Malachi 2:10-16 - "For Keeps: Reflecting God's Faithfulness Back to Him Through Our Marriages" - 121021PM@TBC

Introduction

1 Segway

At the 2nd annual Country Music Awards in 1968, Tammy Wynette took home the female vocalist trophy with the help of the hit, "D-I-V-O-R-C-E." (Telecast from Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium.)

D-I-V-O-R-C-E by Tammy Wynette

Our little boy is four years old and quite a little man

So we spell out the words we don't want him to understand

Like T-O-Y or maybe S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E

But the words we're hiding from him now

Tear the heart right out of me.

Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today

Me and little J-O-E will be goin' away

I love you both and this will be pure H-E double L for me Oh,

I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

Watch him smile, he thinks it Christmas

Or his 5th Birthday

And he thinks C-U-S-T-O-D-Y spells fun or play

I spell out all the hurtin' words

And turn my head when I speak

'Cause I can't spell away this hurt

That's drippin' down my cheek.

Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today

Me and little J-O-E will be goin' away

I love you both and this will be pure H-E double L for me

Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

Composed by: Bobby Braddock / Curly Putman

· There are many reasons to hate d-i-v-o-r-c-e. 

· It leaves a debris field of broken hearts and lives.

· I results in poverty of the pocketbook and heart.

· It destabilized our society and creates a mindset of distrust and cynicism.

2. Context

The Book—

· Malachi delivered his burden to the people of Israel some time after the return of Ezra and rebuilding of the Temple.  Malachi’s oracle was inspired by the same problems that Nehemiah faced and it is likely that Malachi prophesied as a contemporary of Nehemiah.

· One of the conditions was the economic bad times that prompted men align themselves with the more prosperous nations around them by intermarriage.  Divorce was rampant, much as it is today.   It was a time of self interest and disregard for their covenant with the God who brought them out of Egypt.

· Malachi can be divided into six dissertations  that follow the pattern of an assertion, a question, and a response and implications of that response.

· This evening we are going to consider the third of those six dissertations..

 

4. Stand, Read text, and Pray Malachi 2.10-16 (nkjv)

The Assertion

¹⁰ Have we not all one Father?

    Has not one God created us?

    Why do we deal treacherously with one another

    By profaning the covenant of the fathers?

¹¹ Judah has dealt treacherously,

    And an abomination has been committed
in Israel and in Jerusalem,

    For Judah has profaned

    The Lord's holy institution which He loves:

    He has married the daughter of a foreign god.

¹² May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob

    The man who does this, being awake and aware,

    Yet who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

¹³ And this is the second thing you do:

    You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,

    With weeping and crying;

    So He does not regard the offering anymore,

    Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.

Question

¹⁴ Yet you say, "For what reason?"

Response

    Because the Lord has been witness

    Between you and the wife of your youth,

    With whom you have dealt treacherously;

    Yet she is your companion

    And your wife by covenant.

¹⁵ But did He not make them one,

    Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one?

    He seeks godly offspring.

    Therefore take heed to your spirit,

    And let none deal treacherously with
the wife of his youth.

¹⁶ "For the Lord God of Israel says

    That He hates divorce,

    For it covers one's garment with violence,"

    Says the Lord of hosts.

    "Therefore take heed to your spirit,

    That you do not deal treacherously."

3. Overview

Why does God hate divorce?  God hates divorce because it tell a lie about who He is.

Big Idea:  

We should reflect God’s covenant faithfulness back to Him in our Marriages.

I. Assertion by the Prophet: You deal treacherously?

¹⁰ Have we not all one Father?

Has not one God created us?

Why do we deal treacherously with one another

By profaning the covenant of the fathers?

the picture of God—The appeal to who God is.

one Father —

· “The one father, whom all have, is neither Adam, the progenitor of all men, nor Abraham, the father of the Israelitish nation, but Jehovah, who calls Himself the Father of the nation in Mal_1:6.” — Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

· Malachi 1.6 A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts...

· “...the use of “father” recalls the covenant relationship that God established in Egypt and confirmed by covenant at Sinai.”  —Allen Ross

created us —

God is the Father of Israel as its Creator; not, however, in the general sense, according to which He made Israel the people of His possession.” — Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

By the two clauses placed at the head, Malachi intends not so much to lay emphasis upon the common descent of all the Israelites, by virtue of which they form one united family in contrast with the heathen, as to say that all the Israelites are children of God, and as such spiritual brethren and sisters. Consequently every violation of the fraternal relation, such as that of which the Israelite was guilty who married a heathen woman, or put away an Israelitish wife, was also an offence against God, a desecration of His covenant.” — Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

· My life, my relationships have to tell the truth about God. 

· Do I worship Him or blaspheme Him with my choices? 

A. With One Another (v. 10)

· Two key words that contrast and describe the dealings of the Israelites in general.

covenant —

Strong's H1285 - bĕriyth  covenant, alliance, pledge

· the use of “father” recalls the covenant relationship that God established in Egypt and confirmed by covenant at Sinai

treacherously —

Strong's H898 - bagad   to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously

ylt, nasb, kjv, nkjv—treacherously; esv—faithless; niv84—breaking faith; net, nlt—betray

 · Verse 10 seems to be a general description on their unfaithfulness and treachery.

· “Malachi makes clear for us two alternative ways for people to try to live in a community.

· One way is what you might call covenantal order—it's what the OT means by shalom. All relationships are made peaceful and pure by the fulfillment of covenants and promises and oaths and contracts and commitments.”  —-John Piper

· The other way puts self-centered desires and impulses as the first priority over the covenant faithfulness that is seen in the foolish and wicked man of the book of Proverbs.

B. With Heathen Wives. (v. 11)

¹¹ Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned the Lord's holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god.

· Some commentators see this as figuratively referring to a general unfaithfulness of Israel to God.

·   Indeed, this exalted perspective on marriage has caused many interpreters to doubt whether Malachi was referring to literal marriage at all. Some suggest that Malachi only intended marriage as a metaphor for Israel’s relationship to the Lord. Against this, however, is the observation that everywhere else in Scripture where the marriage metaphor appears God is uniformly depicted as the husband, not the wife, as would be the case here.” — Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

 · Note: It was not a foreign woman like Rahab or Ruth, but a heathen, unbelieving mate (a daughter of a false god).

· Israel was to marry others that shared their relationship with God and would encourage their faithfulness to God.

· NT affirms that we should do the same.

1 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?

And what communion has light with darkness?

· “...when we claim to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and then willfully choose to unite ourselves with an unbeliever in the most intimate personal union on earth, we profane the holiness of God.”   —John Piper

· Two NT instructions for us.

1. If we are married and our unsaved mate wants to live with us, we should stay married. 

1 Corinthians 7.12-13

¹² But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³ And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

2. If we are married to an unbeliever, we should seek to win them by our conduct. 

1 Peter 3:1

¹ Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, ² when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.

· When I mary an unbeliever I am saying that there is no difference between the God of the Bible and no God or another god.

· When I choose to be intimately connected with a son or daughter of a foreign god, I take a step away from the faithful covenant God.

· My Marriage should tell the truth about who God is. 

· We should reflect  God’s covenant faithfulness back to Him in our Marriages.

· This kind of behavior had no place in the covenant community of OT Israel just as it has no place in the NT  Church.

(2.12) May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob the man who does this [marries an unbeliever], being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

C. With Weeping “Worship” (v. 13)

¹³ And this is the second thing you do:

You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,

With weeping and crying;

So He does not regard the offering anymore,

Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.

¹⁴ Yet you say, "For what reason?"  ...

· The pagan worship of the nations around Israel focused on “buying” the deity's favor with extreme emotionalism and sacrifices.

1 Kings 18

²⁶ So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us!" But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. ²⁷ And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened." ²⁸ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.

· These Israelites were unfaithful (treacherous) to the Lord in their conduct and then hoped that a big showy sacrifice at the temple would fix things.

II. The People’s Question: Why?

· Proverbs 15:8

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

· “You cover the altar of the Lord with tears.” These tears are the false tears of hypocrisy, not genuine tears of repentance. The people weep because the Lord will not hear them, not because of their sin.” —NET Bible Study Notes

TE: Does that still apply in NT times?

Persistent, unrepentant sin can still hinder our relationship with the Lord today.

Application:

A faithless life hinders our prayers to God.

“…that your prayers be not hindered.”

1 Peter 3:7

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”

III. The LORD’s Response

¹⁴ Yet you say, "For what reason?"

Because the Lord has been witness

Between you and the wife of your youth,

With whom you have dealt treacherously;

Yet she is your companion

And your wife by covenant.

A. God as Covenant Witness (v. 14)

· “...God was acting as a witness against those husbands who were being unfaithful to their wives. Because marriage is a covenant, fidelity to one’s spouse is of a piece with one’s relationship with God.”   —-New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Mal 2:10–16). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

· Proverbs 15.3

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

· First, “She is thy wife; thy own, bone of thy bone and flesh of thy flesh, the nearest to thee of all the relations thou hast in the world, and to cleave to whom thou must quit the rest.’ —Matthew Henry

 · Secondly, “She is the wife of thy youth, who had thy affections when they were at the strongest, was thy first choice, and with whom thou hast lived long. Let not the darling of thy youth be the scorn and loathing of thy age.”  —Matthew Henry

· This emphasizes the long term commitment that is being broken.  “The expectation of romantic love in marriage ins a modern, Western notion.”  —Stuart Douglas (p.1338 TMP) 

 · Thirdly, “She is thy companion; she has long been an equal sharer with thee in thy cares, and griefs, and joys.’ ’ The wife is to be looked upon, not as a servant, but as a companion to the husband, with whom he should freely converse and take sweet counsel, as with a friend, and in whose company he should take delight more than in any other’s; for is she not appointed to be thy companion?   —Matthew Henry

 · Fourthly, “She is the wife of thy covenant, to whom thou art so firmly bound that, while she continues faithful, thou canst not be loosed from her, for it was a covenant for life. It is the wife with whom thou hast covenanted, and who has covenanted with thee; there is an oath of God between you, which is not to be trifled with, is not to be played fast and loose with.’ ’    —Matthew Henry

Ecclesiastes 5.4-7

4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it;

For He has no pleasure in fools.

Pay what you have vowed--

5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin,

nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? ... But fear God.

MINI APPLICATION:

· When is the last time you pulled out your marriage vows to read them and mull them over in your mind?

· Married people should often call to mind their marriage-vows, and review them with all seriousness, as those that make conscience of performing what they promised.

B. The Treachery and Injustice of Divorce (vv. 15&16)

¹⁵ But did He not make them one,

Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one?

He seeks godly offspring.

Therefore take heed to your spirit,

And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

¹⁶ "For the Lord God of Israel says

That He hates divorce,

For it covers one's garment with violence,"

Says the Lord of hosts.

"Therefore take heed to your spirit,

That you do not deal treacherously."

1. Treachery

And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

· In verse 15b and 16b the translation “treachery” emphasizes the duplicity and fickled nature of divorce.

· The translation “faithless” emphasizes the failure to keep one’s word.

· Both fit the Hebrew word and context.

2. Injustice (violence)

For it covers one's garment with violence,"

Strong's H2555 - chamac  violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice

ylt, kjv, nkjv, esv, niv84, net—violence; nasb—wrong; nlt—cruelty

· ...he covers his garment with violence (i.e. visibly defiles himself with violence; for this metaphoric use of garment cf. Ps. 73:6; 109:18; Je. 2:34) says the Lord of hosts.   —D.A. Carson New Bible Commentary

Psalm 73:6  Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment.

Psalm 109:18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones.

Jeremiah 2:34  Also on your skirts is found The blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I have not found it by secret search, But plainly on all these things.

D. The Caution (v. 16)

watch Strong's H8104 - shamar :  (Niphal) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware

· take heed to our spirits with reference to our relationships with others.

· Note, Those that would be kept from sin must take heed to their spirits, for there all sin begins;  —Matthew Henry

· Do you take heed to have God’s covenant faithfulness on your mind.

“So much of our religion is packaged to address our felt needs—and these are almost uniformly anchored in our pursuit of our own happiness and fulfillment.”   ---D.A. Carson

· Our focus should be on the glory of God’s faithfulness and how we can reflect that.

· Be mindful of the legacy you are leaving for your family and friends. 

APPLICATION: Watch the desires and attitudes of your heart carefully.

Keep your heart with all diligence,

For out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

Big Idea:  

We should reflect God’s covenant faithfulness back to Him in our Marriages.

·  

Barclay on Hebrews 6.1 - "Going on to Perfection"

Hebrews 6:1 (KJV)
"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God..."


"The writer to the Hebrews was certain of the necessity of progress in the Christian life. No teacher would ever get anywhere if he had to lay the foundations all over again every time he began to teach. The writer to the Hebrews says that his people must be going on to what he calls teleiotes. The King James Version translates this word perfection. But teleios , the adjective, and its kindred words have a technical meaning. Pythagoras divided his students into hoi  manthanontes, the learners, and hoi teleioi, the mature. Philo divided his students into three different classes--hoi archomenoi, those just beginning, hoi prokoptontes, those making progress, and hoi teleiomenoi, those beginning to reach maturity. Teleiotes does not imply complete knowledge but a certain maturity in the Christian faith."      --- William Barclay in The Letter to the Hebrews

LAYING ON OF HANDS [ISBE]

HANDS; HANDS, IMPOSITION, LAYING ON OF [ISBE]

HANDS; HANDS, IMPOSITION, LAYING ON OF - im-po-zish'-un (epithesis cheiron, Acts 8:18; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6; Heb 6:2): The act or ceremony of the imposition of hands appears in the Old Testament in various connections: in the act of blessing (Gen 48:14 ff); in the ritual of sacrifice (hands of the offerer laid on head of victim, Ex 29:10,15,19; Lev 1:4; 3:2,8,13; 4:4,24,29; 8:14; 16:21); in witness-bearing in capital offenses (Lev 24:14). The tribe of Levi was set apart by solemn imposition of hands (Nu 8:10); Moses appointed Joshua to be his successor by a similar act (Nu 27:18,23; Dt 34:9). The idea in these cases varies with the purpose of the act. The primary idea seems to be that of conveyance or transference (compare Lev 16:21), but, conjoined with this, in certain instances, are the ideas of identification and of devotion to God.
In the New Testament Jesus laid hands on the little children (Mt 19:13,15 parallel Mk 10:16) and on the sick (Mt 9:18; Mk 6:5, etc.), and the apostles laid hands on those whom they baptized that they might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17,19; 19:6), and in healing (Acts 12:17). Specially the imposition of hands was used in the setting apart of persons to a particular office or work in the church. This is noticed as taking place in the appointment of the Seven (Acts 6:6), in the sending out of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:3), at the ordination of Timothy (1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6), but though not directly mentioned, it seems likely that it accompanied all acts of ordination of presbyters and deacons (compare 1 Tim 5:22; Heb 6:2). The presbyters could hardly convey what they had not themselves received (1 Tim 1:14). Here again the fundamental idea is communication. The act of laying on of hands was accompanied by prayer (Acts 6:6; 8:15; 13:3), and the blessing sought was imparted by God Himself. No ground is afforded by this symbolical action for a sacrament of "Orders."

Malachi's Structure

"Malachi is comprised of a super scription and six prophetic disputation speeches, the last of which may also contain a summary challenge related to the message of the book as a whole."  (p. 1247)

The disputation (more fully, rhetorical disputation speech form has four elements: assertion, questioning, response, and implication.  (p. 1248)

It becomes evident when one studies the structure of Malachi that its disputations are arranged chiastically: the first disputation is comparable to the sixth disputation, the second to the fifth, and the third to the fourth.  The chiastic arrangement of the book represents a careful, intentional pairing of the various disputations.  (p. 1250)

Superscription:  "The burden of the Word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi."

1st Disputation: God distinguishes between the good and wicked.
1.2a Assertion by Yahweh:  "I have loved you."
1.2b Questioning by Israel:  "How have you loved us?"
1.2c-4 Response: (1) Yahweh's alliance with Israel and enmity with Edom
                                (2) the desolation of Edom
                                (3) futility curse on Edom's desire to rebuild
1.5 Implication: Israel will learn that Yahweh is not a limited territorial deity.

          2nd Disputation:  God will not bless your disrespect.
          1.6a-b Assertion by Yahweh:  "Where is the honor/respect due me?
          1.6c/7b Questioning by Israel:  "How have we despised your name?" / "How have we polluted the altar?"
          1.7a/1.c-8 Response: "By polluting my offering" / "By despising the LORD's table and offering defective animals."
          1.8b-2.9  Implication:  "The priests will be punished for their disobedience."   

                    3rd Disputation:  The Lord is the witness to Judah's unfaithfulness.
                    2.10-13  Assertion by Yahweh: "Covenant is profaned by being faithless to one another."
                   2.14a  Questioning by Israel:  "Why"
                    2.14b  Response:  "Yahweh is the covenant witness."
                    2.15-16  Implication:  "Take heed to your spirit."
                    
                    4th Disputation:  The Lord is the witness to Judah's unfaithfulness.
                    2.17a  Assertion by Yahweh: "You have wearied the LORD."
                   2.17b  Questioning by Israel: "How?"
                    2.17c  Response: With two sayings: "All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD." and "Were is the God of justice?"
                    3.1-5  Implication:  "Yahweh will judge and justice will be restored."

          5th Disputation:  God will not bless your disrespect.  
          3.6-7  Assertion by Yahweh: "People must return to Yahweh."
          3.7a  Questioning by Israel: "How can we return?"
          3.8a  Response:  "Should a person rob God?"
          3.8b  Questioning by Israel: "How have we robbed you?"
          3.9-12  Response and Implication:  "By shorting the tithes you miss God's blessing."

6th Disputation:  God distinguishes between the good and wicked.
3.13a  Assertion by Yahweh: "Your words have been harsh with me."
3.13b  Questioning by Israel: "What did we say?"
3.14-15  Response: "Serving God is useless.  Evildoers prosper."
3.16-4.6  Implication:  "There will be a renewal and the Day of Yahweh reward the wicked and righteous."

This post is largely the observations of Douglas Stuart in The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical and Expository Commentary

The Poor

1. ani: people oppressed by tyrants, warfare or political unrest.  "Lives from day to day and is socially defenseless.
           Proverbs 22.22
           Do not rob the poor because he is poor, 
           Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;  

1) poor, afflicted, humble, wretched

a) poor, needy

b) poor and weak

c) poor, weak, afflicted, wretched

d) humble, lowly

2. dal: people who are in the lower class of society.
           Proverbs 10.15
          The rich man's wealth is his strong city; 
          The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
1) low, poor, weak, thin, one who is low
 
3. ebyon: those with great needs. 
          Proverbs 30.14
         There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, 
         to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

1) in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person

2) subject to oppression and abuse

3) needing help, deliverance from trouble, especially as delivered by God

4) general reference to lowest class

4. resh:  These are the destitute!  In the ancient near-East, these are the beggars, lepers, outcasts, widows, orphans, homeless. 
           Proverbs 17.5
          He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; 
          He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. 

1) to be poor, be in want, lack

a) (Qal)

1) to be poor

2) to be in want or hunger

3) poor man (subst)

b) (Hithpolel) one impoverishing himself (participle)

http://skipmoen.com/tag/poor/

1.     Who are the poor?  (versus the slothful v. 23-24)Not the same as a sluggard even though sluggard becomeProverbs 6
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, 8 Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep-- 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. 2.     Do you ever see the poor?  Who is your “neighbor?”
Proverbs 14:21
He who despises his neighbor sins; 
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Job 31.


2. Do you ever see the poor?

3.  How do you help the poor?

4.     How do you teach your children to care for “the least of these” without having an arrogant or superior attitude?
Job 31. 13-15
 Proverbs 14:31 NKJV
He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, 
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
Proverbs 17:5 NKJV
He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; 
He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 19:7 NKJV
All the brothers of the poor hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.

Proverbs 19:7 NKJV  (Do the opposite of these verses.)
All the brothers of the poor hate him; 
How much more do his friends go far from him! 
He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, 
And He will pay back what he has given.
James 2      Not respector of persons
(Leviticus 19:15 'You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.) 

5.     Why did God give you control of so much?
Deuteronomy 15:11 For the poor will never cease from the land; 
therefore I command you, saying, 
'You shall open your hand wide to your brother,
 to your poor and your needy, in your land.'

Proverbs 22:9 NKJV
He who has a generous eye will be blessed, 
For he gives of his bread to the poor.
Eph 4   Let him that stole...


------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 10:4 NKJV
He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Proverbs 10:15 NKJV
The rich man's wealth is his strong city; 
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

Proverbs 13:7 NKJV
There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

Proverbs 13:8 NKJV
The ransom of a man's life is his riches,
But the poor does not hear rebuke.

Proverbs 13:23 NKJV
Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor,
And for lack of justice there is waste.

Proverbs 14:20 NKJV
The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But the rich has many friends.

Proverbs 14:21 NKJV
He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Proverbs 14:31 NKJV
He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

Proverbs 17:5 NKJV
He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 18:23 NKJV
The poor man uses entreaties,
But the rich answers roughly.

    Proverbs 19:1 NKJV
    Better is the poor who walks in his integrity 
Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

    Proverbs 19:4 NKJV
    Wealth makes many friends, 
But the poor is separated from his friend.

    Proverbs 19:7 NKJV
    All the brothers of the poor hate him; 
How much more do his friends go far from him! 
He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.

    Proverbs 19:17 NKJV
    He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, 
And He will pay back what he has given.
 
    Proverbs 19:22 NKJV
    What is desired in a man is kindness, 
And a poor man is better than a liar.

    Proverbs 21:13 NKJV
    Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor 
Will also cry himself and not be heard.

    Proverbs 21:17 NKJV
    He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; 
He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

    Proverbs 22:2 NKJV
    The rich and the poor have this in common, 
The Lord is the maker of them all.

    Proverbs 22:7 NKJV
    The rich rules over the poor, 
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

    Proverbs 22:9 NKJV
    He who has a generous eye will be blessed, 
For he gives of his bread to the poor.
    Proverbs 22:16 NKJV
    He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, 
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

    Proverbs 22:22 NKJV
    Do not rob the poor because he is poor, 
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;

    Proverbs 28:3 NKJV
    A poor man who oppresses the poor 
Is like a driving rain which leaves no food.

    Proverbs 28:6 NKJV
    Better is the poor who walks in his integrity 
Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

    Proverbs 28:8 NKJV
    One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion 
Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.

    Proverbs 28:11 NKJV
    The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding searches him out.

    Proverbs 29:14 NKJV
    The king who judges the poor with truth,
His throne will be established forever.

    Proverbs 30:9 NKJV
    Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the Lord?"
Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.

    Proverbs 30:14 NKJV
    There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.

