Archive for June, 2007

Micah 5:7 - “The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.”

The fifth chapter of Micah contains some of the most amazing prophecies in his book.  Verse two predicts the birthplace of the Messiah in the improbable village of Bethlehem Ephrathah, which occurred when Jesus was born there – approximately 800 years after Micah wrote these words.  Verse four prophesies about the Messiah’s role as the Good Shepherd, which we now experience through the living Christ.  This passage describes the faithful church in the Last Days.  continue

Ezekiel 14:14 - ”…even if these three men – Noah, Daniel and Job – were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

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Matthew 15:6-9 - Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.   They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 

What were the religious traditions to which Jesus referred?  They had several main components. continue

Mark 7:6-8 - Jesus replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’  You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

In the passages quoted above, the Scriptures teach us that religious traditions are spiritually worthless.  The only thing that pleases God is to obey His revealed will.  People do not want to obey God.  They want to go their own way, following their own opinions and desires, and then appease God through religious observances so that they can somehow elude his judgment or persuade Him to bless them.  God, however, sets the terms by which we can approach him.  Man does not set the terms for God.   continue

Mark 7:6-8 - He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 

   ” ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

“Rules taught by men” produce two types of problems in religion: trends and traditions.  This lesson is about the problem with religious trends, fads, or fashions (we address traditions in a separate lesson).   continue

1 Samuel 17:4-7 - “A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.  He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels;  on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him…”

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