One Year Bible, July 14

1 CHRONICLES 16:37 - 18:17                                                                                      
"FOREVER":  This word is used 8 times in chapter 17. This chapter is a "high water mark" in Scripture because the covenant recorded there is the foundation of the New Covenant.  David's Covenant provided for a "house", a "throne", and a "kingdom" FOREVER.  The ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant is Jesus Christ.

10-FOLD PROMISE FROM GOD: A house (the Church), a throne, a kingdom (heavenly), the sure mercies (17:13; Acts 13:34, the resurrection from the dead), the key of David (Jesus opens and shuts doors), the horn of David (power and authority), the tabernacle of David (praise and worship), the father/son relationship, the seed of David (the church), and a covenant.  David is no longer a victim, tormented by how others saw him.  God had decided to honor him!  See Psalm 8.  God said to David, "There is no one like you, David."  And David's reply was, "There is none like you, O Lord."  David's goal now is to see God's rule extended.  The spoils of war were poured into the treasury to build the Temple.  The amounts in modern day would probably equal more than $50 billion.

RESPONSE:   "Who am I, O Lord God, ....that You have brought me to this place?"  God has treated me like royalty.   He has given me waaaaay more than I deserve.  He is my Friend.   I am no longer a victim; I am a sacrifice.   I am a slave, not to humans, but to God, to do His bidding.  It is so liberating to be out from under the oppression of the "fear of man".

ROMANS 2:1-24                                                                                                                 
SINNERS:  Man is a sinner by deeds (in Adam), by nature, and by choice. UNrighteousness and SELF-righteousness are both an abomination to God.  Chapter 1 shows how people outside the church sin against inborn knowledge and light, and chapter 2 shows how people inside the church sin against revealed knowledge and light.  And, in fact, there are some unbelievers who live better than church people.  ANYONE who is doing the things listed in chapter 1, and says he is not convicted about it, is either lying or has been "given over " by God.

DELAYED JUDGMENT:  A "saved someone" who is sinning will often judge someone else who is doing the same thing because their beam doesn't understand God's holiness that doesn't allow a double standard.   God delays judgment to give us ample opportunity to repent. Every day that we do not repent, we are storing up wrath.  When he hears Truth, man will either despise or repent.   When man despises God's goodness and patience, it brings hardness of heart and impenitence.   Those who REPENT will find "glory and honor and immortality", that is contained in "the Life" that comes from God.  Those who DESPISE, and are self-seeking and disobedient, will come to "tribulation and anguish" (trouble, calamity and pressure, feeling cornered with no way out).  This is from being under siege by God and now nothing goes right!

WHO ARE THE JEWS IN ROMANS?  They are the "elder brother" of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.  The ones who were raised in the church, had access to God and His Word and Spirit, and should know better!   Here we find out that we are exposed by our own standards!  We have not, could not, and did not live up to our call.  Our conscience and the commandments condemn us all.   The "elder brother" stands just as unjustified as an outsider.   For he "blasphemed God" by taking His Name in vain, (calling himself a Christian) and then bringing reproach on God and the Church by the way he lives. 

TRUE JEW                                                     FALSE JEW      (elder brother - church people
Internal                                                        external (Rev 2:9; 3:9)
Circumcised heart                                         circumcised flesh
Law written on our hearts                               Transgresses the Law
Substance of Truth and Knowledge                 Has "form" of religion
Seeks to obey and honor God.                       Knows God's Word and obeys the parts he likes.
The Spirit, seeking God's approval                 The letter, seeking praise of men.

RESPONSE:   I hope I have made you think!  You must read Romans as Paul meant it to be read.   At that time, the ”elder brother" was the Jew, because he was all that had been in the "church" up until then. So, we have to take that identity and put it on the ones who have been in the church up until now - the ones who should know better - the ones who have had access to the holy things of God, who have had access to God's Word and Spirit - and that's us church people! The Gentiles of Romans are "outsiders", unsaved, or newly saved in some cases. Paul has shown how we are ALL GUILTY, but that we can all be saved!   And we are all saved the same way!

PSALM 10:16-18                                                                                                              
Psalm 9-14 are about the "man of earth" or the FLESH/SELF.  Our flesh is haughty, rude, sneaky, perverted, and has a defiant attitude toward authority. The spirit-man is accountable and submitted and knows that God is in control and will have the last word.

PROVERBS 19:8-9                                                                                                          
"He who gets wisdom loves his own soul."  And the corollary is also true: He who does not seek wisdom, hates himself.   "He who cherishes understanding prospers."  The word for "prospers" is really talking about what is right. It refers to someone or something that can function in its purpose, the reason it was made.  That takes UNDERSTANDING. The corollary to that is: A man without understanding wastes his life.

A "false witness" is public. A "lie" is private. BOTH ARE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE.

RESPONSE:   The Apostle Paul, in most of his writings, covers what to do about the flesh. Heb 4:12 says that the Word of God is what will divide the soul (flesh) from the spirit and show us which is which. This is because the Word identifies the flesh and also tells us the characteristics of the spirit. Once we see that, we will FLINCH every time we give utterance or manifestation of the flesh. We can tell right where a person is by listening to them talk many times. They give themselves away when they are self-preoccupied, when they are obsessed with their accomplishments, when they selfishly insist on being right, on getting what they want. The flesh is anti-God, anti-Word, anti-Spirit, and is in agreement with the world-spirit. This is why we go against culture, for the most part. We are NOT "politically correct". We just don't "fit in". If you do, you are already in trouble!