oppress Israel for 18 years. We dive into the origins and cultural backgrounds of these three groups, particularly the Moabites, descendants of Lot, and their ongoing territorial conflicts with Israel. The story climaxes with Ehud, a left-handed (or ambidextrous) warrior from the tribe of Benjamin, who assassinates Eglon in a daring and strategic move, leading to Israel's liberation. This episode also examines archaeological evidence surrounding the City of Palms (Jericho), the political symbolism of the tribute to Eglon, and the significance of Ehud's actions, which brought 80 years of peace to Israel.   If you'd like to support "The History of the Bible", visit our Patreon Page at https://patreon.com/TheHistoryoftheBible. Your feedback is valuable to us! Share your thoughts and insights via our feedback form at https://forms.gle/AtzUReJ8gLuFYPaP8. Let us know how our podcast has impacted you or someone you know by filling out our impact form at https://forms.gle/jr4EdGsqCaFk4qZm8. If you have concerns about any information presented, please inform us via our correction form at https://forms.gle/PiMMkPnJFaa4j5p37.   #BibleStudy #OldTestament #BookOfJudges #Ehud #Israelites #Moab #BiblicalHistory #BiblePodcast #ChristianPodcast #FaithBasedContent #ChristianTeaching #BibleTeaching #ScriptureStudy #BibleStory #HebrewBible #Moabites #Ammonites #Amalekites #BiblicalArchaeology #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianHistory #GodsDeliverance #LeftHandedWarrior #KingEglon #CityOfPalms #JerichoHistory #ChristianYouTube #FaithJourney #BibleExplained #ChristianEducation   Episode's Sources Bible, NIV Study Bible.  https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-moabites https://armstronginstitute.org/38-uncovering-the-bibles-buried-civilizations-the-moabites Bible, ESV https://armstronginstitute.org/309-uncovering-the-bibles-buried-cities-jericho  

Deuteronomy 2 speaks of the last days of the wilderness wanderings. Israel had reached the territory of Edom – the name assigned to the land of Esau, the elder of twins, the younger brother being Israel (or Jacob). There was hatred between the brothers throughout their lives and their descendants continued the hostility as the prophecies of Obadiah and Malachi reveal. Edom massed their army and came out to fight against their brothers. This happened even though Israel only requested safe passage and stated that they would pay for all food and water as they journeyed. So verse 8 records that Israel turns north to the land of Moab. Once again the nation of Israel was told not to pick a fight with the Moabites as their land had been given them by God. The Moabites had gained their territory by dispossessing the giants that had previously occupied that land. So 38 years after first arriving at that location Israeli crossed the brook Zered. A journey that should have taken 17 days, had the nation been faithful, had now occupied 38 years. The remainder of Deuteronomy 2 speaks of the LORD being with His people and giving them the victory over Sihon the king of the Amorites, who was himself a giant have descended from the Rephaim – those people in the Promised Land that had instilled fear into the 10 faithless spies; and as a result of that the entire nation became terrified and would not enter the land. Israel had requested the right to traverse through Sihon's territory under the same terms that Israel had offered to Edom and Moab. Sihon mustered his army against Israel and was humiliated by the defeat that God brought upon those people. So Israel took possession of the land of Gilead. Proverbs 29 deals with faithful work, as opposed to those who are careless and shoddy in what they do. The chapter begins with the need for humility and the results that this brings. It contrasts with those who scoff at the ways of the LORD and the problems that arise from such folly. The fool rushes heedlessly into foolish and destructive ways. The wise ruler heeds divine instruction and ensures its application within his realm. Discipline is essential for success in life; and when we grow older parental discipline needs to be replaced by self control and heeding the wisdom of our Father's Word. Verse 18 informs us that without the guidance of the Almighty a nation becomes unrestrained in its behaviour. The literal Hebrew words for this is identical to the lascivious behaviour of Israel in the incident of the golden calf – literally “a people is made naked”. Our Sovereign has revealed to His children, through His Word, what is now happening in our world and the future He will bring. Surely this understanding will moderate the behaviour of His children as they live in an unheeding world. Let us learn to live justly in this present evil age – see Titus 2 verses 11-14. In John 12 Mary anoints Jesus' feet with precious ointment and because of that the odour fills the house. This waste of precious ointment becomes the catalyst for Judas going to the high priest and seeking opportunity to betray the Lord. Judas was the treasurer and a thief. There follows a plot to kill Lazarus and the chapter describes Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Philip brings some Greeks to see Jesus – this greatly encourages our Lord. Christ speaks of his being lifted up to glorify God in his crucifixion. Isaiah prophesied that in chapter 6 and this was to be the great stumbling block for the Jews to believe that Messiah could be crucified: 1 Corinthians 1:23. Our Lord had come into the world to save believers, whom he would raise up at the Last Day.  https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-readings-for-april-19th-deuteronomy-2-proverbs-29-john-12/

Today, we examine the narrative of three kings who made a plan, when it turned into a likely disaster. One King then suggested that they should seek out God's will and plan. Elisha gave them the plan of God. Their part was to dig the holes in the valley. God would provide the water to fill those holes. God typically provides a way and simply asks us to be a willing participant in the process.

“‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.' This is a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites into your hand.”  2 Kings 3:17-18

Pastor Maritza Gutierrez brings this week's message, “Turn Up the Volume." 2 Chronicles 20.1-15 ESV: “After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.' And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.” Sermon Topics: Worship, Battles, Faith If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends on social media. For more information about PNEUMA Church, visit our website at mypneumachurch.org.  Connect with Us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mypneumachurch YouTube: https://youtube.com/mypneumachurch Facebook: https://facebook.com/mypneumachurch Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome 07:41 - 2 Chronicles 20.1-15 ESV 11:51 - Turn Up the Volume

