Tag Archives: Flesh

The Curse of a Dying Nation: Feminine Men and Rebellious Feminists (Deuteronomy 28)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.

(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Deuteronomy 28

The sum of today’s Scripture reading is essentially two words: Blessings and Curses. Deuteronomy 27 concluded with the people affirming their understanding of God’s Covenant and agreeing to its blessings and penalties (27:15-26). Deuteronomy 28 continued the same proclamation, detailing the LORD’s promise of blessings if the people would obey His Laws and Commandments (28:1-14) and curses should they disobey (28:15-68).

The Rewards and Blessings of Faithfulness (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

The promise of blessings was conditional and would be fulfilled, but only if the people diligently listened to the Lord’s voice “to observe and to do all His commandments.” If the people would “hearken…observe…and do all His commandments,” the LORD promised He would “set [Israel] on high above all nations of the earth” (28:1). All would be blessed, both city and field (28:3), and would be fruitful and increase. Children would be born, cattle would calve, and the flocks of sheep would increase. The fields would give forth a great harvest (28:4-6).

Israel’s enemies would fall before them and be scattered (28:7). Her storehouses and treasuries would overflow (28:8-14). The LORD promised He would open the treasury of heaven, send rain upon the land, and the world’s nations would become debtors to Israel (28:12). All this was promised if Israel obeyed the LORD’s Law, and His Commandments (28:13-14).

The Penalties of God’s Judgment for Disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

The balance of Deuteronomy 28 predicted the punishments that would befall Israel as a nation should the people turn from the LORD and disobey His Law and Commandments (28:15-68). In the same way, the LORD promised to bless the nation if the people obeyed Him; the opposite was true should they disobey Him. The curses are far too extensive for me to address individually; however, I invite you to observe their sum in today’s devotion.

Should Israel reject Him, the LORD warned He would abandon them to their enemies (28:45-47), and the people would become slaves to their enemies (this would come to pass during the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities and be repeated in the Roman era). Their enemies would eat the fruitfulness of their lands, trees, and storehouses. Their cattle and flocks would be destroyed (28:48-51).

Israel was warned that when their cities were besieged, the starving people would turn to cannibalism and eat “the flesh of [their] sons and of [their] daughters” (28:52-53).

Portrait of a Dying Nation: Effeminate Men and Embittered Women (28:54-57)

Their men became effeminate (“tender among you, and very delicate.” 28:54). Their women were no longer “tender and delicate” (28:56). The eyes of a wife would “be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter” (28:56). Leaving her natural affection, Moses warned a mother “shall eat [her children] for want of all things secretly in the siege” (28:57).

Because the people rejected the LORD and disobeyed His Law, He promised to bring upon the nation “great plagues…and sore sicknesses” (28:59). Israel would be overcome with plagues (28:58-60), and the births of the children would be few (28:62-63). Finally, the nation would be conquered, and the people scattered, oppressed, and enslaved (28:64-65).

Fear, dread, and depression would haunt the nation, and the people would dread the night and the dawn (28:66-67). Eventually, they would be taken from their land and “see it no more again…[and] be sold unto [their enemies]” as slaves (28:68). All that Moses warned is documented by the historian Josephus and came to pass in AD 70 when Titus, the Roman General, destroyed Jerusalem. Then, the Jews were scattered throughout the nations of the earth.

Closing thoughts:

Today’s Scripture reading reminded me that the pattern of decadence and decline foretold by Moses is seen in the nations of the world today. Such wickedness precludes the judgment of God upon those nations that reject Him. No nation can long reject God without experiencing moral decay and His judgment.

The trademark of God’s judgment is undeniable when I assess my country. I see the evidence of a nation that God has turned over to its enemies. The United States is an enslaved, debtor nation to our enemies. Our nation’s women have taken the lives of their unborn in grotesque abortions, as surely as if they cannibalize them from the womb (28:52-53). Effeminate men, “tender [and] delicate” (28:54), are celebrated, and rebellious women blight our society with an “evil eye” towards their husbands and children (28:56-57). We have experienced epidemics, a failing birthrate, a fear, and a dread of the future, as I have not witnessed in my lifetime.

The United States, like all nations, is doomed if we do not repent of our sins and turn to God.

Questions to consider:

1) What spiritual benefits would Israel gain if they obeyed the commandments of the LORD? (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)

2) What curses would befall Israel if the people refused to heed and obey the commandments of the LORD? (Deuteronomy 28:15-24)

3) Rather than men of strength, how were the rebellious men of Israel described? (Deuteronomy 28:54)

4) What afflictions did Moses prophesy would befall a rebellious nation? (Deuteronomy 28:59-61)

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Moral Dilemmas: Divorce, Debt, and Human Trafficking (Deuteronomy 24; Deuteronomy 25)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.

(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Deuteronomy 24-25

Our Scripture reading continues with Moses setting forward various laws that would guide Israel in matters of marriage, family, societal civility, business, and government.

Deuteronomy 24

Principles Regarding Marriage and Divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-5)

Divorce is addressed, sadly indicative of man’s sinful heart. We understand that God’s desire for man and wife is: “A man…shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Yet, because man’s nature is bent away from God, the Lord allowed (through Moses) for a writing of divorcement when there was a valid reason.

Moses allowed for divorce in this passage; however, I remind you that was never God’s plan or will. What is the will of the LORD? The sum of God’s will for marriage is this: “A man…shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

The Pharisees questioned Christ on this subject and asked, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife [divorce]for every cause?” (Matthew 19:3) The LORD answered, citing the “one flesh” principle and added, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6).

