Exodus 5

Exo 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came in and said to Pharaoh, So says Jehovah the God of Israel, Send away My people, and they shall feast to Me in the wilderness.
Exo 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah that I should listen to His voice to send away Israel? I do not know Jehovah, and I also will not send Israel away.
Exo 5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us go a journey of three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, that He not strike us with plague or with sword.
Exo 5:4 And the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you loose the people from their work? You go to your burdens.
Exo 5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are many now, and you make them cease from their burdens.
Exo 5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their overseers, that day, saying,
Exo 5:7 You shall not go on giving straw to the people to make bricks, as yesterday and the third day. They shall go and pick up straw for themselves.
Exo 5:8 And the fixed number of bricks which they were making yesterday and the third day you shall put on them. You shall not diminish from it. For they are idle; so they are crying, saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God.
Exo 5:9 Let the bondage be heavy on the men, that they may work in it, and may not trust in the lying words.
Exo 5:10 And the taskmasters of the people, and their overseers went out and spoke to the people, saying, Pharaoh has said this, I will not give you straw.
Exo 5:11 You go take straw for yourselves from wherever you may find it. For not a thing will be reduced from your work.
Exo 5:12 And the people scattered in all the land of Egypt to pick up stubble for straw.
Exo 5:13 And the taskmasters were demanding, saying, Finish your work, the matter of a day in its day, as when there was straw.
Exo 5:14 And the overseers of the sons of Israel were beaten, those whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had put over them, saying, Why have you not finished your appointed task, to make bricks as a day ago and the day before, both yesterday and today?
Exo 5:15 And the overseers of the sons of Israel came in and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why do you do this way to your slaves?
Exo 5:16 No straw is given to your slaves, and they are saying to us, Make bricks. And, behold, your slaves are beaten, but your people are at fault.
Exo 5:17 And he said, You are lazy and idle. So you are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah.
Exo 5:18 Therefore, go now and work. And straw will not be given to you; and a certain number of bricks you shall deliver.
Exo 5:19 And the overseers of the sons of Israel saw themselves in affliction, saying, You shall not diminish from your bricks, the matter of a day in its day.
Exo 5:20 And they met Moses and Aaron standing to meet them when they came from Pharaoh.
Exo 5:21 And they said to them, May Jehovah look on you and judge, you who have made our odor to stink in Pharaoh’s eyes and in the eyes of his servants, to give a sword in their hands to kill us.
Exo 5:22 And Moses returned to Jehovah and said, Lord, why have You done evil to this people? Why then have You sent me?
Exo 5:23 And since I came in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people. And You did not certainly deliver your people.

