SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/14/2020 9:40 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “The
Permanence of Scripture”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew 5:18
Message of the verse: “18 Indeed, I assure you that, while Heaven and earth last, the Law will not lose a single dot or comma until its purpose is complete.”
A couple of things before we begin to look at this
passage, first I can say that this will be a long introduction, taking a few
days to get through, and second I want to give out the title to MacArthur’s 23
chapter in his commentary: “Christ and
the Law—part 2 The Permanence of Scripture.”
We have talked in earlier SD’s that the people whom Jesus
was speaking of were certainly looking forward to having the Messiah come to
earth. They wanted the Messiah to lessen
the requirements of the Law and even the traditions that the Scribes and the
Pharisees have made up. However we have
also seen that Jesus had not come to diminish the law in the least bit, but to
uphold and fulfill it in every detail.
If we were looking at the NASB95 we would see that at the
beginning of verse 18 these words “truly I say to you,” as Jesus confirmed the
special importance of what He was about to say.
MacArthur writes Amen (‘truly’)
was a term of strong, intense affirmation.
Jesus was saying ‘I say this to you absolutely, without qualification
and with the fullest authority.’”
The
teaching that Jesus gives was not only absolute but His teachings were
permanent. He goes on to say “Until
heaven and earth pass away” and this represents the end of time as we know it,
the end of earthly history. I for one am
thankful that these words are found in this verse ad it demonstrates that at
some time the earth will be done away with and we know from past studies that
that will happen at the end of the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ which can
be seen in 2 Peter 3:10. We can see from
this statement that God’s Word will outlast the universe. I want to look at 2 Peter 3:7-10 “7 But by His word
the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of
judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But
do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord
one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord
is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward
you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the
elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will
be burned up.” The psalmist spoke
of something similar in Psalm 102 25-26 “25 “Of old You founded the earth, And
the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 “Even they will perish, but You
endure; And all of them
will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will
be changed.” Now we move to some
verses in the book of Isaiah: “6 “Lift
up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like
smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in
like manner; But My
salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane.” “And all the host of heaven will wear
away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also
wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the
fig tree.” (Isa. 34:4). “12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a
great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair,
and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the
earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The
sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and
island were moved out of their places” (Rev. 6:12-14). This judgment spoken of in Revelation is from
what is called the seal judgments, the first of three sets of judgments that total
21.
We
now want to look forward into the book of Matthew where Jesus is giving one of
if not His last sermon which we call “The Olivet Discourse.” This is seen in chapters 24-25 and in 24:35
we read “"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass
away.” The Olivet Discourse goes along
with chapters 6-19 of the book of Revelation.
John MacArthur writes “What was true of the law, in its fullest meaning
as the Old Testament, was also true of Jesus’ teaching. It is timeless.
“It
is incredibly foolish to ask, ‘What does the Bible, a two-thousand year-old
book, have to say to us today?’ The
Bible is the eternal Word of the eternal God.
It ‘is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword’ (Heb.
4:12). It has long preceded and will
long outlast every person who questions its validity and relevancy.”
Lord
willing, we will continue to look at this introduction in our next SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I am thankful for that phrase “while heaven
and earth last” found in the Phillips Bible because of reasons I stated above.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Live today like the Lord will come today, and
do this every day, and also to think about the Lord’s return and what a
wonderful day that will be.
7/14/2020 10:25 AM
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