Displeased with His answer, the Pharisees pressed Him, saying, “Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?” (Matthew 19:7). Christ answered and diagnosed the deplorable basis for Moses permitting divorce (Deuteronomy 24).

Matthew 19:8–9 – ⁸He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered [allowed] you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

A Moral Guideline for the Borrower and Lender (Deuteronomy 24:6)

Taking an upper millstone is foreign to most until we understand Moses referred to the stones used to grind grain into flour. So, a lender was warned he could not take for a surety the “upper millstone,” for by it, a family could grind grain into flour and bake bread for the family.

A Solution to Human Trafficking (Deuteronomy 24:7)

One of the great abominations of the 21^st century is human trafficking (in essence, modern slavery). Forcefully taking children, women, and men and subjecting them to the darkness of moral depravity has been and continues to be an appalling wickedness. In the words of the Scripture, anyone found guilty of “[making] merchandise…or selleth [selling] him” shall be put to death (24:7).

If the judgment of the Scriptures were practiced in our day, victims of human trafficking would receive justice and human traffickers would be dispatched to a swift judgment: “Thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Deuteronomy 19:21).

Charitable Obligations (Deuteronomy 24:10-22)

Today’s false teachers and preachers have led many to believe the laws of the Old Testament were lacking in grace. They support their reason and boast that we live in an “Age of Grace.” Indeed, we do, but grace has been a part of every age because God is a part of every age. He has been and continues to be immutable – the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, characterizing the Law and Commandments as “graceless” suggests the LORD was graceless, which is heresy.

Deuteronomy 24:10-22 proved that God was sensitive and compassionate concerning the condition of the poor, the weak, the orphan, and the widow. For example, in ancient times, the poor often had nothing more than the “clothes on their backs.” Robes were the attire for those times, and men generally wore inner and outer robes. The inner robe afforded modesty, while the outer robe protected against the elements and provided warmth at night.

Should a man of little means borrow, his outer robe might serve as the surety or pledge for his debt (24:10-11). However, the lender was not to humiliate a debtor and take by force the robe of a poor man while he was in his house (24:10-11). Also, in the evening, the lender was to return the outer robe so that the man “may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee” (24:13).

Admonitions Against Injustices (Deuteronomy 24:14-18)

Day laborers were paid their wages at the end of a workday (24:14). Also, everyone was to bear the consequences and punishment for their sins. Therefore, a father was not to be punished for the sins of his children, nor were his children to be punished for the sins of their father (24:16).

Charity Was the Law (Deuteronomy 24:19-22)

In ancient times there was no welfare system, and the impoverished were a perpetual presence on the earth. Tragically, widows were sometimes forsaken by their children, orphans were neglected, and foreigners often found themselves homeless. Moses reminded the congregation how Israel suffered bondage in Egypt. He urged the people to remember the poor and let them glean the leftovers from their fields, olive trees, and grapevines.

Deuteronomy 25

Time and space prevent a thorough commentary on Deuteronomy 25; however, I suggest the following outline of principles for your study.

I. Capital Punishment and Civil Justice (Deuteronomy 25:1-4)

II. Family Posterity (Deuteronomy 25:5-12)

III. Business and Commerce (Deuteronomy 25:13-16)

IV. The Offence of an Enemy (Deuteronomy 25:17-19)

Closing thoughts:

Once again, I trust you have seen the grace of God evidenced throughout His Laws and Commandments. Although some invite believers to ignore the Old Testament altogether, they do so at their peril and that of their followers. But, of course, the greatest expression of God’s Law and grace is identified in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins (1 Peter 2:21-24).

Questions to consider:

1) Could a divorced man remarry his wife after she had been married to another man? (Deuteronomy 24:4)

2) What was God’s judgment concerning human traffickers? (Deuteronomy 24:7)

3) Rather than long terms of imprisonment, how was an offense settled in Israel? (Deuteronomy 25:1-3)

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

“WOKE,” Civility, Women’s Rights, and Sexual Perversity (Deuteronomy 21; Deuteronomy 22)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.

(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Deuteronomy 21-22

Warning: You may find the content of today’s devotion inflammatory; however, its immediate relevance is undeniable.

Moses continued his charge to Israel in our Scripture reading. In Deuteronomy 21-22, fundamental principles establish the sanctity of human life, the basics of civil decency and human kindness, and the practical application of the command, “love thy neighbor.”

Deuteronomy 21 – Fundamentals of Civil Duty

“Thou Shalt Not Kill” (Deuteronomy 21:1-9)

In our study of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), we have considered several passages of Scripture that explain the sanctity of human life and the sixth commandment that reads, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). Capital punishment, a “life for a life,” was God’s judgment upon the man who willfully, and deliberately took the life of another (19:11-13, 21). In addition, Deuteronomy 21:1-9 addressed the loss of human life, should a victim’s body be discovered, but there are no witnesses to the murder.

Concerning Women Taken as Spoil of Wartimes (21:10-14)

Ancient cultures considered women taken as prisoners in war to be nothing more than a possession, a spoil of battle. The God of Israel, however, established laws to protect women. Should a man desire to take a female prisoner as his wife, he was to allow her head to be shaved, an outward symbol of her purification, and give her thirty days to mourn her parents’ deaths before taking her as his wife (21:12-13). Should the man later decide to reject her, he was to set her at liberty and was commanded to neither sell nor humiliate her (21:14).