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent Galatians 4:21-31 by the Rev'd Dr. Matthew Colvin Our epistle lesson this morning comes from Galatians 4. I know that Pastor Bill preached on it just recently, but I would like to look at it too, from a different angle. It is one of the most controversial chapters in the NT, both for its view of Judaism and for its hermeneutical maneuvers. Paul is concerned for Christians in Galatia. The Judaizers were taunting Gentile Christians with the manifest visible superiority of Judaism: its splendid temple; its priesthood; its Torah; all the society's esteem and honor. And against this, what did Christians have to show? They were hiding for fear of the Jews; they were subjected to persecution and arrest; they had been kicked out of the synagogue and subjected to the ban, excommunication. Above all, there was the disgrace of worshipping a criminal who had been killed by the most shameful sort of execution, crucifixion by the Romans. All this was exploited by Paul's enemies in Galatia, the Judaizers or the circumcision party. Their strategy was to exalt themselves by trying to get the Gentiles to envy them - “They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.” – The verb zeloō means both to be zealous and to be jealous. Paul's enemies are behaving like spiteful middle school girls — not like the righteous women of this church, but like the ones I knew when I was in school — trying to exclude a hated rival by social shunning, in order to magnify their own status. To stop them and shut them down, Paul needs to do more than just answer their case logically. He also needs to undermine their ethos; he needs to subvert the system of value that makes their case so plausible at first glance. They are counting on Paul's readers sharing their value system. Paul wants to make sure his readers do not share it. It is a task that he undertakes in many of his letters. In Romans he addresses the Jews as those who “rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.” He is setting forth the Jewish system of value, the grounds of their boasting. And it was a very good grounds for boasting. The longest book in the Bible, Psalm 119, is one continuing paean of praise to the Law, the Torah. It is full of statements like, “I love thy commandments above gold and precious stones” and “The law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” But Paul rips this point of boasting away by asking, “Yes, the Law is wonderful — but do you actually obey it?” In Philippians 3, Paul gathers together all the things that he could have been proud of as a Jew: “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” That stuff that the Jews think is so valuable? Their circumcision, their membership in one of the two faithful tribes (Benjamin and Judah)? Their zeal, their lawkeeping? It's all worthless. In fact, it's so worthless that I threw it all away. I have something of real value that none of that stuff can give you. In the book of Hebrews, Paul or someone from his circles who thought an awful lot like him has the difficult task of undermining Jewish boasting about the Temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifices — a task that might seem impossible, since these things were instituted by God and everybody knew it. The temple was imposing, gleaming with gold. Paul calls it a “tent”, the sort of makeshift, flimsy structure that you go camping in, and you lie down in it, and there's nothing but a thin layer of cloth between you and the outside, and if it's too windy, the thing is in danger of collapsing; and anyway, it's that way because you're going to take it down and pack it up anyway. That's what he thinks of your fancy temple. Besides, the real temple is in heaven. Your tent is made by human hands; the only Temple worthy of the name is made by God. The priests' ministry was observable; they were dressed in robes; everyone could see their work, and that they had been instituted by God. Paul says, “They keep on dying, which is proof that their work isn't much good. And they have to offer sacrifices for their own sins, not just the people's.” The sacrifices were there for all to see: they had been commanded by God himself. The blood of the sacrifices flowed continually at the temple, on a daily basis. Paul says, “See how they have to do it over and over again? That's because it doesn't really work. They need Jesus. That's the only sacrifice that works, and that's why Jesus only needed to be sacrificed once.” Yes, Paul is a genius at overthrowing his opponents' strongest arguments. He loves to take their most powerful evidence and use it against them. He is a master of rhetorical jujitsu, throwing his opponents to the mat by using the momentum and force of their own attacks. He is like Elijah in the contest with the prophets of Baal, one man against 450, “And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.” In Galatians 4, it is a terribly difficult rhetorical task that Paul faces: his opponents appear to have the Torah, the OT, on their side. It does, after all, command circumcision; it does prohibit the eating of unclean foods; it does tell the stories of Ishmael, Moab, and Ben-Ammi, the ancestors of the rival nations surrounding Israel, all of whom are deprecated as the offspring of incest, slave marriage, or concubinage. These stories account for the origins of the Gentiles around Israel. Israel itself, however, was descended from Isaac, the legitimate son and heir of Abraham. These stories underscore the chosenness of Israel, and the fact that these other nations were not chosen. “Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated” was not just a statement about two sons. It was a statement about two nations: the Edomites and Israel. It says that Israel is the covenant people that God loves, and Edom is not. So it is Paul's opponents, not Paul, who have the easier case to make here: Jewish people are (most of them) descended from Jacob (Israel) and Gentiles are not. And they might have made this case most plainly from the story of Isaac, Abraham's son miraculously conceived by the power of God in Abraham's old age. This is strong rhetorical ground for the circumcision advocates in Galatia. Circumcision is commanded in the Torah for God's people. It is breathtakingly audacious for Paul to argue that a proper understanding of the Torah will lead you to the conclusion that circumcision doesn't matter. Paul calls the Torah a yoke of bondage. I'm not sure we appreciate how bold a move this is. The exodus was Israel's independence day. It's when they came out of slavery in Egypt and became a free nation. Paul says that the circumcizers advocating Torah-obedience in Galatia are like those who wanted to go back to Egypt. It would be like an American saying that the Declaration of Independence is the document in American history that made everyone slaves. But that is what Paul says about the Torah, given on Mount Sinai: that covenant has led to the present state of affairs: Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children. Now, we know from elsewhere in Paul's letters, especially Romans, that he considered the Law a good gift of God and the reason why the Law was now leading to slavery was because Israel was using it wrongly, not because the Law was bad. The slavery results from Israel's sinfulness, not something wrong with the Law. But here, he doesn't go into that, because he is focused not on the Law as it was given by God, but on the Law as it was used rhetorically by his opponents. You have heard the expression, “He is wrapping himself in the flag”? That is what the Judaizers in Galatia are doing with the Torah: using it as a uniform to distinguish true, Jewish Christians from second-rate, Gentile Christians. And Paul says: You think that you look cool with your bling; but it's really chains to keep you enslaved. Above all, Paul takes the bull by the horns and uses an audacious maneuver to deal with the Judaizers' most powerful weapon: the taunt of illegitimacy. That is the point of the Ishmael story as used by Jews: the Ishmaelites, the Arabs, are illegitimate offspring of Abraham, just as the Moabites and Ammonites were stigmatized as the offspring of Lot's daughters after the destruction of Sodom. Only Jews were the children of Isaac; they had been called into existence by the power of YHWH himself. They were not the product of an ill-conceived attempt at surrogate pregnancy, and with a slave wife. Be aware that the Judaizers have centuries and centuries of social and legal precedent for their view. That line that Paul quotes from Sarah — “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman” — that was a line that Paul's opponents loved to quote. When Sarah said it to Abraham, she wasn't just being mean. The lawcodes of Ur-Nammu and Lipit-Ishtar, from around the same time as Abraham, contained rules about exactly this sort of situation, and they are formulated with exactly the same sort of phrasing: “If a man has a wife a free woman who has born children to him, and he takes a slave wife and she also bears children to him, the children of the slave wife shall not share in the inheritance with the children of the free wife.” Sarah is saying, “Husband, you know the law from when we lived in Ur. This is what we have to do.” And the heretics in Galatia were taking up this two-thousand year tradition of legal and social stigma against children of slavery, and applying it to Gentile Christians. It's a powerful tool of shaming and social marginalization, and it is based on a very foundational text of the covenant: the story of the birth of Isaac. Both the Judaizers and their Galatian Gentile victims believed this text was the word of God. Both believed that the Jews were descendants of Isaac. Paul knows all this. He has chosen to fight them on their strongest ground; he gives them home field advantage. He pours water so that it fills up the trench. And then he incinerates their whole argument like Elijah. The stigma of illegitimacy? He turns it back on the Judaizers. They are the bastards now, the “children of the flesh”; they are “in bondage” with their slave-mother. The Gentile Galatian Christians? They are “children of the promise.” And just as it was back then, the child of the slave woman is persecuting the child of the promise. The two sons are marked not by their circumcised or uncircumcised status but by the slave/free polarity that distinguishes their mothers. Paul has to reach a little bit here. The LXX Greek translation that Paul used here doesn't actually say, “persecuting”. What the LXX says is that Sarah “saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian who had been born to Abraham playing with her son Isaac (paizonta meta Isaac tou huiou autes).” That's the most straightforward way to take it. But the word “playing” can also mean “mocking”. And that's probably how Paul took it. And then he magnifies it into the sibling rivalry from hell by glossing “mocking” as “persecuting”. Where did he get this from? It is transferred from the situation between the Judaizers and the Gentile Christians in Galatia. By casting the rivalry as a conflict between the flesh and the promise, Paul undercuts the Judaizers' use of the Torah. That is why he says, “These are two covenants” — the boldest piece of clever interpretation in the Bible. It is all part of his rhetorical strategy concerning the Torah that he has laid in the previous chapter, Galatians 3. The two covenants are NOT the Old and the New. They are the Torah covenant and the covenant with Abraham (which turns out to find its fulfillment in Christ). And the covenant with Abraham is more original, more foundational, more important, more primary. The law was added 430 years later. The Torah was a stop-gap measure to keep things under control until the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham. And for Paul, Gentile Christians are that fulfillment: “in you, all the nations — the ethnê — shall be blessed.” This aligns the Gentile Christians with the whole purpose of the Covenant with Abraham, and means that Paul can cast them as the true children of the promise. They are citizens of the only Jerusalem that counts, the “Jerusalem above”. And by citing the line of Sarah, “cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman”, Paul makes clear what the stakes are here: the Judaizers and those who trust in the Torah to be their badge of membership in the covenant are not merely mistaken. They are Ishmaels and they will not inherit. They will be cast out. The Gentile Christians — and faithful Jewish Christians who did not pressure them to get circumcized — will be counted as true members of the covenant with Abraham, and the Judaizing circumcision-pushers will not. Who are the bastards now? Paul revels in what God has done. It is perfectly in accordance with his way of working: "He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is brought to a quick end.” (Job 5). The Judaizers have fallen into the pit that they have dug: their taunts of illegitimacy rebound on their own heads; the glory of the title of “true children of Abraham” is wrapped around the Gentile believers whom they had stigmatized. Paul's jujitsu victory is complete and total, because it is the victory of Christ, who led captivity captive and triumphed by being crucified. In the end, Paul's fierce warfare over the Galatians has to do with vindicating the honor of Christ, with proving that He has really accomplished all that Paul says he has; with showing that the covenant with Abraham is truly fulfilled in Jesus, because he is the yes and amen. To go back to the Torah is to turn the clock back and engage in historical reenactment; to live a life of live-action-role-playing instead of reality. It is a costly and foolish attempt to gain privilege and honor by denying the completeness and finality of Jesus' work, and attempting to supplement it with another identity in terms of the Torah. The true Exodus is via Christ, not via the Torah. That is part of the meaning of our gospel lesson this morning from John 6. Here the true bread from heaven, Jesus, works a miraculous feeding like the manna of old. But he does it not in order to cause the crowd to envy his disciples; he has no desire for his followers to act like the Judaizers, zealous courting others to provoke them envy. No, his disciples are to be the means by which the bread of life is given to the multitudes — and the two small fish, symbol of Gentiles and of fishing for men, of the fulfillment of Jeremiah 16:16: “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them.” In the end, the nations are to be blessed through the disobedience of Israel. Our time is short, so I will not try to prove this exhaustively, but I want you to see the pattern: Joseph's brothers disobey and sell him into slavery, so that he is carried off to a Gentile land, Egypt, and becomes assimilated to Egyptian ways. But God works it all out so that Joseph's imprisonment in an Egyptian prison works out for the salvation of Joseph's brothers and all Egypt, “to save many alive.” When Jesus touches dead bodies, a woman with a 12 year flow of bleeding that made her unclean, or a leper, what happens? The usual laws of uncleanness work backward: rather than becoming unclean, Jesus makes these people clean. That is the way God has designed the exile of Israel to work: rather than the exiled members of Israel becoming lost and destroyed, they have mingled with the nations and thereby brought it about that in order to keep His promises to Israel, God will save the Gentiles as well. As a result, “In Abraham's seed, all the nations shall be blessed.” Isn't it funny how Satan's schemes always backfire? He is truly the Wile E. Coyote of the Bible. He will have his church be Israel for the sake of the world; thus we are to be true heirs of Abraham, fulfilling the purpose for which He was called. Amen.

[2 Chronicles 20:1-4] After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. [2] Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar." (This was another name for En-gedi.) [3] Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. [4] So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD's help.The ________________ you are facing is not yours to ________________.The moment you __________________, God steps in and fights for you.[2 Chronicles 20:15] He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.God never meant for you to fight ________________.[2 Chronicles 20:17a] But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory.Victory doesn't come from ________________ harder; it comes from ________________ more![2 Chronicles 20:21-22] After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: "Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!" [22] At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.________________ is a ______________ in spiritual battles.There is _______________ on the other side of your praise.[Romans 8:35, 37] Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death [37] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.We don't fight _______ victory; we fight _________ victory!

The Old Testament gives us the history of God's people, the Israelites, before the coming of their long-awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ. And throughout their history they had good times and bad times—times when they obeyed God and times when they went far astray. Eventually, they split into two nations, Israel and Judah, with ten of the tribes forming the Israel nation and two forming the nation of Judah. I want to focus your attention to one of the most wonderful chapters in the Bible, in my opinion, 2 Chronicles 20, which tells us about Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Jehoshaphat was one of the godly kings who obeyed the Lord and led his people to follow Yahweh. But they were a small nation, not well fortified, and therefore very vulnerable to their enemies. In chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles, Jehoshaphat finds himself and his nation in a truly frightening predicament. Here are the first four verses of that chapter: After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came     to make war on Jehoshaphat. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Seas. It is already in En Gedi.” Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. Jehoshaphat is faced with a grave dilemma. His entire army and his entire country could be wiped out by this enemy army. And he is alarmed. Who wouldn't be? But notice what Jehoshaphat does in his alarmed condition: He resolves to inquire of the Lord. He could have inquired of his political advisers. They would have undoubtedly told him to try to make a peace treaty with this vast enemy and save their necks, even if it meant giving up the land. He could have inquired of his military advisers, who would have told him to retreat and get out as fast as possible, because there was no way they could defeat this great military army coming against them. But Jehoshaphat didn't inquire of people or counselors or advisers. He inquired of the Lord. Where have you been running for answers as you face your impossible situation? Is the Lord the first one you turn to? Amazing how often we do everything else except inquire of the Lord. This should be the first thing we do when we don't know what to do: Inquire of the Lord. Notice that Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord; he set his will to do it. I can imagine his feelings were taking him in different directions. I can believe he wanted to start running fast and take some kind of action immediately. But he knew he would only find answers by inquiring of the Lord, so whether he felt like it or not, he resolved to do that. Many times, we run with our emotions when we're up against impossibilities. And our emotions take us to hasty action, to running away, to seeking advice from the wrong people, etc. If we would first inquire of the Lord, sit down with his Word and ask for direction, spend time in prayer to listen to his voice, we would find the answers we need. I remember at one point in my life, many years ago now, when I was suddenly faced with what seemed at the time to be a potentially disastrous situation, and I truly didn't know what to do. So, what did I do? I picked up the phone to call my best friend and ask her what to do! Now, there's nothing wrong with seeking godly advice from trusted advisors, but that's not the first place we should go, is it? Well, wouldn't you know she wasn't there. This was long before we all had cell phones, and so I couldn't reach her. I just kept redialing and redialing her number, pacing the floor, and becoming angry with her for not being there when I needed her. It was one of those teaching moments in my life, when I could hear the voice of God in my head clearly saying to me, “Why would you call her before you call me?

