The Song Of The Redeemed

The Song Of The Redeemed

I like it when something in a passage gets explained and it opens up. I’m sure I knew some of this before (though this old brain gets forgetful), but it struck me more today.

Rahab, when used as a symbol through the Old Testament, refers to Egypt. Now read this:

Isaiah 51:9-10 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

God defeated Egypt and made it so His people - the redeemed - could pass over the Red Sea to go to the Promised Land/Jerusalem (well, what would one day be called Jerusalem/Mount Zion). Now read the next verse which most of us probably know as a song. Literally, it refers to the nation of Israel; spiritually it applies to all God's people being delivered from their old master (sin and Satan) and going to the heavenly Zion.

Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

September 18, 2022
Jerry Bouey

In The Day When I Cried

In The Day When I Cried

Sometimes we think it is presumption to ask the Lord to answer a prayer today. Though if a prayer does seem more urgent, we may have asked the Lord to perfect (complete) that which concerneth us (from Psalm 138:8). If we have a need or a trouble, we may pray for it, expecting God to answer it in His own timing. But what happens if the need seems more urgent, if the trouble we are facing seems more dire, perhaps even time-sensitive? Is it presumptuous to pray, asking that the Lord answer our prayer today?

For example, what if someone's life hung in the balance, or a need or a bill needed to be taken care of today, but it solely depended upon God providing for that need?

First, some factors to consider, then some verses to look up on this theme:

1) Are we humble, trusting in the Lord?

Are we giving our need to the Lord and leaving it with Him in accordance with His will?

Sometimes we think a need has to be taken care of by a certain time, but God may delay (in our minds), but in the end still work out all things in His perfect timing. Can we leave all our cares and troubles and needs in His hands?

Of course, we need to make sure that to the best of our understanding of the Word of God and the wisdom that He provides that we are praying according to His will.

2) Then if we are sincerely seeking His will and humbly asking Him for our need, if the need still seems urgent and time-sensitive, consider the following verses:

Psalms 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

Psalms 18:18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

Psalms 20:1 The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

Psalms 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psalms 59:16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Psalms 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

Psalms 102:2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

Lamentations 3:57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.

Just some thoughts on my Bible reading this morning and meditating on Psalm 102:2 and related passages.

September 16, 2022
Jerry Bouey

Taken From The Evil To Come

Taken From The Evil To Come

One thing I love about the Word of God is that so many of its principles and promises are actually illustrated or portrayed in the lives of Bible characters themselves.

For example, I was discussing this passage a few days ago with a friend:

Isaiah 57:1-2 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

It is a mercy when a time of trouble or evil is coming upon a city or a nation, and the Lord mercifully takes some of His people home before that time.

This is clearly stated and portrayed in the lives of several of Israel's kings, such as (note, these examples are presented in the order they appear in the Old Testament, not in any order of importance):

Ahab - declared to be the most wicked of the kings of the northern kingdom, yet when God threatened judgement upon him and the nation of Israel, he sincerely repented and I believed got saved.

1 Kings 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Hezekiah - he got a bit prideful and made some foolish decisions, like showing Babylon all his riches, but the Lord had mercy upon him and his kingdom and held Babylon back from coming against Israel for several more generations.

2 Kings 20:17-19 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

2 Chronicles 32:26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

We could also add the most wicked king of Judah to that number, Manasseh. Though he was temporarily captured and enslaved by Babylon, he truly repented, and his kingdom did not face further judgement until quite a bit after he was off the scene. (Granted, the Bible does not directly state the reason Manasseh's kingdom was spared for a time, though the history shows it did not come until several generations later.)

2 Chronicles 33:11-13 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

Josiah - judgement was coming upon the southern kingdom for all their idolatry and rebellion against the Lord, but because king Josiah turned to the Lord with all his heart, the Lord brought revival during his reign. As a result, God waited a little bit longer before bringing Babylon against Israel. 