The Inheritance Rights of a Firstborn Son (21:15-17)

Some propose that the reference to “two wives” (21:15) suggested polygamy; however, I believe it is not. From our study of the Book of Genesis, we know that God defined marriage as “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24), meaning the union of one man and one woman. Therefore, polygamy cannot be the intent of Deuteronomy 21:15, for the Mosaic Law did not redefine what God Himself had designed and established.

In my opinion, the explanation for the reference to “two wives” (one being described as “beloved” and the other “hated”) implied that the first wife was dead. In this example, the first wife had given birth to a son; as the firstborn son, he was the husband’s heir (21:15-16). The second wife, the stepmother of the firstborn son, would perhaps be tempted to influence her husband to disown his firstborn; thereby choosing her son to be his heir (21:16). The LORD condemned that practice. He declared that the firstborn son would be given “a double portion” of all that was his father’s (21:17).

Capital Punishment of a Rebellious Son (21:18-21)

A disobedient son, defined as “stubborn and rebellious” (21:18), refused to hear and obey his father and mother. Such a son (described as “a glutton, and a drunkard”) would be brought before the city elders, who would sit in judgment of his character (21:19-20).

I understand that stoning a rebellious son is undoubtedly offensive to our 21st-century sensibilities. Yet, given the severity of the punishment, we can conclude that it was a rare event. Indeed, such a judgment required the consent of both the father and mother (21:19-20). Yet, should the city’s elders find the son guilty, he would have been stoned to death by the “men of his city” (21:21).

Deuteronomy 22 – Having a Good Conscience

Compassion for a Neighbor’s Livestock (22:1-4)

We are reminded that God’s people were to love their neighbors. That command applied to his person and was demonstrated practically in one’s duty to his neighbor’s livestock, clothes, and possessions (22:1-3). Should a man’s ox, sheep, or donkey be astray, his neighbor was to restore them to their owner. Should the owner not be readily known, an Israelite was commanded to take the animal to his home until its rightful owner was established (22:2). Once again, we are reminded that God is benevolent. He required compassion for the animals of His creation (22:4).

An Abomination: TransgenderTransexuals (22:5)

There is much ado about the “rights” of self-declared “Queers, “Transexuals,” and “Asexuals” in 21st-century society. Such people aspire to blend and distort the natural differences between males and females in their dress and manner. It may surprise you to learn that blurring the distinctiveness in the sexes is not a “new woke” (as some would have you believe). Indeed, it was declared an “abomination unto the LORD” in the Scriptures and condemned as a practice among ancient heathen societies (22:5).

Compassion and Affection for Nature (22:6-7)

From the beginning, humanity was commanded to be the “keeper” of God’s creation (Genesis 2:15). It follows, therefore, that even the smallest of creatures should arouse in man a natural affection and compassion (22:7).

Closing thoughts:

Several other laws and guidelines are given in Deuteronomy 22, but I conclude this devotion by inviting you to notice the LORD’s protection of womankind (22:13-29).

Unlike their heathen neighbors, Israelite women were protected and shielded from abuses that are even prevalent today. For example, a woman had the right to due process should her purity and testimony be questioned. Also, should a woman be forcefully taken and raped, the severity of the law would fall upon the man, and he would forfeit his life for his sin (22:25-27).

Tragically, our nation and world have rejected the authority of God’s Word and removed itself from the divine guiding principles for life and civil society. We have become a people with laws divorced from unalterable principles. As a result, we are governed by the whims of wicked, unprincipled men and women. Indeed, the prophet Isaiah’s condemnation of the wicked is applicable and relevant when we read:

Isaiah 5:20-21 – “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! ²¹ Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”

Questions to consider:

1) How were captive, enslaved women to be treated in Israel? (21:10-14)

2) What might become of a rebellious son? (21:19-19)

3) Why would the adage “finders, keepers” not apply to God’s people? (22:1-3)

4) What was the law concerning a man dressing like a woman or a woman dressing like a man? (22:5)

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Evil Companions Corrupt Good Morals (Numbers 25)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.

(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture Reading – Numbers 25

Numbers 25 brings us to Shittim, the staging ground for Israel to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land (25:1).

Shittim became the setting of a tragic event, for it was here that “the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab” (25:1). After the suffering and toil of wandering in the wilderness for forty years, how could Israel, break her covenant with the LORD? Not only did the people commit adultery with the heathen, but they also worshiped and offered sacrifices to their gods! (25:1-3)

We read, “Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel” (25:3). Baal-peor was the place where Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility, was worshipped. The Moabites, Midianites, and Ammonites worshipped Baal (closely identified with Moloch). Portrayed as a bull, the Canaanites sacrificed their sons and daughters to Baal and committed all manner of sexual deviancy in worshipping the idol.

Because of their idolatry, God’s wrath was “kindled against Israel” (25:3). The LORD commanded Moses, “Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel” (25:4).

God’s Punishment of Unfaithful Leaders (25:4-13)

The people’s sins were egregious, and God’s judgment was swift (25:4-5). He placed the responsibility for the sins of the nation upon the “heads [leaders] of the people” (25:5). He demanded they be slain and their bodies hanged in the sun as a warning to the people (25:5).

