Thought for the Week
Each week Brother Joe Norton shares his inspirational insights to Scripture.
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Fourth of four Word Studies of 1 Peter 2:17
“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). By “honor,” Peter means to give respect that is due to those in positions of authority. That we do not live under a “King” does not negate our responsibilities to keep this command. Those in authority have been put in power for our good; so, we “honor” them, even when their behavior does not appear to be deserving. As God’s faithful children, we have learned from scripture that the best way to “honor” anyone is to obey his word—that is true in our relationship with God, and it also holds true in our relationship with secular authorities so long as they do not give a command that violates the law of God. By being good citizens and by obeying the laws of the land in which we live, we, first of all, honor God, but, secondly, we serve as an example to others. Hopefully, our fellows can observe our behavior and be influenced to learn more about what motivates us to good citizenship, thus giving us an opportunity to tell them about Jesus. Joe Third of four Word Studies of 1 Peter 2:17
“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). Unfortunately, we live in a world that pictures fear as a really bad thing when we are discussing our relationship with God. That’s an interesting idea in view of the fact that the Bible teaches repeatedly that we are to fear God. “Fear,” as used here as well as in many other passages, refers to a reverential fear of God. It is a fear that “banishes the terror that shrinks from His presence.” And it replaces it with love, respect, and reverence for Him and with “a wholesome dread of displeasing Him.” So, the kind of fear Peter teaches here is a positive stimulant for us as we navigate the Christian life, doing our best to maintain a healthy relationship with God as we look forward to eternal life with Him some day. Joe Second of four Word Studies of 1 Peter 2:17
“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). The “love” enjoined in this command is agapao, meaning to value, to esteem, to behave unselfishly, to treat with respect, and/or to have the best interest of others in one’s heart. “Brotherhood” refers to “a community based on identity of origin,” to “persons united by a common interest,” or to “a brotherly relation.” So, our brotherhood is the church—a group of people bound together by a common faith in God and in Jesus Christ, by a common determination to follow God’s word, and by an intense interest in the spiritual welfare of our fellow Christians. That being said, we can never lose sight of our mutual responsibilities: we cannot say that as individuals or as congregations we will do as we please, regardless of what others think. As a brotherhood of loving people, we must maintain an attitude that shows a deep concern about our influence on others. Joe First of four Word Studies of 1 Peter 2:17
“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). One of the overriding principles taught in the New Testament is that we as Christians imitate Christ in the daily conduct of our lives. The Epistle of First Peter seems to be especially rich in such teaching. “Honor” means to pay respect to or to esteem others. “All people” literally includes all human beings, regardless of their status in life. In fact, a part of our honoring God is to show respect not only to our fellow Christians but also to all other human beings with whom we interact. Such a principle does not mean we approve of sinful actions: it just means we treat others with decency and respect with the hope we can influence them to come to Christ. Following this principle requires us to develop all of those qualities centered around patience, including being long-suffering, avoiding outbursts of anger, tolerating non-sinful mannerisms that may annoy us, and just generally accepting that it is okay for human beings to behave differently in matters of liberty. Joe “Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed” (Proverbs 27:5) Honesty is the best policy is an axiom that has been handed down from generation to generation from time immemorial, and it is never so true as it is when it describes truthfulness in relationships. The preacher says in this passage that a true friend is one who will “rebuke” us when we need it rather than withholding from us what we really need to hear under the pretense of friendship or of not wanting to hurt our feelings. Such a situation is deceitful—it constitutes withholding love rather than displaying it. Sometimes we need correcting so that we can avoid making ourselves look foolish or getting ourselves into an embarrassing situation. And the ability to give and to receive correction without being offended lays the foundation for a true friendship. Joe “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say and do not do” (Matthew 23:2-3).
Introducing one of the most scathing rebukes ever executed against any group of people, Jesus wastes no time in giving this instruction to the masses: heed the words of the Pharisees, but do not follow their example. Surely this message angered the Pharisees, but there was no misunderstanding what Jesus meant. God demands that people live up to what they profess—in other words, He doesn’t accept those who say one thing and then do another. The Pharisees professed to be religious and thought in their own minds they were religious, but actually they were only following a tradition that had been handed down to them. Profession alone is not enough as far as our relationship with God is concerned. For us to be pleasing to God and to inherit the eternal home He has prepared for the faithful, we must be a people whose religion is real—whose lives demonstrate that we are not just pretending to be a spiritually-minded person but that we are sincere in our declarations of devotion to God. Joe “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21).
Instruction to fathers is fairly limited in the New Testament except for teaching about living according to the standards God has given for everyone in His word. The word “provoke” means deliberately making someone angry. When fathers do provoke, they may arouse a variety of emotions in children that may be detrimental to their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development; and the children may feel defeated—even to the point of feeling they can’t live up to any standard of good. Rather than provoking, fathers are to follow God’s example as our Heavenly Father by protecting, providing for, loving, and disciplining children. When earthly fathers fulfill these four responsibilities, they set a standard for children to emulate but also provide a safe haven in which children can feel nurtured and secure Joe “So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6).
Set in the time when Nehemiah is overseeing the re-construction of the wall around Jerusalem, this verse provides a key to the success of that project: “the people had a mind to work” or as another translation says, “a heart to work,” meaning they set their minds to the task and worked vigorously to complete the project. Nehemiah risks life and limb to rebuild this wall, but he is unscathed by the criticism, offers of compromise, ridicule, threats, or any other obstacles the enemies of the Jewish people hurl at him. Working quickly after his arrival in Jerusalem, he privately surveys the scene, encourages the rulers with his report of answered prayers, organizes the workers—and they complete the massive project in fifty-two days. Can we allow our minds eye to contemplate the success we may have in the church today if we can convince leaders and members to have “a heart to work”? With every member participating and with the blessing of God, we can achieve more than we can even imagine for the Cause of Christ. Joe “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). “Trust” is a word as used here that carries with it a firm belief in the unfailing reliability of God. Solomon increases the intensity of this conviction by adding the words “with all your heart.” Our humanity leads us toward relying only on our own abilities and understanding of situations, but the preacher here says, “NO! Take a deep breath and allow God’s will to work.” The truth is we don’t always see the whole picture of any situation because we are not all-knowing as God is. Situations that seem hopelessly flawed, seemingly having no possibility of a positive outcome, can work out better than we ever imagined if we Trust in the Lord and allow His providence to work. While we don’t live in the age of miracles, we do know God loves us beyond comprehension and wants the best for us. That’s all we need to know. Joe Third in a series of studies of Proverbs 10:23-25
“When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation” (Proverbs 10:25). “Whirlwind” represents judgment in this verse. The scriptures make it clear that Judgment Day is coming and that it will be shocking to all, but especially to those who have chosen a “wicked” lifestyle. The metaphor of the whirlwind indicates speed as well as uncertainty. The whirlwind moves so quickly that the observer is dazzled when trying to keep up with it as well as being uncertain about where it will go next. Solomon says judgment will come in such a way—it will come and go quickly, and the “wicked” will have no time for transforming their lives. Judgment will come just as quickly for the “righteous,” but consequences for them will be quite different, the preacher says. The righteous have built their lives around that which has created a solid spiritual foundation; so they can look forward to the eternal home prepared for those who love the Lord and follow His word. Joe |
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