Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 32:48-52.

“The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, “Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession.  Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel.  For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.”  Deuteronomy 32:48-52.

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No one, not even Moses, is justified by the Law.  “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident;  for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”  However, the Law is not of faith;  on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.”  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  Galatians 3:11-14.

Like the rest who received approval, Moses was justified by faith.  See Hebrews 11:24-29.  “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”  Hebrews 11:39-40.

By not allowing Moses to enter Canaan, the Promised Land, it seems to me that the LORD wanted to illustrate vividly that no one is justified by the Law and that the righteous live by faith, even to their death.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 32:44-47.

“Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he, with Joshua the son of Nun.  When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law.  For it is not an idle word for you;  indeed it is your life.  And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”  Deuteronomy 32:44-47.

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“… Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”  Matthew 4:4.

“It is the Spirit who gives life;  the flesh profits nothing;  the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”  John 6:63.

“Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have words of eternal life.”  John 6:68.

Jesus is the “Incarnate Word”.   

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14.

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—  and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—  what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us;  and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”  1 John 1:1-3.

“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has the life;  he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”  1 John 5:11-12.

The words of Scripture point us to “the Word of Life”, Jesus Christ.  And, we do not learn about Jesus through pictures or sculptures or other images (in fact, they are forbidden by the second commandment);  we learn about Jesus through the words of Scripture.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life;  it is these that testify about Me;  and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”  John 5:39-40.

And so, we have daily devotions, seeking to learn more about Jesus, “the Word of Life”.

“34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 “For he who finds me finds life
And obtains favor from the Lord.”  Proverbs 8:34-35.

“‘Give us this day our daily bread.”  Matthew 6:11.

“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”  Acts 17:11.

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.”  Psalm 1:2.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 32:34-43.

“34 ‘Is it not laid up in store with Me,
Sealed up in My treasuries?
35 ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution,
In due time their foot will slip;
For the day of their calamity is near,
And the impending things are hastening upon them.’
36 “For the Lord will vindicate His people,
And will have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their strength is gone,
And there is none remaining, bond or free.
37 “And He will say, ‘Where are their gods,
The rock in which they sought refuge?
38 ‘Who ate the fat of their sacrifices,
And drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise up and help you,
Let them be your hiding place!
39 ‘See now that I, I am He,
And there is no god besides Me;
It is I who put to death and give life.
I have wounded and it is I who heal,
And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.
40 ‘Indeed, I lift up My hand to heaven,
And say, as I live forever,
41 If I sharpen My flashing sword,
And My hand takes hold on justice,
I will render vengeance on My adversaries,
And I will repay those who hate Me.
42 ‘I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
And My sword will devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the long-haired leaders of the enemy.’
43 “Rejoice, O nations, with His people;
For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And will render vengeance on His adversaries,
And will atone for His land and His people.”  Deuteronomy 32:34-43.

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This Scripture shows sovereign power of God.  God exercises both justice (“vengeance on His adversaries” – verse 43) and lovingkindness (“vindicate His people” – verse 36).

“‘See now that I, I am He,
And there is no god besides Me;
It is I who put to death and give life.
I have wounded and it is I who heal,
And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”  Verse 39.

Some doctrine teaches alleged free-will of man.

Reformed Doctrine teaches absolute sovereignty of God.

Some doctrine conspires:  “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”  Psalm 2:3.

But, Reformed Doctrine knows:  “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.”  Psalm 2:4.

“9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken;  truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.”  Isaiah 46:9-11.

“Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 32:28-33.

“28 “For they are a nation lacking in counsel,
And there is no understanding in them.
29 “Would that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would discern their future!
30 “How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them,
And the Lord had given them up?
31 “Indeed their rock is not like our Rock,
Even our enemies themselves judge this.
32 “For their vine is from the vine of Sodom,
And from the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of poison,
Their clusters, bitter.
33 “Their wine is the venom of serpents,
And the deadly poison of cobras.”   Deuteronomy 32:28-33.

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Today’s Scripture leads us to consider our counsel, our produce, and our Rock.

Is our counsel like Israel’s counsel which is a “nation lacking in counsel, And there is no understanding in them”?  Verse 28.
 