One man was so brazen that he “brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman (the daughter of a Midianite tribal chief) in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel” (25:6). Phinehas, the son of the high priest Eleazar, rose and slew the man and the Midianite woman. He thrust them both through with a javelin (25:6-8). As a result, God’s judgment fell upon Israel, and 24,000 perished (25:9).

We are also reminded that nothing escapes the notice of God, for the LORD acknowledged Phinehas’ zeal for righteousness and established a perpetual covenant of the priesthood with him and his lineage (25:10-13).

Closing thoughts:

The sin committed at Shittim was so tragic that the names of the couple slain by Phinehas were recorded (25:14-15). The LORD also commanded Moses, “Vex the Midianites, and smite them” (25:17).

Several spiritual lessons might be drawn from today’s Scripture reading; however, I will limit myself to one: “Be not deceived: evil communications [companions] corrupt [ruins; destroys] good manners [morals]” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

The Scriptures do not reveal how the men of Israel came to worship the god of Baal and to commit whoredom. However, we can be confident that the proximity of the “daughters of Moab” (25:1) provided the Israelites not only a familiarity with them, but also a tolerance of their wicked ways (25:1-3).

Indeed, the 21st-century church desperately needs young men like Phinehas, who love God and have a zeal for godliness.

Will you commit yourself to having a godly zeal in the 21st century?

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.

“Blessed is the Man that Trusteth in the Lord” (Numbers 13)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.

(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture Reading – Numbers 13

Absolved of her sin and cured of leprosy, Miriam, the sister of Moses, was reunited with the children of Israel. The nation continued their journey and “pitched [their tents] in the wilderness of Paran” (12:16). The events recorded in today’s Scripture reading are among the most dynamic in Israel’s forty years of wanderings in the wilderness.

The LORD commanded Moses, “Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel” (13:2a).

Let us pause and reflect on God’s directive to Moses and those He chose to spy out the land of Canaan and its inhabitants. They were men (not women, children, or novices). They were men, chosen out of each tribe, “every one a ruler… [and] heads of the children of Israel” (13:2-3). They were respected leaders and men of influence. The Scripture records the names of the men and the tribes of origin from which they came (13:4-16).

Following the LORD’s commands, Moses gave the twelve men their marching orders: “Spy out the land of Canaan…see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many…[and] the land…whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds” (13:17-19). Moses challenged the spies to come back, report on the land, and “be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes” (13:20).

The spies departed and were gone forty days (13:25).

When they returned, they brought with them “a branch with one cluster of grapes” that was so laden with fruit the men “bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs” (13:23).

Two reports were given, with the first confirming the land was all the LORD had promised Israel, saying, “We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it” (13:27). The second report was an aspersion, a slander, a defaming of God’s promises, and stirred the hearts of the people with fear. The spies reported: “Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there” (13:28).

Moses had challenged the men to “be ye of good courage,” but the sight of the enemy had dispelled their faith and filled the void in their hearts with fear. Herein is a great lesson:

Fear is a sign of weak faith and exaggerates reality. Tragically, the fear of the spies eclipsed their faith!

Caleb, a leader of the tribe of Judah, spoke up and “stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (13:30). In Numbers 14, Joshua added his voice to Caleb’s challenge and urged the people, “⁸If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey” (14:8).

Ten of the spies sowed doubt among the people saying, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we…we saw giants…and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (13:31-33).

Where Caleb and Joshua saw an opportunity, the other spies saw insurmountable, frightening obstacles. What made the difference in their observations?

The difference was twofold: Focus and Faith. Caleb and Joshua did not focus on the size of the obstacles, but on the size [greatness and faithfulness] of their God. Their faith was not in their abilities, but in the Person and promises of the LORD. Israel’s enemy was not giants or the nations living in the land (13:28-29, 32-33). Israel’s enemy was her lack of faith in God.

Closing thoughts:

Are you facing giants? Have you allowed fear and faithlessness to take hold of your heart and thoughts? Here is a promise: God has the solution to every problem you face and the resources to help you achieve every goal in His will! (Jeremiah 17:7)

Questions to consider:

1) Who did the LORD command Moses to send to spy out the land of Canaan? (Numbers 13:1-2)

2) How many spies did Moses send to spy on the land God had promised Israel for an inheritance? (Numbers 13:4-14)

3) Who said, “Let us go up at once…for we are well able to overcome” the enemies? (Numbers 13:30)

4) What was the “evil report” brought up by ten of the twelve spies? (Numbers 13:31-33)

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.

You are Your Brother’s Keeper; and the Preacher’s Call to Holiness (Leviticus 20; Leviticus 21)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.

(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Leviticus 20-21

Today’s Scripture reading continued the subject of the LORD’s Laws and Commandments and focused on those sins that were capital offenses punishable by death (Leviticus 20). Leviticus 21 marked a shift from the common people to “the sons of Aaron” (21:1-9) and the High Priest (21:10-15). We will briefly consider the guidelines for the priest, his person, and his character.

Leviticus 20

The LORD’s command for His people to be holy and obedient to His Law and Commandments continued in Leviticus 20. We will note six offenses warranted capital punishment.

Infanticide (Child Sacrifice), Abortion, and Guilt by Omission (20:1-5)

The first was the sacrifice of children to Molech (Leviticus 18:21), a pagan god who was identified with the Canaanites and particularly the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:5). While we find the thought of sacrificing children revolting, I remind my readers that our world has aborted and taken the lives of millions upon millions of unborn infants. While the ancients sacrificed their children to pagan gods, our world has taken the lives of the unborn because of the pagan god of convenience, irresponsibility, selfishness, and the list continues. The penalty for sacrificing one child was death by stoning (20:2), and God warned, “I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name” (20:3).

