Trinity Bible Church

Prayer

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Amen” (Psalm 37:1-4).

Today’s Hymn

Words: Anne Steele, Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional, 1760. Music: Tallis’ Ordinal, Thomas Tallis, circa 1567.

FATHER OF MERCIES, IN THY WORD
Click here for tune.

Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.

Here may the wretched sons of want
Exhaustless riches find;
Riches above what earth can grant,
And lasting as the mind.

Here the fair tree of knowledge grows
And yields a free repast;
And richer fruits than nature shows
Invite the longing taste.

Amidst these gloomy wilds below,
When dark and sad we stray,
Here beams of Heaven relieve our woe,
And guide to endless day.

Here springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind,
And thirsty souls receive supplies,
And sweet refreshment find.

Here the Redeemer’s welcome voice
Spreads heavenly peace around
And life and everlasting joys
Attend the blissful sound.

Oh, may these hallowed pages be
Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.

Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
O grant our fervent prayer,
Teach us to love Thy sacred Word,
And view the Savior there.

Thought Provoker

Just yesterday I was listening to “Unshackled”, a radio show produced by a rescue mission in Chicago. For over 50 years it has given dramatic accounts of real people’s testimonies of Godís grace in their lives. As part of the drama, the central character recalled how uncomfortable he became when one of his co-workers testified to him. The co-worker was a great mechanic, but always came to work intoxicated or with a hangover. One day he came to work straight. After three days of sobriety, the central character asked the mechanic why he hadn’t been drunk in three days. The answer was that his wife threatened to leave him because of his drinking. He went to church and during the service he believed God had saved him and he no longer wanted to drink to drunkenness. His crisis within his family caused him to seek God, God was revealed to him in the sermon at the service he attended, and he sought to purify his life. This is not unlike Josiah and Judah in 2 Kings 23.

Dad’s Study

In verses 1 and 2, Josiah, mindful of the judgment of God in 21:12, and hoping that God would forgive Judah’s idolatry, gathered the people and had the books of the law read to the people. Like all true revivals of faith in individuals, churches, or whole societies, this one began with people seeking God through His Word.

Verse 3 and verse 11 of chapter 22 show that in a true revival people are convicted of their disobedience of God’s law and make a commitment to obey Him in the future. The character in the radio play was convicted by his wife’s intent to leave him. He then heard the Word of God preached and was convicted of his sin against God, his wife, and his children. God led him to commit to follow Christ, to commit to stay sober, and to be a godly husband and parent.

Verses 4-25 record how Josiah destroyed and desecrated the pagan places of worship and purified the temple and the priesthood. Unfortunately, as God said through the prophetess Hulldah, the efforts to purify the worship of Judah would not suffice. Judah would still receive the judgment in chapter 21.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Like Josiah, the king of an apostate and doomed country, like the formerly drunken mechanic, when life seems hopeless or without purpose, we must seek God’s direction from God’s Word.

Greg Bailey – Greenville, SC

Catechism

Question 59

Q. Which is the eighth commandment?

A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

Great and Almighty Lord, cause us to desire Thy will and way in our lives. Amen.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Anne Steele, Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional, 1760. Music: Tallis’ Ordinal, Thomas Tallis, circa 1567.

FATHER OF MERCIES, IN THY WORD
Click here for tune.

Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.

Here may the wretched sons of want
Exhaustless riches find;
Riches above what earth can grant,
And lasting as the mind.

Here the fair tree of knowledge grows
And yields a free repast;
And richer fruits than nature shows
Invite the longing taste.

Amidst these gloomy wilds below,
When dark and sad we stray,
Here beams of Heaven relieve our woe,
And guide to endless day.

Here springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind,
And thirsty souls receive supplies,
And sweet refreshment find.

Here the Redeemer’s welcome voice
Spreads heavenly peace around
And life and everlasting joys
Attend the blissful sound.

Oh, may these hallowed pages be
Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.

Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
O grant our fervent prayer,
Teach us to love Thy sacred Word,
And view the Savior there.

Thought Provoker

If evil in the world is only going to get worse (increase), why should I (we) live faithfully before the Lord, according to His will and way? Why not just follow the world?

Dad’s Study

Josiah reigned over Judah for 31 years. Looking at a chronology of his life we learn how important it is that each one who claims to be saved faithfully obey God’s will.

At age 8, Josiah became king of Judah (1-2). If the Book of the Law had not yet been recovered when Josiah became king, how did he know how to do what was right in the sight of Lord? (Parents, never underestimate the potential of godly influence, and remind your children that they are an influence to their peers—is it godly or evil?).At age 16 (year 8), according to 2 Chronicles 34:3, Josiah began to seek the Lord. Why do you think it took Josiah this long to begin to seek the Lord? (While a godly influence is good, it can go only so far; he needed God’s Word).