2 Chronicles 34:28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.

September 28, 2022
Jerry Bouey

See also Kingly Lessons - None Like These

She Was A Virgin - The Law Of First Mention

She Was A Virgin
(The Law Of First Mention)

Genesis 24:16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

This is interesting. Rebekah is stated to be both a virgin and not to have known a man. The Hebrew word here (Strong’s # h1330) for virgin is used often to denote a healthy young woman or young maiden (comparable to another word meaning healthy young man, not necessarily denoting purity) - though the next phrase shows she was pure (neither had any man known her).

However, a little later in the chapter it says this about her:

Genesis 24:43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

The word for virgin here is different - almah, Strong’s # h5959, which ALWAYS means virgin, pure, and is used in Isaiah 7:14 about the Messiah’s mother and in the title of Psalm 46 (ie. alamoth - virgins were to sing those songs in the temple worship).

The interesting thing is the differentiation between the two words. The first one means "young woman," not necessarily pure - so God clarifies on this case that Rebekah was pure. The second word continued the idea - showing she is what we typically refer to as a virgin. This is also the first use in the Bible of each word - therefore the first use of almah definitely shows a true virgin was in view, not just a young woman. And the law of first mention gives the usage of a word usually as it is used throughout the rest of the Bible.

The critics don’t have a leg to stand on with the word almah, as it only ever refers to a virgin in the Scriptures - never to just a young woman or maiden, AND the first time this word is used in the Bible, there is no doubt what kind of woman is being talked about; therefore setting the meaning and usage intended for the rest of God’s Word.

I thought that was worth passing on to all those who love to hold onto and defend their King James Bibles!

December 2, 2022
Jerry Bouey

The Lion Of God's Word

The Lion Of God’s Word

I love how the Apostle Paul used many images and comparisons in his preaching and writing to get the truth across to his readers, like in the following verse:

2 Timothy 2:8-9 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary says this about the word “bound” as used in this passage:

“…its ministry, course and efficacy were not hindered by the bonds and imprisonment suffered by the apostle.”

Even though Paul was imprisoned and bound, the Word of God was not.

“The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.” - Charles Spurgeon

“The Word of God can take care of itself, and will do so if we preach it, and cease defending it. See you that lion. They have caged him for his preservation; shut him up behind iron bars to secure him from his foes! See how a band of armed men have gathered together to protect the lion. What a clatter they make with their swords and spears! These mighty men are intent upon defending a lion. O fools, and slow of heart! Open that door! Let the lord of the forest come forth free. Who will dare to encounter him? What does he want with your guardian care? Let the pure gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries.” – Charles Spurgeon - (“The Lover of God’s Law Filled with Peace”, sermon #2004, January 1888)

Don’t hold back the lion - just let it out!

2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.

The phrase “free course” means “to run or walk hastily (literally or figuratively).” Paul’s desire was that the Word of God was running freely, achieving its intended affect in the lives of those who heard it, with nothing hindering it from doing so.

Psalms 147:15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.

Keep studying, keep applying what you have learned, and keep sowing the seed of the Word in the hearts of the lost around you. Let the lion of God’s Word out to roam.

Isaiah 55:8-11 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

I love how we can run in the path of God’s will when we understand His Word:

Habakkuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Psalms 119:32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

There’s A Lion In My Heart

There’s a lion in my heart,
Running freely through my veins;
I can’t hold back this power -
I give the Lord free reign.

This old world hates the Bible,
There’s no place left for God’s Word;
But still it cuts so deeply,
Through soul and spirit, like a sword.

Reading and studying daily,
Like Mary, at Jesus’ feet;
Searching for hidden treasures,
Gleaning wisdom and digging deep.

Mind filled and overflowing,
Mouth filled and opened wide;
I am weary with forbearing -
I cannot hold God’s Word inside.

Though at times I cannot speak,
And feel I am but a child,
There’s a lion in my soul,
Breaking free and running wild.

November 1st, 2022
Jerry Bouey