You Are Your Brother’s Keeper (20:4-5)

After he had slain his brother Abel and was confronted by God, Cain dared ask the LORD, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9b) Cain implied he was not responsible for his brother’s whereabouts (Genesis 4:9a). However, he was guilty of his brother’s murder.

Leviticus 20:4-5 revealed that God’s people carried a burden of responsibility when they knew the sins of others (in this case, sacrificing a child to Molech). God warned that He would set His “face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off…from among their people” (20:5). Why? Because he had “turned a blind eye” and did nothing. The sins you ignore in others and fail to confront invite God’s judgment.

Five additional types of sins were noted in Leviticus 20 that warranted capital punishment and death. (20:6-21)

Consulting with witches (20:6, 27), cursing one’s parents (20:9), adultery (20:10), incest (20:11-12, 14, 17, 19-21), and unnatural lusts. Named and condemned were homosexuality (20:13), bestiality (20:15-16), and incest (20:13).

What did the LORD require of His people? (20:22-26)

The LORD required Israel to keep His statutes and obey His Law and Commandments. The LORD warned that should the people follow the sins of other nations, the land He promised them would spue them out (literally vomit), them from their land (20:22-23).

Leviticus 21

A Charge and Guidelines for Priests (21:1-9)

The focus of Leviticus 21 was the priests who were “the sons of Aaron” (21:1). Because they were ministers of the LORD to Israel, priests were to model holiness in person and practice (21:6). They were not to defile themselves by touching the bodies of the dead (21:1), except those who were family members and for whom they had familial responsibilities (21:2-3). Likewise, they were not to mourn the dead as those who shave their heads, cut their beards, or cut themselves as an outward sign of mourning (21:4-5).

When a priest married, he must not be unequally yoked, not take a wife whose reputation would tarnish his public ministry (21:7; 2 Corinthians 6:14). Daughters of priests were especially challenged to be mindful that their reputation could soil their father. Failure to do so could require she “be burnt with fire” (21:9).

A Charge to the High Priest (21:10-15)

Because the calling of the High Priest was to shepherd the nation, he was anointed and bound by higher standards than the common priests (21:10). Unlike our day when I observe ministers and preachers attempting to be “cool” under the notion of being relevant, the high priest was to be holy and set apart unto the LORD (21:11-12). In addition, his wife was to be a virgin (21:13-14), and he was to be chaste and have no children by any other than his wife (21:15).

Closing thoughts:

For those who served the LORD and His people, the standard was the same as those animals offered for sacrifice…without physical blemish (21:16-24). The priests were to be physically perfect and were excluded from ministry for several physical maladies that were stated (21:18-20). Why? Arguably the work of sacrificial offerings was physically grueling. The priests were to reflect God’s holy, perfect character; therefore, none might approach His altar or sanctuary, which had a blemish (21:23-24).

Questions to consider:

1) What happened to those who ignored their neighbor’s wickedness? (Leviticus 20:4-5)

2) What were the consequences of cursing a father or mother? (Leviticus 20:9)

3) What did God promise if Israel kept His Laws and Commandments? (Leviticus 20:22)

4) Why was a priest to be concerned with the character of the woman he married? (Leviticus 21:7)

5) What manner of woman was a high priest to take as his wife? (Leviticus 21:13-14)

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.

Abominable, Detestable Sins (Leviticus 18; Leviticus 19)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.

(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Leviticus 18-19

Our study in Leviticus moves on from clean and unclean meats (Leviticus 17), to the nation’s morality and the sanctity of the institution of marriage (Leviticus 18).

Leviticus 18

A Call to Be Holy (18:1-5)

The LORD commanded Moses, “speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the Lord your God. ³After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances” (18:2-3).

Reminding the nation, “I am the LORD your God” (18:2, 4), He commanded Israel not to follow after the ways of the heathen, for He had chosen and called them out of Egypt. If the people would keep His commandments and walk in His precepts (18:4-5), He promised He would bless them.

Leviticus 18:6-18 leaves no doubt that the ways of the heathen were not to be the ways of Israel. While the Egyptians and the Canaanites practiced immorality and ungodliness (18:3), the LORD would accept nothing less than the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:20). (Understanding the sad state of morality in both the world and the church, we dare not take the explicit nature of this passage lightly.)

The Abominable Sin of Incest (18:6-18)

The phrase “uncover their nakedness” (18:6) references the sexual act reserved for marriage and is found throughout this passage. The LORD had no tolerance for incest, and its practice was a capital offense, and its subjects would be stoned.

The following sexual relationships were forbidden and deemed incestuous. Sex with one’s parent (18:7), stepmother (18:8), sister or half-sister (18:9), grand-daughter (18:10), daughter of a stepmother (18:11), an aunt, both fraternal and maternal (18:12-14), daughter-in-law (18:15), sister-in-law (18:16), sex with a mother and her daughter (18:17), or sisters, unless the first had died (18:18) were forbidden.

Child Sacrifice, Homosexuality, and Bestiality (18:21-23)

Child sacrifice, practiced among the heathen, was an abomination to the God of Israel (18:21). The LORD declared homosexuality an abomination (18:22), and God’s judgment fell on Sodom and Gomorrah because of that sin (Genesis 19). Bestiality, the sin of a man or woman lying with a beast, was described as “confusion” (18:23) and, therefore, a perversion of God’s natural law and order.

