JUDGMENT LESSONS

“Therefore I will number you for the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter; because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear, but did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight!" (Isa. 65:12 NKJV).

In our verse, judgment is determined for Israel. However, judgment is not limited to the disobedient Israelites, but will come upon every unrepentant sinner. Our verse speaks of the contempt for judgment, the conduct for judgment, and the character of judgment.

Contempt for judgment – “When I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear.” God in mercy calls sinners to repent. He warns sinners about judgment, but many pay no attention to the Divine warnings. Instead of listening to God’s instructions and warnings, they show great contempt for Scripture and simply plug their ears to God’s Word. But contempt for judgment will assure judgment.

Conduct for judgment – “Did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.” The conduct that brings judgment is conduct that is evil in God’s sight. What may not be considered evil in the eyes of men, is considered evil by God. His judgment is based on His standards, and His standards have been given to us in His Word. Today, our society still practice and delight in things that God’s Word calls evil. This invites Divine judgment.

Character of judgment – “Therefore I will number you for the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter.” The language here refers to the specific judgment the nation of Israel experienced centuries ago. But the principle applies today. The principle says judgment will be devastating. It will be painful and plentiful.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Lessons that are bitter to learn usually are sweet to know!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Dispute (Hostility)

In Heb. 12:3 we read, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (NKJV).

Dispute (Hostility) is the Greek word antilogia (ἀντιλογία = an-tee-log-ee'-ah). It is made up of two words: “anti” which means against, and “logia” which means a word. The word means quarrel, contradiction, rebellion, contention. Literally, antilogia is a word spoken against or speaking against and so talking back, face to face, in opposition against. It is a dispute involving opposite opinions. Our English word dispute describes a disagreement, a quarrel, an argument or a verbal controversy.

In classical Greek, antilogia includes both the idea of contradiction and dispute. Further, the plural form can refer to opposing arguments or answering speeches. In the Septuagint, antilogia carries the idea of defiance against authority (with special emphasis on verbal defiance) or rebellion as by Korah (Num. 16). In the New Testament, antilogia carries the idea of an argument or opposition. In our verse, antilogia speaks to the “hostility” or the verbal scorn and shame that the Lord Jesus endured upon the cross (v. 2).

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – The Messiah would be despised (Isa. 53:3)

New Testament Fulfillment – Luke 4:28-29; Matt. 27:38-44

Did You Know…

In the Bible, it states that the Father will honor us if we serve Jesus (John 12:26).

Bible Quiz

Jacob’s wife Rachel died giving birth to whom?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: What does the name “Melchizedek” mean? King of righteousness (Heb. 7:1-2).

Names of the Lord Jesus Found in the Bible

“Chosen One”

“And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God!” (Luke 23:35 NKJV).

1. Meaning – The Lord Jesus is God's Chosen One.

2. Insights – The Lord Jesus is God’s Chosen One, chosen for glory and great sacrifice. We in Him, are God’s chosen people.

3. Related Titles – Elect One (Isa. 42:1).

Did You Know – Christian History

Peter Lombard was born between 1095 and 1100 in Lumellogno, near Novara, Italy. He was a scholastic theologian, Bishop of Paris, and author of Four Books of Sentences which became the standard textbook of theology.

Nothing is known for certain in regard to his origins, his social background, or his education as a youth. His education probably began in Italy at the cathedral schools of Novara and Lucca. With the help of Otto, Bishop of Lucca, and of St. Bernard, he was able to further his studies at Reims and Paris. Lombard arrived in Paris in 1136, and by 1142 he was recognized as a writer and teacher. By 1145, Lombard had become a professor at the cathedral school of Notre Dame in Paris.

Lombard became a sub deacon in 1147, a deacon in 1150, and then an archdeacon by 1156. In 1159, he was named Bishop of Paris, and was consecrated on July 28, 1159.

Peter Lombard’s writings include Commentaries on the Psalms and St. Paul, and a collection of Sermons. His most famous work was the Four Book of Sentences, which served as the standard textbook of theology at the medieval universities from the 1220s until the 16th Century. There is no work of Christian literature, except for the Bible itself that has been commented upon more frequently. Doctoral candidates were required to lecture on the Sentences for two years. All the major medieval thinkers, from Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas to William of Ockham and Gabriel Biel, were influenced by it. Even the young Martin Luther wrote glosses (brief notations) on the Sentences.

The Four Books of Sentences is a collection of biblical texts, together with relevant passages from the Church Fathers and many medieval thinkers on the entire field of Christian theology. It was a response to the growing thirst for knowledge among medieval scholars and appeared at a time when conservatives were advocating a complete separation between orthodoxy and philosophy. It stands out as the first major effort to bring together commentaries on the full range of theological issues, arrange the material in a systematic order, and attempt to reconcile them where there were different viewpoints.

Lombard’s reign as bishop was brief. He died July 1160. His tomb in the church of Saint-Marcel in Paris was destroyed during the French Revolution, but a transcription of his epitaph survives.

A Little Humor

Three guys are fishing when an angel appears. The first guy says, “I’ve suffered from back pain for years. Can you help me?” The angel touches the man’s back, and he feels instant relief. The second guy points to his thick glasses and begs for a cure for his poor eyesight. When the angel tosses the lenses into the lake, the man gains 20/20 vision. As the angel turns to the third fellow, he instantly recoils and screams, “Don’t touch me! I’m on disability!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Money will never buy repentance!”