Scholars have long debated the existence of the Moabites until the discovery of the Moabite stone in 1868. Frederick Klein, a travelling medical missionary, first made the discovery. It was then further investigated by a French archaeologist, Charles Clermont-Ganneau. The stele was inscribed with a message from King Mahesa of Moab, who is also mentioned in the biblical book of Kings. One of the most touching stories about a Moabite is found in the Book of Ruth. It's a story of heartbreak, inspiration, and restitution. Join us this week as we dig deeper into this fascinating story.

Friday Bible Study (2/28/25) // 2 Kings 13 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.orgFollow us to remain connected: Facebook: / mbc.chicago Instagram: / mbc.chicago TikTok: / mbc.chicago Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & othersTo support this ministry, you can donate via: Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but...2 Kings 13 (ESV)Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. 3 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. 4 Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 5 (Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly. 6 Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked[a] in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.) 7 For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.Jehoash Reigns in Israel10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash[b] the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11 He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. 12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.The Death of Elisha14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

THE BOOK OF RUTH| GOD'S RESTORATION PLAN| Faith in Famine| Decisions Shape Destinies|Session-6 2025| CHIMDI OHAHUNA We are thrilled to announce a profound new series in our study program for the year: THE BOOK OF RUTH . This remarkable Book poignantly reveals God's restoration agenda for every believer. Our journey beginsby diving deep into the reasons behind Elimelech's family's move from Bethlehem to Moab, a decision shaped by a time of famine in the house of bread itself—Bethlehem—a stark contrast to the plenty of Moab (Judges 6:3-4; Ruth 1:1-5). The forces represented by the Moabites, Amalekites, Midianites, and the children of the East stand as stark reminders of the battles we face today—those forces keen on destroying the seeds planted in our lives and robbing us of our harvest. When the food basket of Israel suffers, where do we find hope? The only answer is in God. In this enlightening episode, we will explore the transformative journey of living life in the Spirit, embracing a reality that transcends traditional religious devotion. Discover via this teaching the profound truth that our lives are intricately designed to embody God's perfect, acceptable, and good will, empowering us to reveal His divine purpose through every choice we make. Join us as we delve into how the blessings of living in the Spirit far exceed the confines of mere devotion. While the Old Testament contains written words, we, as New Testament believers, possess the Living Word—Jesus Christ—within us. This incredible relationship makes our lives easier and enables us to walk free from burdens, guiding us through every twist and turn of our existence. This teaching challenges the misleading notion that God is indifferent to the intricate details of our lives—any doctrine suggesting such is not only erroneous but fundamentally satanic. Instead, we will emphasize the necessity of seeking divine direction over human provision, drawing from the poignant example of Elimelech, who let fear guide him instead of faith and ultimately faced dire consequences in Moab. As New Creations in Christ, each one of us is blessed with the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit, who leads us in alignment with God's perfect will. Discover how attuning ourselves to the Holy Spirit can radically transform our decision-making processes, arming us with confidence and clarity to navigate life's complexities. Are you ready to embrace a Spirit-led life? Join us for insightful teaching sessions that promise to inspire you to live out God's purpose in a world rife with attractions and distractions. We invite you to join this enriching journey and encourage you not to miss a single session of this podcast series. Subscribe to the GRACELIFECOMI PODCAST channel today and deepen your understanding of the Word of God. Grace to you! Jesus is Lord.

BOOK OF RUTH| GOD'S RESTORATION PLAN| Faith in Famine| Decisions Shape Destinies| Session 6- 2025| CHIMDI OHAHUNA Welcome to another enlightening and profound series for the year: THE BOOK OF RUTH. This journey will reveal God's restoration agenda for every believer. What to Expect: - Explore the reasons behind Elimelech's family's move from Bethlehem to Moab during a time of famine. - Analyze the contrasted conditions: Bethlehem, the “house of bread,” facing famine while Moab experienced abundance (Referencing Judges 6:3-4; Ruth 1:1-5). - Discover how the Moabites, Amalekites, Midianites, and the children of the East symbolize forces that threaten spiritual growth and harvest. - Understand the implications of these nations laying siege to Israel, leading to famine—a metaphor for spiritual desolation and reliance on God. - Discover more in-depth the characters of the Book of Ruth. - Study the meaning of their names and their significance in a believer's life. - Uncover how these stories and lessons resonate with the experience of the New Creation. Join us on this enlightening journey as we unpack the timeless truths found in the Book of Ruth! We invite you to engage with each session of this transformative series, Don't Miss Out! Subscribe to the GRACELIFECOMI PODCAST channel for enriching insights and growth in your understanding of the Word of God. Grace to You! Jesus is Lord.

Psalm 83 WorksheetA Psalm of AsaphIsrael's ___________________________ against her enemies V. 1-8Asaph does not use any high language as he begins this Psalm, he goes right into asking God to act against the enemies of His people.God's enemies are often consumed with ______________________, lifting up their heads (and shaking their fist) at God's people. I love that phrase in verse 3, that calls Israel God's ‘sheltered ones.' The nations around them then (and now) often make craft counsel against them, and ‘team up' to hurt them. I think of how often the United Nation passes evil resolutions against Israel. But God shelters His people.When a person or nation plans evil toward Israel, God takes notice and puts that nation on notice that they will be ________________________ unless they repent. Genesis 12:1-3For the Day of the LORD upon all nations is near; As you have done (to Israel), it shall be done to you. -Obadiah 15Beginning in verse 6, Asaph gives a kind of “Hall of ______________________” for Israel's enemies, beginning with Edom. What person do the Edomites go back to?Gen. 36:12 1 Samuel 15:8 Esther 3:1So Amalek also goes under Esau, You may remember that the Amalekites attacked Israel on the way to the Promised Land, and were under a pronouncement of God's impending judgment (Exodus 17:8-15). Who was the mother of Abraham's son Ishmael? God does give notes of _________________ in the midst of hurtful circumstances – both Isaac and Ishmael were present to bury Abraham (Genesis 25:9), and both Jacob and Esau were present to bury Isaac (Genesis 35:29). Which two listed here were the incestuous children of Lot?Genesis 19:36-38. Genesis 11:31-32Hagrites is probably a reference to the descendants of Hagar, who lived among the Moabites (1 Chr. 5:10). That makes them an _______________________ or Aramean tribe living east of Gilead. Gebal is a city north of Tyre on the Mediterranean coast. Tyre's King Hiram had been a friend of David and Solomon, but they and Gebal later cheered when _______________ took over Israel (Ezekiel 27; Amos 1:9).The Philistines of course were ancient enemies of Israel (think of _______________________). Israel asks God to deal with current enemies like ______________________ ones V. 9-18Can you remember what happened to Midian?Judges 7Who killed Sisera and what did she use? Judges 4What happened to Jabin at the Brook Kishon?Judges 4Who were Oreb and Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna?Judges 7-8 What are the kinds of judgments called for in verses 13-17?Verse 18 ends by a prayer that one way or another God will be ________________________ and that these enemies might know He is God over all the earth – either in judgment, or salvation!God is glorified when repentant sinners turn to Him in salvation; but He will also be glorified by judging unrepentant sinners.

In Genesis 19:30-38 is a strange passage for several reasons. First, the passage is about things which naturally make us uncomfortable: Lot has an incestuous relationship with his daughters that causes the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites to be born. Second, this is the last time we see Lot in Genesis. Why leave us on such a negative note? Ultimately, we are to recognize that Lot's salvation, like Noah's, points to another which is greater. Lot did not receive the ultimate salvation, therefore, we are taught that it is still in the future. The definitive salvation is that which Christ accomplished.

Today on the weekly news reel, we speak with Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about possible repercussions for a motorized hang glider who spooked a group of horses during a horseback riding tour near Fisher Towers this fall. We also discuss a group that provides free vision testing and glasses to Moab residents. Plus, a story about new volunteer board members on the Travel Council Advisory Board and the Grand County Planning Commission. - Show Notes - Several riders thrown from horses near Fisher Towers • https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/it-was-the-most-terrifying-experience-of-my-life/ Hope Alliance provides free vision care to over 140 Moabites from underserved communities • https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/hope-alliance-provides-free-vision-care-to-over-140-moabites-from-underserved-communities/ Grand County Commission appoints volunteer board members amid debate • https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/grand-county-commission-appoints-volunteer-board-members-amid-debate/

