Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”  (NKJV)

A valuable saying from Solomon in the earlier days of his reign, when his gift of wisdom revealed many things, some of which were most unpleasant to bear, hence the style of his writing in Ecclesiastes. [Read more…]

Romans 1:4. Designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.     Last Saturday I wrote about a word that had been changed from plural to singular in nearly all translations. Apparently it is not an uncommon thing to find, because here is another example. Notice the phrase by His resurrection from the dead.  Now to those who can read Greek, I would advise that you have a look at the original and see what you find. [Read more…]

[The Lord said] “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he [Abraham] said, “Here, in the tent.” And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)  Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”  (Gen.18:9-15) [Read more…]

“He has put eternity in their hearts”  Ecclesiastes 3:11

Here is the full text of that verse – “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, so that man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.”

Just what does this mean?  It is often quoted in Biblical literature, as though it contains something very special, but few attempt to unlock its meaning. Let’s have a go. I don’t want my ideas to intrude here. I’ll only reveal what the Hebrew Lexicon says. [Read more…]

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jeremiah said, ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.’  (Jer.32:17)

The words “too hard” come from the same Hebrew root as the word “wonderful” in the Isaiah passage.  Is there anything too wonderful, too hard, for the Lord?  Anything beyond His creative and redemptive ability? [Read more…]

And the Gates of the City shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.”  (Rev.21:25)

“The Gates shall not be shut at all by day”.  In the Greek there is a double negative here, which is always used to emphasise some important fact. We might translate as follows – “The Gates shall by no means ever be shut by day”. It is as though the Lord wanted us to know that He would never, ever, shut His Gates. And why is this? [Read more…]

In the Old Testament Jesus is presented four times as “The Branch” It will be helpful to look at these.

Jeremiah 23:5-6. “I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper.”

Zechariah 3:8.  “Behold I will bring forth my Servant the Branch.”

Zechariah 6:12.  “Behold the Man whose name is the Branch.”

Isaiah 4:2.  “In that day the Branch of Jehovah shall be beautiful and glorious.”

[Read more…]

“What does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deut.10:12.

Such strong, robust, heart-warming words could never give the impression that “the fear of the Lord” was terrifying. Let’s see what some O.T. writers said about the “fear of the Lord”. [Read more…]

To Judah and Jerusalem

The Prophet said to Judah and Jerusalem, “My people have forgotten me . . . they have stumbled in the ancient roads and have gone off into bypaths, not the highway. . . . Behold I am shaping evil against you . . . .return from your evil ways and amend your doings . . . . or I will show you my back and not my face in the day of your calamity. “ [Read more…]

There is a whole world of difference between “knowing the Lord” and knowing about the Lord. The prophet Jeremiah had this to report –

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD. (Jer.9:23-24) [Read more…]