The Wickedness of Man Calls for God’s Judgment (18:24-30)

The LORD warned Israel that He had no tolerance should His people adopt the ways of the heathen. Man’s sins not only defile himself, but also infect the land (18:24). God warned that should His people practice the evil ways of the wicked, the land would vomit out its inhabitants (18:25-28). Any who refused to “do [His] judgments, and keep [His] ordinances” (18:4), the LORD warned those souls would be excommunicated, “cut off from among their people” (18:29).

Leviticus 19

A Brief Review of the Commandments and the Law

Leviticus 19 repeated the LORD’s call for Israel to be holy as their God (19:1). His commandments served as guiding precepts for godly living, and the people were given practical applications of God’s Law for daily life. For example, charity to the poor (19:9-10), paying an honest, fair wage (19:13), showing sympathy to those less fortunate (19:14), and loving one’s neighbor in word and deed are stressed (19:15-22) as the will of God.

Principles for horticulture were given, and the people were instructed to put off harvesting the fruit of newly planted trees for three years, dedicating the fruit of the fourth year to the LORD as first fruits, and “in the fifth year [the people were permitted to] eat of the fruit” (19:23-25).

Unlike their neighbors, Hebrew men were not to “round the corners of [their] heads, neither…mar the corners of [their] beard” (19:27). There was also the prohibition of “cuttings” and “marks” (tattoos) upon the flesh, as the people were reminded this was the commandment of “the LORD” (19:28).

Honor Your Elder (19:32)

The practice of standing when in the presence of those older than yourself is found here. The people were instructed to honor their elders, saying, “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord” (19:32).

Honesty and Integrity in Business (19:35-36)

The command to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (19:18) was also to be expressed in business. Honesty and integrity are at the heart of good business, and God’s people were commanded to be “just” in measuring items by weight and volume (19:36).

Closing thoughts and applications:

There is a crisis of integrity and morality in the 21^st century, and not even the congregations of believers are free of moral failure. There was a time when the lives of God’s people were defined by His Word, Law, and Commandments, and our lives and homes set the moral high ground for a nation. Sadly, many believers have an appetite for “Egypt” (the world) and look to society, social media, politicians, judges, and liberal media for their moral judgments and practices.

Warning: Our homes, churches, schools, and nation will not be blessed until our consciences are disciplined by God’s Word, Laws, and Commandments (18:30).

Questions to consider:

1) In the Bible, Egypt was a type or symbol of the world. What did the LORD say about the “doings” of Egypt and Canaan? (Leviticus 18:12-3)

2) Immorality defiles not only one’s life and family, but also the land and nation. What is the response of the “land” to gross immorality? (Leviticus 18:24-25)

3) Who is the believer’s standard of holiness? (Leviticus 19:2)

4) How do believers honor their elders? (Leviticus 19:32)

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.

A Not So Happy Family (Genesis 27; Genesis 28)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.
(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Genesis 27-28

When we concluded our study of Genesis 26, we found Isaac, his wife Rebekah, and his family living in Gerar, a Philistine area of Canaan, that he named Beersheba (26:32-33). Knowing he was 60 years old when Rebekah conceived twin sons, we can assume Isaac was one hundred years old in Genesis 27, and his sons were forty. Furthermore, Esau, the older son, had committed bigamy by taking two Hittite women to be his wives (26:34). Those heathen wives were from a lineage of idolaters and “were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah” (26:35).

Genesis 27 – “Esau the Carnal, and Jacob the Conniver”

Time marches on for all, and Genesis 27 opens with a sad statement: “Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see” (27:1a). Nearly blind, perhaps due to cataracts from the effect of the desert sun and sand, he had determined it was time to put his household in order and prepare for his death. Calling for his oldest son, Esau came to his father and said, “Behold, here am I” (27:1b).

Isaac encouraged Esau to take his bow and go out “to the field, and take some venison” (27:3). He stated his purpose was to eat, then bless Esau before he died (27:4). Now, the father’s blessing in ancient times carried a far more significant meaning than it does today. The blessing was essentially a statement of the father’s “Will,” the passing of the torch of leadership, and dispensing his possessions.

Rebekah had overheard Isaac’s instructions to Esau. She realized her husband’s plans were contrary to God’s will (25:23). Rather than trust the LORD to providentially work and fulfill His promise that Jacob, the second-born son, was his chosen heir (25:23), Rebekah determined to deceive her husband that she might assure it would happen (27:6-10). She readied Jacob to masquerade as his brother Esau (27:11-17) and prepared a meal for him to present to his father. Although Isaac had doubts, he blessed Jacob, not Esau, the eldest son (27:18-29).

Isaac physically trembled when Esau returned from the hunt and came before him for his blessing (27:30-32). When Esau realized his father had been deceived (27:33), he was overcome with grief and bewailed, losing his father’s blessing (27:34).

The consequences of Jacob’s scheming infuriated Esau, for his brother had not only taken his birthright (i.e., the spiritual priesthood, though Esau had sold it for a bowl of soup, 25:33-34) but now his inheritance. Learning of Esau’s threat to kill Jacob (27:41), his mother appealed to Isaac and requested that Jacob be sent away to her family in Haran for his safety and to find a wife among her people (27:42-46).

Genesis 28 – On the Run, and Alone: When God Speaks—Listen!

