REVELATION AND REQUIREMENTS

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NKJV).

Although spoken to Israel, the message is not limited to Israel; it applies to all mankind. This verse speaks of Divine revelation and Divine requirements.

Revelation – “He has shown you, O man, what is good.” It is very valuable to know what is good. It can be the difference between life and death. But there are many folks in our society who are showing us what is evil. Showing us evil is the trademark of many in the entertainment industry. However, we do not need to be shown evil; we need to know what is good. And nothing shows us what is good better than the Word of God. To learn what is good, we need to get into the Word of God.

Requirements - “What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” The three requirements given here involve our being conscientious, compassionate, and consecrated.

Conscientious: “Do justly” means to be honest and truthful with both man and God. There is no lasting value in dishonesty. But men fail frequently here. Nations do not keep treaties, individuals do not keep their word. Yet, God requires us to be honest.

Compassionate: “Love mercy.” Crime and cruelty characterizes our world. But we are to be kind, merciful, and compassionate towards all that need our kindness. God requires mercy.

Consecrated: “Walk humbly with God” means submission to God, fellowship with God, devotion to God, worship of God, and service for God. Walking humbly with God is one of the keys to real joy. Few people, however, are interested in walking humbly with God. They want to go their own way and do not care for God’s company. But not walking with God means walking away from God, and this will bring judgment.

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The most miserable prison in the world is the prison we make for ourselves when we refuse to show mercy!”

Warren Wiersbe (1929 - 2019)

American Pastor, Bible Teacher and Author

Word Study

Entertain

In Heb. 13:2 we read, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels!” (NKJV).

Entertain is the Greek word xenízō (ξενίζω = xen-id'-xo). It means to receive as a guest, to demonstrate hospitality and so to lodge. In classic Greek xenízō was used of receiving or entertaining someone as a guest, but was also used to mean surprise, astonish by some strange sight. In the Septuagint, xenízō was used of wondering strangers. In the New Testament, xenízō was used to describe the temporary housing of a guest, especially one who is traveling in the Lord’s service. As God’s people, we are called to be hospitable to others as part of our gratitude for the salvation we have received from God.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them” (Job 21:9 KJV).

Did You Know…

According to the Book of Judges, 32,000 men started off in Gideon’s army but only 300 finally ended up in it (Judges 7:3-8).

Bible Quiz

Why did Herod have John the Baptist beheaded, despite his reluctance to do so?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: After Pilate found “no fault” in the Lord Jesus Christ, for what reason did the Jews say that He should die? He claimed to be the Son of God (John 19:7).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL”

"And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him!” (Luke 2:25 NKJV).

1. Meaning – CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL speaks of the Lord Jesus as the One who would console God’s people.

2. Insights – The “Consolation of Israel” refer to the messianic hope, and speaks of the promised Messiah, who would remove sorrow and comfort the nation. God had revealed to Simeon that “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). The Lord Jesus, the Comforter of Israel would fulfill all the promises of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants, and the One who would bring both personal and national salvation. After all those years of waiting and praying, God allowed Simeon to hold the Messiah in his arms. In this child, Simeon saw the fulfillment of all the hopes and dreams of the Jewish people down through the centuries, and he was overjoyed. However, not just for the Jewish nation, but the Lord Jesus is also the hope and dream of all that put their faith and trust in Him.

Did You Know – Christian History

Robert Moffat was born December 21, 1795, in Ormiston, Scotland. He was a Scottish Congregationalist missionary to Africa, and first translator of the Bible into Setswana.

Moffat was born to humble, but pious parents. As a child, Moffat hated school and his one textbook was the Shorter Catechism. The schoolmaster saw he did not like to study and coaxed him on with a rod. Unhappy with that state of affairs, Moffat ran away to sea but quickly learned that the sailor’s life was even harder than that of a scholar. Leaving that life, he apprenticed himself to a gardener for low pay and hard work. However, he saw that without an education his life was going to be very tough.

A desire to study possessed him. He gained every skill he could, arranging his work so that he could attend school at night to learn Latin and geometry. He picked up blacksmithing and learned to play the violin. A new employer encouraged him to improve himself even more.

Moffat was twenty years old when he was converted to Christ. Immediately, he began sharing his faith with all who crossed his path but was shocked to discover that most people did not care to hear. A desire stirred in him to do some great work for the Lord. He applied at a mission agency but was turned down. Yet he persisted and was finally sent to Africa.

There he learned the value of patience. At first, the Africans had believed that Moffat must be an outcast to leave his own people and live among them. They held him in contempt. But he would not give up. Moffat’s boldness allowed him to act as a peacemaker between warring tribes and establish himself as a worthy and trusted friend amongst opposing leaders. And despite thievery and threats, despite long years without results, he kept at it, trusting that God would keep His promises and produce a harvest of souls. The breakthrough came when African leaders accompanied Moffat to the coast. Seeing the respect with which he was greeted, they realized he was no outcast. They saw the luxuries of civilization. “Why have you left all of this for us?” they asked. Moffat explained the love of Christ.

In the days before modern linguistic tools, Moffat proved what a willing mind under Christ can accomplish. He learned a difficult language and translated the Bible into it. The boy who despised education became a man who educated thousands. Because of his perseverance, hundreds of Africans submitted their lives to the Christ he honored.

A Little Humor

An elderly couple, admitted by St. Peter through the Pearly Gates, found conditions there just heavenly. Said the man to his wife, “I could have been here two years ago if you hadn’t fed me all that oat bran.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“To put your fears to rest, put your faith in Christ!”