A Sermon for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany St. John 2:1-11 by William Klock On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.  Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.   “On the third day.”  All through the first week of John's Gospel he tells us, “On the next day…on the next day,” but now it's not just the next day, but the third day.  That should resonate with us.  John knew that a Christian can't—or shouldn't be able to—hear “the third day” and not think of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  John's Gospel is a story of the birth of God's new creation and it culminates on the third day after Jesus was crucified, the day when Jesus burst from the tomb, triumphant over sin and death to inaugurate God's new world.  Already here at the beginning of the story John wants us to anticipate, to be looking forward to Jesus' resurrection.  God, in Jesus the Messiah, is going to do something amazing this day—something will show a bit of his new creation and reveal his glory. So Mary and Jesus are invited to a wedding in Cana and Jesus' disciples along with him.  Cana was small village just a few kilometres from Nazareth.  The people of one town would have known the people of the other.  Many of them would have been related, which explains why Mary and Jesus were invited.  One Second Century extra-biblical source says that Mary and the groom's mother were sisters.  Another fairly early source claims that the groom's mother was Mary's sister, Salome—which would make the groom none other than John.  It's hard to say how reliable these traditions are.  They're not inspired scripture.  But if they're true they certainly make sense of the details in the story.  John tells it as someone who was an eyewitness. Weddings in that world were a big deal.  Way more of a big deal than even the biggest weddings are in our culture.  The whole thing would begin with a feast.  The actual ceremony would follow later in the evening.  Once married, the guests, carrying torches, would parade the couple to their new home.  They would wind their way through the town, taking the longest route possible so that the guests could wish them well for as long as possible.  But that wasn't the end of it.  The bride and groom didn't go away on a honeymoon.  Instead, they would keep an open house for the rest of the week.  They'd dress like a king and queen while they entertained their guests.  You can imagine how big a deal and what a time of celebration and happiness this would be in a time and place when people were poor and spent their lives in hard work. Picture the festivities.  People eating and drinking, celebrating the bride and groom, and enjoying themselves.  It was a reminder for them of what the Lord had promised it would be like on the day when he would finally return to set his world to rights.  The Prophet Isaiah had written: On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all the peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. (Isaiah 25:6-8) The world was not as it was supposed to be, but a wedding gave the people an opportunity to look forward to the day when the Lord would visit them, wipe away their tears, and defeat their enemies—even, somehow, death itself. Now as we're picturing this great celebration, John writes that the wine ran out. This was bad.  Really, really bad.  There was no such thing as teetotaling in Jesus' day.  The rabbis said that without wine there is no joy.  You couldn't have a feast without it.  That doesn't mean they were all drunk.  The Bible condemns drunkenness and so did Jewish society, but they nevertheless enjoyed their wine as one of God's great gifts.  So to run out of wine at a wedding was a party killer.  More than that, it was a disgrace to the groom.  Hospitality was a big deal and the groom was responsible for being hospitable to his guests.  But where did all the wine come from?  The groom's family provided some, but so did the guests.  Depending on their relation with the groom and whether or not they were married or unmarried, there was an expectation amongst the male guests of reciprocal gifts.  An unmarried relative might bring ten dinars worth of wine to the feast with the expectation that when it was his wedding day, the groom would return the favour with ten dinars of wine himself.  For others, the groom's generous hospitality at this wedding was in return for the hospitality they had once shown to him.  If the wine ran out, it wasn't just a social disgrace for the groom—it could heap financial obligations on him that would be hard to repay.  Remember, these weren't wealthy people.  Cana was a small country village. So the wine ran out.  Maybe it was even Jesus' fault.  It's hard to say whether or not he would have been expected to bring his own gifts of wine.  That sort of thing was probably beyond his means.  But regardless of that, he shows up at the wedding with his disciples.  How many is also hard to say.  Up to this point, John has only told us of four, but John tells the story out of order, so that doesn't mean all twelve—or even more—weren't there with Jesus.  In a situation where people would have taken great pains to make sure there was enough wine for everyone, the presence of Jesus and his disciples may explain why it ran out. The worried servants went to the hostess, the groom's mother to tell her disaster had struck.  Mary—possible her sister—was there with her.  Maybe—again, I'm speculating—but maybe that's why they went to her first: “Your son and his friends were guzzling away despite having brought no wine themselves!”  And so, John writes, “Mary, Jesus' mother, said to him, “They have no wine!”  Whatever the case, it's clear that Mary told Jesus because she expected him to do something about it.  And by do something about it, I don't mean ducking out for a quick stop at the Cana liquor store to grab a case of wine.  Getting more wine wasn't nearly that easy.  I think it's pretty clear that Mary was expecting some kind of miracle even though, by all accounts, this would be Jesus' first.  But Mary knew who he was, she knew that he'd finally begun his ministry, she knew he'd been baptised by John and had heard all about that whole scene with the heaven's being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  She'd met these men he'd been calling as his disciples.  Mary knew: it was time for the Messiah to start doing Messiah things and what better opportunity—and especially so if Jesus and his disciples were the reason why the groom was in this awful spot. And yet, John writes, Jesus replied, “Oh woman!  What's that got to do with you and me?  My time hasn't yet come.” What does Jesus mean?  He responds to Mary with a phrase that's found quite a few times through the Old Testament.  Specifically, though, I think Jesus is deliberately recalling an episode from the ministry of the Prophet Elisha.  In 2 Kings 3 we read about the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom.  They were on their way to do battle with Moab.  Their armies had been travelling for a week and had run out of water.  They were thirst—just like the wedding guests were about to be thirsty.  The King of Israel was wailing that the Lord had sent them out only to be defeated by the Moabites, but King Jehoshaphat—the King of Judah—told them that the Prophet Elisha was nearby and they should go to him and inquire of the Lord.  Elisha wasn't keen on Jehoshaphat's request.  “What's that got to do with you and me?” he asks the King.  (Those are the same words Jesus says to Mary.)  But Jehoshaphat insists.  The Lord had sent them to battle Moab, but without water Moab would defeat them.  So Elisha finally relents to the King's request and the Lord speaks through him: “You shall see no wind or rain, but the streambed will be filled with water…and he will also give the Moabites into your hand.”  And, sure thing, the next morning a nearby stream was filled with water.  Not only that, they defeated the Moabites just as the Lord had promised. That Jesus adds that it wasn't yet his time, I think highlights that what Mary is asking of him runs a very good chance of getting him into trouble.  Jesus hadn't yet officially launched his public ministry, but doing what Mary was asking him to do would get him noticed and being exposed as Messiah—well—it was bound to spark opposition.  But I have to think that Mary knew her Bible and recognised Jesus' echo of Elisha.  She knew he would do something and so she turns to the servants—again, this suggests that she was an insider to this family and was involved with the preparations for the feast—she turns to the servants and she tells them what to do with her own quote echoing the Bible: “Do whatever he tells you to do.” Those were the words of Pharaoh to the Egyptians when he put Joseph in charge of Egypt.  Remember Pharoah's dreams about the grain and the cows and how Joseph interpreted them to mean that Egypt was about to experience seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.  Pharaoh was impressed with Joseph's wisdom and put him in charge of Egypt.  For seven years the crown would store up as much grain as possible for the famine to come.  Pharaoh presented Joseph to the people and said, “Do whatever he tells you to do.”  And Joseph, because the Lord was with him, saved Egypt.  And now Jesus, because the Lord is with him, will save the wedding.  Like Joseph saving the Egyptians.  Like the Lord causing that dry streambed to run with water. So, John writes, “Six stone water-jars were standing there, ready for use in the Jewish purification rites.  Each held about twenty or thirty gallons.” Big stone jars.  This was the water used to wash people's feet when they came in from the streets and it was the water they used to wash their hands before a meal and between courses, so that they would be ritually pure.  The jars were big and there were so many of them, because the water was usually poured into a mikvah—like a big bath that could be used for immersion.  Presumably these had already been emptied into the mikvah and were standing empty.  John writes: “‘Fill the jars with water,' said Jesus to the servants.  And they filled them, right up to the brim.”  This was no small thing for them to do.  Did they have to carry the water to the jars or the jars to the water?  Whichever it was, there would have been a lot of heaving and grunting and it would have taken time to fill those six big, heavy jars.  But they obeyed.  Then Jesus said, “‘Now draw some out and take it to the chief steward.'  They did so,” writes John. Surely they could see and smell the wine as they drew it out and you can imagine them running excitedly to the chief steward.  He was sort of the ancient Jewish equivalent of a wedding planner and head waiter for the wedding.  He had no idea that the wine had run out.  He was just wondering what had taken the servants so long to bring more.  John goes on, “When the chief steward tasted the water that had turned into wine (he didn't know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bride-groom.” The chief steward is confused.  This wine was good.  Really good.  Better than anything they'd served so far.  I'll go so far as to say that since Jesus made it, it was probably the best wine anyone has ever tasted in the history of the human race before or since.  And so the steward went to the groom.  It was too late now, but he had to say it: “What everybody normally does,” he said, “is to serve the good wine first, and then the worse stuff when people have had plenty to drink.  But you've kept the good wine until now!” I can only imagine the groom's confusion?  What's this guy talking about?  We did serve the best wine first.  And then he took a sip and was even more confused.  The steward was right.  This was the best.  In fact, it was better than any wine he'd ever had—certainly better than any wine he could afford, better than any wine made in Cana or even the whole of Galilee.  And what they'd find before too long wasn't just that it was the best wine ever, but that there was no danger of it running out.  If you do the math, those six stone jars full to the brim with wine work out to about 900 modern bottles of wine.  Jesus never skimped, because God's new creation is all about abundance.  Like the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, there was always plenty left over.  It pointed to the new thing God was doing in Jesus.  These miracles reminded people of God's provision of manna in the wilderness, but whereas there was ever only enough manna for the day and anything left over would spoil, in Jesus God's abundant provision was a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.  Brothers and Sisters, that's God's amazing grace. John then wraps up his telling of the wedding saying, “This event, in Cana of Galilee, was the first of Jesus' signs.  He displayed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.” He displayed his glory—that's kind of the theme of John's whole Gospel.  And seeing his glory, the disciples believed.  I have to think others at that feast believed too.  The quality and the abundance of the wine—imagine the people of that little village scrambling for skins to hold all that wine so it didn't go to waste—they saw the promises of God, the words of the prophets beginning to come true.  As it turns out, it was indeed Jesus' time.  In the very next episode John tells, Jesus goes to the temple in Jerusalem and throws out the money-changers and the merchants and announces the coming destruction of the temple and a new one that he will build in three days.  There's John reminding us about those three days again. But the disciples.  Jesus had just been calling them.  First, Andrew and Peter, who had been disciples of John the Baptist, and then Philip and Nathanael.  And here, John says, they believed.  Just the day before Nathanael had said to Jesus, “You're the son of God.  You're the king of Israel.”  “Wait a minute,” Jesus said back to him, “Are you telling me that you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree?  You'll see a lot more than that!  In fact, I'm telling you the solemn truth.  You'll see heaven opened, and God's angels ascending and descending on the son of man.”  And see he did.  I wonder if Nathanael had any idea he'd see such great things so soon.  Again, John says that the disciples saw the sign and they believed. That was the purpose of Jesus' signs.  With each one he planted another signpost pointing his people towards God's new creation.  This time the wine was the signpost, pointing to that feast for all the peoples, the feast of rich food, the feast of well-aged wines the prophet had foretold.  In Jesus the God of Israel was on the move—turning famine into feast, sparing his people from disaster, saving the day—leading the people towards God's new creation. Again, when John gives us details, they're always rich with symbolism.  Those six stone jars for the rites of purification are one of those symbols.  The stone jars are symbolic of the law and of the old covenant.  Jesus doesn't ignore them or smash them.  They served a good purpose.  Just as the old covenant was God's way of preparing his people for the new, Jesus fills those jars with his wine.  He made them useless for their original purpose in order to serve a new and better one—to usher in a feast where no one would ever again have to worry about being unclean, because the son of God has shed his own blood to make us clean once and for all. That's the final sign in John's Gospel. At the end—after Thomas has examined Jesus' wounds—on the third day—John writes that “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which aren't written in this book.  But these are written so that you may believe that the Messiah, the son of God, is none other than Jesus; and that, with faith, you may have life in his name.”  Jesus' resurrection was the final and ultimate signpost.  Follow it in faith and you become part of God's new creation yourself, washed clean by Jesus and filled with God's Spirit. And that brings us to a final point.  Those words of Mary, quoting Joseph: “Do whatever he tells you to do.”  Brothers and Sisters, believing—faith—produces obedience.  Obedience isn't always easy.  Think of those servants and the big stone jars and 120 gallons of water.  It was through the faithful obedience of those servants that Jesus manifested God's new creation at the wedding.  And so it is with us.  Brothers and Sisters, we have seen his glory.  Now we follow—we obey—in faith.  Kingdom work is hard work, but it is joyful work.  It's work that wipes away the tears of the people around us.  It's work that brings God's abundant grace to the lost.  It's work that reinforces our hope.  God will surely set this broken world to rights as the good news of Jesus, crucified and risen, goes out—light spreading in the darkness.  But remember, it doesn't go out by itself and more than that wine made it to the steward and the guests all by itself.  That's why God's called us—just as he called John to tell his story.  He's forgiven us by the blood of Jesus and made us his own; he's equipped us by filling us with his own Spirit, and he's given us—he's made us stewards of—the story, of the gospel, of the good news.  We're the servants joyfully carrying Jesus' wine to the wedding guests that might rejoice and be glad and see his glory. So come to Jesus' Table this morning.  The Lord's Supper is another of his signposts pointing to his kingdom.  Come and feast.  Eat his bread and drink his wine, then go out in faith to do whatever he tells you.  Go out to live and to proclaim the good news of Jesus the Messiah that all the world might see God's glory. Let's pray: Heavenly Father, in Jesus you have shown us your glory.  Strengthen us now that might be faithful stewards of your good news, going out in faith to make your gospel of glory known to the world.  Through Jesus our Lord we pray.  Amen.  

