Reap what you sow

 by David Long

"And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died" (Judges 1:4-7). What the king had done to others was now being done to him. We reap what we so (Gal. 6:7-8). This is a farming principle with spiritual application. 

Jesus is king and priest

 by David Long

Knowing the types and antitypes of the Bible helps combat error. There are people who believe and teach that Jesus will one day be king on earth and reign for a thousand years. But if you know the types and antitypes of the Bible then you know that can't be true. Melchisedec was a type of Christ (Psa. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1-21). Melchisedec was king and priest at the same time. Christ is king and priest at the same time (Zech. 6:12-13). If Christ were to be on earth He could not be a priest (Heb. 8:4). But He is king and priest right now! 

Can't stop the process

 by David Long

Read Eccl. 12:1-7. The Bible gives a description of aging. If a person lives long enough Eccl. 12:1-7 will happen to them. We can do some things to slow down the process and we can do some things to speed up the process but we can't stop the process. Some of the most sobering words in the Bible are Gen. 3:19. As each day passes we get a little closer to it. Sooner or later it happens to us all. 

God's covenant has two parts

 by David Long

"And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you" (Judges 2:1-3).

God's covenant has two parts: God's part and man's part. God makes the rules for the covenant and man's part is obedience. When man breaks God's covenant he suffers the consequences. 

Salvation has two parts: God's part and man's part. Man's part is to obey Jesus to obtain eternal salvation (Heb. 5:8-9). 

A generation that knew not God

 by David Long

"And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth" (Judges 2:10-13).

How is it that there arose another generation after the faithful generation that didn't know God? How could that happen? 

(1) They reject what they had been taught (Dt. 4:9). 

(2) They follow the bad examples around them (Judges 1:19-35; 1 Cor. 15:33).

(3) They chose to forsake God and serve idols (Joshua 24:15). 

The whole world lies in wickedness

 by David Long

"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness" (1 John 5:19). Not a good commentary on the first century world but things hasn't changed much between here and there. The phrase "lieth in wickedness" can mean "lies under the sway of the wicked one" or "in the power of the wicked one" or "under the control of the devil." How true that is. The masses never have followed God for very long. Only a few will be saved (Matt. 7:13-14). 

Rebellion

by David Long

Rebellion is a sin. How serious is rebellion? Listen to what Samuel told Saul in 1 Sam. 15:22-23, "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

Most people today are in rebellion against God's word, the Bible. What will the rebellious hear come Judgment Day? Read Matthew 7:22-23