What Does it Mean to Say Jesus is the "Son of God"? by Brad Bromling, D.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=272

What Does it Mean to Say Jesus is the "Son of God"?

by	Brad Bromling, D.Min.

Q.
What does it mean to say that Jesus is the “Son of God”?

A.

The New Testament employs a variety of terms in its effort to define the personal identity of Jesus. Strictly speaking, His name simply is Jesus (meaning “Yahweh is salvation”). Recognition of His messiahship quickly led His followers to call Him Christ (christos is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word Messiah), Christ Jesus, and the more common Jesus Christ. In addition, He also is called:

• Lord—an Old Testament designation for God, as well as a term of respect like “Sir”;
• Son of Man—the designation Jesus most often applied to Himself that can indicate “a human,” or point to a mysterious heavenly figure (Daniel 7:13);
• Son of David—an indicator of messianic lineage; and
• “I AM”—an apparent echo of the unutterable divine name (Exodus 3:14).

All of these titles make exalted claims for the Man from Galilee. For many Christians, though, Son of God is the most familiar term used to identify Jesus. This is understandable in light of passages like 1 John 4:15: “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God,” and John 20:30-31: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” There is power in the confession that Jesus is the “Son of God,” but what does it mean?
The earliest Christians were Jews who were familiar with at least two distinct applications of the term “son of God.” In the first place, the term had a general application to all Israelites. When their ancestors were held in Egyptian bondage, Moses was sent to Pharaoh with these words: “Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me” (Exodus 4:22-23; see also Hosea 11:1). Through the years, Yahweh loved, protected, comforted, and chastened Israel, just as a loving parent would nurture and discipline children (Malachi 2:10; Isaiah 66:13; et al.).
The second usage was more specific. Historically, the term had a royal connotation for many nations of the Ancient Near East. It was commonplace for Egyptian, Babylonian, Canaanite, and Roman rulers to be called “son of God” (Fossum, 1992, pp. 128-137). These kings even were deified and surrounded by legends about their miraculous births—often including stories of gods copulating with humans (Sanders, 1993, pp. 243-245). This royal connotation also was known in Israel, although they did not deify their kings (O’Collins, 1995, p. 117).
When the New Testament writers referred to Jesus as “Son of God,” they sometimes employed the term in ways that echoed these two common uses. After those who threatened the life of the child Jesus died, Joseph was given instructions in a dream to return from Egypt to his homeland. When Matthew reported this event, he said it fulfilled Hosea 11:1: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son” (see Matthew 2:15). In other words, Jesus was God’s Son as an Israelite, and in a real sense, the True Israelite.
In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ ministry began with a pronouncement from heaven: “This is my beloved Son...” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11). The same is heard at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). In the Gospel of John, the baptizer testified that Jesus “ranks ahead of ” him, and by virtue of the Spirit’s descending upon Jesus, he testified that Jesus is the “Son of God” (John 1:30, NRSV). These references are reminiscent of the decree of royal sonship (Psalm 2:6-7; see also Luke 1:32-33). When the Jewish leaders put Jesus on trial, they asked: “Are you the Son of God, then?” Satisfied with His answer, they told Pilate Jesus was claiming to be “a king” (Luke 22:70; 23:2). As Jesus died on the cross, the only accusation assigned to Him was, “This is the king of the Jews” (Luke 23:38). According to Paul and the writer of Hebrews, this regal distinction was especially manifest after Jesus was raised from the dead (Acts 13:33; Romans 1:4; Hebrews 1:5).
While Jesus’ identity certainly included these then-prevailing ideas of sonship, it is obvious they do not exhaust the significance of the term for Him. Over and again, Jesus referred to God as His Father (Matthew 7:21; 10:32; 11:27, et al.). Since the Jews also saw themselves as sons and daughters of God, this should not have bothered them. But it did bother them, precisely because they perceived Jesus to be making a unique—and seemingly blasphemous—claim of sonship.
This uniqueness reached its zenith when Jesus addressed God as “Abba, Father” in prayer (Mark 14:36). “Abba” was the word a Jewish child used to refer to his or her “original person of reference” (i.e., mother or father). This bespoke an “unheard-of closeness” between Jesus and God (Moltmann, 1993, p. 142). Jesus demonstrated this closeness throughout His life. And it was in this intimacy that Jesus’ sonship is best defined. Gerald O’Collins has observed:

[Jesus] not only spoke like “the Son” but he also acted like “the Son” in knowing and revealing truth about God, in changing the divine law, in forgiving sins, in being the one through whom others could become children of God, and in acting with total obedience as the agent of God’s final kingdom (1995, p. 126).

To see through the eyes of faith that Jesus is the Son of God is to see that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself ” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Finally, in the Gospel of John, Jesus referred to Himself as the “Son” Who was “sent” from the Father (John 3:16-17; 5:23; 6:40; 10:36). Clearly, this is a special claim. On one of those occasions, Jesus based His authority to heal on the Sabbath on the fact that His Father was working. This infuriated some of the Jews. John explained: “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18).
In summary, to identify Jesus as the Son of God is to acknowledge His genealogical connection to Israel, His right to the throne of David, and His unparalleled nearness to God. To confess that Jesus is the Son of God is to declare as true Jesus’ claim: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

REFERENCES

Fossum, Jarl (1992), “Son of God,” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday).
Moltmann, Jürgen (1993), The Way of Jesus Christ (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress).
O’Collins, Gerald (1995), Christology (New York: Oxford University Press).
Sanders, E.P. (1993), The Historical Figure of Jesus (New York: Penguin).

