DIVINE REVELATION

“And it happened after ten days that the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah” (Jer. 42:7 NKJV).

At this time in Israel, things had gone from bad to worse. The appointed governor had been assassinated and Babylon was threatening retaliation. Many Jews wanted to flee to Egypt. Finally, a group of leaders approached Jeremiah and asked him to ask the Lord for a word of instruction as to what the people should do. Jeremiah went to the Lord for counsel. Our verse tells about the Divine revelation given to the prophet Jeremiah. Regarding this revelation, we want to note when it came, where it came, and why it came.

When it came - “After ten days.” After Jeremiah approached the Lord as to what the Israelites should do, he had to wait ten days for God’s answer. This delay is instructive as it reminds us that we do not learn and understand the Bible in a few days of study. It takes time to develop our knowledge and understanding of the Word. The waiting period also tests our devotion and dedication. If we are not willing to spend time in the study of the Word, we will not learn much. To learn the Word requires much patience.

Where it came - “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.” God does not illuminate the minds of the disobedient but of the obedient. If we want to understand the Word of God better, we need to obey it better. While most of the other Israelites were disloyal, Jeremiah remained to the Lord. It was the Lord Jesus who said, “If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine” (John 7:17). Obedience is the key to spiritual knowledge.

Why it came - The word which came to Jeremiah told the Israelites how to conduct themselves. The Word is not given to satisfy our curiosity or to fill our minds with interesting facts but to guide our conduct. Some folks study the Bible to learn curious facts or to win arguments. We need to study the Bible to improve our faith and conduct.

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Truth is never determined by majority opinion, but by divine revelation!”

Steven J Lawson (1951 - )

American Pastor, Theologian and Author

Word Study

Double-minded

In Jam. 4:8 we read, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (NKJV).

Double-minded is the Greek word dipsuchos (δίψυχος =dip'-soo-khos). It is made up of two words: “dís” which means twice and “psuche” which means soul or mind. The word means double-minded. Literally, it describes one who has two minds or one who is two-spirited. Figuratively, dipsuchos carries the idea of indecision or wavering. In the Septuagint dipsuchos carries the idea of a divided or undivided heart. This form of the word is unknown in Greek of any type prior to its appearance in the Book of James. Dipsuchos is the one who hesitates or vacillates between two or more opinions. This person in a sense has a divided loyalty and is manifest by indecision and doubting..

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would be a descendant of David (Jer. 23:5-6)

New Testament Fulfillment – Luke 3:23-31

Did You Know…

In the Bible it states that Jesus was a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28).

Bible Quiz

According to the Book of Proverbs, where would be better to live, instead of living in a house with a quarreling wife?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: According to the Book of Joshua, what did Rahab do to put a marking on her home saving it from destruction? She tied a scarlet cord to her window (Josh. 2:18).

Names of the Lord Jesus Found in the Bible

“Son of God”

"And the angel answered and said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God!” (Luke 1:35 NKJV).

1. Meaning – The Lord Jesus is the Son of God by nature.

2. Insights – The Lord Jesus is the only ‘natural’ Son of God, which means He partakes in the Divine nature fully. We become God’s children by adoption, and inherit all creation in, and with the Lord Jesus.

3. Related Titles – Only Begotten / One and Only (John 1:14, 18); Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32); Heir (Heb. 1:2).

Did You Know – Christian History

William Cameron Townsend was born July 9, 1896 in Los Angeles, California. He was an American Christian missionary linguist who founded Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (now SIL International).

Townsend graduated from Compton High School and started attending Occidental College in Los Angeles. During Townsend’s junior year, John R Mott, visionary leader of the Student Volunteer Movement visited Occidental and challenged students to give their lives to world evangelism. After meeting with Mott, Townsend joined the SVM and committed his life to the Great Commission. He then dropped out of college to serve for several years as a Bible salesman for the Los Angeles Bible House.

Townsend left for Guatemala in August 1917. Many of the people he came in contact with had no idea who Jesus was. Whenever he would ask them, they would say “There is no Jesus who lives in our village; maybe he lives in the next village.”

One day while he was passing out Bibles a Cakchiquel Indian started talking to Townsend. Townsend was talking to the Indian about God’s sovereignty and how all the answers to life’s questions can be found in the Bible. The Indian retorted back, “If your God is so smart, why can’t he speak my language?” Cameron had no words. But the Cakchiquel Indian took the Bible anyway since he knew a friend who could read Spanish.

That cutting remark left Townsend with a scar that would never heal. It began to burden him that there were thousands of individuals, and hundreds of other tribes without one page of scripture in their language. Townsend then dedicated the next 13 years of his life to Cakchiquel Indians, translating the Bible into their language. This led to the founding of the organization known as Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Concerned about other minority language groups, Townsend opened Camp Wycliffe in Arkansas in the summer of l934. What started as a small endeavor has grown into the worldwide ministry of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and Wycliffe Associates.

Townsend was diagnosed with Leukemia in December 1981. Back then, there was no cure for the disease. The doctors gave Townsend several blood transfusions to keep him alive. On April 23, 1982 Townsend died peacefully at the age of 85.

Townsend was one of the greatest missionary pioneers of our time. Today Wycliffe Bible Translators has the goal of translating the Bible into every language on the earth. Currently, there are over 3,000 languages without scripture, but 4,000 have at least portions in their dialect, all because Townsend stumbled on the idea of People Groups.

A Little Humor

A minister complaining to an auto mechanic that his bill was too high said, “I’m a poor preacher.” The mechanic said, “I know, I’ve heard you preach.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Jesus can change the foulest sinner into the finest saint”