église AB Lausanne ; KJV 1 Kings (3 Kings) 11 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. ...

The story of Christmas is found in the stories of five women in the genealogy of Jesus. The story of Ruth is the story of God's redemptive love. Ruth was a Moabite, a people born out of incest. The Moabites hated God, and their sin was so great that God forbade any Moabite to ever enter the assembly of Israel for ten generations. Ruth, who is a picture of us, would be redeemed by Boaz—a picture of Jesus! To be legally married, Ruth would have to be married to a “kinsman redeemer”—a close relative of her deceased husband. The law of the “kinsman redeemer” is found in Leviticus 25. It was a provision to redeem family land and a deceased man's wife. There was a closer kinsman than Boaz who was legally first in line to redeem Ruth. He could not redeem Ruth because he is a picture of the Law. The Law can only reveal our sin. It cannot redeem us from our sin. The Law was not given to redeem us, but rather to teach us of our need to be redeemed! Boaz became Ruth's “kinsman redeemer,” like Jesus is to us! As our “kinsman redeemer,” Jesus, who was God, came as one of us—a Man! Like Boaz, Jesus paid the price to redeem the family land (earth), and He redeemed us to be His bride. Ruth's name means friend because now God not only calls us family, He calls us friend. Because of Boaz, Ruth would be in the genealogy of Jesus! Ruth would give birth to a son named Obed, whose name means worship. He would be the grandfather of King David and a direct ancestor of the Lord Jesus. When you really get to know your Boaz, it always gives birth to Obed—worship! Join Pastor Phil Hopper as he shares how Ruth's story foreshadows Christ's role as our kinsman redeemer. Don't forget to click the “bell” to SUBSCRIBE to get more videos like this to grow your faith! ● Connect with us on Social Media ↴ Facebook: / abundantlifels Instagram: / abundantlifels ● Connect with Pastor Phil ↴ Facebook: / philhopperkc Instagram: / philhopper_kc Web: https://livingproof.co/resources/books/ ● Be a part of the Great Commission: https://livingproof.co/irresistible/ More information on our sermons: https://livingproof.co/sermons/ Do you want to see your life changed by Jesus? Visit our website: https://livingproof.co/ #AbundantLife #Sermon #Christmas #Jesus #Redeemer

église AB Lausanne ; KJV 2 Samuel (2 Kings) 8 And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts. David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass. When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass: ...

A @Christadelphians Video: # Summary The PRESENTATION explores the historical and biblical significance of Moab, a region east of Israel, and its complex relationship with the Israelites. It discusses the origins of the Moabites from Lot, Abraham's nephew, and highlights the lack of hospitality shown by the Moabites towards the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. The presentation reflects on biblical commandments regarding Moabites and emphasizes the importance of hospitality through the story of Ruth, a Moabitess, who exemplifies kindness and acceptance.

The Bible records that the Moabites descended from Abraham's nephew Lot. But there was a question among archaeologists about whether these people existed.

2 Kings 3:20-25 Today's episode continues our journey with Elisha and the three kings. When the Israelites were in need, God performed an amazing miracle—filling the land with water, even though there was no rain! The Moabites, the enemies of Israel, thought the water was blood and believed the armies had fought each other. They charged in, only to find the Israelites ready to fight! We are reminded of God's power and ability to work in such mysterious ways. We use  a relatable example for kids to show them that God is always with them, actively working in their lives, even in ways they might not see right away. Listen to previous episodes in this Elisha series to get the full story. Make sure you subscribe  so you don't miss any of these amazing stories about Elisha! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- bible project animated video of 1 and 2 Kings Elijah coloring book on Amazon To listen to our Elijah series, go to episodes #292-301. This will also give them context for Elisha. ------------------------------------------------ To receive these new ones ad free and enjoy the library of bonus content (coloring pages, sheets, memory verse, etc) for the episodes go here and click bonus content. By enjoying them, you allow us to keep the episodes free for families all over the world to access and enjoy. From our family to yours, THANK YOU!  To connect with us, go here. For our free Read-A-Loud pdf book go here.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daily Dose of Hope November 19, 2024 Day 3 of Week 34   Scripture:  Isaiah 14-16; Matthew 28   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.    Today, we started our reading in Isaiah.  In chapter 14, we continue an oracle against Babylon (which actually started in chapter 13).  This is a prophecy about what will happen to the Israelites in the future.  Yes, they will be conquered by Babylon and go into exile.  But after the exile, they will be redeemed.  God will once again choose them.  Babylon, on the other hand, will experience God's judgment.  Chapters 15 and 16 include an oracle against Moab, a nation that had been enemy to Israel for years.  This is an especially gruesome and heart-breaking prophecy.  Even though we know that the Moabites were evil, it's still hard to read.    Our New Testament reading is chapter 28 in Matthew, its final chapter.  This includes both the resurrection and the Great Commission.  I know there is always more to say about the resurrection, but we have (and will continue) to discuss resurrection as we read through the Gospels and the New Testament.  Thus, I thought we would briefly chat about the Great Commission, which we find in Matthew 28:16-20.  If you don't recall, this is when Jesus tells his follows, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   There is a fair amount to unpack here but what I want to focus on is making disciples.  Keep in mind that Jesus wasn't merely suggesting we make disciples.  It feels much more like a command here.  As his followers, we are to make disciples of all nations, baptize them, and teach them the ways of Jesus.  We don't do this alone, but we rest in the promise that Jesus is with us all the time, guiding and leading us through the power of the Holy Spirit.   But here is the big question: What does it mean to be a disciple?   It's fairly simple.  A disciple is an apprentice of Jesus. It is someone who actively is working/training to become more like Jesus (to do what Jesus does). A disciple is not someone who has simply said yes to Jesus, a disciple is someone who is actively training in the ways of Jesus and training others in the ways of Jesus.   Discipleship is not simply some acts of personal devotion in the morning, some bible study, prayer, and meditation. That may be a component of discipleship but there is so much more to it!  Being a disciple is not something we do at church and then set it aside as we go back into the real world. Being a disciple is about devoting our whole life to being like Christ. Our whole life. It effects every area of our life. How can it not?   Let's think about Jesus. In every area of his life, he taught about God. He taught about God's Kingdom, he showed people this new way of being human. There was never a time where he said, “No, now this part of my life, faith doesn't affect this. Leave me alone and let me do my own thing.”  Discipleship is intricately connected to Lordship. There is no part of our life that does not fall under God's reign. There is no part of our life that we don't submit to God.   But how do we make disciples?  Well, first, we have to become disciples ourselves.  We have to be training to be more like Jesus.  There is intentionality in this.  How are you training to be like Jesus?  What is your plan for spiritual growth?  Once you have reflected on this, then think about how you will teach and train others.  This is a privilege and responsibility that every single Christ-follower has.  Every one of us.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

2 Chronicles 20 Prayer (vv. 1-4)A. When the world attacksB. seek the Lord. Preaching (vv. 14-17)A. Do not fearB. Do not falterC. Do not fight Praise (vv. 20-23)A. The praising choirB. The providential confrontationC. The promised confusion Power (vv. 27-30)A. The rejoicing of Gods peopleB. The reputation of Gods people More to Consider Worship is all that we are, reacting rightly to all that He is. How broad is the biblical concept of worship? And how accurate is your perception of it? Worship is to the Christian life what the mainspring is to a watch, what the engine is to a car. It is the very core, the most essential element John MacArthur When faced by a combined army of the Moabites and the Ammonites, two ancient enemies of Israel (Gen. 19:3038; Deut. 23:3; Neh. 13:1ff), Jehoshaphat put his faith in the Lord, and God gave him a great victory. The combination of prayer (20:313), prophecy (20:1417), and praise (20:1822) brought him the victory. (We wonder how the choir of Levites felt about going out before the army. But worship is a great weapon against the enemy.) Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbes Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (2 Ch 1336). Victor Books. It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. C S Lewis What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. A.W. Tozer