Is our produce like Israel’s produce which are “grapes of poison, Their clusters, bitter.  Their wine is the venom of serpents, And the deadly poison of cobras”?  Verses 32 and 33.
 
Is our Rock like Israel’s rock?  “Indeed their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves judge this.”  Verse 31.    

Before we get smug and just simply deny it, maybe our counsel, produce, and Rock are not so easily identifiable.

It is easy for us to be like a chameleon, an animal who easily changes color to match and hide in its environment.  With diversity our primary mantra, our counsel, produce, and rock change to please (or at least not offend) those people that we are around.

The result of these fleeting changes is that at best we do not have any identifiable counsel, produce, and rock.

Many with Reformed background have caved into evangelical or social causes pressures to lose their Reformed salt.  They blend into  the evangelicals:  “All I care about is Christ and bringing in converts.”  Then, they blend and get lost in the latest social cause.

Certainly, we can and should have these concerns and do these things.  But, if we, the Reformed, don’t preach and teach Reformed doctrine, then who is going to do it?  If we switch back and forth so often, what indeed are our counsel, produce, and Rock?

“You are the salt of the earth;  but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”  Matthew 5:13.

We should heed the message of the angel to the church in Laodicea:  “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot;  I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”  Revelation 3:15-16.

In conclusion, we are on the brink of a new year.  It is a good time to examine our counsel, produce, and Rock.  Are we going to be content to be chameleons and tasteless salt in 2015?  Or, are our counsel, produce, and Rock going to be identifiable and consistent with our Reformed faith?

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 32:19-27.

“19 “The Lord saw this, and spurned them
Because of the provocation of His sons and daughters.
20 “Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end shall be;
For they are a perverse generation,
Sons in whom is no faithfulness.
21 ‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God;
They have provoked Me to anger with their idols.
So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people;
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,
22 For a fire is kindled in My anger,
And burns to the lowest part of Sheol,
And consumes the earth with its yield,
And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

23 ‘I will heap misfortunes on them;
I will use My arrows on them.
24 ‘They will be wasted by famine, and consumed by plague
And bitter destruction;
And the teeth of beasts I will send upon them,
With the venom of crawling things of the dust.
25 ‘Outside the sword will bereave,
And inside terror—
Both young man and virgin,
The nursling with the man of gray hair.
26 ‘I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces,
I will remove the memory of them from men,”
27 Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy,
That their adversaries would misjudge,
That they would say, “Our hand is triumphant,
And the Lord has not done all this.”’  Deuteronomy 32:19-27.

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Our hope is not to claim:  “We are not so bad;  we don’t deserve the punishment.” 

Our hope is not to plead:  “Give us a second chance!” 

Rather, our hope is to claim:  “We are sinners!  You are a holy and righteous God Whose work is perfect and Whose ways are always just!  But, we belong to You!  We were purchased for You by the blood of Christ!  We are hidden in Christ!  For Your own sake (the sake of Christ), save us, You Who also executes perfect lovingkindness in addition to perfect justice.” 

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  Ephesians 2:4-6.

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”  Colossians 3:1-3.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 32:5-18.

“5 “They have acted corruptly toward Him,
They are not His children, because of their defect;
But are a perverse and crooked generation.
6 “Do you thus repay the Lord,
O foolish and unwise people?
Is not He your Father who has bought you?
He has made you and established you.
7 “Remember the days of old,
Consider the years of all generations.
Ask your father, and he will inform you,
Your elders, and they will tell you.
8 “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
When He separated the sons of man,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the sons of Israel.
9 “For the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
10 “He found him in a desert land,
And in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
11 “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
That hovers over its young,
He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.
12 “The Lord alone guided him,
And there was no foreign god with him.
13 “He made him ride on the high places of the earth,
And he ate the produce of the field;
And He made him suck honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock,
14 Curds of cows, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs,
And rams, the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the finest of the wheat—
And of the blood of grapes you drank wine.

15 “But Jeshurun (Israel) grew fat and kicked—
You are grown fat, thick, and sleek—
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scorned the Rock of his salvation.
16 “They made Him jealous with strange gods;
With abominations they provoked Him to anger.
17 “They sacrificed to demons who were not God,
To gods whom they have not known,
New gods who came lately,
Whom your fathers did not dread.
18 “You neglected the Rock who begot you,
And forgot the God who gave you birth.”   Deuteronomy 32:5-18.

