Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 1, 2023

“I shall remember the deeds of the LORD” – “I will tell of all Your wonders.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 3:1-11.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%203&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og, king of Bashan, with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Edrei.  But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand;  and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’  So the LORD our God delivered Og also, king of Bashan, with all his people into our hand, and we smote them until no survivor was left.  We captured all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them:  sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.  All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns.  We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city.  But all the animals and the spoil of the cities we took as our booty.

“Thus we took the land at that time from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon”  Deuteronomy 3:1-8. 

————–

Moses reminded Israel what God had done for them.  

God delivered Og, king of Bashan and all his people and his land into Israel’s hand, just as God did to Sihon king of the Amorites, thus God delivered to Israel all the land of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon.

“17 To Him who smote great kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
…
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
20 And Og, king of Bashan,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,” Psalm 136:17and 19-20.

We too should remember and recount to ourselves and others what God has done for us.

“11 I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.” Psalm 77:11-15.

“For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4.

“Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the LORD;
They are studied by all who delight in them.
3 Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.” Psalm 111:1-6.

“I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.” Psalm 9:1.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 31, 2023

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 2:26-37.

“So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, ‘Let me pass through your land, I will travel only on the highway;  I will not turn aside to the right or to the left.  You will sell me food for money so that I may eat, and give me water for money so that I may drink, only let me pass through on foot, just as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross over the Jordan into the land which the LORD our God is giving to us.’  But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land;  for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today.  The LORD said to me, ‘See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you.  Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land.’

“Then Sihon with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz.  The LORD our God delivered him over to us, and we defeated him with his sons and all his people.  So we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city.  We left no survivor.  We took only the animals as our booty and the spoil of the cities which we had captured.  From Aroer which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon and from the city which is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was no city that was too high for us;  the LORD our God delivered all over to us.  Only you did not go near to the land of the sons of Ammon, all along the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the LORD our God had commanded us.”  Deuteronomy 2:26-37.

——————–

Other doctrine believe in the alleged free-will of man.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in the total perfect sovereignty of God.

We see the point of the total perfect sovereignty of God, even over man’s will, in the Scriptures in today’s devotion.  “But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land;  for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today.  The LORD said to me, ‘See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you.  Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land.’”  Verses 30-31.

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He wishes.” Proverbs 21:1.

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.

“But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 115:3.

“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.

“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.”  So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault?  For who resists His will?”  On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?  The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?  Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?  What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?  And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”  Romans 9:15-24. 

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 30, 2023

“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 2:16-25.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%202&version=NASB1995

“So it came about when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people, that the LORD spoke to me, saying, ‘Today you shall cross over Ar, the border of Moab.  When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot as a possession.’”  Deuteronomy 2:16-19.

————

Likewise, earlier in the chapter we read:  “and command the people, saying, “You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir;  and they will be afraid of you.  So be very careful;  do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.”  Deuteronomy 2:4-5.

Although the LORD did give Canaan, the Promised Land, to Israel, the LORD did not give more land to Israel.  We remember that a whole chapter was devoted to the LORD establishing borders for this land.  Numbers chapter 34.

One lesson that we can glean is that we need to be careful to not provoke others.  When we are big and strong, particularly when we are aware that the LORD has given us victories, we can be tempted to be prideful and provoke others.  We can cross borders and provoke others.  

“You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud.  Enjoy your glory and stay at home;  for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall, and Judah with you?”  2 Kings 14:10.

But, most importantly, as seen by the overwhelming number of references in Scripture to provoking the LORD, we should not provoke the LORD to anger.  

“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.  But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said,

“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”

For who provoked Him when they had heard?  Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?  And with whom was He angry for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?  So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”  Hebrews 3:12-19.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 28, 2023

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 2:8-15.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%202&version=NASB1995

“Now the time that it took for us to come from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed over the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war perished from within the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them.  Moreover the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from within the camp until they all perished.”  Deuteronomy 2:14-15.

———————

The Book of Jude is devoted as a warning about the ungodly.  As one example, the Book of Jude used the example of those “within the camp” of Israel who did not believe that the LORD would give them possession of Canaan, the Promised Land.    

“Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.”  Jude 5.

Let us review the summary by Moses of their unbelief in the prior chapter, Deuteronomy chapter 1. 

