https://esv.literalword.com/?q=jeremiah+23%3B+psalm+86%2C+87%3B+pro+30
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 30 July 2023:
Jeremiah 23:1 — Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!
Many ‘spiritual’ and political leaders who claim to know the way only lead people astray and to destruction. These leaders who are not unified with God only lead followers to disunity and further separation from God. Any leader who doesn’t overtly point to Christ (no matter the justification) is a false leader. Jesus is not only “The Way, The Truth, and The Life” for spiritual matters, He is the only way for all the practical issues of life, including politics – all issues are foundationally spiritual issues. If you are not using your influence to guide people to Jesus, you are using your influence to guide people away from Jesus.
Jeremiah 23:4 – I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
Leaders are responsible for the accountability of every member of the flock. Who is now missing from your church congregation? Why? Who among your family is not saved? Who has God placed in your life, giving you the responsibility to minister to them? How are they doing tonight? Find the missing sheep, and relieve those who are afraid or dismayed.
Jeremiah 23:5, 6 — Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the only truly good shepherd. A leader that is not constantly pointing at Him (rather than self, party, church, denomination, or organization) is misleading, pointing to another means of ‘salvation’ or peace. Yes, God gives certain authorities and responsibilities to people and institutions, but He gives special authority to His ambassadors, priests, and saints – Christians. Follow Jesus and proclaim Jesus. You haven’t been called by God to be an ambassador to anything or anyone other than Jesus.
Jeremiah 23:9, 10 – Concerning the prophets: ….the land is full of adulterers…. Their course is evil, and their might is not right…. they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil…. Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, “It shall be well with you”; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, “No disaster shall come upon you.”
The adulterous teachers blend the teachings of God with worldly wisdom (syncretism), and they attach “spirituality” to popular belief systems. They dilute the word of God to make it acceptable to the populace under the guise of “seeker sensitive evangelism.” They are very careful not to use words like “repent” and “sin,” and they use the name “Jesus” very sparingly as not to overwhelm or offend. They allow God’s people to become dependent on worldly institutions and point towards “good people” for hope rather than Jesus Christ alone. They talk about “morals, values, and ethics” rather than the Commands of God, and they seek to generate unity in ideas, programs, charities, for sake of societal stability, rather than seeking unity in the One True God. They proclaim “wisdom from the ages” rather than God’s word and offer peace to those who reject God’s’ word. These hopes are vain according to the Bible. Again, we are Ambassadors for Christ and Christ alone, not organizations or ideals. It is time for Christians to stand for Christ and nothing else. Don’t muddy the waters.
Jeremiah 23:11 — “Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil,” declares the Lord.
An ungodly nation has ungodly pastors with an outer shell of godliness (whitewashed tombs) who preach the word for prophet and morph it to appeal to an ungodly people.
Jeremiah 23:14 — But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.
- 2 Peter 2:5-10 — He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.
Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned in both the Old and New Testament readings today – “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction.” (Romans 15:4) “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11) “Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7)
“He rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked….” Lot was a righteous man, tormented in his heart by the perversion of his nation, which included rampant promiscuity, adultery and homosexuality. However, though Lot was a leader in his community, he apparently did little to counter the culture around him. In fact, he had become so assimilated into the culture the angels actually had to force him out of the city before destroying it; Lot lost his wife and his sons-in-law, and his daughters were completely and shockingly perverted by the culture around them.
- Mark 9:50 — Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?
How is the church influencing society today? How is society influencing the church? What do we accept in our homes that would have been unthinkable decades ago? How urgently are we seeking to share the Gospel with those facing the Judgment of God? “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17)
Jeremiah 23:16-19 — Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, “It shall be well with you”; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, “No disaster shall come upon you.” For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened? Behold, the storm of the Lord!
