Where do our eyes lead us?
Job 31:1,7-8 – I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?… If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
“Sins Of The Eyes And Heart”
THE INTRODUCTION:
There is a clear relationship between what we see with our eyes, what we sinfully desire in our hearts, and the fallen outward actions that we commit. Our Lord, Himself, addressed this relationship in Matthew 5:27-28 when He said…
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
This is a very important issue that we need to understand clearly. In this study we will seek to come to an understanding of the Lord’s teachings (and other related verses) on the relationship of our eyes, heart (desires) and the acts of sin we commit.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Job 31:1-8
(1) I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
(2) For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
(3) Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
(4) Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
(5) If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
(6) Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.
(7) If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;
(8) Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
Pro 23:7
(7) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Mat 5:27-28
(27) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
(28) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Jas 1:13-16
(13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
(14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
(15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
(16) Do not err, my beloved brethren.
THE STUDY:
Mat 5:27-28 – Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
In our Lord’s teachings found in Matt 5:27-28, we are taught that sin can occur within the heart (desires) of a man. Please notice that “lusting after her” is counted as committing the sin of adultery “in his heart”. In other words, possessing sinful lusts is one type of sin that can be committed by man.
This also helps us to understand that there are two different ways that any sin can be committed:
- First of all, sin can be committed in the heart when we hold burning desires to perform an act of sin. In the case of Jesus’ teaching, the desire to commit the act of adultery, is, in and of itself, counted as a sin.
- Secondly, sin can involve the outward act of the sin. In Christ’s teaching this would be the physical act of adultery being committed with the woman after whom the inward lust is being committed.
Please note that both the sin of the heart and the actual commission of that sin are recognized as two separate sins. To lust in the heart is sinful, to go farther and actually commit the physical sin of adultery is recognized as a second commission of sin. We should never think that if we commit sin in our hearts we had “might as well do the act”. This is a lie that comes from Satan himself, being told to us in an effort to increase our guilt and the sin that abides in our lives.
Jas 1:13-16 – Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.
In the above verse, James explains to us the steps that produce acts of sin in our lives. James teachings helps us to better understand the relationship between our eyes, heart and the outward performance of sin.
Every commission of sin begins as a temptation. These temptations are wholly based upon the desires that we hold within us. Notice what James says… “Every man is tempted when he is drawn away OF HIS OWN LUST and enticed.” Folks, anytime an opportunity to sin arises, but we have no desire to commit that sin, it is not a temptation to us.
A very simple example is a person who is on a diet and HATES vanilla ice cream. I can offer that person vanilla ice cream over and over again and they will never be “tempted” to eat it and break their diet. Why? Because they have no desire to eat the vanilla ice cream. However, if the same person LOVES chocolate ice cream, the moment I offer it to them, the offer becomes a “temptation” to them to break their diet. Because they desire it, the opportunity to partake of it becomes a temptation to them.
James then goes further and explains that when the person recognizes the opportunity to sin is open to them (they are enticed by it), the sinful lust in their heart then gives birth to the outward act of sin which leads to their death.
WOW! What a horrible chain of events that leads to all men’s downfall, reminds us of a fish that is caught by a fisherman…
- The bait is seen by the fish (using its eyes)
- The bait attracts the fish because it is hungry (its desires)
- The bait is taken by the fish (the outward act of taking that which is sinfully desired)
- The fish is killed by the fisherman (death occurs as the direct result of sin)
The commission of sin takes place in the same way…
- We see an opportunity to sin (we place our eyes on it)
- We then take advantage of that opportunity (because we desire to commit that sin)
- The natural result of the commission of that sin is physical and spiritual death.
Job 31:1-8 – I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
Job understood the two types of sin when he said… “If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes”.
- Job described the outward acts of sin as “If my step turned out of the way”
- Job described the role of inward sinful desires as “mine heart walked after mine eyes”.
