Trinity Bible Church

Prayer

Lord God, grant me the chief part of wisdom—a greater fear of the Lord in my heart. Amen.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Joachim Neander, in A und Ω Glaub- und Liebes¸bung (Straslund: 1680); translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1863.

PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY
Click here for tune.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

Thought Provoker

There are many people who are considered “experts,” or “smart,” or “wise” in this world, who in God’s eyes are exactly the opposite. According to Proverbs 1, what is the chief part of wisdom?

Dad’s Study

The Bible gives us the building blocks and the principles for all that we will face in this life. And the book that we are now beginning in these devotional studies is full of such principles for a godly life. It deals with a multitude of practical questions—how we ought to raise and discipline our children, what company we should keep, what kind of workers we ought to be, what we should do if we’re in debt, etc. But just as the historical portions of Scripture are more than mere human events and chronologies, the book of Proverbs is more than mere human advice and helpful hints. All of the practical principles of this book center on one primary concept—the fear of God:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning [or, chief part] of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (v.7).

It is not a stretch to say that the whole thrust of the book is to outline what it means to fear the Lord in the daily operations of life. The concept of the fear of the Lord is brought up at least 16 times throughout the book, and is mentioned twice in this first chapter, and that is because it is absolutely central to godly living. It is central as our motivation for godly living. That is, the fact of God’s might and holiness and justice ought to stir us up to do the things contained in this book. We ought to see all of these principles as coming from the mouth of God. A person who fears the Lord is conscious that God is present at all times, and sees all he does. Therefore, his work is done “in the fear of the Lord”—it is motivated by His knowledge of and relationship to God.

The fear of the Lord also reminds us of our goal in godly living. Ultimately, we are not trying to make sure we have kids that don’t embarrass us, or that we have a well ordered bank account. We are seeking to honor the Most High God, and these practical areas of living are the means God has given us to bring Him honor.

As we venture into this book, let us be mindful of this primary theme and purpose in Proverbs. Not a single concept in this book must be cut off from the living relationship we have with our God. Every duty in proverbs has the authority of God behind it, and none of these principles are lived out properly without the right heart of love to God motivating them all.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Two issues are brought up in this chapter as practical applications of fearing God. The first is that those who fear God will not run with those who do not (vv10-19). What do your present relationships say about your fear of God? The second issue is that those who fear God listen to Him and to others who fear God, especially their parents (vv8-9, 20-29). What is your track record as a young person regarding listening to your parents? And what is your track record as an adult in continuing to apply the truth you read in your devotions and hear in sermons? Those who fear God “listen” and “do.”

Catechism

Question 6

Q. How many persons are there in the Godhead?

A. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory (1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

Lord God, grant me the chief part of wisdom—a greater fear of the Lord in my heart. Amen.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Joachim Neander, in A und Ω Glaub- und Liebes¸bung (Straslund: 1680); translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1863.

PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY
Click here for tune.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

Thought Provoker

There are many people who are considered “experts,” or “smart,” or “wise” in this world, who in God’s eyes are exactly the opposite. According to Proverbs 1, what is the chief part of wisdom?

Dad’s Study

The Bible gives us the building blocks and the principles for all that we will face in this life. And the book that we are now beginning in these devotional studies is full of such principles for a godly life. It deals with a multitude of practical questions—how we ought to raise and discipline our children, what company we should keep, what kind of workers we ought to be, what we should do if we’re in debt, etc. But just as the historical portions of Scripture are more than mere human events and chronologies, the book of Proverbs is more than mere human advice and helpful hints. All of the practical principles of this book center on one primary concept—the fear of God:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning [or, chief part] of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (v.7).

It is not a stretch to say that the whole thrust of the book is to outline what it means to fear the Lord in the daily operations of life. The concept of the fear of the Lord is brought up at least 16 times throughout the book, and is mentioned twice in this first chapter, and that is because it is absolutely central to godly living. It is central as our motivation for godly living. That is, the fact of God’s might and holiness and justice ought to stir us up to do the things contained in this book. We ought to see all of these principles as coming from the mouth of God. A person who fears the Lord is conscious that God is present at all times, and sees all he does. Therefore, his work is done “in the fear of the Lord”—it is motivated by His knowledge of and relationship to God.

The fear of the Lord also reminds us of our goal in godly living. Ultimately, we are not trying to make sure we have kids that don’t embarrass us, or that we have a well ordered bank account. We are seeking to honor the Most High God, and these practical areas of living are the means God has given us to bring Him honor.