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Despite all that God did for Israel, Israel acted corruptly toward God.

When we consider that God acted like a father to Israel, this Scripture proves Israel acted foolishly and unwisely.

As intended by the words of the last chapter, this song was a witness for the LORD against the sons of Israel.  Deuteronomy 31:19.

Some doctrine would be content to only comment that we should not neglect God as Israel did.  That doctrine would focus only on the wisdom of being faithful to God.  That doctrine would only focus on the alleged free-will of man and exhort man to try harder to obey God.

But, Reformed Doctrine knows that his Scripture reminds us of the “Total Depravity” of man.  Man has every motivation to be faithful to God and obey God.  It is clearly and simply wisdom to be faithful to God and obey God;  any child would understand it.  It is absolute foolishness to forget, neglect, or reject God.  But, the fact that man does it continually reminds us of the “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Our hope is not that we should try again, this time try harder to be faithful and obey God. 

Our hope is that God is a Faithful Father.  

Q. 1.  What is thy only comfort in life and death?

A.  That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ;  who, with His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil;  and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head;  yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.  Heidelberg Catechism.

Q. 26.  What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”?

A.  That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them; who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence) is, for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father;  on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body;  and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage;  for He is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.  Heidelberg Catechism.

But, as the following two Articles of Canons of Dordt in the section “Of the Perseverance of the Saints” teaches, this hope and confidence in our Faithful Father does not make us careless. 

Article 13.   Neither does renewed confidence or persevering produce licentiousness, or a disregard to piety in those who are recovering from backsliding;  but it renders them much more careful and solicitous to continue in the ways of the Lord, which he hath ordained, that they who walk therein may maintain an assurance of persevering, lest by abusing his fatherly kindness, God should turn away his gracious countenance from them, to behold which is to the godly dearer than life: the withdrawing thereof is more bitter than death, and they in consequence hereof should fall into more grievous torments of conscience.

Article 14.  And as it hath pleased God, by the preaching of the gospel, to begin this work of grace in us, so he preserves, continues, and perfects it by the hearing and reading of his Word, by meditation thereon, and by the exhortations, threatenings, and promises thereof, as well as by the use of the sacraments.   FIFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE  Of the Perseverance of the Saints.  The Canons of Dordt.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 32:1-4.

“1 Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak;
And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

2 “Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As the droplets on the fresh grass
And as the showers on the herb.
3 “For I proclaim the name of the Lord;
Ascribe greatness to our God!
4 “The Rock!  His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.”    Deuteronomy 32:1-4.

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Today’s Scripture is the introduction to the Scripture which follows which is a long set of “finding of fault” facts in the LORD’s judgment against Israel.  But, before the these “finding of fault” facts were listed, the LORD wanted His name exalted primarily as a just God.  “The Rock!  His work is perfect, For all His ways are just;  A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.”  Verse 4.

Likewise, the section on predestination in The Canons of Dordt starts with the justice of God.

Article 1.  As all men have sinned in Adam, lie under the curse, and are deserving of eternal death, God would have done no injustice by leaving them all to perish, and delivering them over to condemnation on account of sin, according to the words of the apostle, Romans 3:19, “that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”  And verse 23:  “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”   And Romans 6:23:  “for the wages of sin is death.”  FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination.

Likewise, before we consider predestination a/k/a “Unconditional Election”, the “U” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation, it is good for us to meditate on “The Rock!  His work is perfect, For all His ways are just;  A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.”  Verse 4.  If we do so, we may be less likely to bristle against predestination a/k/a “Unconditional Election”.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  Proverbs 9:10.

My web site starts with a section “About God” at the top left tag.  In it, God’s justice is proclaimed including the following summary.  “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 31:19-30.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+31&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“19 “Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel;  put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.  20 For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant.  21 Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants);  for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.”  22 So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.”  Deuteronomy 31:19-22.

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The LORD made Israel learn and remember a song (in Deuteronomy Chapter 32) which was a witness against Israel for the rebellion and sins committed by Israel.  This song seems harsh, through which the LORD declared His findings of fault, but this song made Israel rely completely on the LORD for any future hope.

Likewise, the finding of fault provided hope in the following Hebrews 8:8-12.

“8 For finding fault with them, He says,
“Behold, days are coming, says the Lord,
When I will effect a new covenant
With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers
On the day when I took them by the hand
To lead them out of the land of Egypt;
For they did not continue in My covenant,
And I did not care for them, says the Lord.
10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.
11 “And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,
And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
For all will know Me,
From the least to the greatest of them.
12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities,
And I will remember their sins no more.”  Hebrews 8:8-12.

Likewise, being shut up under sin, provides hope.  “But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.  Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ,  so that we may be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.    For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”    Galatians 3:22-26.

Likewise, “Total Depravity”, that man is dead in sin, may seem harsh (the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation).  But, “Total Depravity” makes us completely rely on the LORD for any hope.

Our hope is not that another reading of the Law that will cause us to make us come to our senses.  Our hope is not that we will get wiser.  Our hope is not that we will exercise more will-power of our alleged free-will.  We are dead in sin.

Our only hope is that God chose us for salvation, God will make us alive, God will draw us to Christ, and God will preserve us to the very end.

Consider the following two Articles in The Canons of Dordt in the section titled FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination.

Article 1.  As all men have sinned in Adam, lie under the curse, and are deserving of eternal death, God would have done no injustice by leaving them all to perish, and delivering them over to condemnation on account of sin, according to the words of the apostle, Romans 3:19, “that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”  And verse 23:  “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” And Romans 6:23:  “for the wages of sin is death.”

Article 7.  Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world, he hath out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of his own will, chosen, from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault, from their primitive state of rectitude, into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, whom he from eternity appointed the Mediator and Head of the elect, and the foundation of Salvation.

This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than the others, but with them involved in one common misery, God hath decreed to give to Christ, to be saved by him, and effectually to call and draw them to his communion by his Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification and sanctification;  and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of his Son, finally, to glorify them for the demonstration of his mercy, and for the praise of his glorious grace;  as it is written: “According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to imself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved,” Ephesians 1:4,5,6.  And elsewhere: “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified,” Romans 8:30.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 31:14-18.

“14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the time for you to die is near;  call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.”  So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.  15 The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent.  16 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers;  and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.  17 Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them;  so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’  18 But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.”    Deuteronomy 31:14-18.

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Today. we read about the LORD’s prophecy that He will hide His face from them “and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them”.  Verse 17.  “But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.”  Verse 18.

We remember other Scripture about God hiding His face.  In the very next chapter, Deuteronomy Chapter 32, we will read a lengthy history of how God cared for Israel but how Israel neglected God and even more how Israel provoked God with other gods.

“Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end shall be;
For they are a perverse generation,
Sons in whom is no faithfulness.”  Deuteronomy 32:20.

“You hide Your face, they are dismayed;  You take away their spirit, they expire And return to their dust.”  Psalm 104:29.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails;  Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.”  Psalm 143:7.

“Then they will cry out to the Lord, But He will not answer them.  Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time Because they have practiced evil deeds.”  Micah 3:4.

As we meditate on all the dismay and distress that comes to those whom God will hide His face from them, we can take warning from today’s Scripture and be careful that we do not likewise neglect God nor provoke God to anger.   

“6 Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.”  Isaiah 55:6-7.

As we seek the LORD as He is, not as we want Him to be, we come closer to Reformed Doctrine.  The LORD is the One and Only Sovereign Almighty God Who justly punishes His enemies and Who shows lovingkindness to His elect.  The LORD is not our fat and jolly Santa Claus at our beck and call.  

But, for the LORD’s elect who through His grace truly seek Him as He is, the LORD provides all that they need for salvation and the LORD preserves them to the end.

These elect do more than casually seek the LORD, they figuratively fly to Christ for refuge in the language of the following Article in Canons of Dordt.

