When men choose to reject the truth, God tends to withhold further truth from them. The result is spiritual and intellectual darkness.
Nations are vulnerable and oblivious to their vulnerabilities! At any moment, the Lord could raise up a new nation or destroy one that currently exists.
Although one individual may possess both power and authority, the two are not identical. Authority is the right or responsibility to do something whereas power is the ability to do something. Unfortunately, the modern versions missed this truth when they translated Matthew 28:18. Instead of properly expressing that because of the resurrection the Lord Jesus had been given all power in heaven and earth, these so-called bibles suggest that He had been instead given authority. The authority already resided with Him, but the resurrection declared Him “to be the Son of God with power” (Romans 1:4). His resurrection from the dead gave Him the power over death by conquering the one who possessed the power of death (Hebrews 2:14).
Rebels are sometimes known as loners. Today’s scripture says that this trait can be attributed to their desire to keep their distance from righteousness. Many who would be identified by these terms do not disassociate from sin or sinners. Instead, they disassociate from truth and righteousness. Righteous thoughts and words have been known to melt the hard heart. They penetrate the rocky soil and begin to break down pride and rebellion. In order for a rebel to remain in his rebellion, he must keep a distance between himself and the truth. The very concepts of righteousness and rebellion refuse to coexist. Hence the battle rages: as the Lord works to draw man’s attention to righteousness, the Devil fights to keep man’s distance from it.
As Necho, king of Egypt, was on his way to fight against Carchemish, king Josiah of Judah came out against him for battle. Necho assured Josiah that the battle did not involve Judah and that the Lord had commanded him to make haste against the house of Carchemish. In order to turn Josiah’s intervention, Necho reminded Josiah that his intervention would be meddling with the will of God. Josiah refused to listen to the warning and meddled in these matters costing him his life (2 Chronicles 35:22-24). Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, expressed a similar statement when he told his peers that they should let the apostles alone lest they fight against God (Acts 5:34-39).
Wisdom often results from time and experience. It should not, however, be assumed that old age automatically equals wisdom. For instance, the Bible says, “Better is . . . a wise child than an old and foolish king.” Wisdom comes from the Lord, and He distributes wisdom irrespective of one’s age. Perhaps the wisest statements given by man found within the Book of Job were given by a young man named Elihu (Job 32:6). He listened carefully as Job’s older friends spewed forth foolish words. He thought that “days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom” (Job 32:7). Eventually, he came to the conclusion, “great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment” (Job 32:9).
Many people suffer from gerascophobia which is the fear of growing old. Perhaps this condition is ultimately the fear of death rather than simply growing old, but other conditions indicative of old age cause people to fret. One of these concerns was expressed by the penman of Psalm 71. On two separate occasions, he requested that the Lord would not forsake him when he was old and grayheaded (Psalm 71:9, 18). The Lord knew the fears of man and promised, “even to your old age . . . and even to the hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4). The thought of growing old should not bring fear or trepidation to God’s people. In fact, the Bible points to it as a blessing and one of the greatest blessings the Jewish people will experience in the kingdom (Zechariah 8:4).
Worldly misconceptions have caused many believers to struggle with the biblical concept of love. Love can originate from what is generally considered a negative expression. Our passage shows that the Lord corrects those whom He loves. Love does not express itself for the satisfaction of the one who loves, but for the benefit of the one that is the object of one’s love. When we think of how to express our love for someone, a hug or kind words generally come to mind. These expressions are often used to send a message of love; however, the Bible presents additional insights often not directly associated to loving someone. This is why the Bible points out that chastening can be used to express love toward the recipient. Furthermore, Proverbs 13:24 shows that a father who loves his son chastens that son because of his love for that child. We are led to believe that expressing love for others is best expressed by bailing them out every time they are in trouble. Yet, the Lord declares that love does what is best for the recipients of that love, even if that includes correction.