“Yet you were not willing to go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God;  and you grumbled in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us.  Where can we go up?  Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we;  the cities are large and fortified to heaven.  And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.”’  Then I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked, nor fear them.  The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’  But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,  who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go.”  Deuteronomy 1:26-33.

With that warning in mind, let us heed the exhortation in the Book of Jude.

“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.”  These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.  And have mercy on some, who are doubting;  save others, snatching them out of the fire;  and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”  Jude 17-23.

But, there is hope as stated in the comforting conclusion in the Book of Jude!

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.”  Jude 24-25.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 27, 2023

“His sovereignty rules over all.” – “Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 2:1-7.

“Then we turned and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and circled Mount Seir for many days.  And the LORD spoke to me, saying, ‘You have circled this mountain long enough.  Now turn north, and command the people, saying, “You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir;  and they will be afraid of you.  So be very careful;  do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.  You shall buy food from them with money so that you may eat, and you shall also purchase water from them with money so that you may drink.  For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done;  He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness.  These forty years the LORD your God has been with you;  you have not lacked a thing.”’  Deuteronomy 2:1-7.

—————-

Other doctrine believes in the alleged free-will of man.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in the total perfect sovereignty of God.

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.

“But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 115:3.

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He wishes.” Proverbs 21:1.

Here is a simple logical reason to believe the total perfect sovereignty of God.

God could not fulfill His promises if man’s alleged free-will existed, because such man’s alleged free-will could block the fulfillment of God’s promises or at least alter the means or timing of the fulfillment of God’s promises.  Thus, in such a hypothetical situation, God could not be trusted to fulfill His promises and His promised means and timing of how His promises would be fulfilled.

But, if indeed God’s sovereignty rules over all, then God totally and perfectly controls every detail, and God could fulfill all of His promises exactly how and when as promised.  God would indeed be trustworthy. 

Man does not like God’s total perfect sovereignty.

“2 The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The LORD scoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” Psalm 2:2-6.

Here is a good summary and conclusion.

“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.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 26, 2023

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, …”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 1:41-46.

“Then you said to me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD;  we will indeed go up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.’  And every man of you girded on his weapons of war, and regarded it as easy to go up into the hill country.  And the LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you;  otherwise you will be defeated before your enemies.”’  So I spoke to you, but you would not listen.  Instead you rebelled against the command of the LORD, and acted presumptuously and went up into the hill country.  The Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and crushed you from Seir to Hormah.  Then you returned and wept before the LORD;  but the LORD did not listen to your voice nor give ear to you.  So you remained in Kadesh many days, the days that you spent there.”  Deuteronomy 1:41-46.

—————

We notice the contrast between Israel being fearful to fight in the prior Scripture (Deuteronomy 1:26-33) and Israel being foolish to fight in today’s Scripture.

The lesson presented by today’s Scripture is to seek the LORD in all of our ways and to listen and obey Him.  

Do not be proud and presumptuous.  Be humble and hear and hold fast to Him.    

“5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5.

But, there is hope!

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Ezekiel 36:27.

“8 Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
10 Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
11 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
12 Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!” 1 Chronicles 16:8-13.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 25, 2023

“By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, … for he was looking for the city … whose architect and builder is God.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 1:34-40.

“Then the LORD heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying, ‘Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh;  he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the LORD fully.’  The LORD was angry with me also on your account, saying, ‘Not even you shall enter there.  Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there;  encourage him, for he will cause Israel to inherit it.  Moreover, your little ones who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it.  But as for you, turn around and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.’”  Deuteronomy 1:34-40.  

—————–

This Scripture is sad, but there is still hope.

And, like those who were stuck in the wilderness, we may feel like we are stuck in a wilderness.  But, there is hope for us too!

First, the children would be allowed to enter and possess the Promised Land.  “Moreover, your little ones who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it.”  Verse 39.  

Second, even in the wilderness, God is with us.  “and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’”  Deuteronomy 1:31. 

“Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 I said to the LORD, “You are my LORD;
I have no good besides You.” Psalm 16:1-2.

“You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11.

Third, as good as Canaan, the earthly Promised Land was, or as good as we may have it on earth, our goal is heaven.  We are aliens, only sojourners passing through earth, and we live by faith like Abraham.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance;  and he went out, not knowing where he was going.  By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;  for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  Hebrews 11:8-10.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  1 Peter 1:3-5. 