It is striking that as the Nation seems to unravel into moral chaos at an unbelievably rapid rate, the sermons delivered from pulpits across the country remain mostly unchanged and unaffected. Again, the pastors of an ungodly nation preach what people want to hear. In our nation, things seem to go from bad to worse. Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned both in the Old Testament and New Testament today as a warning and as “an example of what is going to happen.” (2 Peter 2:6) Who is paying attention?
Jeremiah 23:20 — The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly.
When we stand in judgment before God, our organizations, parties, denominations, programs, policies, projects, charities, events, and activities that did not directly, overtly, and boldly point to Christ and His commands will all seem so incredibly foolish. God has given us His word that we might understand what really matters before being surprised by judgment. We have been given the task of going throughout the world making disciples, teaching them to OBEY all the God has commanded, nothing less than that. Sometimes obedience to God’s clear and simple word doesn’t seem to make sense from our perspective. Sometimes pure obedience to God alone will be judged by the world as fanatical, judgmental, and simple-minded. However, “in the latter days, you will understand it clearly.”
Jeremiah 23:22 – But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.
A theme repeated for emphasis — godly leaders only proclaim His words, not what seems right in their own eyes or what seems right to the majority (see Judges – they did what seem right in their own eyes).
Jeremiah 23:28, 29 – Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
God allows deceitful leaders compete in the marketplace of ideas with His true ambassadors, and He allows people to choose who they will trust and follow.
So many people are seeking a greater revelation, a special revelation, or a fresh approach to God’s word, but so few know, proclaim, and obey God’s clearly written word. When was the last time you heard a preacher preach these words from the Bible: “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done…. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them”? (Romans 1:26-32)
Psalm 86:3-5 — Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, for to you O Lord, I lift up my soul. You are a forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.
- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 8, 9 — And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard…. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law…. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading…. Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.
Today’s readings from Psalms show us a pattern of repentance in the lives of God’s people and the joy that comes from living by grace. God was at work in the hearts of His people to draw them to Him and to His word. In fact in the Book of Nehemiah, we see that God’s people were willing to listen “attentively” to the Book of the Law for hours. Likewise, we see in Psalm 86:11 David’s eagerness to learn God’s “way” from God’s word. Convicted by God’s word, the people were driven to godly sorrow. This was not “worldly sorrow” which is self-centered and produces tears of self-pity having experienced the consequences of sin. This was godly sorrow that recognized that God’s love had been treated lightly and that behind their disobedience was a problem with their hearts. There was no excuse making or blame-shifting, only honest self-examination that produced tears of true humility. In fact, so great was their sorrow that the people had to be calmed down. The people had to be reminded of God’s mercy and grace that David speaks of in Psalm 86 – “I will praise you O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me for the depths of the grave…. You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant.” Recognizing his “poor and needy” state before the Lord, David trusts in the Lord (Psalm 86:2) to forgive him, to give him strength (86:16) and to build in him an “undivided heart” as David continues to “walk in [God’s] truth” (Psalm 86:11). In continual repentance, David rejoices in God’s love. When the Levites explained the nature of God’s love to the people, “Then all the people went away… to celebrate with great joy because they now understood the words that had been made known to them (Nehemiah 8:12).”
Psalm 86:7 – In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.
The more you pray to God and see His faithfulness in response, the more confident you become in prayer and in God’s protection.
Psalm 86:11-13 — Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
David earnestly prayed not only for the ability to understand God’s word but also for a heart that desired to obey God’s word in love and thankfulness, not simply to receive blessings from God but to be united with God. David desired a heart that was united with God’s heart (Compare with John 17:17-23), and his desire was that he would joyfully obey and glorify God with his whole heart. David desired that His words and deeds would be the outpouring, or fruit, of a genuine love for God. David explains his motivation – “For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Today’s verses reveal why David is known as “a man after God’s own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) He wasn’t merely seeking God’s blessings, He was seeking God Himself, to know Him intimately. To be truly one with Him. Do you share David’s prayer and Jesus’ prayer for you recorded in John 17?
