Diligently Hearken

If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians:

for I am the LORD that healeth thee. -Exodus 15:26

If you were raised to know the Lord, but you're slack in your studying of the Word, then all of the church attendance, catechism classes, and sacraments you went through were probably in vain.

God promises his people grace and mercy, but do we love Him enough to turn our lives Godward and to discover his promises to us?

If we say we believe, then we should be diligent in our studies, deliberate in our worship, and active in our faith. If we call ourselves Christians, then our identity is Jesus Christ, above all else. This is what sets us apart from the world.

The Lord put a difference between Israel and the Egyptians. -Exodus 11:7

And so, we must diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD, not just passively hear it and hope he works his “magic”. Observe the mercy he’s shown you in your own life, search his Word daily for direction, and bring your sins to Lord Jesus as often as is necessary.

Being a covenant member means ever-striving to obtain the promises of God, not through empty works and rituals, but through unwavering faith that the Lord will be true to his Word. He promised to shield us from his wrath and to blot out our transgressions, just as he promised the children of Israel while they were in Egypt, to protect them from disease and to be their healer.

It's a wonder that Lord offers such grace and mercy to his people in spite of our unworthiness, but Glory be, he loves us!

May we diligently hearken to His voice, study to show ourselves approved, and apply our hearts to understanding.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

-Proverbs 2:1-5

Question 160 of the Westminster Larger Catechism asks: What is required of those that hear the word preached?

It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

Labor in Prayer

“Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” — Daniel 2:17-19

Image credit: Diana Simumpande via Unsplash

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him,[1] but he reveals it only after we labor together in prayer. When Daniel’s faith was being tested he went to his friends — not to a priest, not a philosopher, not a wine bottle. He went to his godly friends and asked them to seek the Lord’s help to deliver them from unreasonable and wicked men.[2] I believe that Daniel wasn’t stalling for effect or attempting to delay the inevitable when he asked the king for time, I believe he was fully assured that the Lord would deliver him or he would not have asked for time at all. Nevertheless, we should note how he sought the support of godly friends rather than isolating himself and wrestling with God in prayer alone. Even in the midst of affliction and captivity, God providently placed three other god-fearing men in Daniel’s life because it is one of his means of grace. We are the sheep of his pasture[3], and sheep are not solitary creatures, they belong in flocks. God setteth the solitary in families.[4]

Sure enough the Lord was pleased to deliver a great miracle for Daniel through their patience and faith in prayer. As Paul wrote to the Philippian church from prison, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ…” we should be confident that our brethren’s prayers for us will avail much[5].

“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” — Psalm 34:17

Scripture references: [1] Ps 2514 [2] 2nd Thess 3:2 [3] Ps 100:3 [4] Ps 68:6

[5] James 5:16

Beside Me There is No Savior

“I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” — Isaiah 43:11

Resurrection — Giovanni Bellini, Public Domain

He is the Lord. If there is no savior beside him, if there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12), then that means that Jesus Christ must be God himself. Jesus said as much in John 10:30 and 17:11 that he and the Father are one.

To the elect this may seem obvious, but it bears repeating because every false religion has to attack the doctrine of the trinity and the divinity of Christ.

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1st John 5:12).” It really is that simple. If you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh and that his sinless life and sacrificial death atoned for your sins, then you have the Son. But if you deny this, if Jesus was just a good man, or a good teacher, or his death was final and he did not rise from the dead, then you have not the Son, and you have not life.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures….” — 1st Corinthians 15:1-4

Selah.