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 24, 2023

“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 1:22-33.

“Then all of you approached me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we should go up and the cities which we shall enter.’  The thing pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe.  They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol and spied it out.  Then they took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us;  and they brought us back a report and said, ‘It is a good land which the LORD our God is about to give us.’

“Yet you were not willing to go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God;  and you grumbled in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us.  Where can we go up?  Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we;  the cities are large and fortified to heaven.  And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.”’  Then I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked, nor fear them.  The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’  But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,  who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go.”  Deuteronomy 1:22-33.

————-

“8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” Psalm 32:8-11.

“5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

“20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.” Psalm 33:20-22.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 23, 2023

“You shall not show partiality in judgment” – “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 1:9-18.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%201&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him.  You shall not show partiality in judgment;  you shall hear the small and the great alike.  You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s.  …”  Deuteronomy 1:16-17.  

——————-

We continue to consider the importance of justice to the LORD.

In brief review, in the July 18, 2023 devotion, we considered that a trial by jury is one of the pillars of justice and should be treasured as a provision of the LORD.

“The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” Psalm 97:1-2.

In today’s devotion, we consider that impartiality in judgment is another pillar of justice.  “You shall not show partiality in judgment;  you shall hear the small and the great alike.  You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s.  …”  Verse 17. 

“There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” Romans 2:9-11.

Let us consider that the temptation to be partial in judgment is greater in difficult (close) cases than it is in easy cases. 

In a case in which it is easy to decide who is right and who is wrong, then it is easy to be impartial and give judgment in favor of the right one.  A judge would know that if he or she gave judgment to the wrong one, then many others would be critical of the obvious partiality by the judge and the judge could lose his or her position as judge.  

But, in a case that it is difficult to determine who is right, there is more temptation to be partial. In a difficult (close) case, there are evidence and arguments supporting each side (person) and a judge could get away with being partial in judgment. The judge could hide his or her partiality, because there were evidence and arguments supporting the decision of the judge.    

In order to consider this point further of the temptation to be partial in a difficult case, let us use an actual case that King Solomon decided that is in 1 Kings 3:16-28.  In brief summary, two woman lived alone in the same house, there were no other witnesses, and each woman gave birth to a child within three days of each other.  One of the children died, and each woman claimed that the surviving child was her own child. If there was some judge deciding this case other than Solomon, and the judge liked something about one of the women, then that judge could be tempted to rule in favor of that woman, knowing that such partiality could be easily hidden.

But, we know that Solomon decided this case and used his wisdom, not partiality in judgment, to base his judgment. Solomon showed his impartiality in the words that he used to base his judgment. “The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” Then the king said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” 1 Kings 3:25-27.   

“When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.”  1 Kings 3:28.

But, there is hope for us too!

First of all, and above all, God is in perfect total sovereign control. “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 9:24.

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  James 1:5.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 21, 2023

“But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 1:1-8.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%201&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab.  …  Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law, saying,

“The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.  Turn and set your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negev and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.  See, I have placed the land before you;  go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.’”  Deuteronomy 1:1 and 5-8.

———————-

First, let us remember all the precious and magnificent promises of God.

“Abram (Abraham) took Sarai (Sarah) his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.  …  The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.”  So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.”  Genesis 12:5 and 7.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  2 Peter 1:2-4.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  Ephesians 1:3-6.

Second, let us be patient while we wait.  Israel had to wait 40 years in the wilderness before the LORD allowed them to go in and possess Canaan, the Promised Land.

“7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.” Psalm 37:7-9.

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

Article 16.  Those who do not yet experience a lively faith in Christ, an assured confidence of soul, peace of conscience, an earnest endeavor after filial obedience, and glorying in God through Christ, efficaciously wrought in them, and do nevertheless persist in the use of the means which God hath appointed for working these graces in us, ought not to be alarmed at the mention of reprobation, nor to rank themselves among the reprobate, but diligently to persevere in the use of means, and with ardent desires, devoutly and humbly to wait for a season of richer grace.  …  since a merciful God has promised that he will not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed.  …  

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”  Hebrews 6:11-12.

“28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:28-31.

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