At age 20 (year 12), also according to 2 Chronicles 34:3-7, Josiah began religious reform (destroying the “high places” [This is more completely covered in 2 Kings 23]). How far would Josiah go to lead Judah back to God? (You will have to wait until tomorrow…).

At age 26 (year 18), Josiah began repair on the Temple (3-7). When the Book of the Law was discovered (8-10), Josiah’s immediate response was to repent for having disobeyed God, then seek to know whether God would follow through on His curses (11-14). Josiah was told that God would indeed punish Judah, but because he had humbled himself before God, Josiah would die before all the calamity began (15-20).

Josiah would reign over Judah for another 13 years. Would he remain faithful throughout his entire life? Did Josiah die in “peace”? (We will know tomorrow…).

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Look again at 2 Kings 22:18-19. Through the prophetess, God told Josiah why he wouldn’t endure the evil God was to bring on Judah: “…because thine heart was tender.”

What does the phrase “thine heart was tender” mean? Some would incorrectly conclude this means that Josiah was led by his emotions (“heart”) because of his young (“tender”) age, “before he was hardened by the evil world.”

When we speak of “heart” we are often referring to “emotions.” But this is not the way the Hebrews would have understood “heart.” In the Hebrew manner of thinking, the “heart” was never the center of emotion, but the center of volition (will). “Tender” is not a reference to age, but, in this instance, to Josiah’s character. He was “soft” or “weak” (to his own will). Positively, Josiah was “compliant” to the will of another. When it came to sin, Josiah was resolute in destroying idolatry (that doesn’t sound very tender hearted). When it came to seeking the Lord, Josiah was weak to do his own will (which means he was willingly obedient to His every command).

Why should we live faithfully before the Lord, even if all the world persists in sin? (Because it is God’s will, which is always the right thing to do).

Is your will (“heart”) weak, soft, or delicate (“tender”) against the Lord’s will?

Catechism

Question 59

Q. Which is the eighth commandment?

A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

Heavenly Father we thank You for the gift and blessing of children. We desire that all within our family might be graced with Your salvation. May Your Word today be effectual in drawing each one of us ever closer unto Thee – Amen.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719.

Who so much as they could realize the full meaning of the poet’s words? For they had been rescued from the darkness of heathenism and cannibalism and they were that day met for the first time under a Christian constitution, under a Christian king, and with Christ Himself reigning in the hearts of most of those present. That was indeed Christ’s kingdom set up in the earth.

JESUS SHALL REIGN
Click here for tune.

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north to south the princes meet,
To pay their homage at His feet.

There Persia, glorious to behold,
There India shines in eastern gold;
And barb’rous nations at His word
Submit, and bow, and own their Lord.

To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.

Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.

Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!

Great God, whose universal sway
The known and unknown worlds obey,
Now give the kingdom to Thy Son,
Extend His power, exalt His throne.

The scepter well becomes His hands;
All Heav’n submits to His commands;
His justice shall avenge the poor,
And pride and rage prevail no more.

With power He vindicates the just,
And treads th’ oppressor in the dust:
His worship and His fear shall last
Till hours, and years, and time be past.

As rain on meadows newly mown,
So shall He send his influence down:
His grace on fainting souls distills,
Like heav’nly dew on thirsty hills.

The heathen lands, that lie beneath
The shades of overspreading death,
Revive at His first dawning light;
And deserts blossom at the sight.

The saints shall flourish in His days,
Dressed in the robes of joy and praise;
Peace, like a river, from His throne
Shall flow to nations yet unknown.

Thought Provoker

Early in my ministry there was a faithful man of God who lived directly across the street from the church. He was faithful in church attendance and was graced with a heart of mercy and evangelism. Each week he would encourage the saints that were sick and weekly brought God’s Word to those in the nursing home. His ministry seemed to impact many, except those who were closest to him. God had blessed him with five sons. All five were prodigals. None followed in the way of the Lord. Two lived their lives out as drunkards, unwilling to provide for their own needs. His boys were a heartache. Once he shared his sad heart with these words, when they are young they step on your feet. As they grow old they walk on your heart.

Dad’s Study

There are few heartaches in this life that are more painful than watching your children who were raised under the banner of truth walk away from God into the pathway of a life of sin. How sad it is to see little ones who once prayed and sang praises grow up to reject God and His will for their lives. Oh, how it hurts to see the ugly scars of sin deface their lives. What pain there is in knowing they are walking in the pathway of eternal ruin.