In Chapter 26, Ezekiel's Oracles Against the Nations moves onto the city of Tyre, and the prophet stays fixated on Tyre for three chapters. It is surprising that Ezekiel only glances at the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines while he gives Tyre a jaundiced stare-down. Israel had long-running enmities with the first named people groups. Tyre was little more to Israel than an enviable trade rival. The Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines were Jerusalem's closest neighbors. Tyre was 100 miles north of Jerusalem. Still, Ezekiel's audience would have found his predictions of Tyre's downfall impossible. Tyre's wealth had no limits, and the island stronghold was impenetrable.Support the show

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 75Confitebimur tibi1We give you thanks, O God, we give you thanks, *calling upon your Name and declaring all your wonderful deeds.2“I will appoint a time,” says God; *“I will judge with equity.3Though the earth and all its inhabitants are quaking, *I will make its pillars fast.4I will say to the boasters, ‘Boast no more,' *and to the wicked, ‘Do not toss your horns;5Do not toss your horns so high, *nor speak with a proud neck.' ”6For judgment is neither from the east nor from the west, *nor yet from the wilderness or the mountains.7It is God who judges; *he puts down one and lifts up another.8For in the Lord's hand there is a cup,full of spiced and foaming wine, which he pours out, *and all the wicked of the earth shall drink and drain the dregs.9But I will rejoice for ever; *I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.10He shall break off all the horns of the wicked; *but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.Psalm 76Notus in Judæa1In Judah is God known; *his Name is great in Israel.2At Salem is his tabernacle, *and his dwelling is in Zion.3There he broke the flashing arrows, *the shield, the sword, and the weapons of battle.4How glorious you are! *more splendid than the everlasting mountains!5The strong of heart have been despoiled;they sink into sleep; *none of the warriors can lift a hand.6At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, *both horse and rider lie stunned.7What terror you inspire! *who can stand before you when you are angry?8From heaven you pronounced judgment; *the earth was afraid and was still;9When God rose up to judgment *and to save all the oppressed of the earth.10Truly, wrathful Edom will give you thanks, *and the remnant of Hamath will keep your feasts.11Make a vow to the Lord your God and keep it; *let all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared.12He breaks the spirit of princes, *and strikes terror in the kings of the earth. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsEzra 9English Standard Version9 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” 3 As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. 4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, 6 saying:“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.10 “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.' 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”Revelation 17:1-14English Standard Version17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 26Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

The biblical character Lot presents a unique challenge. He appears in three portions, Noach this week, Lekh L'kha next week, and Va-yera two weeks from now. He is a supporting actor in multiple chapters in Genesis: chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, and 19. And yet no one ever talks about him. We don't mine his story. We avoid him. There is good reason why we stay away from Lot. The end of his story is gross, in fact doubly gross. Incomprehensibly, he offers his two virgin daughters to the rapists of Sodom in a bizarre attempt to protect the visitor/angels from being raped. After God destroys Sodom, and Lot and his daughters escape to a cave, those daughters get him drunk, sleep with him, get pregnant, and thereby create the nations of the Moabites and Ammonites. Yuck. The cringe factor of these two concluding Lot stories explains why we never talk about Lot. But Lot has a lot to teach us. What do we learn from the early and middle parts of his story that can help explain its unspeakable end? Lot's story is a cautionary tale. What are its lessons? To answer these questions, we will consult an evocative and wise passage from Rambam's Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot De'ah, 6:1-2.

Genesis 19 is one of the most complex and intense chapters in the Bible, focusing on the story of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction and the escape of Lot, Abraham's nephew, and his family. This chapter, filled with powerful themes of judgment, mercy, and the consequences of moral decay, serves as a sobering reminder of the choices we make and their lasting impacts. Here's a closer look at Genesis 19. The Angels' Arrival and the Corruption of Sodom Genesis 19 opens with two angels arriving at Sodom in the evening. Lot, seeing them, rises to greet them and insists they stay at his home, demonstrating his hospitality and awareness of the dangers the city posed. Sodom had a reputation for wickedness, and Lot's eagerness to protect the strangers reveals both his compassion and his understanding of Sodom's moral degradation. That night, the men of Sodom—young and old—surround Lot's house, demanding that he bring out the guests so they could assault them. The depravity displayed here is disturbing, showing just how far the city's inhabitants had fallen. This moment reveals a society that had abandoned all sense of justice and respect, becoming consumed by selfish desires. Lot's response is equally troubling. In his desperation to protect his guests, he offers his own daughters to the crowd instead. This action raises difficult questions about Lot's judgment, reflecting the complex nature of human responses under intense pressure. Judgment and Mercy In response to the crowd's demands, the angels intervene, striking the men with blindness. They reveal to Lot that they have been sent to destroy Sodom and urge him to gather his family and flee. Lot's reaction—hesitation and even reluctance—indicates that he may have grown attached to the city despite its wickedness, mirroring how we, too, can sometimes cling to comfort or familiarity, even when it leads us away from God's will. When Lot finally gathers his family, his future sons-in-law refuse to leave, thinking he's joking. This response highlights how deeply ingrained the complacency and moral decay of Sodom had become, blinding people to the dangers around them and the need for change. The angels, merciful in their mission, physically lead Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city, sparing them despite their hesitation. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, raining down fire and sulfur, is a stark judgment against a society that has turned away from righteousness. But within this judgment is an act of mercy, as God spares Lot's family, showing that divine justice is often coupled with compassion. Lot's Wife: The Cost of Looking Back As they flee, the angels warn Lot's family not to look back. However, Lot's wife, unable to detach herself from her past life in Sodom, turns back, and in doing so, becomes a pillar of salt. This transformation is symbolic of the consequences of holding onto past attachments, even when God offers a path toward new beginnings. Lot's wife's fate serves as a reminder that clinging to the past, especially when it's a source of corruption or moral compromise, can prevent us from moving forward. Lot and His Daughters: A Troubling Legacy The chapter doesn't end with Sodom's destruction. Lot and his daughters settle in a cave, where the story takes a tragic turn. Fearing they won't have descendants, Lot's daughters conspire to have children through their father, leading to the births of Moab and Ben-Ammi, ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites. This act reflects how deeply the corrupt culture of Sodom had influenced Lot's family, even as they escaped its physical destruction. This story serves as a reminder that escaping a place of sin does not necessarily free one from its influenceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