Knowing the blessing he had bestowed upon Jacob was irrevocable, Isaac confirmed God’s covenant blessing on his youngest son and commanded him: “Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother” (28:2).

Jacob’s flight from Beersheba to Bethel, where he stopped for rest, was a distance of some forty miles (28:10). Physically and emotionally exhausted, Jacob went to sleep. The LORD then came to him in a vision of a ladder that reached from heaven to earth, and he beheld upon the ladder “the angels of God ascending and descending on it” (28:11-12). There, the LORD confirmed to Jacob that God had chosen him, and the promises of the Abrahamic covenant would pass through him to his heirs (28:13-14).

With the promise, “I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (28:15), Jacob awoke, and understood that as God had been with Abraham, and his father Isaac, he would be with him (28:16).

Fearing God and revering where the LORD had appeared to him, Jacob dedicated the place, calling it Bethel, “the house of God” (28:17-19). Jacob then dedicated himself to the LORD (28:20-21), promising. “I will surely give the tenth unto thee” (the “tenth” being a tithe, 28:22).

Closing thoughts – The next chapters in our study of Genesis will follow God’s sovereign work of grace in Jacob’s life. We will see God providentially transform Jacob, the deceiver, into Israel and one who has “power with God.”

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.

The Destruction of Sodom and the Tragic Consequences of a Father’s Sinful Choices (Genesis 19)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.
(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Genesis 19

Abraham interceded with God and prayed that the city of Sodom might be spared, “peradventure ten [righteous souls] shall be found there” (18:32a). The LORD honored Abraham’s request saying, “I will not destroy it for ten’s sake” (18:32b).

Genesis 19 – The Tragic Judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities in the Plain

On the same day, the LORD assured Abraham He would be merciful should he find ten righteous souls residing in Sodom, the angels who appeared before Abraham arrived at the gate of Sodom (18:2, 16). Sadly, they were greeted by Lot, who had progressed from pitching his tent toward Sodom to becoming one of the leaders and judges of the city. We read, “Lot sat in the gate of Sodom” (19:1), where government and commercial business was transacted.

Seeing the “two angels” and perceiving they were strangers, Lot “rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground” (19:1). Calling them “lords,” for he knew the “men” were not of the character as those of that wicked city, Lot urged them to accept refuge in his home (19:2-3). At first, the “two angels” refused his accommodations, but Lot “pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house” (19:2). That evening, Lot made his guest “a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat” (19:3).

The Gross Wickedness and Depravity of Sodom (19:4-11)

“Before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: ⁵And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them” (19:4-5).

Tragically, the wickedness and depravity of the city were displayed that night as sodomites (homosexuals)encircled Lot’s house. They demanded he would turn his visitors into the street to be violently and sexually assaulted (19:4-6). Instead, Lot defined their lusts as wicked (19:7) and offered his virgin daughters to satisfy their cravings (19:8-9).

Though he was a citizen and a leader of Sodom, his righteous judgment of their wicked passions infuriated the men. They mocked and ridiculed his hypocrisy as a sojourner (an alien, an outsider). Those men would have attacked Lot and broken into his house had the angels not rescued him, for they “put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door” (19:10). Although they struck the sodomites with blindness, those men of that city continued, “both small and great…[and] wearied themselves to find the door” of Lot’s house (19:10-11).

An Offer of Salvation (19:12-14)

Displaying God’s grace, the angels pressed Lot to go to his sons, daughters, and spouses and urge them to flee Sodom before the LORD destroyed the city for its wickedness (19:12-13). Yet, Lot’s children and their spouses refused his pleas and despised him, for he appeared “as one that mocked unto his sons in law” (19:14).

A Display of Mercy (19:15-22)

As the morning light crested the plain, “the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city” (19:15). Though knowing the judgment of God was imminent, Lot “lingered,” and the angels mercifully took hold of him, his wife, and daughters and “brought him forth, and set him without the city” (19:16).

Though admonished to “escape for [his] life; [and] look not behind…escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed” (19:17), Lot foolishly protested God’s place of safety and pleaded that a nearby city, “a little one” (19:20), might be spared as his refuge (19:19-20). The LORD heeded Lot’s request (19:21) and spared the city called Zoar (19:22).

God’s Fiery Judgment (19:24-26)

With the sun risen and Lot safely removed from Sodom, “the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; ²⁵And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground” (19:24-25). The scene was utter destruction, a burning inferno, as though hell rained from heaven upon the wicked. Tragically, Lot’s “wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (19:26).

Abraham’s Vision from a Summit (19:27-28)

Abraham arose early that morning, perhaps anxious that Sodom might have been spared. So he went “to the place where he stood before the LORD” (19:27). There he “looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah…and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace” (19:28). Abraham saw the severity of God’s judgment upon that wicked city and its inhabitants. Yet, in answer to Abraham’s intercession and a reminder that the LORD will spare the righteous in His judgment, “God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt” (19:29).

Lot: An Object of Grace (19:29-38)

Why were Lot and his daughters spared judgment? First, scripture says, “God remembered Abraham” (19:29). What a blessed thought to realize that God never forgets His promise. Surely, we would hope Lot’s straying from the LORD would end with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but that was not the case. Lot, a man whom the Scriptures declare was righteous (though he chose to dwell among the wicked, 2 Peter 2:8), became drunk with wine. Then, succumbing to his daughters’ enticement, tragically, Lot committed the morally depraved sin of incest (19:30-36).

