Trinity Bible Church

Prayer

Lord, Your Word is my sufficiency. It is that which is thorough and complete and able to guide me in all faith and practice. In all its perfectly harmonious parts, it is profitable for my growth and maturity. Help me to desire it more than pure gold, to thirst for it as a deer pants for water, and to handle it accurately as a serious student at the feet of his Master. How excellent is Your Word, O Lord!

Today’s Hymn

Words: Samuel Rodigast, 1676 (Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan); translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1863, and others. Rodigast wrote this hymn to cheer his friend Gastorius, precentor at Jena, who had become seriously ill. Gastorius not only recovered, but went on to write the tune for Rodigast’s words.

WHATE’ER MY GOD ORDAINS IS RIGHT
Click here for tune.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

Thought Provoker

As I watched the NCAA Basketball Championship game at a friend’s house, I was bothered by the plethora of pre-game hoopla that surrounded this event. Arriving several minutes late at the house for the tentative starting time, nevertheless, I found myself still sitting through half an hour of pre-game warm-ups involving interviews, statistics and comments before the game actually began (not to mention the onslaught of television commercials). “Just get on with the game,” I inwardly demanded. “Enough of this triviality!” It seems to me, as I reflect on the Scriptures, that we may possess some of this same attitude with certain parts of the Bible, parts that may appear unimportant and trivial.

Dad’s Study

1 Chronicles 8, from start to finish, examines the family tree of one man. 8:1 begins, “Now Benjamin begat” and 8:40 concludes, “All these are of the sons of Benjamin.” In between, we have a thorough examination of the descendants of Benjamin which unfolds without much if any fanfare and flare! Boring might be an optimistic remark by many as they encounter this section of the Bible (which concludes eight chapters of genealogies). But if we desire to give more than lip service to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we must conclude that all means all when we are exhorted, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

What benefits avail to us from a “plain vanilla” genealogy? Let me suggest several purposes for a genealogy and briefly apply those to our study in 1 Chronicles 8. One purpose of a genealogy is to highlight ñ such as certain events or character qualities or children. One obvious highlighting in this chapter is on the tribe of Benjamin, which ranked second in importance to Judah in Israel’s postexilic society and is examined in greater detail here as compared to its initial inclusion in 1 Chronicles 7. Another purpose of a genealogy is to shift focus, which this chapter does to the tribe of Benjamin and away from the other tribes. Still another purpose is to link, whether that be to events or places or names. The obvious linking in this genealogy is to King Saul, a Benjamite. A fourth purpose is to introduce ñ what soon follows this genealogy is an extensive commentary on Saul, a “grave” one at that, in preparation for the introduction of his predecessor, David. A final purpose of a genealogy is to summarize, and here in rapid fashion, the biblical record of the tribe of Benjamin.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

The importance of a genealogy isn’t just seen in principle, but also in practice. Dads, help your children to appreciate these literary nuggets called genealogies. First, the very inclusion of human genealogies teaches us that God chooses people, without a hint of favoritism, according to His good pleasure. Second, God uses certain individuals to carry out His plan (notice that only certain names of sons are listed, not all). Third, God transcends time. Though genealogies span many years and multiple generations, which come and go, God is still there, not constrained by time. Fourth, God fulfills His Word. Though death escapes no one, God’s promises remain true to His people throughout the ages, a people who are in an unbreakable covenant with God, even when death comes knocking at the door.

Indeed, all Scripture is profitable. Don’t wish certain parts away in anticipation of the “good stuff.” There is much to be learned throughout the Bible—even in the midst of a seemingly dry and barren family tree.

Pastor Jim Stevanus

Catechism

Question 62

Q. Which is required in the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment requires the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man (Zech. 8:16), and of our own (1 Peter 3:16; Acts 25:10), and our neighbour’s good name (3 John 12), especially in witness-bearing (Prov. 14:5, 25).

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Prayer

Sovereign and blessed Jesus: we know that the substance of even the Old Testament Scripture was to point to your sufferings and the glories that were to follow. Please enable us to see Your truth and to apply it to our lives in a real and manifest way. Do not leave us to ourselves, as we know that without Your Spirit we cannot really understand Your Word.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Samuel Rodigast, 1676 (Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan); translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1863, and others. Rodigast wrote this hymn to cheer his friend Gastorius, precentor at Jena, who had become seriously ill. Gastorius not only recovered, but went on to write the tune for Rodigast’s words.