Send us a textFor an ad-free version of the podcast plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month and also help keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free  for listeners everywhere at;patreon.com/JeremyMcCandlessSubscribe here to receive my new church history podcast every few weeks at.https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comEpisode Notes: Keeping Things Spiritually Clean (Deuteronomy 23:1-18)Introduction:Moses addresses the need for spiritual cleanliness and the principles of inclusion and exclusion in Deuteronomy 23.These guidelines were intended to maintain the holiness of the community and prevent the influence of pagan practices.Key Points:Exclusion from the Assembly of the Lord (Deuteronomy 23:1-8):Certain individuals, such as those with damaged genitalia, those born of forbidden marriages, and male Ammonites and Moabites, were excluded from public worship.The exclusions were symbolic, emphasizing the need for purity and separation from sin.Edomites and Egyptians were allowed to enter the assembly after three generations, highlighting a flexible approach and teaching broader principles.Maintaining Cleanliness in the Military Camp (Deuteronomy 23:9-14):Soldiers were to keep themselves from impurity while encamped against their enemies.Specific instructions were given for dealing with natural biological functions to ensure cleanliness and health.The emphasis was on maintaining holiness and recognizing God's presence among them.Protection for Escaped Slaves (Deuteronomy 23:15-16):Escaped slaves seeking refuge were not to be returned to their masters but allowed to live freely among the Israelites.This command emphasized compassion and protection for the oppressed.Prohibition of Religious Prostitution (Deuteronomy 23:17-18):Israelites were forbidden to engage in or support religious prostitution.Money earned through immoral means was not to be used for offerings to the Lord.This ensured the purity and holiness of their worship practices.New Testament Connection:James 1:20-22, 27 emphasizes the importance of living a pure and righteous life, showing compassion, and being doers of the Word.As we reflect on Deuteronomy 23, let's remember the principles of spiritual cleanliness and strive to apply them in our daily lives, maintaining holiness and compassion in all we do.Conclusion: Thank you for joining us on this episode of The  Bible Project Daily Podcast . Stay tuned for more insights as we continue our journey through the book of Deuteronomy. Don't forget to subscribe and share this podcast with others who might benefit from these teachings.Light in the DarknessA supernatural & paranormal podcast with Christian perspectiveListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Daily Dose of Hope October 16, 2024 Day 4 of Week 29 Scripture:  2 Kings 2-3; Psalm 48; Matthew 4 Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  Today is Wednesday and New Hope will finally have Recharge once again at 6:30 in the Garage.  With all the storms, our Recharge worship and group experience has been disrupted.  I wish I could be there with you!  Go and worship and enjoy being together.    Our Old Testament passage for today is 2 Kings 2-3.  Let's start with chapter 2.  Here, we find Elijah taking his mentee/student on a farewell tour to greet the prophets at Bethel, Jericho, and Gilgal.  Elijah will soon leave the earth; that much is repeated multiple times.  It almost seems that Elijah wants to take this final journey alone but Elisha insists on staying with his master.     As the chapter progresses, Elijah is taken to heaven and Elisha becomes the one in charge.  Some thoughts:   -The Elijah and Elisha relationship is a really special one. Elijah has mentored and poured himself into the younger student.  As a result, Elisha is now ready to lead.  Who might God be calling you to mentor?   -Godly leadership often involves making hard decisions and sacrifices.  We have seen that in Elijah's ministry and we will soon see it in Elisha's ministry.  Is God calling you to a hard decision?  Has he asked you to make a sacrifice for his Kingdom and you are dragging your feet or hesitant?   -Godly leadership is repaid in unexpected ways. Elijah and Elisha had a bond and were very much dedicated to God and one another.  They were like father and son. Elijah's ministry bore much fruit in unexpected ways over his years as a prophet.  In the end, God brought him directly into heaven–no long, extended dying process.  Godly leadership is hard but it also has many rewards.   Let's head over to chapter 3.  While Elisha had clearly taken the place of Elijah in serving as the Lord's prophet to Israel, he had yet to prove himself.  We see God speak clearly and powerfully through Elisha.  There is a fair amount of drama in this chapter.  It begins by introducing Joram, Ahab's son, who succeeded him as king of Israel and while not as wicked as Ahab, Joram was still a sinful king.    Then, the narrative focuses on an issue with Moab, which has decided to no longer pay tribute (in the form of sheep) to Israel.  This angers Joram so he partners with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to squash the Moabite rebellion.  But their joint armies soon run out of water and food.  In order to figure out what's going on, Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the Lord to shed light on the situation.  This is when Elisha is called in.  It's clear that Elisha has significant animosity toward Joram.  He knows he is a sinful king who does not honor the Lord and he really doesn't want to offer his advice.  The presence of Jehoshaphat, a man of God, calms him down and he finally agrees to offer prophecy.   God speaks powerfully through Elisha, saying that he will fill the land with pools of water so they can all drink.  That is exactly what happens.  Water fills the land by morning time.  In an interesting twist, the Moabites see the sun hit the water and believe that the pools are filled with blood, thinking the armies of Israel and Judah have slaughtered each other.  So the Moabites are caught off guard when the two armies (Israel and Judah) rise up and fight. Moab is defeated.   Probably the most distressing aspect of the chapter is the last portion of text.  In a desperate attempt to win, the Moabite king sacrifices his first-born son on the city wall, thinking it may appease the false god Chemosh.  Of course, the Israelites are outraged at the sight.    Evil comes in all forms.  From Joram to the Moabite king, evil is present in our world. From my human perspective, I often wish God would just swoop down and just eliminate all the evil in the world so that suffering and pain could be banished for good.  I mean, God is all-powerful.  But that isn't the way God operates.  Plus, the reality is that we are all a complex mix of good and evil.  It's important for me to remember that God dealt with evil through the quiet strength of the cross.  And we trust that he is still dealing with evil in ways that we can't see or understand.  Eventually, we know that Jesus will return and deal with evil for good.  Until then, we seek to be light in a dark world.   Please be sure to read the Psalm.  I'm not going to talk about it, but it's a song celebrating the deliverance of Jerusalem.  Knowing what you now know about the wars that the Southern Kingdom faced, you might want to do some more research.  Which battle might this psalm have been written after?   Matthew 4 is our New Testament passage.  We find Jesus calling several of his disciples to follow him.  I think it's hard for us to imagine how abruptly these four men responded to Jesus.  While there was probably more back story here that we aren't privy to, the reality is that they left everything to follow Jesus.  They left all human sources of security, all human goals and aspirations to respond to a call by God.  They left their jobs and probably their families to respond to a call, and did so as far as we can tell, without hesitation or doubt.   Could we do the same?  God calls each and every one of us but we still hold on to various aspects of the world.  How often do we fully and completely let go of everything to simply follow Jesus?  This is the demand of the kingdom of God–turn away from the kingdom of the world and give all to a bigger, deeper purpose.  Stop worrying so much about fishing for money, power, or admiration and simply fish for people.  We may live 2000 years later but this is our mission and call as well.  Do you believe this?  Are you ready to say yes?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Friday Bible Study (10/4/24) // 2 Kings 3:13-27 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.org Follow us to remain connected: Facebook:   / mbc.chicago   Instagram:   / mbc.chicago   TikTok:   / mbc.chicago   Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others To support this ministry, you can donate via: Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... #2kings | #BibleStudy | #DanielBatarseh | #mbchicago | #mbcchicago | #Bible | #livechurch | #churchlive | #chicagochurch | #chicagochurches | #versebyverse | #church | #chicago | #sermon | #bibleexplained | #bibleproject | #bibleverse 2 Kings 3: 13-27 (ESV) 13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the Lord who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14 And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him. 16 And he said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I will make this dry streambed full of pools.' 17 For thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.' 18 This is a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites into your hand, 19 and you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree and stop up all springs of water and ruin every good piece of land with stones.” 20 The next morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, till the country was filled with water. 21 When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the border. 22 And when they rose early in the morning and the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23 And they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely fought together and struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!” 24 But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose and struck the Moabites, till they fled before them. And they went forward, striking the Moabites as they went.[a] 25 And they overthrew the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone until it was covered. They stopped every spring of water and felled all the good trees, till only its stones were left in Kir-hareseth, and the slingers surrounded and attacked it. 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him 700 swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel. And they withdrew from him and returned to their own land. Footnotes a. 2 Kings 3: 24 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 140Eripe me, Domine1Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers; *protect me from the violent,2Who devise evil in their hearts *and stir up strife all day long.3They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; *adder's poison is under their lips.4Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; *protect me from the violent,who are determined to trip me up.5The proud have hidden a snare for meand stretched out a net of cords; *they have set traps for me along the path.6I have said to the Lord, “You are my God; *listen, O Lord, to my supplication.7O Lord God, the strength of my salvation, *you have covered my head in the day of battle.8Do not grant the desires of the wicked, O Lord, *Nor let their evil plans prosper.9Let not those who surround me lift up their heads; *let the evil of their lips overwhelm them.10Let hot burning coals fall upon them; *let them be cast into the mire, never to rise up again.”11A slanderer shall not be established on the earth, *and evil shall hunt down the lawless.12I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the poor *and render justice to the needy.13Surely, the righteous will give thanks to your Name, *and the upright shall continue in your sight.Psalm 142Voce mea ad Dominum1I cry to the Lord with my voice; *to the Lord I make loud supplication.2I pour out my complaint before him *and tell him all my trouble.3When my spirit languishes within me, you know my path; *in the way wherein I walk they have hidden a trap for me.4I look to my right hand and find no one who knows me; *I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for me.5I cry out to you, O Lord; *I say, “You are my refuge,my portion in the land of the living.”6Listen to my cry for help, for I have been brought very low; *save me from those who pursue me,for they are too strong for me.7Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your Name; *when you have dealt bountifully with me,the righteous will gather around me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Lessons2 Kings 23:36-24:17English Standard Version36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.24 In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets. 3 Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon. 5 Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. 7 And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done.10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, 12 and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign 13 and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold. 14 He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.1 Corinthians 12:12-26English Standard Version12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 22Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Judgment all around - None Escape G_d`s WrathWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/Network: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%205%3A10&version=TLV2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may receive what is due for the things he did while in the body—whether good or bad.Genesis 19Sodom and Gomorrah1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, while Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 Then he said, "Here, please my lords, please turn aside to your servant's house, spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can get up early and go on your way."But they said, "No. We will spend the night in the open plaza."3 But he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and they came into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked matzot, and they ate. 4 They had not yet lain down when the men of the city (the men of Sodom) surrounded the house—from youth to elderly, all the people without exception. 5 And they called out to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have relations with them!"6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, "Please, my brothers, don't act wickedly. 8 Look, I have two daughters who haven't been intimate with a man. Please let me bring them out to you—do to them whatever is good in your eyes! However, do nothing to these men—since they have come under the protection of my roof."9 "Get out of the way!" they said, and they said, "This one came as an outsider and dares to judge! Now we'll treat you worse than them!"So they strongly pressed against the man, Lot, and moved in close to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands, brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men at the doorway of the house with blindness—from youth to elderly—so that they gave up trying to find the doorway.12 Then the men said to Lot, "Who else related to you is still here? A son-in-law, your sons and your daughters, whoever else is related to you in the city—bring them out of the place! 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before Adonai that Adonai has sent us to destroy it."14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters, "Get up!" he said, "Get out of this place! For Adonai is about to destroy the city!" But in the eyes of his sons-in-law, he was like a joker.15 So when morning dawned the angels rushed Lot, saying, "Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be swept away with the city's iniquity!" 16 But he hesitated. So the men grabbed his hand, his wife's hand and his two daughters' hands—because of Adonai's compassion for him—and they brought him out and left him outside the city.17 When they brought them outside, one said, "Flee for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stop anywhere in the surrounding area! Escape to the hills, or else you'll be swept away!"18 But Lot said to them, "No, my Lord, please! 19 Look, please, your servant has found favor in Your eyes and You have magnified Your merciful loyalty, which You have shown me by letting me live. But I can't escape to the hill country—for the disaster will overtake me and I'll die! 20 Look, please, this city is close enough to flee there, and it's little. Please let me escape there. Isn't it small? And let me live!"21 So He said to him, "Behold, I will grant your request concerning this matter too—not to demolish the city of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry! Flee to safety there, because I cannot do anything until you arrive there." (This is why the town is named Zoar.)23 The moment the sun rose upon the land, Lot entered Zoar, 24 and Adonai rained sulfur and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah from Adonai out of the sky. 25 So He demolished these cities and the whole surrounding area, all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation of the ground.26 But his wife looked behind him and she turned into a pillar of salt.27 Now Abraham rose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Adonai, 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward the entire land of the surrounding area, and saw, behold, the smoke of the land ascended like smoke from a furnace. 29 So it was, as God destroyed the cities of the surrounding area, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the upheaval, when He demolished the cities where Lot had dwelt.Lot Fathers Moab and Ammon30 Then Lot went up from Zoar and dwelled on the mountain, his two daughters with him, because he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. So he lived in a cave—he and his two daughters.31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to come to us as is the custom of the whole land. 32 Come on! Let's make our father drink wine so that we can lie with him and keep the seed from our father alive. 33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn came and lay down with her father. Yet he did not know that she lay down and got up. 34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, "See! I slept with my father last night. Let's make him drink wine tonight as well. Come on! Sleep with him so that we'll keep the seed from our father alive." 35 So they made their father drink wine that night as well, and the younger got up and lay down with him and he did not know that she lay down and got up. 36 So Lot's two daughters become pregnant by their father. 37 Then the firstborn gave birth to a son and named him Moab: he is the ancestor of the Moabites to this day. 38 The younger also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi: he is the ancestor of the sons of Ammon to this day.