Did Jesus Command Infant Baptism? by Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1454

Did Jesus Command Infant Baptism?

by	Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

Some suggest that because Jesus welcomed children (Luke 18:15 indicates they were infants), and said of them, “of such is the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17), infants should be baptized just as adults are baptized.
Christ told the disciples not to shun children, because children possess a deep humility that followers of Christ should develop (see Deaver, 1985, p. 9). Adults must receive the Gospel with the same humility and trust that characterize little children (Mark 10:15; see Hendriksen, 1975, p. 383), and there are important things we should learn from the young (see 1 Timothy 4:12). In this instance, Jesus certainly expressed appreciation and affection for infants. But what about baptism?
Jesus did not command His disciples to baptize the children—whoever brought the children did not bring them for the purpose of having them baptized (Matthew 19:13). Furthermore, while we have record of Christ’s disciples baptizing adults (John 3:22; 4:1-2; see Lyons, 2003), we have no record of them baptizing children. In fact, the disciples shunned the children at first, possibly because the disciples thought that the children “interfered” with one of the main objectives of Christ’s ministry: to baptize penitent adults. If those who brought the children did not intend for the children to be baptized, why did they bring them?
First, it is possible that those who brought the children sought a medical benefit for their children, though the text does not so imply. Many people brought their children to Jesus to have them healed of diseases. Some parents incorporate Christianity into the rearing of their children only when their children are afflicted with terrible illness (of course, parents should at all times encourage their children to learn about Christ and to live according to His precepts [see Proverbs 22:6; Henry, 1706, 1:271]).
Second, it is possible that those who brought the children perceived some religious, spiritual, or supernatural benefit available only in the presence of Jesus. However, people who benefited from Christ’s personal presence did so by hearing and applying His message, or by being healed of diseases. By taking the children into His arms, Jesus did not promote or endorse the idea that anything “mystical” happened to people who simply entered His presence.
Before baptism, one must know God (2 Thessalonians 1:8; see Coffman, 1975, p. 186). If one is baptized as an infant, he is baptized without believing that Christ is the Son of God, without repentance, and without confession. There is no New Testament record of the administration of baptism without belief, repentance, and confession (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:10; see Coffman, 1984, p. 296). Baptism is for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Infants have no sins, so they do not need to have sins remitted. Also, each account of baptism in the New Testament shows that people who were baptized had the option of refusing baptism, but infants do not have that capability.
On December 18, 1964, the New York Times reported that some Anglican Church officials were renouncing infant baptism because, according to Richard A. Vick, preacher for the St. Paul’s Westcliff-on-Sea church, performing infant baptism is “denying adults the privilege of believer’s baptism. We are denying something essential to salvation. [Infant baptism] isn’t agreeable to the word of God” (“More of Clergy...,” 1964).
Young children should be “brought to Christ” today, i.e., reared in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), though they cannot be scripturally baptized. The responsibility of bringing children to Christ rests on the shoulders of mature Christians.

REFERENCES

Coffman, James Burton (1975), Commentary on Mark (Abilene, TX: ACU Press).
Coffman, James Burton (1984), Commentary on Matthew (Abilene, TX: ACU Press).
Deaver, Roy C. (1985), “Questions/Bible Answers,” Firm Foundation, 102[19]:9, August.
Hendriksen, William (1975), Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).
Henry, Matthew (1706), Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (McLean, VA: MacDonald).
Lyons, Eric (2003), “The Bible’s Teaching on Baptism: Contradictory or Complimentary?,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/617.
“More of Clergy Balk at Infant Baptism in Anglican Church” (1964), The New York Times, page 16, December 18.

Dragonfly Flight and the Designer by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1796

Dragonfly Flight and the Designer

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

More proof of the existence of the Master Designer comes from research conducted by Z. Jane Wang, professor of theoretical and applied mechanics at Cornell University (Gold, 2006). Centering on flying systems and fluid dynamics, Dr. Wang notes that the best way to learn about flight is by first looking at what happens naturally. Interesting. In order for the complex human mind to comprehend the principles of flight, that mind must focus on the natural order—the Creation. So mind must learn from that which, according to evolutionists, came into being and developed without any mind. Intelligence is dependent on non-intelligence. Who can believe it?
Reporting her findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Dr. Wang observed that her research calls into question the conventional wisdom that ascribes to airplanes (human inventions) more flight efficiency than the flying creatures of the natural realm. Dragonflies, for example, are “a marvel of engineering” (Gold, 2006). “Marvel of engineering”—without an Engineer? So claims the evolutionist—despite the irrationality of such a conclusion.
Indeed, the dragonfly possesses four wings, instead of the standard two, enabling it to dash forward at speeds approaching 60 kph. Its unusual pitching stroke allows this amazing insect to hover and even shift into reverse. According to Wang: “Dragonflies have a very odd stroke. It’s an up-and-down stroke instead of a back-and-forth stroke.... Dragonflies are one of the most maneuverable insects, so if they’re doing that they’re probably doing it for a reason” (Gold, 2006, emp. added). “For a reason”? But doesn’t “a reason” imply a reasonable mind behind the reason that thinks and assigns a logical rationale to specific phenomena?
The more scientists study dragonflies the more they are impressed with these “marvels of flight engineering” (“How Do Things...,” n.d.). They appear to twist their wings on the downward stroke, creating a whirlwind of air that flows across the wings, facilitating the lift that keeps them flying. Even more amazing, one Australian scientist, Akiko Mizu­tani, of the Centre for Visual Science at the Australian National University, has studied dragonflies at length in the past few years. She observes that, while chasing its prey, dragonflies “shadow their enemies in complex manoeuvres that military fighter pilots can only dream of. Their tricks create the visual illusion that they’re not moving” (as quoted in “How Stealthy...,” 2003, 2398:26, emp. added). In fact, according to Dr. Javaan Chahl, the quick aerial movements allow the dragonfly to disguise itself as a motionless object (“Military Looks to Mimic...,” 2003, emp. added). These insights are not lost on the military establishment. They recognize the incredible implications for technological development—from the ability of fighter aircraft to approach the enemy undetected, to greater maneuverability, to enhanced helicopter logistics. Indeed, “scientists believe the insect’s flight control could have applications in new planes and helicopters” (2003). Is it any wonder that one of the very first helicopters produced was named “Dragonfly” (“Sikorsky...,” 2003)? If no one considers the helicopter as the product of time and chance, why would any reasonable person believe that the insect to which scientists are looking for an understanding of principles of flight evolved from mindless, mechanistic forces of nature?
If the human mind, with all of its complexity and ingenious design, is necessary to engineer flight capability (e.g., airplanes), what must be said for the Mind behind the human mind? If scores of intelligent scientists must expend vast amounts of time, energy, intention, deliberation, knowledge, and thought in order to discover the secrets of the “efficient motions” of the dragonfly, what must have been required to create that dragonfly in the first place? Mindless, non-intelligent, unconscious, non-purposive “evolutionary forces”? Ridiculous! Time and chance do not and cannot account for the amazing design found in insects like the dragonfly. The only logical, plausible explanation is that dragonflies were designed by the God of the Bible, and they testify to His wisdom: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

