Salvation or Judgment?

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Devotions: Ps 49, 119:49-72; Isa 9:8-17; 2 Pet 2:1-10a; Mk 1:1-8

The Sons of Korah sing to reveal wisdom: Why should I fear in troubled times? I am surrounded by corrupt riches and power, but no mortal can ransom himself; our lives cost more than we can pay! Even the wise die; everyone faces death. And that’s the end for those who misplace their confidence. But God can and will ransom me! So keep perspective: don’t fear or envy those who become rich and famous; when they die, they lose everything. Mortals can’t keep their toys; they are like beasts that perish. Hold fast to God!
Lord, keep Your words before me; godless men totally scorn me, but I do not turn away from Your law. Your precepts are my songs during my pilgrimage; I think of You when I awake at night, and meditate on Your word. YHWH is my Portion! I beg Your favor with all my heart; when I focus on You, I walk in Your ways. [And when my attention wanders, I do too.] Teach me good judgment and knowledge; I believe in Your commands. You are good, and You do good; help me to be like You, Father. Your law is better than gold and silver.

God was angry with Israel; the tribe of Ephraim and inhabitants of Samaria turned from YHWH in pride and arrogance, so He raised up adversaries against them: Syrians to the east, Philistines to the west—and Israel and Samaria fell, never to rise again. Their civic and religious ‘leaders’ misguided the people into destruction—every one did evil and spoke folly, and God’s anger burned them down!

Peter draws the parallels to his own readers’ time: ‘False prophets misled our ancestors, and there will be false teachers among you, secretly introducing destructive heresies, to their own swift destruction. Many will be misled by their licentiousness and the way of the Truth will be reviled; in greed, they’ll seek to exploit you with lies; God has prepared their destruction from long ago. God didn’t spare rebellious angels, or the ancient world, or the sinners in Sodom and Gomorrah (while He rescued Noah’s party and Lot and his daughters); and He knows how to punish the wicked and rescue the godly now, too. All will face the coming day of judgment, especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and who despise authority. [God, I am convicted! Have mercy, and deliver me from these sins, I pray.]

With Peter’s help, John Mark writes: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus, the Messiah, God’s Son. As Isaiah and Malachi wrote, ‘Look! I send My messenger before You, who will prepare Your way; the voice of one crying “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord and make His paths straight.’” John the baptizer appeared, preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. And many from Judea and Jerusalem went out to him and were baptized in the Jordan, confessing their sins. John was dressed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey [cf. 2 Ki 1:8]. And he announced: ‘After me comes He Who is mightier than I, the thong of Whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!’