WHATE’ER MY GOD ORDAINS IS RIGHT
Click here for tune.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

Thought Provoker

This chapter, together with the other chapters which open up 1 Chronicles, is one of those places where the Bible reader may quickly scan through and wonder about what relevance these God-inspired verses have to the Christian today. This is a good question, as we remember that all Scripture is given by God for the good of His people, and each verse of Scripture has its place. God doesn’t waste His Word and didn’t have His prophets write things which are not needed. So just what is the usefulness of this chapter, and of the chapters surrounding it?

Dad’s Study

We must remember that because all Scripture is not immediately relevant to our daily life doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its place in the complete revelation of God. There are direct lessons and applications, as well as indirect. For example, the Christian can read certain New Testament passages and it is immediately clear how we are to use them. We are told about a God-centered life where all that we do is to be to the glory of God (1Corinthians 10:31). We are told that we should not with the same tongue speak praises to God and yet curse men who have been made in His likeness (James 3:10). We are told that we should treasure Christ above all earthly relationships and possessions (Matthew 13:44). These passages can be seen as directly applying to us.

But what about 1 Chronicles 7? How does it apply? What is helpful is not first to think “how does this apply to me?” but rather “what did this mean to the original readers?” For the Old Testament Jew reading these passages at least three things would be known about God and His relationship to His people.

One is that God, notwithstanding the continual sins and rebellions of Israel, was keeping His promise to make of Abraham a great nation (Genesis 12:2). The LORD has promised that from Abraham would spring a great number of people. As we read what can be a tedious listing of names and descriptions of the families listed in 1 Chronicles, we remember that God had taken a childless man from a pagan country, changed his name, and made a promise which at the time seemed impossible. He was going to give Abraham an innumerable offspring. By reading the list, the Jew would know that God was keeping His promise.

The Old Testament Jew would also be reminded about his own family heritage as he read the list of the names of his ancestors. In some cases he would be reminded of those who had a very godly testimony, as well as those who were unfaithful to the LORD. It would be a reminder that being a descendant of Abraham itself was not a guarantee of godliness.

Lastly, the Israelite would see in these chapters a reminder of the sovereignty of God in raising up men who would serve Him. There is name after name, family after family listed. But it will ultimately be David whom God chooses to be His chosen vessel over Israel, and through whom would come the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Let us now try to apply these three things to ourselves:

We see that God, notwithstanding the unfaithfulness of His people, keeps His promises. He is a faithful Creator. Though we fail again and again, His supreme purpose of glorifying Himself through His people will be accomplished. Therefore we can trust Him, even when we would cry out with the Psalmist “the godly man ceases” (Psalm 12:1). The progress of the Kingdom of God is not dependent on man, but upheld and advanced by the God who has promised that His Truth will prevail.

We also should ask ourselves, when our children and grandchildren hear our name mentioned in future years, what kind of testimony will we have? Will our name be associated with compromise and unfaithfulness, or with a sacrificial and consuming zeal for the glory of God?

Finally, we should remember that it is God who determines how He will use each of us in His Kingdom. We should desire to be all that God wants us to be, but to be only what He wants us to be. With the hymn writer we should have the desire to be “content to fill a little space, if Thou be glorified” (Trinity Hymnal #444).

Pastor Stephen Gambill -Reformed Baptist Church of Nashville

Catechism

Question 62

Q. Which is required in the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment requires the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man (Zech. 8:16), and of our own (1 Peter 3:16; Acts 25:10), and our neighbour’s good name (3 John 12), especially in witness-bearing (Prov. 14:5, 25).

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Prayer

Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).

Today’s Hymn

Words: Samuel Rodigast, 1676 (Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan); translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1863, and others. Rodigast wrote this hymn to cheer his friend Gastorius, precentor at Jena, who had become seriously ill. Gastorius not only recovered, but went on to write the tune for Rodigast’s words.

WHATE’ER MY GOD ORDAINS IS RIGHT
Click here for tune.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

Thought Provoker

One of the great blessings God has given to His church is the gift of music. Songs of praise have been one of the defining marks of the Church. In a letter written to the Roman Emperor Trajan in AD 110, Pliny gave the following description of Christian worship, They are accustomed to meet, on a fixed day before daylight to sing a hymn of praise to Christ. Of the estimated 40,000 Christian hymns that have been published, fewer than 500 are in common use and less than 150 of them are well known. Here’s a brief quiz to give your family:
1. What is the first hymn written in the English language? (Behold the glories of the Lamb, Isaac Watts)

2. What is the oldest hymn of which we know the author? (Shepherd of Tender Youth. Clement of Alexandria, circa 200).

3. What is the most popular hymn? (Amazing Grace, John Newton)

4. Which American President wrote a hymn? (John Quincy Adams, The Hour-Glass)

5. Which hymn writer has fossils named after him? (Joahcim Neander – Neanderthal man – Praise to the Lord, the Almighty). For the full story click here: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/n/e/neander_j.htm

Dad’s Study

In verses 31-47 we find the names of three chief temple singers/musicians, Herman, his first assistant Asaph, and second assistant Ethan. In the accounts in Chronicles 4,000 of the 38,000 Levites chosen by David for temple service were musicians (15:16; 23:5). Temple music included trained singers and musicians who played harps, lyres, trumpets and cymbals. Also, a choir of a minimum of 12 (no maximum) adult male singers could be heard singing praises to God. For a glorious description of temple music read together 2 Chron. 5:11-14. When the temple was destroyed instrumental music fell into disuse.