Job also understood how sin develops in our lives:
- He was describing his sinful desires being fulfilled following the seeing an opportunity to sin… “mine heart walked after mine eyes”:
- This results in the outward commission of that sin “If my step hath turned out of the way”.
Because of Job’s knowledge of these truths, he was able to successfully avoid sin in his life. This is why he was able to boldly ask the Lord to look at his life and see that his life was dedicated to pleasing Him. So what is the secret to Job’s success?…
“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”
He saw the need to control what his eyes looked upon to avoid these times of temptation that so easily come upon all mankind. he understood that, due to our fallen, sinful natures we all possess sinful desires. The one of the most effective ways to avoid cultivating and fulfilling those desires was by controlling his eyes…
“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”
In other words, if Job avoided the opportunity to sin, he would not be feeding his sinful desires nor would he be bringing them to fruition. What a very important lesson for us all. By controlling what our eyes look upon we can keep our sinful desires at bay and not “live them out” in our actions!
Job said that the result of this covenant he made with his eyes, he was able to sincerely invite the Lord to examine his life without guilt or hesitation… “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity”
CONCLUSION:
Do we attempt to control our eyes and avoid temptations whenever we possibly can? The answer to this question speaks volumes about our character, the person we are within.
King Solomon understood this principle when he wrote in Proverbs 23:7 … “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he;”
In response to Solomon’s writing, lets close by asking ourselves this simple question … “Who are we?” The answer can be found in our attempts to rule over our eyes and the desires that dwell in our hearts.
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Will we pass the test when we face temptations?
Jas 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
“Temptation Or Testing?”
THE INTRODUCTION:
Many times the Hebrew and Greek words translated “temptation” are also translated “test” or “trial”.
In the KJV the two Hebrew words which are most often translated temptation or test are ‘bahan’ and ‘nasa’. The two Greek words translated similarly are the words ‘dokimazo’ and ‘peirazo’. The folllowing table better explains the relationship of these words to one another…
| Hebrew | Greek | Hebrew and Greek Translation in KJV: |
| bahan | dokimazo | examine, prove, assay, try, allow, discern, like |
| nasa | peirazo | tempt, try, prove, examine, assay, adventure, go about |
As you can see from the above table, all 4 words carry with them the ideas of attempting (Deut 4:34, Acts 9:26), testing (Job 23:10, 1 John 4:1), discerning (Gen 38:25, Luke 12:56), and/or tempting (Isa 7:12, Matt 4:1).
In all of the above usages the principle of “testing or attempting something resulting in a conclusion being drawn” is present. So why would this term be used to describe a temptation taking place? In this study we will being seeing that the temptations we face are all trials that reveal truths about us.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Jas 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Rev 3:10 – Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
THE STUDY:
Just as King Nebuchadnezzar came to understand, we all understand that the Lord is truly in control of every event that takes place in our lives…
Dan 4:34-36 – “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.”
This principle not only applies to the blessed times of our lives, but even the more difficult, trying times are under God’s control and allowed into our lives for a purpose. Remember, the Lord never brings temptation upon us ….
Jas 1:13 – “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”
But He allows the powers of darkness, the fallen world, and our flesh to tempt us. The story of Job clearly presents this truth to us…
Job 1:6-12 – “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.”
Also as Christians, we are also familiar with God’s promise that He never allows anything in our lives that does not eventually work for our good and His glory…
Rom 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
When we put all of these Biblical principles together, we can see that the Lord controls our temptations and allows temptations to come upon us for our good and His glory. But how does this all work? How does the Lord allow temptations to enter our life and how do we benefit from them?
This is where our word study comes into play. Our word study gives us one of the great reasons why God allows temptations to come upon us… Every temptation is used by the Lord as a time of testing that teaches us something about ourselves.
This principle is repeatedly brought out in Scripture. Two such texts are:
Jas 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Rev 3:10 – Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
(Please note in both James 1:12 and Revelation 3:10, temptations are described as trials (testings) that are faced by man.)