REFERENCES

Gold, Lauren (2006), “On the Wings of Dragonflies: Flapping Insect Uses Drag to Carry its Weight, Offering Insight into Intricacies of Flight,” Cornell University Chronicle, February 19, [On-line], URL: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Feb06/AAAS.dragonflies.lg.html.

“How Do Things Fly?” (no date), Boeing, [On-line], URL: http://www.boeing.com/compan yoffices/aboutus/wonder_of_flight/dragon.html.

“Military Looks to Mimic Dragonflies” (2003), ABC News, June 5, [On-line], URL: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200306/s872489.htm.

“How Stealthy Insects Outsmart Their Foe” (2003), New Scientist, 2398:26, June 7.

“Sikorsky HO2S-1/HO3S-1G ‘Dragonfly’” (2003), USCG Homepage, [On-line], URL: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBAIRCRAFT/AC_Sikorsky_HO3S.html.

God, Prophecy, and Miraculous Knowledge by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=5149

God, Prophecy, and Miraculous Knowledge

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

The honest-hearted person who comes to recognize God’s existence and contemplates His marvelous nature cannot help but stand in awe of His omniscience. As the psalmist professed,

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether…. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell [sheol], behold, You are there (139:1-4,6-8).

The Bible declares that God “knows the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21), that His eyes “are in every place” (Proverbs 15:3), and that “His understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). Simply put, God “knows all things” (1 John 3:20). He has perfect knowledge of the past, the present, and even the future. Job was right to ask the rhetorical question, “Can anyone teach God knowledge?” (21:22).

God’s Omniscience and the Divine Inspiration of the Bible

God’s omniscience and proof that the Bible is the Word of God is inextricably woven together. The main, overarching reason that the Bible can be demonstrated to be of divine origin is because the writers were correct in everything they wrote—about the past, the present, and the future. Such a feat is humanly impossible. “With God,” however, “all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). An omniscient, omnipotent God could produce written revelation for His human creation that was flawless in its original production. He could guide uneducated men to write about events that occurred thousands of years before their time with complete accuracy. He could “move” (otherwise) ordinary men (2 Peter 1:20-21) to write flawlessly about any number of contemporary people, places, and things. He could even guide men to write about future events with perfect accuracy. He could—and He did.
Mankind can reasonably come to the conclusion that mere human beings did not pen Scripture because human beings are not omniscient. An uninspired person cannot, for example, foretell the future. Yet the inspired Bible writers did just that—time and again (e.g., Ezekiel 26:1-14,19-21; see www.apologeticspress.org for more information). Is it not logical, then, to conclude that the omniscient Ruler of the Universe gave us the Bible? Interestingly, though the atheist does not accept the Bible as “God-breathed,” even he understands that if the Bible writers predicted the future accurately, then a supernatural agent must be responsible for the production of Scripture (see Butt and Barker, 2009, pp. 50-51).

Is There Another Possibility?

Some might surmise that a Bible writer practicing pagan divination could also have accurately recorded what would happen in the distant future (in Tyre, Babylon, Jerusalem, etc.) because Satan or some wicked spirit-being revealed the information to him. Such a conclusion, however, is unjustifiable for a number of reasons:

• First, the prophets condemned all sorts of witchcraft, including divination and soothsaying (Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Jeremiah 27:9-29:9). Thus, they would be condemning themselves if they were actually diviners and soothsayers.
• Second, since God, by His very definition, is the only omniscient, omnipotent Being (cf. 1 John 4:4), neither the created and fallen devil nor any other non-eternal spirit-being (Colossians 1:16; 2 Peter 2:4) can choose to know whatever he wants. He may be able to acquire knowledge quickly from other beings or from personal experience, but ultimately, wicked spirit-beings can only have knowledge of what the Creator allows them to know (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:11). If, for example, a wicked spirit-being knew of future events, it would be due to the omniscient Ruler of the heaven and Earth granting him such knowledge for His own purposes. “Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it?” (Lamentations 3:37). Simply put, no one accurately foretells the future unless God informs him of it. [NOTE: Diviners may occasionally and vaguely predict something that comes to pass, but such guesswork or weathermen-like predictions are far from the revealed, supernatural foreknowledge of God, which was revealed during Bible times to His true spokesmen.]
• Third, God revealed throughout Scripture that those who accurately foretell the future are genuine prophets of God. Jeremiah wrote: “When the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent” (28:9). On the other hand, those who prophesy things that do not come to pass, “the Lord has not sent;” “they prophesy falsely” (Jeremiah 28:15; 29:8-9). “‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). If non-God-inspired diviners could actually have foretold the future by the power of some wicked spirit-being, then how could the honest-hearted person ever know for sure what and who to believe and obey? Concluding that pagan diviners have been given power by wicked spirit-beings to flawlessly foretell the future contradicts what the true, inspired prophets of God taught, and prevents truth-seekers from being able to know truth.