Are you living a legacy that leaves a wake? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are in Chapter 22 of 1 Samuel. I've titled this chapter "From Caves Of Distress To Community Connections." Yesterday, David was in the Cave of Adullam, and God provided him with relationships and resources; today, he will head to the other side of the river into new territory. Let's see where he goes in 1 Samuel 22:3-5: And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.” And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. — 1 Samuel 22:3-5 From the Cave of Adullam, David heads east (see map). He would have had to cross the hills and the Jordan River to reach Moab, east of Israel. What makes this interesting is that Moabites were one of Saul's enemies, whom he had successfully opposed in Chapter 14. This begs the question, "Why did he take his family here? Haven't we just tried running to an enemy, and it did not work out so well?" There is an intriguing answer. David understood that he had to get his family to safety. They ran a significant risk in coming to him, so he had to take them somewhere relatively safe. Even though the Moabites were enemies to Saul, David has distant family roots in Moab. David's great-grandmother and Jesse's grandmother was a famous Moabite—Ruth (Ruth 4:13, 18–22). Ruth's faithfulness paid off during her day and continued to pay off more than a century later. In Ruth's lineage, David found safety for his family until Saul was gone. Sin always leaves a wake of ongoing consequences. But so does our faithfulness. Don't underestimate the wake of your faithfulness to future generations. Your decision for Christ and the ongoing decisions you make for Christ can positively impact your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. So work out your salvation, be faithful, and live a legacy that leaves a wake felt by future generations. #FaithfulLegacy, #DavidAndRuth, #JourneyToSafety Ask This: How can you identify and strengthen the community connections in your life, especially during times of distress or uncertainty? How might these relationships impact your faith journey and the faith of future generations? Reflect on a time when you had to make a difficult decision to protect your loved ones. How did your faith guide you in that situation, and what lessons can you draw from David's example of seeking safety for his family? Do This: Live a legacy that leaves a wake. Pray This: Father, help me trust in Your provision as I navigate life's challenges, just as David did in his time of distress. May I cultivate strong connections within my community and leave a lasting legacy of faithfulness for future generations. Amen. Play This: The Blessing.

Isaiah Ch. 15 Moab, originating from Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughter, had a complicated history with Israel. Isaiah prophesied destruction upon Moab, paralleling Jeremiah's prophecy a century later. The downfall was attributed to Moab's arrogance and hostility towards Israel. Despite their destruction, Jeremiah foresaw Moab's eventual restoration. Watch the whole series and more on our Youtube channel:youtube.com/@drjamestour If you would like to support us in creating more content across our different media platforms, we would greatly appreciate any support you can give. Visit give.jesusandscience.org to learn more. God bless

Isaiah Ch. 15 Moab, originating from Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughter, had a complicated history with Israel. Isaiah prophesied destruction upon Moab, paralleling Jeremiah’s prophecy a century later. The downfall was attributed to Moab’s arrogance and hostility towards Israel. Despite their destruction, Jeremiah foresaw Moab’s eventual restoration. Watch the whole series and more on […]

During the time of the Judges an Israelite family from Bethlehem went across the Jordan into Moab because of famine. Should they have gone? Who knows? Moab was not a place Israelites should be. The Moabites were a constant problem to the Israelites. I'm sure Elimelech did what he thought was best for his wife and children. His two sons were not the healthiest. They were sickly kids. As it turns out Elimelech dies in Moab. His sons take Moabitesses as wives. And then they die. Now the family consists of a widow (Naomi) and her two widowed daughters-in-law (Ruth and Orpah). Three women left to fend for themselves. This was a nightmare scenario for them. Naomi gives the opportunity to Ruth and Orpah to return to their families. She knows she has no means to support them. What would become of them? She knows the young women can remarry and secure better futures without her. They insist that they will stay with her. There is clearly such a bond there. Even in their short time together they have been through so much.Eventually, Naomi determines to go back home. She figures she must have some family that will take pity on her. Again, she insists that Ruth and Orpah return to their families. Orpah does decide to go home, but Ruth says the words that we are all familiar with, ”Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people. Your God, my God.” Continue reading the rest of this shows notes on our website Nothin' But Fine.---Check out the Nothin' But Fine blog and website.Follow us on social media: Instagram Facebook Twitter YouTube Want everything in your inbox? Subscribe to the Nothin' But Fine newsletter!

In this episode of Answering Your Questions, we take a look at a new batch of ten common questions that can be answered briefly. When and why was the apostle Paul's name changed from Saul to Paul? Is it a sin to eat caffeine or sugar? They are both addictive substances, so shouldn't they be avoided? Are ducks clean to eat? What about turkeys? Is it a sin to dance? Is it a sin to use a hook to catch fish? Is it a sin to go hunting? Is it a sin to hunt on the sabbath? Can illegitimate children get married? Deuteronomy 23:3 prohibits Moabites from ever entering the congregation of YHWH. Ruth was a Moabite (Ruth 1:4), and Yeshua comes from Ruth (Matthew 1:5). So how can Yeshua be the Messiah? What did Yeshua mean when he said, “call no man teacher”?

The setting of Ruth is in the time of the Judges, during famine, and dealing with the Moabites. The irony of Naomi forces the question;: Does God care about the vulnerable?

Key Verses: Ruth 1:14-15 Naomi urged both Ruth and Orpah to return to the gods of the Moabites.

Welcome to Day 2441 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Promise Undelivered? – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2441 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2441 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the eighteenth lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today, our lesson is, Promise Undelivered? When exposed to evil, we might doubt God's presence. Soldiers' accounts and memoirs often recall times of doubt as they grappled with war atrocity and, ultimately, the struggle between good and evil. While Scripture is clear that good will triumph, it also says evil will win its share of battles. Second Kings 3 records a war event where evil won. Yahweh Takes Sides Second Kings 3 describes the rebellion of Moab, led by its king, Mesha, against the monarch of the northern kingdom of Israel, King Jehoram (3:5). Like his father Ahab, Jehoram solicited King Jehoshaphat of Judah (the southern kingdom) for assistance against his enemy (3:7). They were joined by the king of Edom (3:9). The invasion route—“by way of the wilderness of Edom”—is critical to the storyline. Edom was the territory settled by the descendants of the red-haired Esau (Gen 25:25: 36:1, 8). “Edom,” a play on the word adorn (DIN, “red”), was epitomized by the reddish soil and rock of its wilderness. By taking a circuitous approach to Moab, the invading armies must cross desert terrain without water (3:9). Jehoshaphat called the wilderness wandering prophet Elisha for advice (3:11-12). After a testy response to Jehoshaphat's plea (3:13-14), Elisha received word from Yahweh: God would supply the armies with water (3:16-17). It would appear—without rain—in a streambed that was presently bone dry. Elisha had even better news: “This is a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites into your hand” (3:18). No Faith, No Gain When they arrived at the place of battle, the Moabite soldiers were fooled by the pools of water that appeared red against the ground and the sun's reflection (3:21-22). They assumed it was blood and that invading armies (often enemies themselves) had erupted in battle against each other (3:23). When the Moabites approached to strip and plunder the dead, they were ambushed by the invading armies. In desperation, the king of Moab committed a horrible...

In this Bible Story, we learn about the three kings battling against the Moabite rebellion. God honors Israel solely because they aligned themselves with Judah who remained faithful. This story is inspired by 2 King 3. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 3:16 from the King James Version.Episode 130: As the prophet Elisha was teaching in the towns of Israel, and caring for the people, he experienced miracle after miracle. God used him to help oversee the freeing of a widow and her sons, and the healing of a poisoned stew. And the miracles continued with the feeding of 100 men with only 20 loaves of bread, and the miraculous recovery of a sunken axe head. Each of these events showed how God cares about the everyday life and struggles of his people. Something you and I can take comfort in even today.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, we learn about the departure of Elijah. The faithful prophet is taken up into the clouds by chariots of fire. Elisha, his faithful student, took his place as prophet over Israel. Now he watches over the people, ministering to them in times of trouble. This story is inspired by 2 Kings 2. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 2:11 from the King James Version.Episode 129: Joram, King Ahab's son was now King over Israel, and for 12 years he built a kingdom that fed his self-importance. Sick of being under Israelite subjugation, the nation of Moab rose in revolt. King Joram quickly sent word to King Jehoshaphat and the nation of Edom asking for help. As the three kings and their armies were marching up for battle they ran out of provisions. Frightened, the kings sent for Elisha that he might inquire of God on their behalf. Then Elisha prophesied water for the men, and victory over the Moabites.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, we witness the faithful rule of King Jehoshaphat in Judah. His desire to seek God and his peace fuels many victories for Judah. Under his leadership, God provides a hedge of protection and prosperity over them. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 19-20. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 20:30 from the King James Version.Episode 127: As the King returned to Judah, he was dejected and downcast. To make matters worse, the prophet Jehu came to visit him telling him the folly of his choices. But he also encouraged the King, and Jehoshaphat took heart and toured the land. As he was breeding a culture of love and justice in the kingdom of Judah, his enemies took notice. The Moabites saw this as weakness and decided to strike! Threatened by their numbers, King Jehoshaphat called for the entire nation to seek God. And God told Jehoshaphat that this is one battle he would not have to fight.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a Text Message.Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar dive into the life of Lot. Despite his failures, 2 Peter calls Lot righteous, highlighting the need to understand the gospel. Abram and Lot parted ways because the land couldn't support both of them. Lot chose the plain of Jordan, settling in Sodom, known for its wickedness. This decision reflects the danger of being drawn away from the Lord by our desires. Wise decisions and heartfelt prayer are crucial, and trusting God's wisdom over our own is essential. Lot compromised his views, a theme common among many pastors today. Compromise can start in small areas, leading us away from GodLot's choice parallels the rebellion seen in Cain and Abel's story. He left God's promises for his desires, leading to captivity. Abraham rescued Lot, perhaps a divine opportunity for Lot to leave Sodom, but he persisted. When sojourners visited Sodom, Lot insisted they stay with him, aware of the city's dangers. The men of Sodom shamelessly sought to harm the visitors, reflecting the unashamed sin prevalent today. Church membership is important because of the shamelessness of our society. Welcoming unbelievers shouldn't mean compromising on sin. Christians must remember their past and separate from sinful influences while engaging with the world. Lot's compromise, seen in his use of agape love towards the attackers, shows the dangers of sin.The men tried to break into Lot's house, but they were struck blind and unable to find the door. The guys talk about how God allows people to pursue their sinful desires, leading to reprobate minds. Despite their blindness, the men persisted, reflecting a growing societal attitude. Lot was told to leave Sodom, but he hesitated, showing delayed obedience. Believers must trust God's commands without delay. Sin is deadly, and sometimes God must forcefully remove us from it. Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction with fire and brimstone serves as a stark warning.Lot's wife looked back at Sodom, turning into a pillar of salt, showing her attachment to the sinful city. Abraham's prayer for Lot's salvation exemplifies intercessory prayer. The covenant with Abraham declared Lot righteous, paralleling Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. Looking at Lot's life, we see that sin has consequences even for believers. Lot's daughters, influenced by Sodom's perverse culture, committed incest which lead to the Moabites, enemies of Israel. This story emphasizes the importance of obedience to God and the repercussions of sinful choices. Believers should flee from sin and run towards the Lord. Thanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro