OBSTINATE SINNER

“He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy!" (Prov. 29:1 NKJV).

Here we have a strong warning to those who refuse to forsake their sin. Refusing to heed Divine warnings will result in swift and severe judgment. Three things are said in this verse about the obstinate sinner. Thus we want to note: the reproving of the sinner, the rebelling of the sinner, and the retribution for the sinner.

Rebuking of the sinner – “He who is often rebuked.” This statement speaks of the grace of God. When a person sins, God in grace warns, and rebukes him; God’s will is for the sinner to turn from his evil ways. And note it is “often” - God in grace rebukes and warns a sinner a number of times and in a number of ways. He rebukes through the Scriptures, by the counsel of friends, trials, and even a troubled conscience. God cannot be blamed, if the person ends in hell. God has done much to correct the sinner.

Rebelling of the sinner - “Hardens his neck.” Instead of heeding the reproving, the sinner rebelled and persisted in his sin. To harden one’s neck is an expression which says a person will not bow or bend in submission to corrective reproof. Instead, the person will persist and continue in their evil ways. Hardened necks come from hardened hearts. There are many folks today with hardened hearts; they are stubborn sinners.

Retribution for the sinner - “Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” God will not rebuke/reprove forever; He will eventually bring judgment on the unrepentant sinner. Three things are said about the retribution here: First, the certainty of it. “Will” says judgment is certain for the unrepentant sinner. Second, the celerity of it. “Suddenly.” It comes too fast to repent, to void it, or to stop it. Third, the conclusiveness of it. “Without remedy.” There will be no more opportunities to repent. There is no more hope. The judgment is the final state of the sinner. It will never change.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The cost of obedience is nothing compared with the cost of disobedience!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Devout (worship)

In Acts 16:14 we read, “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul” (NKJV).

Devout (worship) is the Greek word sébomai (σέβομαι = seb'-om-ahee). It means to hold in high esteem, show reverence or awe. The word is always in the middle voice indicating the personal involvement in the respect and reverence. Sébomai stresses the outward expression of inner piety. Thus it means to live a lifestyle of godliness before others.

In classical Greek sébomai denotes the act of worshiping, revering, or the sense of awe, fear, usually in a religious sense. In the Septuagint, sébomai also carries the idea of fear, worship, to revere. Frequently it is God who is to be revered instead of idols. In the New Testament, sébomai carries the idea of a God-fearer. Like Cornelius in Acts 10:2, Lydia was a God-fearing Gentile. Although not a full Jewish proselyte, she was seeking truth and openly worshiped with the Jews.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Gentiles will seek Messiah (Isa. 11:10)

New Testament Fulfillment – John 12:18-21

Did You Know…

In the Bible, Jesus is called God (John 1:1, 14; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8)

Bible Quiz

Which bird did Noah send out of the ark first?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: As an act of judgment, which two cities did God destroyed with fire and brimstone? Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24).

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

“History repeats itself”

“That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:9 NKJV).

“History repeats itself” - The expression “history repeats itself” carries the idea of cycles of repeating events. In context, for the person living “under the sun,” life can easily be a dull routine, a vicious cycle like the course of the sun, the wind, and the streams. As such, nothing is really new; history just repeats itself. Whatever is new is simply a recombination of the old. Nothing is new, exciting, interesting when life is lived “under the sun.” This world does not satisfy. However, the Lord Jesus Christ brings satisfaction about which the world knows nothing. Only God can create new things; and He begins by making sinners “new creatures” when we trust Christ as Savior and Lord (2 Cor. 5:17).

Did You Know – Christian History

William Ward was born on October 20, 1769 in Derby, England. He was an English pioneer Baptist missionary, author, printer and translator.

Ward’s was raised by his mother after the death of his father. Upon leaving school, he was apprenticed to a printer and became so skilled at his craft that he edited the Derby Mercury. At the age of twenty seven, Ward trusted Christ as his Savior. He was baptized and became a Baptist minister. In 1797 he entered Ewood Hall, the theological academy of John Fawcett, where he studied for a year and a half. Preaching constantly in the neighboring villages, Ward became known as a man of promise.

Before missionary William Carey sailed to India, the two men met. Carey planted a seed in Ward’s mind: “If the Lord bless us, we shall want a person of your business to enable us to print the Scriptures; I hope you will come after us.” Three years later, in 1799, Ward sailed to join Carey in India as one of three key members of the Serampore mission. Almost as soon as he arrived, he printed the New Testament in Bengalese.

In India, Ward’s time was primarily spent overseeing the community’s printing press, which was used to spread the Scriptures, once they had been translated into Bengali, Mahratta, Tamil, and twenty-three other languages. In 1812 the printing office was destroyed by fire. However, the molds for casting fresh type, were recovered from the debris, and with the help of friends in Great Britain the loss was soon repaired. In spite of all this work, Ward still found time to keep a full diary and to preach the gospel to the natives, making frequent tours to the towns and villages of the province.

In 1818, Ward, in spite of ill health, revisited England. He was tasked with seeking funds for the new college at Serampore which he had founded along with Joshua Marshman and William Carey. He undertook a series of journeys throughout England and Scotland, and also visited Holland and North Germany. In October 1820 he left for New York, and traveled through the United States, returning to England in April 1821. On 28 May he sailed for India in the Alberta, carrying funds for Serampore College; as a result, Ward, Marshman & Carey became known as the Serampore trio.

Ward’s health continued to deteriorate, and he died of cholera at Serampore on 7 March 1823. He was buried in the mission burial-ground.

A Little Humor

As a little girl climbed onto Santa’s lap, Santa asked the usual, “And what would you like for Christmas?” The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: “Didn’t you get my E-mail?”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Everyone faces the choice: Christ or condemnation!”