Conclusion

God Almighty is the only omniscient, omnipotent Being. Only He knows everything. Ultimately, He alone knows the future—the revelation of such Divine thoughts being one of the chief ways man has logically concluded that a particular message was actually God-inspired. It seems quite dangerous to conclude that fallen spirit-beings know the future and have revealed such miraculous information to wicked diviners. Yes, uninspired fortunetellers have doubtlessly been tempted and influenced throughout the ages by powerful forces of darkness, but such beings are non-omniscient “deceiving spirits” (1 Timothy 4:1), who take after their “father, the devil,” “a liar” in whom “there is no truth” (John 8:44).

*Originally published in Gospel Advocate, March 2015, 157[3]:27-28.

 

Reference

Butt, Kyle and Dan Barker (2009), Does the God of the Bible Exist? (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS" Micah - Judgment Now, Blessings Later (1:1-2:13) by Mark Copeland

                    "STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

            Micah - Judgment Now, Blessings Later (1:1-2:13)

INTRODUCTION

1. The eighth century (800-700 B.C.) was filled with prophetic 
   activity...
   a. Starting with Jonah, who prophesied to the city of Nineveh (790
      B.C.)
   b. Continuing with prophets sent primarily to the northern kingdom 
      of Israel
      1) Amos (755 B.C.)
      2) Hosea (750-725 B.C.)
   c. The southern kingdom of Judah was also the recipient of God's 
      prophets
      1) Isaiah (740-700 B.C.)
      2) Micah (735-700 B.C.)

2. In our study of "The Minor Prophets"...
   a. We have looked at the works of Jonah, Amos, and Hosea
   b. We now come to the works of Micah, the last prophet of the eighth
      century B.C.

[Before we take a look at the messages of Micah as recorded in his 
book, it may be helpful to first look at some...]

I. BACKGROUND MATERIAL

   A. MICAH - THE MAN...
      1. His name means "Who is like Jehovah?" - cf. Mic 7:18
      2. His home was Moresheth-Gath - Mic 1:1,14
         a. In the lowlands of Judah, near Philistia
         b. About 20-25 miles southwest of Jerusalem
      3. Nothing is known of his occupation prior to becoming God's 
         prophet
      4. Characterization
         a. "He was the prophet of the poor and downtrodden." (Homer
            Hailey)
         b. "He had Amos' passion for justice and Hosea's heart for 
            love." (J.M.P. Smith)
         c. Comparing Micah to his contemporary Isaiah (as suggested by
            Hailey)
            1) Micah was a man of the fields, Isaiah was of the city
            2) Micah took little interest in politics, giving himself
               to the concern over spiritual and moral problems; Isaiah
               was in close contact with world affairs, the associate 
               of kings and princes
            3) Both Micah and Isaiah...
               a) Saw God as the infinite Ruler of nations and men
               b) Recognized the absolute holiness and majesty of God
               c) Stressed that violating principles of God's divine 
                  sovereignty and holiness would bring judgment and 
                  doom

   B. MICAH - THE BOOK...
      1. The date:  735-700 B.C.
         a. During the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of 
            Judah - Mic 1:1
         b. Just as the northern kingdom of Israel was falling under 
            Assyria's attack
      2. The message:  "Present Judgment, Future Blessings"
         a. Judgment is coming because of Israel's unfaithfulness to
            God
         b. Blessings will come because of God's faithfulness to Israel
            1) Cf. the promise God made to Abraham - Gen 22:18
            2) God would fulfill in the person of Jesus Christ - cf.
               Ac 3:24-26
      3. A brief outline:  The book appears to contain three messages
         or oracles, all beginning with the word "Hear"; therefore the
         book can be divided as follows:
         a. The coming judgment, with a promise of restoration - Mic 1:
            1-2:13
         b. God's condemnation of Israel, with a glimpse of the future
            hope - Mic 3:1-5:15
         c. God's indictment of Israel, with a plea for repentance and
            promise of forgiveness - Mic 6:1-7:20

[In the remaining part of this lesson, let's take look at Micah's first
message...]

II. THE COMING JUDGMENT AND PROMISED RESTORATION (1:1-2:13)

   A. JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED ON ISRAEL AND JUDAH...
      1. Micah's message is for both Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem 
         (Judah) - Mic 1:1
      2. The Lord announces His coming judgment - Mic 1:2-5
      3. The destruction of Samaria (representing the northern kingdom
         of Israel) - Mic 1:6-7
      4. Micah's mourning - Mic 1:8-16
         a. For the judgment has reached even Judah and Jerusalem
         b. His lament involves making a play on words involving the 
            names of cities; for example...
            1) "Tell it not in Gath" (Gath is similar to the Hebrew 
               word for "tell")
            2) "Weep not at all in Beth Aphrah, Roll yourself in the 
               dust" (Beth Aphrah means "house of dust")
            3) "Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of Shaphir"
               (Shaphir means "fair, beautiful, pleasant")
            4) "The inhabitant of Zaanan does not go out" (Zaanan means
               "come out")
            5) "Beth Ezel mourns; its place to stand is taken away 
               from you" (Beth Ezel can be paraphrased as "nearby 
               house")
         c. As revealed in verse 16, their judgment will involve 
            captivity