That is why the words translated “tempt” or “temptation” carry with them the idea of “testing or attempting something resulting in a conclusion being drawn”. In other words when we are tempted, we are being tested. This test, and how we respond to it, can teach us much about our Lord, Satan and, especially, ourselves.
When we are tempted, we can learn about the Lord’s enabling grace, His patience and His forgiveness; we can learn about Satan’s methodology, his strength and his limitations as he attempts to bring the Christian to failure; and we can learn about ourselves, our strengths, our weaknesses, and our need of Christ enabling for our day to day walk.
CONCLUSION:
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, gives us one practical application for our lesson this morning.
2Co 12:7-10 – “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
In this text, Paul lists many testings he faced in life (his “thorn in the flesh”, other “infirmities”, “reproaches”, “necessities”, “persecutions”, “distresses”)… Please note all these testings were actually temptations that sought to hinder Paul and his ministry for Christ.
Paul came to recognize that even these testings (or temptations) were something that brought him pleasure because they taught him about Christ’s enabling grace and his great need of Christ on a daily basis which kept him close to Christ.
Folks, we should never underestimate the importance of using times of temptation for our benefit and the Lord’s glory…
May we learn of Christ’s great enabling grace that allows us to remain faithful to Him even during the heaviest times of temptation in our lives.
Through this may we also learn of our daily need of Christ’s grace in our lives.
And finally, when we fail him during times of temptation, may we immediately seek His forgiveness, allow this to reveal our weak areas, our need to avoid these areas of temptation whenever possible, and finally, may we work to strengthen ourselves in these areas through Bible study, prayer and seeking a close walk with Christ.
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It Is Impossible To Lose Our Salvation And Then Regain It Again
Heb 6:1-9
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
“For It Is Impossible”
“For It Is Impossible”
THE SCRIPTURES:
Heb 6:1-9
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
THE STUDY:
Heb 6:1-9…
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Here the writer of Hebrews reminds us of the need to continue to grow in knowledge of the teachings of Christ. We are to not continue to dwell on the foundation teachings we have learned, but we are to add to them and build upon them. As we grow in knowledge and application of the teachings of Christ, we become “perfect” (mature, strong Christians) who are equipped for service to Christ.
Some of the teachings that are considered foundational include:
- the need for “repentance from dead works” and “faith toward God” for salvation
- the importance of entrance into church membership (through “baptism” in water), the Holy Spirit’s initial empowerment of local churches (“baptism” in the Spirit) and the coming reformation of the world (“baptism” with fire)
- the ordination of God’s men into the ministry (“laying on of hands”), the “laying on of the hands” by the apostles which propagated the accrediting gifts of the Spirit.
- the coming “resurrection from the dead” which teaches us about the existence of life after death and entrance into either the presence of God or “eternal judgement” in the Lake of Fire.
And this will we do, if God permit.
Here, we can see that growing in the knowledge of Christ’s teachings is not simply a matter of human will but is wholly dependent upon God’s gracious intervention in our lives…
1Co 2:9-2:16
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
This is why we are told that God must allow “permit” us to come to a greater understanding of His truths for us to achieve the goal we have had set before us.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Please note this verse now begins a discourse on the permanent nature of our salvation.
The writer will now explain to us that we cannot be shifting back and forth from being saved, lost, and then saved again. Christ’s payment on the cross included all of the believer’s sins past, present and future. It was an all sufficient payment that will never fall short of the complete, eternal redemption of His people…
Rom 8:29-31…
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Folks, once saved we are PERMANENTLY saved. In other words, the receipt of our new nature (and becoming a new creature in Christ) is our new, enduring state of existence. We have been made the servants of Christ, never to return to the servanthood of Satan, our sin nature, and this fallen world. This is our new identity and we will continue on as servants of Christ for the rest of our lives.
