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Category Archives: genuineness
when worship makes God sick
Isaiah 1 The Israelites are continuing their worship in the temple, but there is so much wickedness in their lives that the worship makes God sick. He threatens to come as a consuming fire and destroy them. Only a few … Continue reading
Posted in genuineness, integrity, judgment, mortality, relationship with God, works, worship
Tagged Isaiah 1
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none can stand
Ezra 9 God had granted his people a little reviving, and that had served to highlight the faithlessness of the people. They had intermarried with the idolatrous nations around them – something that the LORD told them not to do. … Continue reading
allies or adversaries?
Ezra 4 The returning exiles were offered the “help” of a group of “people of the land” in their God-given and king approved task of rebuilding the temple. They chose to turn that offer down. These were actually adversaries seeking … Continue reading
our place
1 Chronicles 23-24 The Levites were a subculture in the land. Among them were chosen officers who served the temple and its services. They were part of the community but they had special tasks, and were honored by reason of … Continue reading
Posted in cooperation, discipleship, genuineness, kingdom of God, servanthood
Tagged 1 Chronicles 23, 1 Chronicles 24
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having to say something
Job 32 Elihu enters the conversation as a young man who is frustrated. His elders have let him down. He thought for sure that their age (and their apparent good standing before God) would break Job of his stubborn refusal … Continue reading
sign or substance?
Job 8 Bildad uses an excellent argument, which would no doubt have been very successful except for the fact that Job was innocent. Bildad compares Job’s previous fortune to that of a Papyrus plant, which grows quickly and looms above … Continue reading
restoration without revival
2 Kings 14:23-15:38 What was happening during much of this period is that Israel’s land was being restored, but that did not mean that worship of the LORD was being truly revived. This is a dangerous thing, because it gave … Continue reading
Posted in genuineness, judgment, relationship with God
Tagged 2 Kings 14, 2 Kings 15
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escapes
1 Samuel 23-24 Both David and Saul see narrow escapes in these chapters. David escaped because he learned of Saul’s pursuit in time for he and his men to get out of his way. Saul escaped because David chose not … Continue reading
the leader whose slip was showing
Judges 8 Gideon refused to be proclaimed king, telling the people that the LORD shall rule over them. But everything he did in later life smacked of apostasy and selfishness. His retribution against those cities that did not support … Continue reading
in retrospect: purging the evil
Deuteronomy 22:13-30 Sexual sins, and sins of deception and violence associated with them could not be tolerated in a society that sought to display the glory of the LORD. Moses’ instruction was for the community to purge itself of the … Continue reading
Posted in commitment, discernment, genuineness, kingdom of God, sanctification
Tagged Deuteronomy 22
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Devotions 