*Sometimes prodigal children are the product of faulty parenting. Be encouraged that our God is merciful to all parents and children who cry out for forgiveness and divine help.

*If you have been faithful in your parenting, don’t continue to bear personal guilt for your prodigal child. Continue to pray for God’s intervening grace. He is a God who is mighty to save! Rest knowing your child’s eternal destiny is in the hands of a loving and sovereign God. Remember, Hezekiah did not live to see his son’s repentance.

*For those of you with children at home, it is never too late for change. Remember, it is not right techniques alone that will change a child’s heart, rather the grace of almighty God. As parents be faithful to bring to bear the ordinary means of grace – prayer, the Word, worship, and fellowship. Pray today for your children and ask that God might save and sanctify each one of them.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Pride is one of man’s greatest adversaries. It is a part of our carnal, sinful nature and proceeds forth out of our heart (Mark 7:20-23). Even for the Christian who has been redeemed, forgiven and delivered from the bondage of sin, pride remains as part of that remnant of indwelling sin. Our pride must be continually mortified (Colossians 3:5-11) in our bodies because once put down, it will come back up again in some other form. We must be constantly vigilant of our own hearts, searching and examining ourselves for even the slightest indication that pride is manifesting itself. Pray for humility, guard your heart, and ever seek to be like our Lord (Philippians 2:3-8).

Catechism

Question 58

Q. Which is forbidden in the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts (Mat. 5:28; Col. 4:6), words (Eph. 5:4; 2 Tim. 2:22), and actions (Eph. 5:3).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

O Thou terrible meek, let not pride swell my heart…. How can I flaunt myself proudly? Lowest abasement is my due place, for I am less than nothing before Thee. Help me to see myself in Thy sight, then pride must wither, decay, die, perish. Humble my heart before Thee, and replenish it with Thy choicest gifts.
The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Today’s Hymn

Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719.

Who so much as they could realize the full meaning of the poet’s words? For they had been rescued from the darkness of heathenism and cannibalism and they were that day met for the first time under a Christian constitution, under a Christian king, and with Christ Himself reigning in the hearts of most of those present. That was indeed Christ’s kingdom set up in the earth.

JESUS SHALL REIGN
Click here for tune.

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north to south the princes meet,
To pay their homage at His feet.

There Persia, glorious to behold,
There India shines in eastern gold;
And barb’rous nations at His word
Submit, and bow, and own their Lord.

To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.

Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.

Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!

Great God, whose universal sway
The known and unknown worlds obey,
Now give the kingdom to Thy Son,
Extend His power, exalt His throne.

The scepter well becomes His hands;
All Heav’n submits to His commands;
His justice shall avenge the poor,
And pride and rage prevail no more.

With power He vindicates the just,
And treads th’ oppressor in the dust:
His worship and His fear shall last
Till hours, and years, and time be past.

As rain on meadows newly mown,
So shall He send his influence down:
His grace on fainting souls distills,
Like heav’nly dew on thirsty hills.

The heathen lands, that lie beneath
The shades of overspreading death,
Revive at His first dawning light;
And deserts blossom at the sight.

The saints shall flourish in His days,
Dressed in the robes of joy and praise;
Peace, like a river, from His throne
Shall flow to nations yet unknown.

Thought Provoker

A Christian is to show hospitality, literally to be a lover of strangers. Part of hospitality is being a gracious host to your guest and doing all you can to make your guest feel comfortable in your home. What are some of the common things we do to make guests feel comfortable in our home? Of these, which, if not done from a right heart, could be motivated more by our pride than by a love for strangers? In what way could this be detrimental to the welfare of our family?

Dad’s Study

“In those days” Hezekiah became mortally ill. To understand the significance of this one must read 2 Chronicles 32 to place it in historical context. What had transpired immediately prior to this was God’s deliverance of Judah from the hand of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. As a result of this deliverance Hezekiah was exalted by the peoples and in the sight of other nations (2 Chronicles 32:23), but he did not acknowledge God’s deliverance and his heart became proud (2 Chronicles 32:25), and God’s wrath was upon him. So, it was “in those days” that he was struck ill and Isaiah was sent to him to proclaim God’s word to him.

