It is not a common practice for people to desire or pray for confusion. Yet, there are times in the word of God when believers pleaded with the Lord in hopes that He might send confusion to their enemies. For instance, David entreated the Lord to send confusion to those who devised (Psalm 35:4), desired (Psalm 70:2), and rejoiced at his hurt (Psalm 35:26). Perhaps those chasing David would be led by the Lord in the wrong direction. Perhaps the Lord would allow David’s enemies to turn against each other rather than being united together in killing David. Regardless, David knew there would be times when his enemies would have the ability to overtake him. In those times, he asked the Lord to intervene on his behalf by confusing them.
Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah remained barren. Peninnah used this opportunity of Hannah’s barren state to provoke her, hoping that she could trouble her rival. The Christian’s primary adversary is much different from Peninnah, but Satan’s goal and resolve is identical to this example. The adversary, the Devil (1 Peter 5:8), wants believers to live troubled, fretful, and defeated lives. If he can cause a believer to fret and to worry and to complain, he has a much greater chance of turning that believer’s heart against the Lord (Proverbs 19:3). The Devil knows that if he turns the heart, he might be able to cause that believer to curse the Lord (Isaiah 8:21). Satan uses worry as one of the foundational elements in his multipronged attack to bring about his greater objective. He wants to turn hearts against God! Those believers who struggle most with worry offer Satan the greatest chance of success
If a believer lives a life to the glory of God, there will come a time when the world wants to know “a reason of the hope” that lies within him. Simon Peter addressed this within the context of times of persecution. When believers were known to “suffer for righteousness’ sake” (1 Peter 3:14), the world would want to question their hope. Simon Peter reminded them of the importance of knowing how to answer their persecutors. Likewise, believers should know how to answer those curious about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. How shameful is it for believers who do not even know how to explain the need for and plan of salvation?
When men follow after vanity, they themselves become vain. An individual must make a conscious decision to turn from walking after the Lord to pursue vanity (Jeremiah 2:5). Those who follow after vanity are void of understanding (Proverbs 12:11) and end up in poverty (Proverbs 28:19), sometimes both spiritually and physically. David expressed his concern in this area when he said, “I have not sat with vain persons” (Psalm 26:4). He knew the danger of following vanity and declared that he refused even to sit with vain persons. In Psalm 119:37, the penman pleaded with the Lord for help in turning away his eyes from beholding vanity. God desires and wills for the saints of God to cease from following after vanity.
Though the means of worldly safety have changed throughout time, people have always put their trust in various things to offer temporary safety. The Bible depicts those who trusted in fenced walls (Deuteronomy 28:52), nations (Isaiah 30:2-3), horses, horsemen and chariots (Isaiah 31:1), weapons (Psalm 44:6), and mountains (Amos 6:1). People today place their trust in weapons, security systems, governments, insurance policies, and even medicines. Though the sources of trust have changed, the Lord remains just as grieved today when men place their trust upon the things of this world rather than upon Him. Ultimately, every source of worldly safety will fail, often in the moment we perceive as our greatest time of need.
Thoughts do not have to be wicked in order to be troublesome. Any thought contrary to faith will eventually cause a man to stumble. In Genesis 20:11, Abraham’s thoughts hindered his faith. He perceived that the fear of God was not in Gerar and decided to lie about the identity of his wife in order to insure his personal well-being. Rather than trusting God, he trusted his thoughts. Another example is Naaman. He refused to wash in the Jordan River because he thought that the prophet should have recovered his leprosy by coming out, calling upon the name of the Lord, and striking his hand over the place of leprosy (2 Kings 5:11). When a man trusts in his own thoughts over the words of God, that man shows a complete disregard for truth.
Throughout history, various motives have moved men to sing unto the Lord. Some men sang as a testimony of some specific thing God had done for them (Exodus 15:1; Psalm 126:1-2). Others sang in order to teach truths set forth in the word of God (Colossians 3:16; Psalm 101:1). Some even sang songs that would testify against them in times of disobedience (Deuteronomy 31:19). Though some things have changed throughout history, God’s people still should sing songs of personal testimony like My Jesus, I Love Thee; songs that teach like Holy and Reverend Is the Name; and songs that witness against disobedience like He Was Not Willing.
Separation is good and a necessary aspect of the Christian walk. However, when separation becomes based upon personal conviction rather than scriptural principles, it generally leads to a false sense of holiness and hypocrisy. This takes place when Christians fail to consider the multi-faceted nature of scriptural separation. They readily recognize the scriptural command to separate from the things of this world but fail to see the first component of scriptural separation which encompasses the need for separation to be unto the Lord. The vow of the Nazarite plainly encompasses both aspects of separation. In fact, the primary aspect of biblical separation encompasses separation unto the Lord (Numbers 6:2). Once a person separates himself unto the Lord, he will naturally separate from those things of this world (Numbers 6:3).
Self-examination serves as a tool for man to use to find out who and what he is. Though some preachers suggest that believers should never question their own salvation experience, the scripture encourages self-examination. If there are doubts, believers should certainly ask questions concerning the basis for their salvation. Was it based upon one’s feelings or solely upon the scriptures? They should ask what they did in order to be saved. Did they join a church, do some penitent work, or did they call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith as dictated by the scriptures? They should ask about the effects of their salvation. Have they seen a change of heart, or are they the same that they were before trusting Christ as Saviour?
On the sabbath day, the Lord Jesus stood to read the scriptures. This was a common practice in New Testament times as the Jews would read the scriptures every sabbath day (Acts 13:27; Acts 15:21). Publick scripture reading was not uncommon and appears to have also been a practice of the Israelites in the Old Testament (Exodus 24:7; Deuteronomy 31:11; 2 Kings 23:2; Nehemiah 8:3). The Bible also records that publick reading was common in the early church. Unlike today, believers did not own personal copies of the scriptures. Believers learned the scripture from publick reading (1 Thessalonians 5:27; 1 Timothy 4:13). Even now, believers should make an effort to publickly read the scriptures.