    Proverbs 31:9 NKJV
    Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
 
    Proverbs 31:20 NKJV
    She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

    Proverbs 28:15 NKJV
Like a roaring lion and a charging bear
Is a wicked ruler over poor people.

    Proverbs 28:27 NKJV
    He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

    Proverbs 29:7 NKJV
    The righteous considers the cause of the poor,
But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

    Proverbs 29:13 NKJV
    The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.






2.  


 

Micah 6-7

Micah 6
6.8  He has shown you...  I think Jesus alluded to this verse in Matt. 23.23
6.14  but not be satisfied...  This pretty much describes where we are today.
6.16  Ironically Omri was one of the most successful and powerful kings in the history of Israel.
7.5  Guard the doors of your mouth...  This shows just how tragic it is when a husband and wife do not feel the freedom to communicate openly.  Or just can't for some reason.
7.19  He will again...  What a great passage to encourage us when we are being chastened by the Lord.  I suspect that there is an application to the marriage relationship and for parents in relation to their kids.     -----

Hebrews 5.1-10

"The structure of the author's exposition may be depicted as follows: ^*

A  The old office of high priest  (v.1)
          B  The sacrifice offered by the high priest (v.1)
                    C  The weakness of the high priest (vv. 2-3)
                              D  The appointment of the high priest (v.4)
                              D' The appointment of Christ, the new priest (vv.5-6)
                    C' The suffering of the new priest (vv.7-8)
         B' The sacrificial provision on the new priest (v.9)
A' The new office of high priest (v.10)

This type of structure is called a chiamus and was used by the ancients for both rhetorical effect and mnemonic purposes."

* The following is based roughly on Lane, Hebrews 1-8, p. 111 

Guthrie, George H. Hebrews: From Biblical Text... to Contemporary Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998. Print. p. 192

Piper on Jesus, temptation, and my besetting sins

This is part of John Piper's excellent sermon on Hebrews 4:14-5:3,  "Draw Near to the Throne of Grace with Confidence", that features a thought provoking quote by C.S. Lewis.

Verse 15: Jesus, Though Tempted, Never Gave In, and so Is Sympathetic

     Then in verse 15 we learn that, in spite of how lofty our High Priest is (alive forever, in the presence of God, as the Son of God), nevertheless three other truths about him still stand:
    --he was tempted in all the kinds of ways we are;
    --he never gave in and sinned; and
    --he is therefore sympathetic with us in our weaknesses.     For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.     Fifty years ago C.S. Lewis imagined someone objecting here: "If Jesus never sinned, then he doesn't know what temptation is like. He lived a sheltered life and is out of touch with how strong temptation can be." Here is what Lewis wrote in response to that objection:

    "A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is . . . A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in . . . Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means—the only complete realist."
     Jesus can sympathize with us in our pain and our dying, because he experienced excruciating pain and entered all the way into death. And he can sympathize with us in our allurements to sin, because he was tempted—
    --to lie (to save his life)
    --and to steal (to help his poor mother when his father died)
    --and to covet (all the nice things that Zacchaeus owned)
   -- and to dishonor his parents (when they were more strict than others)
   -- and to take revenge (when he was wrongly accused)
    --and to lust (when Mary wiped his feet with her hair)
    --and to pout with self-pity (when his disciples fell asleep in his last hour of trial)
   -- and to murmur at God (when John the Baptist died at the whim of a dancing girl)
    --and to gloat over his accusers (when they couldn't answer his questions)     Jesus knows the battle. He fought it all the way to the end. And he defeated the monster every time. So he was tested like we are and the Bible says he is a sympathetic High Priest. He does not roll his eyes at your pain or cluck his tongue at your struggle with sin.

By John Piper. ©2012 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org

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This segment has prompted me to think about my own besetting sins and where the Gospels record an event in Christ's life where He was likely to have faced a similar temptation.  I don't think there is a guarantee that every type of temptation was recorded in the Gospel's, but it is interesting to try and think of where mine show up, and how Christ probably experienced something similar.