Old Testament reading: Isaiah 31-33
Where does your faith rest? Isaiah 31 continues the theme begun in chapter 30 with regard to the futility of trusting in armaments or earthly alliances to deliver in God’s day of wrath – “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!” (v 1). Why is such an alliance doomed to fail? Because “the Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fail, and he who is helped will fall down; they all will perish together” (v 3). Compare this to Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord of God.”
New Testament reading: 2 John, 3 John, Jude
There is no love apart from obedience. “He who has My commandments, and keeps them, is he who loves Me” (John 14:21). The theme of the inseparability of love and obedience is continued in John’s epistles – “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:2-3). But in 2 John we see not only the repetition of the command to love one another and keep God’s commands, but we are also given the reason for so doing. After repeating the Lord’s commandment to love one another (v 5, cf John 13:34-35), John exhorts the brethren saying, “This is love, that we walk in His commandments” (v 6). Then the reason is seen in verse 7, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world.” Loving one another and following the commands of God provides us with protection from false teachers. Loving one another causes us to focus on the well being of our brethren. Collectively keeping God’s commands creates a wall of protection against false teachers who might otherwise gain advantage over an isolated Christian. John encourages the brethren to take heed to things that have been worked for, and in so doing be assured of receiving a full reward from the Lord (v 8).
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