Tag: millstone

51.z. Wilderness – 16.e. “Doing What’s Right”

 

Deu 24:5-15  “When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken. “No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge. “If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. “Take care, in a case of leprous disease, to be very careful to do according to all that the Levitical priests shall direct you. As I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt. “When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. You shall restore to him the pledge as the sun sets, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you. And it shall be righteousness for you before the LORD your God. “You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin.

 It is of great consequence that love be kept up between husband and wife; that they carefully avoid every thing which might make them strange one to another. Man-stealing was a capital crime, which could not be settled, as other thefts, by restitution. The laws concerning leprosy must be carefully observed. Thus all who feel their consciences under guilt and wrath, must not cover it, or endeavour to shake off their convictions; but by repentance, and prayer, and humble confession, take the way to peace and pardon. Some orders are given about pledges for money lent. This teaches us to consult the comfort and subsistence of others, as much as our own advantage. Let the poor debtor sleep in his own raiment, and praise God for thy kindness to him. Poor debtors ought to feel more than commonly they do, the goodness of creditors who do not take all the advantage of the law against them, nor should this ever be looked upon as weakness. 

 It is not hard to prove that purity, piety, justice, mercy, fair conduct, kindness to the poor and destitute, consideration for them, and generosity of spirit, are pleasing to God, and becoming in his redeemed people. The difficulty is to attend to them in our daily walk and conversation. (Henry)

Jesus died and rose from the grave for our redemption, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Upon His ascension, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to indwell, fill, guide, lead, empower, instruct, convict, and give us power over sin and fleshly and worldly temptations. Fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, patience, goodness, self-control, and faithfulness. When we seek to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions we are an open vessel for which the Holy Spirit will work toward that end. When we are consumed by things of this world and the busyness of life and neglect or complacent of His Word, we are not. The Holy Spirit and God’s Word are inseparable. We do well to intentionally choose to honor Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions – all of the time, seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit with inner sensitivity to that quiet small voice continually speaking into our lives. Growing and maturing in this sensitivity to the Holy Spirit will affect our lives and those we come in contact with. We will see the world for what it is and have eyes and ears to be led by the Holy Spirit and be a beacon of light for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.

8.h. All nations were deceived

Revelation 18:21  Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”

The world system in opposition to God will be utterly destroyed at the end of days. It is hard to imagine the rise of a one-world political, economic, and religious system in such a short time and even a bit harder to imagine it fall faster than it came about.  The indulgences, deceptions, lies, self-glorifying, and self-reliant ways of Babylon influenced the world.  This political, economic, and religious God-denying and defying systems fed the sinful nature of the people a lie to which they overwhelmingly chose to believe and follow.  The finality of God’s judgment against the people who have willingly chosen to follow these lies is seen in “NO MORE”.  Whatever the cause of this collapse at the perfect timing and hand of God, it will have an ending to all the world’s systems that arise out of those who wish to deny God His glory, honor, and power.  The end is near and those who put their trust and reliance on what this world has to offer will mourn, but not out of repentance to God, but out of a loss of what they had put their hope in.  Worldliness, prosperity, ease of life, financial security, self-reliance, self-satisfaction, self-worth, and self-centered,  living blind their eyes, and dull their hearing to the point of total rejection of God and the godly who trust in, rely on and cling to Him.  There is no time to wait.  There is no time to think you will have time later to make a decision to surrender yourself to Christ.  Every day that this decision is intentionally withheld gives your heart, mind, and soul the opportunity to start believing the lies and deceptions this world has to offer.  Choose Christ.  Seek forgiveness of sin.  Trust in His sacrifice on the cross for your redemption and salvation.  In Him, you will find what your soul aches for.  Peace, love, joy, hope, and rest.