This principle of our enduring change (resulting in us being placed permanently into the Kingdom of Christ) is a tremendous motivating force for us to grow in the knowledge and application of the Word of God. Due to this never ending change in servanthood, we should devote our lives to coming to a greater understanding and application of the truths of our Lord for our lives. Being permanently made His servants, should we not come to a greater understanding of His teachings and desires for our lives? This can only be done through a continuing learning and application of His Word to our lives.
The writer of Hebrews clearly tells us that “it is impossible”. In other words what follows CANNOT happen. NOT EVER can a person who is saved, fall away and then be saved once again. Why? For him to be resaved would mean that Christ would have to die again.
To lose a person’s salvation would clearly demonstrate that the death of Christ was insufficient to cover ALL of his sins (past present and future. Therefore if a Christian could lose their salvation Christ would have to die a second time on the cross to pay the price for the sins that caused the Christian to initially lose his salvation.
Please note in this passage, a truly saved person is described as:
- “enlightened” – had their spiritual eyes enlightened to see the truths of His Word and come to a knowledge of Christ as the light of this world.
- “tasted of the heavenly gift” – partook of God’s gift of salvation
- “made partakers of the Holy Ghost” – indwelt by the Holy Spirit
- “tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come” have experienced the Word of God in their lives and the precious hope of a coming eternity with Christ.
Speaking of these genuine Christians, the writer of Hebrews says that “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
Remember the context of this statement is that “It is impossible”. In other words “it is impossible for a saved person to depart from their saved condition, no longer be a new creature and lose his membership in God’s kingdom and then regain all these blessings a second time.” Why? Because in doing so they would…
“crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
If he did lose his salvation, it would be proof Christ had failed in His work, thus putting Him to a public shame and causing Him to die on the cross again (to pay for the sins that caused the initial loss of salvation).
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
The writer then uses a picture from nature to illustrate the complete, and permanent, blessing of salvation which is given to any who come to Christ in repentance and belief. The eternal nature of the blessing of salvation is much like the blessing of rain that falls upon the earth causing it to bear herbs.
The rain causes the earth to bear the herbs and bring them to maturity which end up being a blessing to others. Just like a Christian whose initial salvation experience and continuing growth is brought about through the continuing application of Christ’s work on the cross in the life of the believer. These blessings of salvation and spiritual growth result in the believer being a blessing to those around him.
The one who never tastes of God’s grace of salvation is like the ground that only brings forth thorns or briar plants. This ground does not bring forth spiritual fruit, nor can its plant life be used to be of benefit to others around him. This ground is the perfect picture of the person who is not saved, who never has received the work of Christ, which is eternally rejected by God and condemned to eternal judgment.
Please note the writer’s point. The earth (picturing Christians) that bears herbs does so due to the gracious work of Christ on the cross that is applies to his account. The ground that bears thorns and thistles (lost men) has never tasted of Christ’s gracious work on the cross. They cannot go back and forth from thistle bearing to fruit bearing and then back again.
Why is this? God’s gracious application of his work on the cross is like continuing rains that keep the saint secure and produce spiritual fruit in the believer’s life. That is what makes the difference. God’s continuing gracious intervention (pictured by the rain) is what enables and then sustains the earth to bear the herbs and be of great value to others. Just like God’s work on the cross, and His intervention in the life of the saved (through the Holy Spirit) is what saves them AND keeps them secure in fruit bearing.
To lose our salvation is to say God has failed in His initial work on the cross… to regain salvation (following losing it) is to say that He must have died again and paid for the sins that originally caused the initial loss of salvation.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
The writer of Hebrews, sums up this portion of his teaching with encouraging words. He is convinced that the Lord has “better things” (more truths from God’s Word) awaiting them to be learned and applied. The ability to understand and apply the truths of God’s Word is a direct blessing that accompanies the salvation experience.
This is why he has gone to great lengths to encourage the Hebrews to continuing to grow in the Word of God.
This is why he explained in great lengths one of the great motivating forces to continue in God’s Word… we are graciously, eternally, changed and secure in Christ, He now is our permanent King, should we not seek His teachings and desire for our lives found in His Word? Do we not appreciate Him for His complete work on our behalf, making us secure? If so, it is a certainty that we should be spending time in His Word seeking His will for our lives as His eternal servants.
