When men choose to reject the truth, God tends to withhold further truth from them. The result is spiritual and intellectual darkness.
Any honest person, however, would have to confess that God hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
The idea of the word respect is that an individual looks at two things and chooses to look at one of them a second time demonstrating favouritism.
Although no person is excluded from troubles, saints have historically understood that God extends mercy as He divvies out life’s trials.
It is imperative that each believer not only do what is right, but also examine himself to make sure that he is doing what is right for the right reasons.
Although one individual may possess both power and authority, the two are not identical. Authority is the right or responsibility to do something whereas power is the ability to do something. Unfortunately, the modern versions missed this truth when they translated Matthew 28:18. Instead of properly expressing that because of the resurrection the Lord Jesus had been given all power in heaven and earth, these so-called bibles suggest that He had been instead given authority. The authority already resided with Him, but the resurrection declared Him “to be the Son of God with power” (Romans 1:4). His resurrection from the dead gave Him the power over death by conquering the one who possessed the power of death (Hebrews 2:14).
One who has little understanding of chastening might suggest that God’s chastening is an act born of hatred, but it actually represents an overflowing love from the heart of God. God expresses His motives for chastening His children in Hebrews 12:6 when He says, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.” Again in Revelation 3:19 the Lord says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” This again displays a distinction between punishment and chastening. The source of punishment could be construed as anger, justice, or wrath, but the motive of true biblical chastening involves the purest form of love. This means that chastening does not merely benefit the one implementing the chastening, but takes place for the good of the one chastened.
In Bible times, the mourning process often included a time of lamentation. Although lamentations were diverse, scripture points to a time set aside for speaking about the deceased. Today’s passage shows that David lamented the passing of Saul and Jonathan. He spoke positively about their efforts in battle (2 Samuel 1:25), their usefulness to Israel (2 Samuel 1:24), and their beauty (2 Samuel 1:23). Apparently, part of the healing process includes speaking of those who have departed. Perhaps it would lead to rejoicing in the good memories and crying at the mention of sad times. Regardless, it is clear that talking about the deceased helps those still alive in a time of mourning.
Wisdom often results from time and experience. It should not, however, be assumed that old age automatically equals wisdom. For instance, the Bible says, “Better is . . . a wise child than an old and foolish king.” Wisdom comes from the Lord, and He distributes wisdom irrespective of one’s age. Perhaps the wisest statements given by man found within the Book of Job were given by a young man named Elihu (Job 32:6). He listened carefully as Job’s older friends spewed forth foolish words. He thought that “days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom” (Job 32:7). Eventually, he came to the conclusion, “great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment” (Job 32:9).
Sometimes the most difficult and significant tasks involve the simplest truths. For instance, every Christian should quickly learn that vengeance belongs unto the Lord. God confirms as much throughout scripture (Deuteronomy 32:35; Psalm 94:1; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). This should be understandable as only the Lord has all the necessary information to execute just vengeance 100 percent of the time. When man attempts to execute vengeance, he often does so out of an improper motive or without key information of the evil that appears to have been done. Furthermore, when a believer takes vengeance into his own hands, he robs the Lord of His right and responsibility to exact vengeance at the right time and in the right manner.