The eldest daughter conceived a son she named Moab. He became the father of the Moabites (19:37). The youngest daughter conceived a son named Ammon, of whom would be born the Ammonites (19:38). Both nations, the Moabites and Ammonites, would become a curse and perpetual trouble for the nation of Israel.

Closing thoughts – Genesis 19 portrays man’s sinful depravity and God’s inevitable judgment of the wicked. We have been reminded of the shadow and influence of parental character and how today’s choices will have consequences for our children and grandchildren. Yes, Lot’s spirit was vexed by the sinful, “unlawful deeds” of the wicked, but he failed to separate from them. The consequences of his failure were innumerable, for he lost his wife, children, possessions, and neighbors.

Are you ready for God’s judgment?

Romans 14:11–12 – ¹¹For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. ¹²So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Heart of A Shepherd Inc as a 501c3 public charitable organization.

Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.

Keep Hope Alive: God Knows You! (Job 22; Job 23)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.
(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading – Job 22; Job 23

Continuing our two-year chronological study of the Scriptures, we are in the midst of the Book of Job. What a powerful book and reminder that no one is spared the troubles and trials of this earthly life. Job served as a memorable example of a spiritual man who faced not only the hardships of catastrophic losses, but the erroneous, harsh judgments of some who purported to be his friends.

Yet, we should remember Job was not aware his afflictions were a consequence, not of God’s judgment, but His confidence there was “none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil” (1:8). The LORD gave Satan liberty to assail Job, and spared only the man’s life, from that evil one’s assault. In spite of his sorrows, Job’s faith did not falter, even as the evil insinuations of his friends increased.

After listening to Job maintain his innocence, and refute the allegations that he had committed some sin that warranted God’s judgment (Job 21), Eliphaz, obviously offended, spoke up.

Job 22 – Eliphaz’s Rebuke of Job

Eliphaz the Temanite disputed Job for his third and final time (his first two challenges were recorded in Job 4-5, and Job 15). Though claiming to be Job’s friend, Eliphaz accused him of supposing he was righteous, and God was obligated to him (22:1-4).

Impatient with Job’s pleas of innocence, Eliphaz unleashed a torrent of accusations against the man whom God said, “there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man” (1:8). He alleged Job had exploited the poor (22:6), refused water to the thirsty, and denied bread to the hungry (22:7). He suggested he had taken advantage of the most vulnerable, sent widows away wanting (22:9a), and crushed orphans (22:9b). Eliphaz dared suggest Job thought God must be blind to his wicked ways, and warned all the troubles that had befallen Job was God’s punishment (22:12-14).

Eliphaz’s diatribe (22:15-30) against Job’s character continued through the balance of Job 22, as he recapped for Job concerning the wicked, and God’s judgment (22:15). Understanding the Book of Job is believed to be the most ancient of the books of the Bible, we are not surprised to find the worldwide flood still fresh in the minds of the men of Job’s day (22:16). Eliphaz reminded Job how the wicked were destroyed in the flood, for they had rejected the LORD (22:17). Yet, men in Noah’s day, as in our day, enjoyed God’s common grace, and their houses were “filled…with good things” (22:18).

Then, Eliphaz proved the callous, heartless man he was and boasted the righteous rejoice when the wicked are afflicted (22:19), and the righteous are “not cut down” (22:20). Once again, the implication was only the wicked suffer in the manner Job was afflicted, and called upon Job to repent and “return to the Almighty” (22:21-23). Perhaps the first to preach a “prosperity gospel,” Eliphaz promised God would prosper Job (22:26), and answer his prayers if he confessed his sin and repented (22:27-30).

Job 23 – Job’s Appeal for God to Hear His Plea

Job’s reply to Eliphaz’s harsh inferences was recorded in Job 23 and Job 24; however, today’s devotional will conclude focusing solely on Job 23.

Once again, Job employed the scene of a heavenly courtroom, and God being his judge and he the victim advocating for compassion and understanding (23:1-2). Job complained it seemed God was distant, and were he to find Him, he would come to His throne and petition the LORD to hear his appeal (23:3-4). Knowing the LORD to be just, Job confessed, “I would know the words which He would answer me, And understand what He would say unto me” (23:5). He believed God would not only hear his cause, but would favor him in His judgment (23:6-7). Job complained, he searched everywhere for the LORD, but felt he was abandoned by Him (if only he had known, God was ever watching and attentive to him (23:8-9).

Closing thoughts (23:10-17) – Our devotion concludes with Job giving us a wonderful truth regarding God’s omniscience, mercy, and providences. Job 23:10 presents us with one of the great statements of faith in God’s providences: “He knoweth the way that I take: When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (23:10).

Though his friends misjudged him, Job was comforted knowing the LORD knew his ways and motives (23:11-12). Though men are given to urges, Job knew the LORD was immutable, and not given to whims. Our God is of “one mind” and does as He pleases, and His plan will be accomplished in our lives (23:13-14).

Job was confident, regardless the accusations brought against him by others, he was sure God knew him to be a man of integrity. While friends slandered and misjudged him, he believed God’s judgment was righteous and perfect.

Take comfort and trust in God: The LORD is not given to whims, for “He is one mind…and what His soul desireth, even that He doeth” (23:13).

* You can become a regular subscriber of the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals, and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone).

Heart of A Shepherd Inc is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501c3, and is a public charitable organization.

Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
7853 Gunn Hwy
#131
Tampa, FL 33626-1611

You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.