   B. REASONS FOR THE INEVITABLE JUDGMENT...
      1. The arrogance and violence of the nobles - Mic 2:1-5
         a. For coveting fields and taking them by violence
         b. So it will happen to them
      2. For rejecting true prophets, and accepting false ones - Mic 2:6-11
         a. They tell the prophets of God not to speak of God's words
         b. They abuse the people of God
         c. Destruction is coming, because they are defiled and accept
            false prophets

   C. RESTORATION PROMISED...
      1. It will involve God assembling a remnant - Mic 2:12
      2. God will lead them like a flock of sheep, with a king at their
         head - Mic 2:12-13

CONCLUSION

1. Later, Micah will tell us more about the ultimate fulfillment of 
   that restoration, and from where that "king" shall arise who shall
   lead God's flock! - cf. Mic 5:2-5

2. But for now we have seen that Micah certainly follows the pattern of
   God's prophets at that time...
   a. Proclaiming the coming judgment, which would involve captivity
   b. Providing the basis for such judgment, describing the nature of
      their sins and departure from God
   c. Promising that God would one day restore the good fortunes of 
      Israel, but requiring repentance and involving a "remnant"

3. How sad that many in Israel and Judah did not heed the words of such
   men like Micah, Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah...
   a. But are we heeding God's spokesmen for today?
   b. Such as His apostles Peter and Paul, and of course, His Son Jesus
      Christ?

We would do well to remember the preaching of Micah as we read in the 
New Testament...

   "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we 
   have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken
   through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and
   disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if
   we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first 
   spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who 
   heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and 
   wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit
   according to His own will.  (He 2:1-4)

Israel as a nation failed to heed the message sent to them; are we 
heeding the message for us today?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS" Micah - Judgment Now, Blessings Later (3:1-5:15) by Mark Copeland

                    "STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

            Micah - Judgment Now, Blessings Later (3:1-5:15)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our previous lesson on the book of Micah...
   a. We briefly considered some background material
      1) Concerning Micah, the man
         a) His name means "Who is like Jehovah?"
         b) He was from Moresheth-Gath, 20-25 miles SW of Jerusalem
         c) A contemporary of Isaiah
         d) A prophet of the poor and downtrodden
      2) Concerning Micah, the book
         a) The prophecies occurred around 735-700 B.C.
         b) They were directed toward both Israel and Judah
         c) The general theme appears to be "Present Judgment, Future
            Blessings"
   b. We briefly considered the first of three messages in the book
      1) Each message begins with "Hear..." - Mic 1:2; 3:1; 6:1
      2) The first message proclaimed "The Coming Judgment And Promised
         Restoration", as it described:
         a) The judgment pronounced upon Israel and Judah - Mic 1:2-16
         b) The reasons for the coming judgment - Mic 2:1-11
         c) The promise of the restoration of a remnant - Mic 2:12-13

2. In this lesson, we shall consider Micah's second message...
   a. As presented in Mic 3:1-5:15
   b. Which follows a similar theme as in the previous message:
      1) God's condemnation of Israel
      2) With a glimpse of the future hope

[This second message has much more to say about the future hope, 
especially regarding the Messiah.  But it begins with...]

I. GOD'S CONDEMNATION OF ISRAEL'S LEADERS

   A. INDICTMENT OF ISRAEL'S CIVIL LEADERS...
      1. The outrageous conduct of the rulers - Mic 3:1-3
         a. They hate good and love evil
         b. They consume the people (i.e., oppress them)
      2. The judgment to come upon them - Mic 3:4
         a. They will cry to the Lord, but He will not hear them
         b. He will hide His face from them

   B. INDICTMENT OF ISRAEL'S RELIGIOUS LEADERS...
      1. The judgment to come upon the false prophets - Mic 3:5-7
         a. Because they lead God's people astray
         b. They shall have no vision, they shall be made ashamed
      2. Micah's own ministry, in contrast to that of the false 
         prophets - Mic 3:8
         a. He is full of the power of the Spirit, and of justice and 
            might
         b. He declares the transgression and sin of Israel

   C. INDICTMENT OF ISRAEL'S LEADERS RENEWED...
      1. Addressing once again the rulers of Israel, their sins are
         categorized - Mic 3:9-11
         a. They abhor justice and pervert equity (fairness)
         b. They build up Jerusalem with bloodshed and iniquity
         c. Whether judges, priests, or prophets, they do it only for
            the money, belying their claim to trust in the Lord
      2. The judgment to come upon Israel because of them - Mic 3:12
         a. Zion shall be plowed like a field
         b. Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins

[This prophecy of Micah was fulfilled when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem
in 586 B. C. (cf. 2Ch 36:17-21). But his message is not finished; as
ominous as it was in proclaiming the coming judgment, he now continues
with a glimpse into the future...]