May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.
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Jeremiah… Called From His Mother’s Womb….
Jer 1:3-10 –
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Jeremiah 1:3-10 – Jeremiah’s Calling
(The Need For Christ In Our Evangelization)
INTRODUCTION:
In this account of the calling of Jeremiah to the ministry, we find principles about the Lord’s present day ministerial call to pastors, missionaries and teachers of His Word. However, we also can also find principles that apply to all of us who strive to be lights in the midst of a sin darkened world.
For our lesson today, we will be looking at those principles that help all of us to shine forth the light of the wondrous gospel message to the lost world around us.
TODAY’S TEXT:
Jer 1:3-10 –
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
TODAY’S LESSON:
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
Based on verse 2 (“To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.”), Jeremiah’s call was issued in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign.
What is being spoken of in verse 3 is the length of Jeremiah’s ministry that began after his calling…
Jeremiah’s ministry began in Josiah’s 13 year, which was about 627 BC; it continued during Jehoiakim’s reign; and ended in the 11 year of Zedekiah’s reign, when Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians in 586 BC. So in other words, Jeremiah ministered faithfully to the Lord for approx. 40 years.
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
This verse helps us to understand that Jeremiah’s calling was not a “spur of the moment” act by the Lord, nor was it a result in a change of God’s plan for Jeremiah’s life, not at all.
Before Jeremiah was conceived, God’s sovereign, unchanging, eternal plan included Jeremiah being brought into this world and being given a prophetic ministry that he would fulfill for the next 40 years.
We all need to stop and take a moment to understand what this verse is teaching us. Not only was Jeremiah’s ministry a part of God’s eternal plans but also, in this verse, the Lord is confirming the life and personhood of the unborn child.
Please note that God describes Jeremiah in this verse as a person prior to his birth. We can see this from the titles that God gives to the unborn Jeremiah. He uses the titles “thee” and “thou”!…
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee”
Clearly the Lord did not look at Jeremiah as a piece of tissue or simply a group of cell that were growing in synch with one another. No, the Lord was looking at Jeremiah as a fully human being who possessed personhood and identity.
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
In this verse, we begin to see some very important principles that we can apply to our lives as lights in this world. When Jeremiah was called to the ministry, he immediately thought of his inability to fulfill the ministry to which he was called, and rightfully so.
Just as Moses (Exo 4:10-13) and Isaiah (Isa 6:5), Jeremiah understood his inability to effectively proclaim the Word to the lost nation around him.
Folks, we all are in the same boat. We all are called to take the gospel to the world, but left to ourselves we are totally unable to perform the task we have been given. Paul understood this very truth when he wrote 1 Cor 2:3-5…
“And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
Paul understood as he took the gospel to the lost that his preaching had to be illuminated and empowered by the Lord or else it would hold no lasting results for the recipient.
This is a great principle that many times we forget… we go out witnessing without the Lord’s intervention, only to find that it was a wasted effort that bears on lasting results. Every time we witness, we need to go out humbly and prayerfully, recognizing our great need of Christ every step of the way.
But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
The Lord gently, lovingly, speaks to Jeremiah and reassures him that He will empower those who minister for Him. Although fallen, sinful mankind is unable to persuade anyone to come to Christ apart from the Lord’s personal intervention in the life of the minister and those being ministered to…
Eph 6:18-20 – “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Joh 6:44 – “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
The Lord’s encouragement to Jeremiah did not stop with His words of encouragement and promises to help. He then acts on His promises and intervenes in Jeremiah’s life granting him the words that he needed to speak.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
When we go to take the gospel to the lost, we are to go humbly looking to the Lord to lead and supply our every need, and most importantly, we are to take the gospel to the lost with a desire to glorify and honor Christ alone. This will ensure the Lord will be with us and enable us as we take His gospel to the lost.
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