WORK

“It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth” (Lam. 3:27 NKJV).

The work “yoke” in our verse was used literally of animals and figuratively of people. The figurative uses include both political service and religious service. Thus we want look at the work application. As such, we want to note the evaluation of work, the energy of work, and the enlisted for work.

Evaluation of work - “It is good.” Our society seems to discredit work. They talk about jobs, but this is more in regards to income from jobs not work on the job. Some look upon work as bad; but work is good. The Bible has nothing bad to say about work. It may not be easy or exciting, but it is good. Further, work has more value than just an income. It is good physically, morally and spiritually. It provides a means by which we can develop your character. Thank God for the privilege of work.

Energy of work - “Bear the yoke.” In our verse, work is not described as something that is easy. It is described as bearing the “yoke.” The “yoke” was the heavy wooden instrument placed on the necks of oxen and other animals to harness them to farm implements to work in the fields. Being a heavy, sweat producing instrument, the “yoke” describes work very well. Work is not play. It requires much energy.

Enlisted for work - “In his youth.” Young people are the focus of this verse. They need to be enlisted to work. This verse is not about child slavery, but about work for young people. Our society is so concerned that young people have ample recreation facilities. But what our young people need is work. They need to learn early what it is to work. As they get older, harder jobs can be assigned to them. Work will not hurt young people. It will only help them. Let’s not spoil our children by letting them play all the time and never making them work.

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“God put work into your life; He expects you to put life into your work!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Dregs

In 1 Cor. 4:13 we read, “When we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now” (NASB).

Dregs is the Greek word peripsēma (περίψημα = per-ip'-so-mah). The word refers to a vile and worthless person, or more literally ‘the scum of all things.’ In the Septuagint peripsēma was applied to whatever removes or cleanses, as a ransom, scapegoat, or sacrifice. In the New Testament, peripsēma refers to what is removed by wiping or scraping clean all around. As used in 1 Cor. 4.13, the word could either refer to scum, off scouring, dregs or to sacrificed victim. In ancient Greek culture, there was the periodical killing of a young man or a young woman as a ritual sacrifice. These people were chosen to remove public defilement because they were regarded as the scum of society.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would die for the sins of the world (Dan. 9:26)

New Testament Fulfillment – Heb. 2:9

Did You Know…

In the Bible it states that the Lord Jesus came to do the will of the Father (John 6:38).

Bible Quiz

What instructions are given in Ephesians 4 to the believer who steals?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: According to the book of Job Chapter 15, what is one way that God gets people to listen? Through their pain / oppression (Job 36:15).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“Yahweh Jireh”

"And Abraham called the name of the place, the LORD Will Provide; as it is said to this day, in the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided!” (Gen. 22:14 NKJV).

1. Meaning – Yahweh Jireh / Jehovah Jireh literally means “The Lord will see,” that is, God will take care that everything will be done that is necessary for the comfort and support of those who trust in Him. Hence the words are usually translated, The Lord will provide.

2. Insights – In context, God provided a substitute sacrifice. He gave Abraham a ram to offer as a substitute for Isaac (Gen. 22:13). Abraham then memorialized the place forever (Gen. 22:14). He named the place, The Mount of the Lord, Jehovah Jireh. The Hebrew means The Lord Provides, and He did. The Lord met Abraham’s need: He gave Abraham a substitute sacrifice instead of his son.

Did You Know – Christian History

Joseph T Tarkington was born October 30, 1800, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was an American Methodist Circuit Rider.

Camp meetings in Bloomington, Indiana were interdenominational. Presbyterians, Methodists and representatives of other denominations preached, sang and souls were saved side by side. Tarkington respected the preachers, many of whom were dirt poor. Those who were called to preach obeyed in those days - shoes or no shoes. These early preachers in Indiana and Illinois were men of the highest moral integrity and mental and physical energy. They were resolute, fearless men, full of power and the Holy Ghost.

Tarkington listened intently to the evangelist. The man had taken as his text a verse from the Song of Solomon, “As the apple-tree among the wood, so is my beloved among the sons” (Song of Songs 2:3). As the preacher described delicious apples, Tarkington’s mouth watered. There were no apples in Knox County, Indiana. He made up his mind to get some. Soon afterward, he rode his horse seventy miles and acquired two dozen apple trees which he planted at home.

At a camp meeting on August 27, 1820, Tarkington opened his ears to more than details about apples. “My conversion took place at a camp meeting four miles west of Bloomington, on August 27, 1820, at eleven P.M., with a Methodist class-leader, Daniel Rollins, on one side, and a Presbyterian elder, Samuel Dodds on the other. I praised God, and commenced to look after my comrades. It appeared to me that God at that time called me to look for the lost.”

Tarkington then struggled to decide which of the local denominations to join. He studied Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist doctrine before settling on the Methodists. Shortly after joining them, he was asked to lead prayer and appointed to be an exhorter (a low-ranking evangelist); he urged his former buddies to receive Christ, hewed logs for a new meeting house and hauled them to the site.

He also helped the ministers, many of whom were so desperately poor they would work any job at the end of a circuit to get a few pennies to hold body and soul together. Four years after his conversion, the Methodists licensed Joseph Tarkington to preach. One thing led to another. Rev. James Armstrong ordered Tarkington to help another circuit rider who was in feeble health. And so Tarkington joined the poor and hungry band of Methodist circuit riders. He rode some eighteen circuits before he retired.

A Little Humor

A chimney-sweeper one day rang the doorbell on his way from house to house and a little girl opened the door. Upon seeing him, she became very scared. Well, my little girl, the sweeper said, “haven’t you seen me before?” “No,” said the shaky little girl. “But I have heard about you in Sunday school!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Man may whitewash himself, but only God can wash him white!”