Bible reading for Dec 9.
2 Chronicles 9.
"Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness." (9:8)
ROYAL VISIT. The Ethiopian queen of Sheba was greatly impressed by Solomon's wisdom and wealth. She stated correctly that God's love was shown to Israel by establishing the nation under a righteous and wise king, Solomon (v 8). Down through history people have been fascinated with the amount of gold that Solomon had, more so than in understanding the wisdom he possessed. In God's design wealth is a consequence, a side-effect, a secondary blessing to that which is the primary blessing, righteousness. People value gold; God values righteousness.
WHERE DID ALL THAT GOLD GO? Within a few short years all of that gold would be taken to Egypt by Pharaoh Shishak (aka Shoshenq I)(1 Kings 14:25-26), which is ironic, given that Solomon was married to the daughter of a previous Pharaoh (8:11). But Solomon himself wrote, "Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven" (Prov 23:4-5).
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Jude 1.
"But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life." (1:20-21)
ONCE FOR ALL. "I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (v 3). This verse has been helpful in answering those religious groups that claim the church somehow lost the original gospel or needs a new revelation today. The gospel has been given "once for all", and Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). God has preserved both the Scriptures and the church. Jude, a brother to James and to our Lord Jesus, echoes a number of themes from Peter's epistles (e.g., 1 Pet 1:5; 2 Pet 2:1-17; 3:3). Jude also cites some apocryphal sources. See Constable's notes in the NET Bible on this chapter.
KEPT AND GUARDED. A key word here is "kept" (vv 1, 6, 13, 21) and protect (or, guard)(v 24). Some professing Christians in Jude's day had turned the grace of God into licentiousness. They were therefore apostates like others in biblical history who did not keep to their proper place, and so will be kept for judgment (v 6). He gives six negative examples: the wilderness generation (Israelites), angels who sinned, Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam, and Korah. Believers are called to keep themselves in the love of God (v 21), that is, to keep trusting God's love and staying faithful to him (cf John 15:1-6). The promise given at the beginning and end of this epistle is that we who have come to Christ are the called, the beloved, and the kept, that is, protected and preserved by God. The closing doxology proclaims that God is able to do this, to keep and preserve us. "The perseverance of the saints is only possible because of the perseverance of God" (J. Oswald Sanders). Have you thanked him today for keeping you in the faith?
Image credit. Promotional poster for the movie, "King Solomon's Mines" (1985). We are following the Robert Murray M'Cheyne (RMM) two-year reading schedule, as arranged by D. A. Carson. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. One recommended resource is NETBible.org, a ministry of bible.org.
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