- Luke 10:27 — And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
- 1 John 5:3 — For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
Luke 10:27, the Greatest Commandment, explains that how much you love the Lord is revealed by how you treat others. How well you love God and others is determined first by a heart and soul which longs for God, and then through actions (using your strength to love) which are guided by the diligent study of God’s word (using your mind to love); and 1 John 5:3 reveals that the more we grow in genuine love for God, the less we view His commands to sacrificially love others as burdensome.
Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15),” and he charged his disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19, 20) Obedience is the product of love which must be enabled by God but which is also be learned through study and application of God’s word as a life-long labor of love. To obey God’s word and to teach others to obey God’s word, you must understand God’s word. Bible study is an essential Christian discipline, and the Bible says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) However, Bible knowledge is not the same as Bible understanding, and information is not transformation. You must know the Bible through diligent study, but only through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-14; 1 Corinthians 2:14) and through Bible application (experience and practice) can you grow to understand what you only previously ‘knew’ intellectually. Wisdom, knowledge rightly applied, comes from God – “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.” (Proverbs 2:6-8). God gives us wisdom as we prayerfully step out in faith with the knowledge we have while the Holy Spirit coaches us into true understanding.
Knowledge and understanding are essential, but you must also have the heart to do what you know, and only through a heart of love can you become what you do, transforming virtues into character (who you really are inside). Some people will do what is right because they are scared not to or because they are seeking recognition or a reward (fear and pride); and some people will do what is right because they know they should (duty). Ultimately, however, fear, pride and duty can’t contain a person’s passions, nor are these motivations a foundation for genuine relationship. Only love endures, transforms and unites. Do you want a person to treat you well because she is scared not to, because she is hoping to get something from you, or because she knows she should; or do you want her to treat you well because she really wants to from the heart? Which motivation endures through all circumstances? Which motivation produces joy, peace, thankfulness and oneness? Fear, pride and duty are burdensome, heavy loads because what you do wars against what you really want to do inside; your actions contradict who you really are. Love delights in obedience and service because your actions agree with your heart –
- Matthew 11:28, 29 — Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Wisdom comes from God, but so does love. To grow in wisdom and love, we must grow closer to God who is the Source of both. (John 15) The aim of our Bible study, Bible application, and prayer must not be behavior modification alone or simply to receive the blessings of God; it must be unity with Jesus, truly knowing Him more and more and growing in our love for Him; and we must trust that the One who saved us, through His initiative and power rather than ours, and though we didn’t deserve it, will likewise sanctify us (transform us to Christ-like character) as we abide in Him.
Proverbs 30:1-3 – I am weary, O God, and worn out. Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
Walking on your own path rather than with Jesus only wears you out.
It takes a lot for some people to finally realize how much they need God and to humble themselves before the Lord.
One of the first steps to wisdom is acknowledging that you know nothing and that you are totally reliant on God for understanding.
Life outside of a genuine relationship with God and a life lived outside of His guidance will wear you out. Like so many before and after him, Agur discovers this late in his days. Now he is starting to gain wisdom. The more you know, the more you know what you don’t know. Socrates said, “’The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Proverbs says, the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, understanding our total reliance on Him.
The first step to understanding is to understand that you don’t understand. Human intellect is so very limited; it can’t take you very far. However, God reveals things to you that you could never understand on your own or through all the teaching the world has to offer. A prerequisite to acquiring wisdom is acknowledging your ignorance, your sinfulness, and your total dependence on God.
Wisdom is knowledge rightly applied. You cannot apply knowledge rightly without the direction of the Holy Spirit who puts things in context with the big picture that you can never see.
Proverbs 30:4 – Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!
Too many people reject the word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit, preferring instead to seek wisdom from their own understanding, rejecting the guidance of the One who created all things and who is the actual source of all wisdom – how incredibly foolish! Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, follow His leadership as Lord, and He will make your paths straight.
The name is Jesus Christ, and there is no other name by which man must be saved.