Lamentations 1

Lam 1:1 How alone sits the city that was full of people! She has become like a widow, once great among the nations; a noblewoman among the provinces has become a payer of tribute.
Lam 1:2 She bitterly weeps in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. She has no comforter among all her lovers. All her friends dealt deceitfully with her; they became enemies to her.
Lam 1:3 Judah went captive from affliction, and from great slavery. She dwells among the nations; she finds no rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her between the straits.
Lam 1:4 The roads of Zion are in mourning without any going to the appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted; and she is in bitterness.
Lam 1:5 Her foes have become as chief; her enemies are at ease. For Jehovah has afflicted her for the multitude of her trespasses. Her children have gone, captive before the foe.
Lam 1:6 And from the daughter of Zion all her splendor has departed. Her rulers have become like bucks; they find no pasture; and they have gone without strength before the pursuer.
Lam 1:7 In the days of her affliction and her wandering, Jerusalem remembers all her desirable things from previous days, when her people fell into the hand of the foe; and there is no ally for her. The foes saw her; they laughed at her annihilations.
Lam 1:8 Jerusalem has grievously sinned; on account of this, she has been removed. All the ones knowing her despise her, for they saw her nakedness. Also, she groans and turns backward.
Lam 1:9 Her uncleanness is in her skirts. She did not remember her end and has gone down astoundingly. She had no comforter. O Jehovah, behold my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself.
Lam 1:10 The enemy has spread out his hand on all her desirable things. Indeed, she has seen the nations enter into her holy place, whom You commanded that they not enter into Your congregation.
Lam 1:11 All her people sigh from seeking bread. They gave their desirable things for food to revive the soul. See, O Jehovah, and look on me, for I have become vile.
Lam 1:12 Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow which is done to me, with which Jehovah has afflicted me in the day of His burning anger.
Lam 1:13 From on high He has sent fire into my bones and subdued them. He spread a net for my feet; He has turned me back; He gave me desolation. All the days I faint.
Lam 1:14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand, they intertwine, they rise on my neck. He caused my strength to falter. The Lord gave me into their hands. I am not able to rise up.
Lam 1:15 The Lord has trampled all my mighty ones in my midst. He called a gathering against me to crush my young men. As a winepress, the Lord trod the virgin daughter of Judah.
Lam 1:16 I weep for these; my eye, my eye runs down with water, because a comforter who could be reviving my soul is far from me. My sons are desolated because the enemy prevails.
Lam 1:17 Zion spreads forth her hands; there is not one comforting to her; Jehovah has commanded concerning Jacob that his enemies should be all around him. Jerusalem has become as an impure thing among them.
Lam 1:18 Jehovah is righteous, for I rebelled against His mouth. I beseech you, all peoples, hear and see my sorrow. My virgins and my young men went into exile.
Lam 1:19 I called for my lovers; they deceived me. My priests and my elders expired in the city, while they sought food for them to bring back their life.
Lam 1:20 Behold, O Jehovah, for I am distressed. My inward parts ferment; my heart is overturned within me; for I have grievously rebelled. On the outside the sword bereaves; in the house it is as death.
Lam 1:21 They hear that I sigh; there is no comforter to me. All my enemies have heard my evil; they rejoice that You have done it. You will bring the day that You have called, and they shall be like me.
Lam 1:22 Let all their evil come before You; and do to them as You have done to me for all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.

Our unbelief and our sins are the cause of our lack of spiritual power

‘‘If we but study the conditions in all sincerity, we will have to acknowledge that our unbelief and our sins are the cause of our lack of spiritual power, and that this condition is one that places us guilty before God and grieving God’s Holy Spirit.’’

Murray, A. (2002). Living a prayerful life. Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House.

How Are the Synoptics “Without Error”

October 7, 1976 | by John Piper | Topic: Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Bible

Article One of Bethel’s “Affirmation of Faith” reads: “The Bible is. . . without error in the original manuscripts.” There is a wide diversity of opinions about the meaning of “error” in such an affirmation. This is especially the case when the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are being considered.

I will suggest two definitions of “error”, the first of which I consider proper for judging the reliability of any literature including the Synoptics, and the second of which I consider improper. According to the first I believe the synoptics are “without error”.

A writer is in error when the basic intention in his statements and admonitions, properly understood in their nearer and wider context, is not true. (In reference to the indicative statements, "true" means that obedience of these admonitions is in harmony with reality, i.e., it accords with the will of God.)
A writer is in error if any of his individual statements is not literally true.

The difference between these two definitions and my own understanding of the truth of the synoptic gospels may be clarified by several illustrations from the texts.

First Illustration

Jesus says in Mark 4:31 that the Kingdom of God “is like a grain of mustard seed which when sown upon the ground is the smallest of all the seeds of the earth. . .”

According to definition #2 above, Jesus erred here because the mustard seed is not the smallest seed on earth. But according to the first definition, he did not err because his basic intention was not in the least botanical. The point is the great contrast between the smallness of the seed and the largeness of the full-grown shrub. Jesus capitalized on the proverbial smallness of the mustard seed to make a perfect, inerrant point about the Kingdom of God.
Second Illustration

If we used definition #2 above, the Gospel writers would have to be accused of error in their chronology of the events of Jesus’ life. Just one illustration: The story of the healing of the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26), the call of Levi (Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32), and the question about fasting (Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39) follow back to back in all three synoptics and so refer to the same events. Again, the stilling of the storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25) and the Gesarene demoniac (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39) follow back to back in all three synoptics so that with the verbal parallels one can see that the same sequence of events is being referred to in each Gospel. But Matthew has these last two events before the three cited above, while Mark and Luke have them after these three events. It cannot be both ways.