Article 2.   Hence spring daily sins of infirmity, and hence spots adhere to the best works of the saints; which furnish them with constant matter for humiliation before God, and flying for refuge to Christ crucified;  for mortifying the flesh more and more by the spirit of prayer, and by holy exercises of piety;  and for pressing forward to the goal of perfection, till being at length delivered from this body of death, they are brought to reign with the Lamb of God in heaven.  FIFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Perseverance of the Saints of Canons of Dordt.

And, there is this hope in the following Article.

Article 3.   By reason of these remains of indwelling sin, and the temptations of sin and of the world, those who are converted could not persevere in a state of grace, if left to their own strength.   But God is faithful, who having conferred grace, mercifully confirms, and powerfully preserves them herein, even to the end.

“O Lord God of hosts, restore us;
Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.”  Psalm 80:19.

“The Lord bless you, and keep you;  The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;  The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’”  Numbers 6:24-26.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 31:9-13.

“So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.  Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing.  Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.  Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”  Deuteronomy 31:9-13.

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We repeatedly teach “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation, so that our family and friends will hear and learn and fear the LORD our God.

When I was drifting between churches, from one denomination to another denomination, here in St. Petersburg, Florida, a childhood friend from Western Michigan with whom I grew up in the Christian Reformed Church asked me if I remembered “TULIP”.

I then studied the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism.  That study made me aware that often what bothered me was not just bad preaching, but rather the problem was caused by bad doctrine (Arminianism) that broadly and deeply affected that church and its denomination which at some time of its history strayed away from Reformed Doctrine rediscovered in the Reformation.  In contrast to this bad doctrine which I encountered, I began to appreciate more the truth, logic, beauty, and simplicity of “TULIP” which was my Reformed heritage.

It is important that we repeatedly teach Reformed Doctrine to our children, because it is so easy to generally drift away from church in this day and age.  And, it is so easy to specifically drift away from Reformed Doctrine, because most Protestant denominations do not teach it.

Consider the following facts showing how easy it is to drift away from Reformed Doctrine using my example.  First, my great grand-father was William Heyns, a Professor at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He wrote several books including “Manual of Reformed Doctrine” in 1926.  Second, my grandfather, Dr. Richard Pousma was a Christian Reformed Church medical missionary to the Navajo Indians in Rehoboth, New Mexico.  Third, I grew up in the Christian Reformed Church, having attended not only a Christian Reformed Church, but also having attended Christian Reformed Schools from kindergarten through high school to even a year and one-half at Calvin College.  And yet, despite all this Reformed background and teaching, when I moved to Florida, I thought all Protestant churches would be good enough and would teach Reformed Doctrine.  How wrong I was!    

In contrast to other doctrine taught in most Protestant Reformed Churches which emphasize man, man’s knowledge of the law, and man’s alleged free-will and ability to obey the law or to even choose Christ, Reformed Doctrine slams shut that door to alleged salvation by teaching “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, that man is dead in sin.

Reformed Doctrine teaches that man’s only chance to salvation is that only God can provide that one and only narrow door to salvation through “Unconditional Election”, the “U” of “TULIP”.

Reformed Doctrine further teaches that only for those whom God unconditionally elects to salvation, Christ died for those elect.  This is “Limited Atonement”, the “U” of “TULIP”.  “Limited Atonement” is limited in the sense that the atonement is limited to only the elect.  Christ did not die for everyone, but only for the elect.  If Christ died for everyone, thus redeeming everyone and purchasing salvation for everyone, then everyone would be saved.  However, for those elect, what was accomplished for those elect was unlimited.  For “… those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father;  … he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death;  should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing;  and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.”   Article 8 SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby of Canons of Dordt.

Reformed Doctrine further teaches “Irresistible Grace”, the “I” of “TULIP”, that God irresistibly draws His elect to faith in Christ.  This is what is meant in the prior paragraph that one of the saving gifts purchased by Christ’s death is that God “should confer upon them faith“.

Finally, Reformed Doctrine further teaches “Preservation of the Saints”, the “P” of “TULIP”, that God preserves His elect to salvation.  This is what is meant in the prior paragraph that one of the saving gifts purchased by Christ’s death is that God “having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.”

In conclusion, each one of these points of Reformed Doctrine teaches us to fear the Lord our God.  And, we repeatedly teach Reformed Doctrine to our family and friends, so that they may also learn the truth and not drift away.