Outside the book of Revelation, the New Testament has little to say about music. We know that Jesus sung a hymn with His disciples at the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30). Paul reminds us that our singing should be for edification (1 Cor. 14:26). All the saints are exhorted to address each other in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). James reminds us to sing cheerfully (James 5:13).

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

May God’s Spirit still your hearts today with a joyful song of praise. You might find John Wesley’s seven rules of singing helpful!

1. Learn the tune.

2. Sing them as they are printed.

3. Sing all. “If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.”

4. Sing lustily and with a good courage.

5. Sing modestly. Do not bawl.

6. Sing in time. Do not run before or stay behind.

Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually.

Catechism

Question 62

Q. Which is required in the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment requires the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man (Zech. 8:16), and of our own (1 Peter 3:16; Acts 25:10), and our neighbour’s good name (3 John 12), especially in witness-bearing (Prov. 14:5, 25).

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Prayer

LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that Walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart (Psalm 15:1-2). O holy Judge of all creation, create in our hearts a reverential fear of Thee. May we flee from the fires of hell into The gracious saving arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. Prune us that we might produce more fruit unto Thee!

Today’s Hymn

Words: Samuel Rodigast, 1676 (Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan); translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1863, and others. Rodigast wrote this hymn to cheer his friend Gastorius, precentor at Jena, who had become seriously ill. Gastorius not only recovered, but went on to write the tune for Rodigast’s words.

WHATE’ER MY GOD ORDAINS IS RIGHT
Click here for tune.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

Thought Provoker

With seven children, there is frequently one who, at one time or another, accuses me of playing favorites. From a kid’s perspective it always seems like someone else is getting all the attention, or escaping discipline. Perhaps you have had similar accusations from your family! They Jews felt that way about God. They believed that their God was partial to them. They thought that they were in better standing with God than the poor Gentiles. In short they wrongly thought that they were God’s favorite. As we are going to see in today’s chapter, there are no favorites with God when it comes to judgment. The playing field of God’s judgment is level. All will be judged on the same basis. Yesterday ,we saw that God has revealed Himself to all of His creation, but rather than worship Him and render Him thanks, they deny His existence and worship His creation. In fact, this history of mankind has been a history of sinful rebellion. Today, we are going to see that there are eternal consequences for breaking God’s law.

Dad’s Study

For the Jews who judged themselves to be better than the Gentiles, Paul reminds them that they will not escape the judgment of God (verses 1-3). God’s judgment will be equally applied to both Jews and Gentiles. God looks on a person’s heart, not his nationality (verses 9-11). This is very important. All of mankind will be judged the same. It doesn’t matter your occupation, family line, or nationality! You can be raised in a Christian home, your father and mother may be faithful saints, but you most stand alone before the judgment seat of God.

Discuss together: On what basis will He judge all mankind?

The answer in verse 6 might surprise you! God will judge every one based on his deeds, i.e. his works!

Discuss together: What kind of deeds will God judge us on?

The answer is found in verses 9-10. To those who do good, they will receive glory and honor. But to those who do evil, they will receive God’s wrath. The real issue is whether one does good or evil.

You might be objecting at this point, Paul, I thought that salvation comes by grace not by works (Eph. 2:8). Didn’t you say, Paul, in Titus 3:5, that we are not saved by works which we have done, but according to His mercy?

Discuss together: How can we be saved by God’s free grace and be eternally judged based on our good works?

On judgment day we will all be judged according to our deeds, although they will not really be our deeds, but God’s deeds, which He performed in and through us. If God has graced you with the new birth He will also grace you with a changed life. Those without grace will only have the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). Those found with grace will have the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and the good works that were ordained before the foundation of the world (Eph. 2:9-10. The issue here isn’t whether we are saved by works – we are not! Grace through faith, but a faith that produces good works, save us. In the courtroom of the Kingdom of God all the world will be assembled before Christ the righteous judge. A witness will be called to testify as to the validity of your faith and that witness will be your deeds. Remember, our deeds don’t earn salvation, they only exhibit its presence.

Discuss together: What are the two judgment alternatives mention in verses 7-8?

Before the throne of Christ there will be only two alternatives, eternal life and God’s eternal wrath (2 Thes. 1:9; Matt. 25:46). It is hard for our finite minds to imagine the painful horror of an eternity in hell. The Bible describes it as a lake of fire a place where the worm does not die and the fire in never quenched (Mark 9:48).

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Take comfort in the fact that heaven with Jesus for eternity will be infinitely beautiful and glorious.

Remind each in your family that all of you will one day stand before Jesus as judge. The good works that God worked through you in this life will be the evidence of whether God graced you with faith in His Son. Make sure that your faith in Christ is an active faith, a living faith. O may He produce much spiritual fruit in each of your lives. Judgment day will divide all of mankind into eternal life or to the eternal wrath of almighty God. Examine the evidence today. Would He find good works or dead deeds of the flesh?

Catechism

Question 62

Q. Which is required in the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment requires the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man (Zech. 8:16), and of our own (1 Peter 3:16; Acts 25:10), and our neighbour’s good name (3 John 12), especially in witness-bearing (Prov. 14:5, 25).

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Prayer

Teach us, O LORD, from Your Word and by Your Spirit, for we are very needful of Your help. We do not have anyone in heaven but You, and there is none upon the earth we desire besides You. Through Jesus, Your beloved Son, we come pleading as beggars for spiritual food. Yet we also come as children to a willing Father, asking that You would give us bread, knowing You will not act cruelly and give us a stone.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Henry F. Lyte, Spirit of the Psalms, 1834. This hymn was sung at the wedding of the future Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, in Westminster Abbey, London, 1947.

PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN
Click here for tune.

Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise Him for His grace and favor
To our fathers in distress.
Praise Him still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness.

Fatherlike He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows.

Frail as summer’s flower we flourish,
Blows the wind and it is gone;
But while mortals rise and perish
Our God lives unchanging on,
Praise Him, Praise Him, Hallelujah
Praise the High Eternal One!

Angels, help us to adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.

Thought Provoker

“Who do I call?” Such may be the question that immediately arises in a time of trouble or tragedy. Perhaps a child has been hurt, a car has broken down, or the roof suddenly springs a leak in the midst of a heavy rainstorm. Some people put a list of telephone numbers on the refrigerator, or program their speed dial on their telephone so that the right people can be contacted in times of emergency.

In our Scripture reading today, the Psalmist will tell us Who it is that he calls upon, and just why he has chosen God to be His help in time of trouble.

Dad’s Study

As we study this Psalm, let us look at several things we are told about the LORD God that makes Him such a trustworthy help in time of trouble. The first is that He is the one who made heaven and earth. This is a summary phrase, which doesn’t simply mean this planet and our sky, but it is an expression relating to us that God made all things “below” and “above.” In other words, everything we see down here on our planet, as well as everything out there above and beyond us. He is the Creator of the entire cosmos. And He who created all things is all-powerful, having created all things out of nothing. The power of God is more than all the suns and stars put together. Not only greater, but infinitely greater.

Another thing we are told is that He never slumbers nor sleeps. This means that He is inexhaustible. He does not tire with the exertion of His power. Because of this, He is never unavailable. The best of our military, police force, medical personal, and others who help us in time of trouble eventually tire and need rest. They sometimes do not arrive quickly enough because they are detained or too distant from us. But God is not like that, for He is a God who is near and available to His people. We also read in this Psalm that He is the God who keeps and preserves His people in covenant faithfulness. This is conveyed in little expressions such as “He will not”, “He will”, “The LORD is,” and “the LORD shall.” There are certain things God commits Himself to do on behalf of His people. While this isn’t always done in a way that we expect (His ways are sometimes strange and mysterious), nevertheless He will not fail nor forget to act on behalf of His children.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

I want to point us to one simple reminder today, that there is none like God. There are a multitude of “gods” available to us, things which we can be tempted to put our ultimate trust and confidence in. They are things from which we derive a sense of security. They may come in the form of our investments, insurance policies, job security, people, food, education, or even our obedience. But all of these are poverty stricken substitutes for trust in the Lord our God. There is none like Him, and we should call upon Him afresh today, pledging our allegiance to Him as well as our dependence on Him.

As we lift up our eyes in the day-by-day needs of our life, what or who will we look to? Where do we look for our help? Is it to the all powerful, never exhausted, covenant keeping God? Or will we look to substitutes that will ultimately disappoint and fail? May we look to Him who is the living and true God.

Pastor Stephen Gambill – Reformed Baptist Church of Nashville

Catechism

Question 61

Q. Which is the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

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