Jesus is the Name of the Son – He ascended to Heaven, He has gathered the wind, wrapped the waters, and established the ends of the earth. Follow Him.
Too many people reject the word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit, preferring instead to seek wisdom from their own understanding, rejecting the guidance of the One who created all things and who is the actual source of all wisdom – how incredibly foolish! Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, follow His leadership as Lord, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 30:5, 6 – Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
We should only communicate the word of God to ourselves and to others. Don’t try to prove your wisdom by adding to it.
Many feel they are too smart for the Bible, and many think they need more than God’s word. Many people trust in their own intellect rather than the mind of God. God will be glorified in the consequences the proud will inevitably face. Trust in God’s word, not in your own understanding.
Walking in God’s word keeps you within the will of God even though you don’t fully understand what is happening or the “why” behind what is happening. We tend to add to God’s word or to complicate it because we really don’t want it to say what is clearly says. We tend to put conditions on it: “Who really is my neighbor? Under what conditions do I really have to forgive? Times have changed, and this doesn’t mean the same thing anymore.” The Bible warns that God’s word is unchanging, and you must obey it to remain in God’s will and to have wisdom. And Jesus told you in last week’s readings that you cannot really understand God’s word or obey it without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit which comes through salvation.
Many cults and false leaders add to God’s word.
Don’t make life harder than it has to be. Just obey God’s simple word.
Everything you need to know, God has told you. How you respond to God’s word is your choice.
The Bible says that it is impossible for any human to fully understand our Creator; to fully understand the will, ways, and works of God; to know the mind of God; or to know what ought to be done day-by-day. So, God has given us His word and the counsel of the Holy Spirit to guide us through life on this earth. Nothing can be added to God’s word, and those without the Holy Spirit cannot understand how to rightly apply God’s word. It takes faith to trust God’s word when you don’t understand it. It takes faith to please God.
- Isaiah 55:8, 9 – For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
- Proverbs 3:5-8 — Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 — For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
- John 3:3-13 — Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God…. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit…. Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.”
- Mathew 22;29 — But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
Proverbs 30:10 – Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
You are not in a position to condemn (judge) others. Your perspective is always biased and very limited. Also, you cannot perceive what God is doing in the heart of another person. Be very careful what you think and say about others.
Proverbs 30:11-14 – There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.
Once again, the Bible reminds us that character is formed in the home. The way people treat their parents is how they will treat others. The respect they have for their parents reflects the respect they have for God. If parents allow their children to speak disrespectfully to them, they will grow to be disrespectful, unloving people. The power of the Holy Spirit can heal old wounds and change old habits that were forged during childhood, but it will also take much effort on the part of the person who learned the bad habits.
Proverbs 30:20 – This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.”
In sin, a heart grows harder and harder and more and more desensitized to sin to the point where sin is no longer acknowledged. The extreme is the sociopath who can commit an atrocity with absolutely no sign of remorse, some of whom can completely erase the deed from their mind and convince themselves that they never did it at all. Some can even pass a lie detector test in their complete self-deception. Most of time, such psychological disorder can be traced back to patterns of decision over time.
Proverbs 30:32 – If you have been foolish, exalting yourself… your hand on your mouth.
Ironically, self-exaltation is usually a product of deep-rooted insecurity. To stop always talking about yourself, seeking credit, or seeking the approval of others, you might have to get to the root of your insecurities – why you feel you need it. You might also need to remind yourself of your purpose in life – to glorify God alone. Self-exaltation draws attention away from Jesus, a mission failure on your part and a terrible sin.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 30 July 2023: Don’t be like Lot who was vexed but not valiant, influenced by not influential. Don’t be surprised by the spirit of divisiveness you see in the world today, but keep yourself in the love of God, grow in your faith, pray, and wait for and proclaim the mercy of the Lord. Speak the truth in love, and stand for the truth with confidence in the power and authority of Jesus Christ. “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” (Jude 1:17-23) “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 