II. THE FUTURE EXALTATION OF ZION AND MESSIANIC HOPE

   A. THE GLORY TO COME IN "THE LATTER DAYS"...
      1. What will happen "in the latter days"
         a. The "mountain of the Lord's house" will be established, and
            many people will want to go it - Mic 4:1-2
         b. They will want to learn of God's ways, and the word of the
            Lord will go forth from Jerusalem - Mic 4:2
         c. The Lord will judge the nations, and there will be peace 
            - Mic 4:3
         d. Everyone will be content, walking in the name of the Lord
            forever - Mic 4:4-5
         -- Isaiah had a similar prophecy - Isa 2:1-4
      2. What is the fulfillment of this prophecy?
         a. Some believe it is all yet to come (e.g., premillenialists)
         b. Some believe it is all past (e.g., some amillenialists)
         c. I am inclined to believe there are past, present, and
            future elements
            1) It began in Jerusalem with the preaching of the gospel
               on Pentecost
               a) For Peter identifies the events of that day as 
                  beginning the fulfillment of what would occur in the
                  "last days" - cf. Joel 2:28-32; Ac 2:16-17
               b) For Jesus said the gospel would go forth from 
                  Jerusalem as prophesied - Lk 24:46-47; cf. Mic 4:2;
                  Isa 2:3
            2) It continues as people respond to the gospel that 
               originated from Jerusalem
               a) Such people "have come to Mount Zion" - He 12:22-24;
                  cf. Mic 4:2
               b) They learn the ways of the Lord - Ep 4:20-24; cf. 
                  Mic 4:2
            3) The "judging among many people" may be both present and
               future
               a) The book of Revelation reveals the Lord as judging 
                  both in the present and in the future - cf. Re 1:5;
                  2:26-27; 17:14; 20:11-15
               b) Peter viewed some of Isaiah's prophecies as yet to be
                  fulfilled - 2Pe 3:13; cf. Isa 65:17-19; 66:22
               c) Therefore Mic 4:3-5 may find some of its fulfillment
                  in the eternal destiny of the redeemed, as part of 
                  the "New Jerusalem" of the "new heaven and new earth"
                  described in Re 21-22
      3. As Micah continues, he describes what will occur "in that day"
         - Mic 4:6-8
         a. The Lord will assemble a remnant of those whom He afflicted
            - cf. Ro 11:5
         b. He will reign over them forever - cf. Lk 1:30-33
         -- I understand that the fulfillment of this prophecy began 
            with the first coming of Christ, and that the church is a
            spiritual kingdom in which the "former dominion" of Israel
            has been restored and given to Jesus who reigns from heaven
            - cf. Mt 28:18; Ac 1:6-8; 2:30-36; Re 1:5; 2:26-27; 3:21

   B. THE DISTRESS AND CAPTIVITY BEFORE RESTORATION...
      1. The "Now" of Mic 4:9 suggests that Micah has returned from his
         glimpse of the future hope to what will occur in the immediate
         present
      2. Their judgment will involve distress like a woman in labor, as
         they will be delivered to Babylon, from which they will also 
         be redeemed - Mic 4:9-10
      3. Even "now", many nations (e.g., Assyria) have come up against
         them - Mic 4:11-5:1
         a. Who seek to defile Zion, whom God will use to break them
           into many pieces
         b. Yet the daughter of Zion (Israel) shall be humbled also 
            - cf. Mic 5:1

   C. THE COMING MESSIAH...
      1. Here we find the prophecy of the Messiah's birthplace-Mic 5:2;

            cf. Mt 2:1-6
         a. The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah
         b. He would become the ruler of Israel - cf. Isa 9:6-7; Lk 1:30-33
         c. His "goings forth have been from old, from everlasting" 
            - cf. Jn 1:1-3
      2. The Messiah will lead His people in peace - Mic 5:3-5a
         a. Though first they must be given up for a short time 
            (Babylonian captivity)
         b. Then a remnant shall return, whom the Ruler shall feed in
            the strength of the Lord
      
   D. FURTHER JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL AND HER ENEMIES...
      1. Some take this section to be Messianic
      2. I tend to take it as pertaining to Micah's day and those that
         followed shortly after...
         a. The Assyrian threat would prove to be no real threat (for 
            Judah - Mic 5:5b-6; cf. Isa 36-37
         b. When the remnant is dispersed (as a result of Babylonian
            captivity), they shall be a lion among flocks of sheep 
            - Mic 5:7-9 (e.g., Daniel, Esther?)
         c. God would cut off her false strengths (such as horses and
            chariots, cf. Isa 31:1) and her idolatry - Mic 5:10-15

CONCLUSION

1. With the recurrent theme in his messages ("Present Judgment, Future
   Blessings"), Micah's purpose appears to be two-fold...
   a. To warn the people, that they may repent as necessary
   b. To encourage the people, that their hope for the future might 
      help them to endure the hard times to come

2. A similar two-fold message is found in the New Testament as well...
   a. Warnings to persevere, lest we fall away - e.g., He 4:1,11
   b. Promises to encourage us for whatever lies ahead - e.g., 2Pe 3:
      13-14

3. Today, we have an advantage over the Israelites of Micah's day...
   a. We have already seen much of his prophecy fulfilled with the 
      first coming of the Messiah
   b. As Peter wrote, "we also have the prophetic word made more sure"
      - 2Pe 1:19
   c. Made more sure by virtue of its fulfillment, it can serve to 
      comfort us and strengthen our hope regarding any future promise 
      of God - cf. Ro 15:4
   -- If God kept His promise concerning the first coming of His 
      Messiah, we can have confidence He will keep His promise 
      concerning His return!

Perhaps that is why Peter went on to say concerning "the prophetic 
word" (e.g., The Minor Prophets)...

   "which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place,
   until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts"
                                                      (2Pe 1:19)

By careful study and consideration of the prophets, both in the Old
Testament and New Testament, our hope for the future is strengthened!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS" Micah - Judgment Now, Blessings Later (6:1-7:20) by Mark Copeland

                    "STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

            Micah - Judgment Now, Blessings Later (6:1-7:20)

INTRODUCTION

1. This is the third of three lessons in our survey of the book of 
   Micah...
   a. Micah was a prophet of God, a contemporary of Isaiah (ca. 735-700
      B.C.)
   b. His prophecies were directed to both Israel and Judah, though 
      mostly to the latter
   c. His general theme:  "Present Judgment, Future Blessings"

2. In his first message...
   a. He proclaimed "The Coming Judgment And Promised Restoration"
   b. In which he described:
      1) The judgment pronounced upon Israel and Judah - Mic 1:2-16
      2) The reasons for the coming judgment - Mic 2:1-11
      3) The promise of the restoration of a remnant - Mic 2:12-13

3. In his second message...
   a. He proclaimed "God's Condemnation of Israel, And The Future Hope"
   b. In which he described:
      1) God's condemnation of Israel's civil and religious leaders 
         - Mic 3:1-12
      2) The future exaltation of Zion and Messianic hope - Mic 4:1-5:15

4. In his third and final message, Micah's message is "God's Indictment
   of Israel, With A Promise Of Forgiveness And Restoration" - Mic 6:1-7:20

[Similar to what we saw in Hosea, the prophet Micah presents the Lord's
complaint as though He were taking Israel to court...]