Hezekiah was stricken by the pronouncement of God’s judgment and humbled himself before the Lord and repented of his pride. God, being faithful to His nature (1 John 1:9), forgave Hezekiah and allowed him to live, withholding His judgment and not bringing it upon Judah in Hezekiah’s day. However, Hezekiah’s pride would be directly responsible for Judah’s eventual captivity to Babylon. Hezekiah was very wealthy with great riches. When the envoy of Babylon made a call on Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 32 says that God let Him alone to test his heart. Once again Hezekiah’s pride came forth and he proudly displayed all of his wealth to the Babylonians and thus marked Judah for future conquest and pillaging.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Pride is one of man’s greatest adversaries. It is a part of our carnal, sinful nature and proceeds forth out of our heart (Mark 7:20-23). Even for the Christian who has been redeemed, forgiven and delivered from the bondage of sin, pride remains as part of that remnant of indwelling sin. Our pride must be continually mortified (Colossians 3:5-11) in our bodies because once put down, it will come back up again in some other form. We must be constantly vigilant of our own hearts, searching and examining ourselves for even the slightest indication that pride is manifesting itself. Pray for humility, guard your heart, and ever seek to be like our Lord (Philippians 2:3-8).

Catechism

Question 58

Q. Which is forbidden in the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts (Mat. 5:28; Col. 4:6), words (Eph. 5:4; 2 Tim. 2:22), and actions (Eph. 5:3).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

“Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it” (Psalm 90:16, 17).

Today’s Hymn

Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719.

Who so much as they could realize the full meaning of the poet’s words? For they had been rescued from the darkness of heathenism and cannibalism and they were that day met for the first time under a Christian constitution, under a Christian king, and with Christ Himself reigning in the hearts of most of those present. That was indeed Christ’s kingdom set up in the earth.

JESUS SHALL REIGN
Click here for tune.

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north to south the princes meet,
To pay their homage at His feet.

There Persia, glorious to behold,
There India shines in eastern gold;
And barb’rous nations at His word
Submit, and bow, and own their Lord.

To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.

Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.

Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!

Great God, whose universal sway
The known and unknown worlds obey,
Now give the kingdom to Thy Son,
Extend His power, exalt His throne.

The scepter well becomes His hands;
All Heav’n submits to His commands;
His justice shall avenge the poor,
And pride and rage prevail no more.

With power He vindicates the just,
And treads th’ oppressor in the dust:
His worship and His fear shall last
Till hours, and years, and time be past.

As rain on meadows newly mown,
So shall He send his influence down:
His grace on fainting souls distills,
Like heav’nly dew on thirsty hills.

The heathen lands, that lie beneath
The shades of overspreading death,
Revive at His first dawning light;
And deserts blossom at the sight.

The saints shall flourish in His days,
Dressed in the robes of joy and praise;
Peace, like a river, from His throne
Shall flow to nations yet unknown.

Thought Provoker

I know a man who has many children, the first two of whom are boys. The older boy is his pride and joy, while the second one is told to be like his brother all the time. You may already see how this might affect their family, especially the second boy. Everyone is different, and so is this boy. Often, being different does not mean being wrong, it just means there are different personalities and different ways of seeing the world around them.

Dad’s Study

Today’s chapter begins the history of the surviving kingdom. The Northern Kingdom had been destroyed and deported, judged by God for their abhorrent idolatrous practices. The Southern Kingdom had many wicked kings, as well as a population of people just as ready to sin as their brothers up north. There were, however, some kings and a remnant of God’s people, who would be stirred in spirit to put aside their personal wickedness and live for the Lord. Hezekiah was one of them.

Read verses 1-7. How does the passage describe the King (v. 5)? Because Hezekiah personally trusted in the Lord, what kinds of things did he do (v. 4)? In the case of the Southern Kingdom, they had followed in all the evil practices of their brothers in the Northern Kingdom except that they had the Temple in Jerusalem. Even this was polluted with idol worship, with false gods (carved idols) located throughout the Temple, women who “served” there, and many practices that only came to an end for a brief time during the reign of King Hezekiah’s grandson, Josiah. Because King Hezekiah’s heart was right with God, he made a great attempt to do away with the false gods of his time.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

We hear much today about how the Lord Jesus wants to save people, and He indeed desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And yet, a great number assume that salvation simply means that one’s eternal destiny is changed, but not necessarily their behavior. They think that ‘believing’ in Jesus will get them into heaven, but that they can live as they please. They want the part of grace that will declare them righteous, but not the part that enables them to repent of wicked actions. And yet, the grace of God is not divided, as King Hezekiah shows. Turning to God involves turning from idols. For us, turning to God will mean turning from our own sin to follow the Master.

Pastor Craig Chambers – Alberton, Montana

Catechism

Question 58

Q. Which is forbidden in the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts (Mat. 5:28; Col. 4:6), words (Eph. 5:4; 2 Tim. 2:22), and actions (Eph. 5:3).

Popularity: 1% [?]