But the synoptics are not in error here according to the first definition above, because it was not their basic intention to give a rigid chronology of Jesus’ ministry (which Papias said already in the second century, cf. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, III, 39,14ff). Their intention was rather to give a faithful representation of the essential features of Jesus’ teaching and deeds. In this particular instance, Matthew probably felt he could best do this by including the storm stilling and Gesarene demoniac scenes in his composition of chapters 8 and 9, where he has gathered ten miracle stories. This presentation of Jesus’ miracle working is then bracketed together with the Sermon of the Mount with the identical summary statements in 4:23 and 9:35. Thus we have a literary unit which beautifully and inerrantly sets forth the essential features of our Lord’s ministry.

The Long-Proved Tradition

These two illustrations could be multiplied and other kinds of problems could be discussed (like changes in Jesus’ words from one synoptic to another). But these may suffice at least for an introduction to my understanding of how the synoptics are ?without error?.

I thus gladly align myself with the long-proved tradition: perfectio respectu finis (perfection with respect to purpose). I know no better statement of my own position on this matter than that of the Second Baptist Confession of 1677: ?The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience. . .?

But I think just as important as agreeing with Affirmation 1 in detail is my deep commitment to the spirit of it. From history and from my own experience, I can say that it is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of the Bible. We humans are incapable of finding out what we need so much to know: how to overcome sin, to escape the wrath of God, to become new creatures, to walk pleasing to the Lord. God must reveal this to us or we perish. This he has done and continues to do by means of a written Word, the Bible. When a man has understood the Bible he has understood the revelation of God infallibly, inerrantly and verbally.

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

HAVE YOU FELT THE HURT OF THE LORD?

Jesus said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me?

— John 21:17

Have you felt the hurt of the Lord to the uncovered quick, the place
where the real sensitiveness of your life is lodged? The devil never
hurts there, neither sin nor human affection hurts there, nothing
goes through to that place but the word of God. “Peter was grieved
because Jesus said unto him the third time. . . .” He was awakening
to the fact that in the real true centre of his personal life he was
devoted to Jesus, and he began to see what the patient questioning
meant. There was not the slightest strand of delusion left in Peter’s
mind, he never could be deluded again. There was no room for
passionate utterance, no room for exhilaration or sentiment. It was a
revelation to him to realize how much he did love the Lord, and with
amazement he said – “Lord, Thou knowest all things.” Peter began to
see how much he did love Jesus; but he did not say – “Look at this or
that to confirm it.” Peter was beginning to discover to himself how
much he did love the Lord, that there was no one in heaven above or
upon earth beneath beside Jesus Christ; but he did not know it until
the probing, hurting questions of the Lord came. The Lord’s questions
always reveal me to myself.

The patient directness and skill of Jesus Christ with Peter! Our Lord
never asks questions until the right time. Rarely, but probably once,
He will get us into a corner where He will hurt us with His
undeviating questions, and we will realize that we do love Him far
more deeply than any profession can ever show.

HEEDFULNESS V. HYPOCRISY IN OURSELVES

     If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give him Life for them that sin not unto death.      — 1 John 5:16

If we are not heedful of the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other folks are failing, and we turn our discernment into the gibe of criticism instead of into intercession on their behalf. The revelation is made to us not through the acuteness of our minds, but by the direct penetration of the Spirit of God, and if we are not heedful of the source of the revelation, we will become criticizing centres and forget that God says – “. . . he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.” Take care lest you play the hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right before you worship God yourself.

One of the subtlest burdens God ever puts on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning other souls. He reveals things in order that we may take the burden of these souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them, and as we intercede on His line, God says He will give us “life for them that sin not unto death.” It is not that we bring God into touch with our minds, but that we rouse ourselves until God is able to convey His mind to us about the one for whom we intercede.

Is Jesus Christ seeing of the travail of His soul in us? He cannot unless we are so identified with Himself that we are roused up to get His view about the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so whole-heartedly that Jesus Christ will be abundantly satisfied with us as intercessors.

Proverb 12:8

A man is praised according to his wisdom, but men with warped minds are despised.

Proverb 12:8, New International Version

John 14:12-14

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.

13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
– John 14:12-14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

DEUTERONOMY 33:27

THE ETERNAL GOD IS YOUR REFUGE, AND UNDERNEATH
ARE HIS EVERLASTING ARMS. ( DEUTERONOMY 33:27 )

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. — John 14:26

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