I. THE LORD'S CONTROVERSY WITH ISRAEL

   A. GOD'S COMPLAINT...
      1. The people called to present their case against God, as He has
         a complaint against them - Mic 6:1-2
      2. How has the Lord wearied them?  Testify against Him! - Mic 6:3
      3. Did He not redeem them from Egyptian bondage with the aid of
         His servants Moses, Aaron, and Miriam? - Mic 6:4
      4. Remember how He even had Balaam counter the counsel of Balak 
         - Mic 6:5

   B. WHAT THE LORD REQUIRED OF THEM...
      1. What must they offer for their sins? - Mic 6:6-7
      2. What God wanted was for them to do justly, love mercy, and 
         walk humbly before Him - Mic 6:8

   C. THE PUNISHMENT FOR ISRAEL'S INJUSTICE...
      1. Justified, for they were full of dishonesty and violence - Mic 6:9-12
      2. Judgment is coming in the form of desolation, for they hold on
         to the idolatry of Omri and works of Ahab - Mic 6:13-16

[Once again, for the third time, Micah has foretold of the judgment to
come.  As before, he does not close without offering a hope for 
blessings in the future...]

II. A LAMENT FOLLOWED BY A PROMISE OF RESTORATION

   A. PERHAPS SPEAKING FOR THE FAITHFUL REMNANT, MICAH LAMENTS...
      1. His sorrow because the faithful man had perished - Mic 7:1-4
      2. Things are so bad, only the Lord can be trusted - Mic 7:5-7

   B. A CONFESSION OF SIN, WITH COMFORT IN WHAT THE LORD WILL BRING...
      1. His enemy is not to rejoice over him - Mic 7:8-10a
         a. For though he may fall, he will arise; the Lord will be a
            light to him
         b. He is willing to bear the indignation of the Lord, for he
            has sinned; he knows also that the Lord will eventually
            plead his case and execute justice for him
      2. He takes comfort in the future restoration of Zion - Mic 7:
         10b-13
         a. Though first to be trampled down like mire in the streets
         b. When restored, all will come to her (a messianic reference
            akin to Mic 4:1-2?)
         c. But first there will be desolation (cf. the destruction of
            the city by Babylon)

   C. A CLOSING PRAYER, WITH PRAISE TO GOD...
      1. A prayer for God's protection, to shepherd them as in days 
         gone by - Mic 7:14
      2. God answer:  "I will show them marvelous things" - Mic 7:15
      3. Micah's song of praise - Mic 7:16-20
         a. The nations shall be made afraid when they see what the 
            Lord has done
         b. Who is a God like Jehovah?
            1) Who pardons iniquity
            2) Who passes over the transgressions of the remnant of His
               heritage
            3) Who does not retain anger forever, for He delights in 
               mercy
            4) Who will again have compassion, subdue their sins, and 
               cast their sins away
            5) Who will give truth and mercy to Jacob and Abraham 
               (i.e., their descendants) as He has sworn from days of 
               old (cf. Gen 12:2-3)

CONCLUSION

1. Thus Micah ends his book like he ended each of his three messages:
   offering hope concerning the future for the people of Israel

2. In our previous lesson we noted how these promises concerning a 
   glorious future to a great extent were fulfilled "in the latter 
   days", beginning with the coming of our Lord
   a. Certainly the restoration and rebuilding of temple following
      Babylonian captivity was a partial fulfillment
   b. But even that was just a glimpse of what Jesus Christ would offer
      in His spiritual kingdom, which we now enjoy by being in Him

3. From Micah, we can learn a lot about...
   a. The nature of God - cf. Mic 7:18-20
   b. How God would have us live - cf. Mic 6:6-8

4. We also can have our faith strengthened by observing those 
   prophecies which have been fulfilled...
   a. Such as the birthplace of the Messiah - Mic 5:2
   b. Such as the establishment of the Lord's house - Mic 4:1-2

So while Micah may have been sent first to the nation of Israel, let's
not forget what Peter said concerning the Old Testament prophets...

   "To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they
   were ministering the things which now have been reported to you
   through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy 
   Spirit sent from heaven; things which angels desire to look into."

                                        (1Pe 1:12)

Yes, when the prophets like Micah foretold of the "the glories that
would follow", they were serving us who would be later be in the 
kingdom of God. Do we appreciate how blessed we are?  If so, then let's
also do what God requires of us, as expressed in Micah's own words:

   "to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God"

                                        (Mic 6:8)

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

SHINE!!! by Gary Rose

Cute picture, but I think it should read: Leave a little Sonshine wherever you go. Why?

Jesus said...

Matthew, Chapter 5 (WEB) 

Mat 5:14, You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.
Mat 5:15, Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.
Mat 5:16, Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

As luminaries of the love of God, we need to shine; its in our spiritual nature. And its about doing not just talking. I won't tell you what to do, because each of us have different talents, but find your talent and just do it.

Anyway, nice picture, nice thought and one very nice lifestyle!!!

Bible Reading October 31 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading October 31 (WEB)

Oct. 31

Isaiah 17-20

Isa 17:1 The burden of Damascus: "Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap.

Isa 17:2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken. They will be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Isa 17:3 The fortress shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria. They will be as the glory of the children of Israel," says Yahweh of Armies.