As we venture into this book, let us be mindful of this primary theme and purpose in Proverbs. Not a single concept in this book must be cut off from the living relationship we have with our God. Every duty in proverbs has the authority of God behind it, and none of these principles are lived out properly without the right heart of love to God motivating them all.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Two issues are brought up in this chapter as practical applications of fearing God. The first is that those who fear God will not run with those who do not (vv10-19). What do your present relationships say about your fear of God? The second issue is that those who fear God listen to Him and to others who fear God, especially their parents (vv8-9, 20-29). What is your track record as a young person regarding listening to your parents? And what is your track record as an adult in continuing to apply the truth you read in your devotions and hear in sermons? Those who fear God “listen” and “do.”

Catechism

Question 6

Q. How many persons are there in the Godhead?

A. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory (1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

Thank You, Father, for all that You are and all that You have done for Your people. Thank You for Your sustaining grace and how You keep Your people, provide for them and defend them. Father, cause us to contemplate Your wonderful works, meditate upon them in our hearts, and praise You for Your love. Amen.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Joachim Neander, in A und Ω Glaub- und Liebes¸bung (Straslund: 1680); translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1863.

PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY
Click here for tune.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

Thought Provoker

What is man’s chief end? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. So begins the catechism and so ends the Psalms. Psalm 150 is the culmination of the Psalms; Spurgeon referred to it as a rapture of praise. Each of the last 5 Psalms begins with “Praise the Lord!” and each builds into a crescendo of praise in Psalm 150, where we read, “Praise the Lord” or”Praise Him” 13 times in 6 verses.

Dad’s Study

In this short but potent Psalm of praise we find these truths regarding the praise and worship of God:

• Where God should be praised. (verse 1)
• Why God should be praised. (verse 2)
• How God should be praised. (verses 3-5)
• Who should praise God? (verse 6)

The only thing this Psalm does not tell us about the praise of God is when we are to praise Him. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Heb 13:15). Therefore, let us with joyful hearts continually offer up praise to God through Jesus Christ our Lord for His mercy and love to His people.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Psalm 1 opens the Psalms with a description of our duty before God. Psalm 150 closes out the Psalms with the truth that we are to continually praise God. This flow and theme teaches us that knowing what God requires of us and doing it before Him continually will naturally yield forth praise to Him from a joyful heart. The commands of God are not a burden; His yoke is light and those who obey His Word do not do so simply out of drudgery or duty, but because they know it produces joyful worship and praise of the most holy God. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Mat. 11:28-30).

Catechism

Question 6

Q. How many persons are there in the Godhead?

A. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory (1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being( Psalm 148:1-2).

Today’s Hymn

Words: George S. Smith, 1887; published in the Salvation Army’s Musical Salvationist, June 1891.

BEHOLD HIM NOW ON YONDER TREE
Click here for tune.

The Prince of Peace, the heavenly King;
O what can His transgression be
Such shameful punishment to bring?
And lo, a thief hangs on each side;
Who justly suffers for his crime.
But why should Christ be crucified,
The One so holy, so divine?

Refrain
It was for me, yes, even me,
That Jesus died on Calvary;
My soul to cleanse from all its guilt,
His precious blood my Savior spilt.

O sinner, see, for you and me
He freely suffers in our stead;
And lo, He dies upon the tree;
Behold, He bows His sacred head!
So pure, yet He has borne our guilt,
By death our ransom He has paid;
It was for us His blood was spilt;
Our every sin on Him was laid.

Refrain

O loving Savior, take my heart,
No longer can I live from Thee!
With all unlike Thee now I part;
Thy wondrous love has conquered me.
I yield to Thee my little all;
Accept me now, Lord, as Thine own;
I’ll be obedient to Thy call
And spend my life for Thee alone.

Refrain

Thought Provoker

In support of whole hearted worship, Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, “God is to be praised with the voice, and the heart should go therewith in holy exultation.” Where the last Psalm was a hymn in praise of the Creator, today’s Psalm 149 is a hymn of whole hearted praise to the Redeemer. Spurgeon wrote a devotional classic entitled, “Morning and Evening.” Today we sit at the feet of the Prince of Preachers as he stirs our heart to great worship!

Dad’s Study

Be glad of heart, O believer, but take care that thy gladness has its spring in the Lord. Thou hast much cause for gladness in thy God, for thou canst sing with David, God, my exceeding joy. Be glad that the Lord reigneth, that Jehovah is King! Rejoice that he sits upon the throne, and ruleth all things! Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. That he is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. That he is mighty, should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness. That he is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass. That he is unchanging, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour. That he is full of grace, that he is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant he has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory—all this should tend to make us glad in him. This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy. The Christian feels that he may delight himself not only in what God is, but also in all that God has done in the past. The Psalms show us that God’s people in olden times were wont to think much of God’s actions, and to have a song concerning each of them. So let God’s people now rehearse the deeds of the Lord! Let them tell of his mighty acts, and sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously. Nor let them ever cease to sing, for as new mercies flow to them day by day, so should their gladness in the Lord’s loving acts in providence and in grace show itself in continued thanksgiving. Be glad ye children of Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God.

C. H. Spurgeon, “Morning and Evening.”

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Has the Lord given you new life? Has He graced you with a new heart? Have old things passed away and all things become new? Then God has placed on your lips a new song of praise to your Redeemer! Today, God has brought to you new mercies and appreciation of His infinite glory! Therefore, make a new song to God. Sing together as a family the old words of the old hymns, made new by new affections!

Catechism

Question 5

Q. Are there more Gods than one?

A. There is but one only (Deut. 6:4), the living and true God (Jer. 10:10).

Popularity: 2% [?]

Prayer

But I trusted thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake Psalm 31: 14-16.

Today’s Hymn

Words: George S. Smith, 1887; published in the Salvation Army’s Musical Salvationist, June 1891.

BEHOLD HIM NOW ON YONDER TREE
Click here for tune.

The Prince of Peace, the heavenly King;
O what can His transgression be
Such shameful punishment to bring?
And lo, a thief hangs on each side;
Who justly suffers for his crime.
But why should Christ be crucified,
The One so holy, so divine?

Refrain
It was for me, yes, even me,
That Jesus died on Calvary;
My soul to cleanse from all its guilt,
His precious blood my Savior spilt.

O sinner, see, for you and me
He freely suffers in our stead;
And lo, He dies upon the tree;
Behold, He bows His sacred head!
So pure, yet He has borne our guilt,
By death our ransom He has paid;
It was for us His blood was spilt;
Our every sin on Him was laid.

Refrain

O loving Savior, take my heart,
No longer can I live from Thee!
With all unlike Thee now I part;
Thy wondrous love has conquered me.
I yield to Thee my little all;
Accept me now, Lord, as Thine own;
I’ll be obedient to Thy call
And spend my life for Thee alone.

Refrain

Thought Provoker

I once knew a young man who regularly attended church, and even led the student ministry of his denomination on his college campus. However, he “knew not the scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29) As he grew, suffered hardship, married, and had a family he became depressed, desperate, and without direction in life.

In the midst of his depression he was talked into teaching a children’s Sunday school class. To do so he had to study the scriptures and seek to have them explained to him so that he could in turn teach the children in his charge. The Word of God began to change him. God used the scriptures to bring about conviction of sin and then a joyful commitment to follow Christ. Though this story is true of one individual in 20th century America, it is also parallel to the true story of the Jews in Jerusalem during Nehemiah’s day.

Dad’s Study

In verses 1-6, Ezra simply read the scriptures to the people of Jerusalem, and it had effect. In I Timothy 4:13, Paul tells his young pastor protégé to give himself to the public reading of the Word. The simple reading of the Word (publicly and privately) is of value, even to those whose eyes have not been opened by the Holy Spirit.

In verses 6-8, priests and Levites went among the people and explained the scriptures that Ezra had read. In Acts 8:26-39, read of Phillip explaining Isaiah to the Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch was led to search for God in the scriptures, but he needed a teacher to explain the meaning of foreign writings to him. We have a need not only to read or hear the Word of God, but also to have Spirit indwelled persons preach and teach the meaning of the Word to us.

In verses 6 and 9-12 the people do something remarkable: they are in awe of God based on the Word they have heard and have had explained to them. They fall on their faces to worship God. And from the reaction of Nehemiah, Ezra, and the scribes and Levites, they were mourning and grieving over their sin. The leaders had to tell them that the time was for joy, not for mourning. The reading and understanding of the Word was something to celebrate. God’s glory before them and their conviction of sin by His glory was something to celebrate.

In verses 13-18, they returned for more “reading, preaching and teaching” of God’s Word. They heard that they were in the month for the Feast of Tabernacles and immediately and enthusiastically gathered materials and built little shelters and stayed in them until the festival was over.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

We should always promote the reading and explaining (preaching and teaching) of the scriptures, for God has commanded it. If we need any further encouragement to do so, preaching is the primary means God uses to convert sinners to Himself. As we have seen in the books of Kings, Chronicles, and Nehemiah, and in the true revivals of religion in our world (The Reformation, The Great Awakenings, and other movements) the reading of the Word can remake whole societies and save souls for eternity.

Greg Bailey, Greenville, SC

Catechism

Question 5

Q. Are there more Gods than one?

A. There is but one only (Deut. 6:4), the living and true God (Jer. 10:10).

Popularity: 1% [?]