TWO GROUPS

“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Dan. 11:32 NKJV).

Daniel’s vision of future events involved a wicked ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes. He is much like the Antichrist who will be manifested during the Great Tribulation. In our verse, we have the reaction of two groups to Antiochus, which also depicts the various reactions of people to evil. One group called betrayers, end up following evil; the other group called loyalists, oppose evil. We note the record of each group given in our verse.

Betrayers - “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery.” The betrayers’ disobedience and deception are cited here. Disobedience: They “do wickedly against the covenant.” This means that they disobeyed God’s law. They would not do as God’s Word said, as many do today. Secondly, deception: Disobedience to God’s Word causes vulnerability to evil. Thus, those who did “wickedly against the covenant” were seduced by “flattery.” The evil ruler was able to seduce those who disobeyed and rejected the Word. Turning against the Word of God makes a person an easy victim of evil. Our society has been deceived by all sorts of evil, all because it has turned against the Word of God.

Loyalists - “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” Here we want to note the loyalists’ devotion and deeds. First, devotion: “Know their God” involves more than just head knowledge; there must be a heart obedience. The loyalists knew and were loyal and devoted to God and His Word. Secondly, deeds: “Shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” The Word of God made the loyalists strong and able to resist evil. These folk were not deceived by the evil ruler but discerned his evil and were strong enough to resist him. If you want to overcome evil, you must get into the Word, know and be devoted to the Lord. Otherwise, you will be a victim of evil.

(Adapted from Analytical Biblical Expositor)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“How you live your life is a testimony of what you believe about God!”

Henry Blackaby (1935 -)

American Evangelical Pastor and Author

Word Study

Endure

In 2 Tim. 4:3 we read, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers!” (NKJV).

Endure is the Greek word anéchomai (ἀνέχομαι =an-ekh'-om-ahee). It is made up of two words: “aná” which means in or up, and “echo” which means to have or to hold. Thus, the word means to put up with, to bear with, to tolerate, to be patient with. Literally, it means to hold oneself up, erect, upright. Figuratively, it means to endure discomfort or to hold out in spite of persecution, threats, injury, indifference, or complaints and not to retaliate. In classic Greek anéchomai meant to bear with, endure, and to receive. In the Septuagint anéchomai carries the idea of to endure, or to tolerate. In the New Testament anéchomai also means to wait, endure, bear patiently, or suffer. The word conveys the sense of putting up with others, exercising self-restraint and tolerance.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it” (1 Sam. 4:20 KJV).

Did You Know…

According to 1 Kings 10:27, during the time of King Solomon’s reign silver was as common as stones in Jerusalem.

Bible Quiz

What happened to Zacharias because he did not believe the angel Gabriel’s message?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: According to the Lord Jesus, what kind of faith was needed in order to move a mountain? “Faith as a mustard seed” (Matt. 17:20).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“STRONG TOWER”

"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him” (Nah. 1:7 NKJV).

1. Meaning – STRONG TOWER speaks of God as our refuge and place of complete safety.

2. Insights – God’s name describes who He is and therefore refers to the Lord Himself. He is a strong tower who keeps His people safe. One may flee to the God of love for security just as a man may flee to a strong tower for shelter from a foe. Shelter is found in the Lord. He is sufficient protection when we are in the greatest of dangers.

Did You Know...Christian History

George Abbot was born on October 29, 1562, at Guildford in Surrey, England. He was an English divine who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 to 1633. He was also a translator of the King James Version of the Bible.

Abbot’s parents were Protestant and suffered persecution during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary. He grew into a Calvinist and Puritan. When he was fourteen, he went to Oxford University where he became a popular preacher. Twenty-one years later, he was master of University College. When King James I agreed to a new translation of the Bible, Abbot was appointed to the team responsible for the Gospels, Acts and Revelation.

Abbot grew in his influence with King James as well as with the archbishop. Beginning in 1609, the king rewarded Abbot with rapid promotions. He had made himself useful to the king, persuading Scotland to adopt a modified episcopal arrangement for its churches. In less than two years, Abbot became Archbishop of Canterbury. Critics said he was made “a shepherd of shepherds before he had been a shepherd of sheep.” During his service as archbishop, Abbot remained a strong defender of Protestantism, at home and abroad. One of his significant accomplishments as archbishop was establishing a magnificent library at Lambeth.

Yet, Abbot was not a yes man to the crown; he opposed the king when necessary. When the king pushed for sports laws that would have defiled Sunday, Abbot firmly resisted. He also spoke out against a plan to marry Prince Charles to the Princess of Spain. In spite of his opposition, King James liked him and had him at his bedside when he was dying.

In 1621, the same year that he founded a hospital at his own expense in Guildford, he killed a man. He was hunting and his arrow glanced off a tree. Enemies, led by William Laud said Abbot should no longer serve as archbishop since he was a man of blood. King James appointed a commission to decide the question, but they were evenly divided. The king ruled in Abbot’s favor. Nevertheless, Abbot never overcame his sorrow and shame. He seems not to have learned to cast his care on Christ. To the end of his life, he kept regular fasts for the accident and made the best amends he could to the man’s widow. But he could not live down the incident. Once he grumbled when a group of women gathered around his coach to stare at him. He was cut to the heart when one of them taunted him that perhaps he should shoot at them, too.

George Abbott died in Croydon, Surrey on 4 August 1633. He was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Guildford, across the street from the hospital he founded, and which continues to operate today.

A Little Humor

Moses was leading his people through the desert for 40 years. It seems that even in Biblical times men avoided asking the way.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“It is hard to tune in on heaven’s message if our lives are full of earthly static!”