Isa 17:4 "It will happen in that day that the glory of Jacob will be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh will become lean.

Isa 17:5 It will be like when the harvester gathers the wheat, and his arm reaps the grain. Yes, it will be like when one gleans grain in the valley of Rephaim.

Isa 17:6 Yet gleanings will be left there, like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outermost branches of a fruitful tree," says Yahweh, the God of Israel.

Isa 17:7 In that day, people will look to their Maker, and their eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 17:8 They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands; neither shall they respect that which their fingers have made, either the Asherim, or the incense altars.

Isa 17:9 In that day, their strong cities will be like the forsaken places in the woods and on the mountain top, which were forsaken from before the children of Israel; and it will be a desolation.

Isa 17:10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not remembered the rock of your strength. Therefore you plant pleasant plants, and set out foreign seedlings.

Isa 17:11 In the day of your planting, you hedge it in. In the morning, you make your seed blossom, but the harvest flees away in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

Isa 17:12 Ah, the uproar of many peoples, who roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters!

Isa 17:13 The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters: but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far off, and will be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm.

Isa 17:14 At evening, behold, terror! Before the morning, they are no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us.

Isa 18:1 Ah, the land of the rustling of wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia;

Isa 18:2 that sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus on the waters, saying, "Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide!"

Isa 18:3 All you inhabitants of the world, and you dwellers on the earth, when a banner is lifted up on the mountains, look! When the trumpet is blown, listen!

Isa 18:4 For Yahweh said to me, "I will be still, and I will see in my dwelling place, like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."

Isa 18:5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and he will cut down and take away the spreading branches.

Isa 18:6 They will be left together for the ravenous birds of the mountains, and for the animals of the earth. The ravenous birds will summer on them, and all the animals of the earth will winter on them.

Isa 18:7 In that time, a present will be brought to Yahweh of Armies from a people tall and smooth, even from a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Yahweh of Armies, Mount Zion.

Isa 19:1 The burden of Egypt: "Behold, Yahweh rides on a swift cloud, and comes to Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence; and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.

Isa 19:2 I will stir up the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they will fight everyone against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

Isa 19:3 The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst. I will destroy its counsel. They will seek the idols, the charmers, those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards.

Isa 19:4 I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord. A fierce king will rule over them," says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.

Isa 19:5 The waters will fail from the sea, and the river will be wasted and become dry.

Isa 19:6 The rivers will become foul. The streams of Egypt will be diminished and dried up. The reeds and flags will wither away.

Isa 19:7 The meadows by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all the sown fields of the Nile, will become dry, be driven away, and be no more.

Isa 19:8 The fishermen will lament, and all those who fish in the Nile will mourn, and those who spread nets on the waters will languish.

Isa 19:9 Moreover those who work in combed flax, and those who weave white cloth, will be confounded.

Isa 19:10 The pillars will be broken in pieces. All those who work for hire will be grieved in soul.

Isa 19:11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish. The counsel of the wisest counselors of Pharaoh has become stupid. How do you say to Pharaoh, "I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?"

Isa 19:12 Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you now; and let them know what Yahweh of Armies has purposed concerning Egypt.

Isa 19:13 The princes of Zoan have become fools. The princes of Memphis are deceived. They have caused Egypt to go astray, who are the cornerstone of her tribes.

Isa 19:14 Yahweh has mixed a spirit of perverseness in the midst of her; and they have caused Egypt to go astray in all of its works, like a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

Isa 19:15 Neither shall there be for Egypt any work, which head or tail, palm branch or rush, may do.

Isa 19:16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble and fear because of the shaking of the hand of Yahweh of Armies, which he shakes over them.

Isa 19:17 The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt. Everyone to whom mention is made of it will be afraid, because of the plans of Yahweh of Armies, which he determines against it.

Isa 19:18 In that day, there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear to Yahweh of Armies. One will be called "The city of destruction."

Isa 19:19 In that day, there will be an altar to Yahweh in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Yahweh at its border.

Isa 19:20 It will be for a sign and for a witness to Yahweh of Armies in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to Yahweh because of oppressors, and he will send them a savior and a defender, and he will deliver them.

Isa 19:21 Yahweh will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know Yahweh in that day. Yes, they will worship with sacrifice and offering, and will vow a vow to Yahweh, and will perform it.

Isa 19:22 Yahweh will strike Egypt, striking and healing. They will return to Yahweh, and he will be entreated by them, and will heal them.

Isa 19:23 In that day there will be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

Isa 19:24 In that day, Israel will be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth;

Isa 19:25 because Yahweh of Armies has blessed them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance."

Isa 20:1 In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it;

Isa 20:2 at that time Yahweh spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loosen the sackcloth from off your waist, and take your shoes from off your feet." He did so, walking naked and barefoot.

Isa 20:3 Yahweh said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia,

Isa 20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

Isa 20:5 They will be dismayed and confounded, because of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

Isa 20:6 The inhabitants of this coast land will say in that day, 'Behold, this is our expectation, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria. And we, how will we escape?' " 

 

Oct. 31

2 Thessalonians 3

2Th 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you;

2Th 3:2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith.

2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.

2Th 3:4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command.

2Th 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.

2Th 3:6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us.

2Th 3:7 For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn't behave ourselves rebelliously among you,

2Th 3:8 neither did we eat bread from anyone's hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you;

2Th 3:9 not because we don't have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.

2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat."

2Th 3:11 For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don't work at all, but are busybodies.

2Th 3:12 Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

2Th 3:13 But you, brothers, don't be weary in doing well.

2Th 3:14 If any man doesn't obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

2Th 3:15 Don't count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

2Th 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

2Th 3:17 The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter: this is how I write.

2Th 3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.