PRECEPTS AND PROMISES

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isa. 41:10 NKJV).

In this verse there are two precepts (commands) and five promises. And while the commands are fewer than the promises, we often complain about the commands being too many and the promises being too few. Our verse will teach otherwise.

Precepts – “Fear not . . . be not dismayed.” The precepts or commands here have to do with dread and dismay. Dread: Sin causes all kinds of fears, but God removes fear. In 2 Tim. 1:7 we read, “God has not given us the spirit of fear.” If God says we do not have to be afraid, we do not have to be afraid! Dismayed: Oftentimes we become so dismayed (frightened / shocked) by our circumstances that we want quit. But God says do not be dismayed. Keep going. A quitter never wins. This is the right precept for your troubles.

Promises – “I am with you . . . I am your God; I will strengthen you . . . I will help you . . . I will uphold you.” These five promises have to do with the presence of God, the person of God, the power of God, the proficiency of God, and the preservation of God. Presence of God: “I am with you.” This promise removes fears and inspires service (Matt. 28:20; Ex. 33:14-15). Person of God: “I am your God.” Making money, pleasure, or fame a god is folly since they cannot provide a personal relationship. Power of God: “I will strengthen you.” We need His strength to live the Christian life. We will never overcome temptation and evil in our own strength. Proficiency of God: “I will help you.” There are many things in this life that would hinder, but God is the One who helps us. He is the One who makes us proficient or skillful. Preservation of God: “I will uphold you.” This means God will support us. He will preserve us. When we come to Christ for salvation, He will save us and keep us saved.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“God performs what He promises and completes what He commands!” Anonymous

Word Study

Disappointed (put to shame)

In Rom. 9:33 we read, “As it is written: behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (NKJV).

Disappointed (put to shame) is the Greek word kataischunō (καταισχύνω = kat-ahee-skhoo'-no). It is made up of two words: “kata” which means down but here it is an intensifier, and “aischunō” which means to shame. Thus the word means primarily to put to shame, to humiliate, to disgrace, and as used in the present verse, to disappoint or to frustrate one’s hope.

In the Septuagint kataischunō carries the idea of to be ashamed or to shame. Kataischunō appears both in the active and passive forms in the New Testament. In the active it means to disgrace, to dishonor, put to shame, to humiliate, or to disappoint. In the passive form kataischunō emphasizes conditions or occasions under which people have shame or disgrace inflicted upon them. As believers in the Lord Jesus, the hope of our salvation will never be put to shame. We will never be disappointed because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah is Salvation unto the ends of the earth (Isa. 49:6)

New Testament Fulfillment – Acts 15:7-18

Did You Know…

In the Bible, it states that Jesus gives peace (John 14:27)

Bible Quiz

What was the name of Peter’s brother?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: What did the people of Israel make while Moses was on the mountain? A golden calf (Exodus 32:4)

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

“Water under the bridge”

“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination!” (Prov. 28:9 NKJV).

“Water under the bridge” - The expression "water under the bridge” carries the idea of forgotten grief. In context, Job’s friend Zophar wrongly assumes that Job’s physical hurt is caused by sin. So, he tells Job that if he repents God would abundantly bless him, and his troubles would be over. He would be able to lift up his head again, and his fears would be gone. Further, he would forget his misery like water gone over the dam. Repentance does remove much pain, but this was the case with Job. And although Job did not understand the Lord’s reasons for his suffering, he continued to trust in His goodness. That is faith!

Did You Know – Christian History

Richard Chenevix Trench was born September 9, 1807 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an Anglican archbishop and poet.

Richard attended elite English schools where he did well. At Cambridge he became one of the idealists known as the “Apostles.” Until this time, Richard had been unsure what to do with himself. He had thought of going into law. However, on July 5, 1835, he was ordained as a priest in the Church of England.

That same year, Richard published the first of his books, A life of Justin Martyr in verse. A few years later he issued Notes on the Parables of Our Lord. Other books on the Scriptures followed: On Solomon’s Proverbs, Christ’s Miracles, The Sermon on the Mount, The Gospels, and John’s letters to the Seven Churches of Asia.

In 1852 he published A Popular Study of Words. In this, he showed how language is molded by character and molds character. Two years later, he published his New Testament Synonyms which shows various shades of meanings in the Greek words. In all of his books, he showed deep wisdom.

Richard went on to become Bishop of Dublin where his gentle character, sympathetic spirit and godly life did much to ease the awkward transition during which his church ceased to be the state church of Northern Ireland. Richard loved words. His whole life was made rich with the study of them and those studies made the clergyman famous and have benefited generations of Bible scholars. One of his word books, New Testament Synonyms, is still helping pastors and students around the world. Beloved by all, Richard died in 1886 after a long illness.

A Little Humor

A young lady visited a computer dating service and requested, “I'm looking for a spouse. Can you please help me to find a suitable one?” The matchmaker said, “What exactly are you looking for?” “Well, let me see: Need to be good looking, polite, humorous, sporty, knowledgeable, good at singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour if I don't go out. Be able to tell me interesting stories when I need a companion for conversation and be silent when I want to rest.” The matchmaker entered the information into the computer and, in a matter of moments, handed the results to the woman. The results read, “Buy a television.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“The ground at the cross is level - all may come!”