God Chooses A Man- Part 5

Years passed, and  Abraham watched his son grow into a young man. I'm sure there were plenty of trials and troubles that they went thru as a family. But, the one that was about to hit them, was going to be a big one.
Genesis 23:1-2- And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
Sarah had Isaac when she was 90. She died when she was 127. That makes Isaac 37 years old.
We don't know how long Abraham and Sarah were married, but I'm sure it was a long time! Poor Abraham!
Genesis 23:2-4- And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
Abraham was a sojourner in this country. That means he didn't own any property there. He was about to purchase his first land, and it was to make a cemetary for his family.
Genesis 23:7-9- And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,  That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
Abraham asked for a specific place- The cave of Machpelah. This cave would become the burial ground for the beginning of the Jewish people. A people that God said would number more than he stars of heaven and the sands of the sea.
Genesis 23:14-15- And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land[is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
We are looking at the first recorded real estate sale. Abraham bought a cave for 400 pieces of silver.
Genesis 23:19- And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
Now that Abraham had taken care of Sarah, he had one more little bit of business to attend to. You see, Abraham wanted to make sure than his son Isaac found a good wife. And, he was going find her where he had found his precious Sarah- back in his old home town.

God Chooses A Man series coloring pages

God Chooses A Man- Part 4

So, after 15 years of Abraham trying and failing, and trying again, God finally fulfilled his promise to Abraham.
Genesis 21:1-3, 5- And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
Can you imagine the joy of these two people. Abraham had waited so long for a son, and now he was able to hold a beautiful little baby boy. And Sarah! How do you think she felt?
We all know that God knows what will happen in our lives, and he gives us the strength to go through what we do. But there are times when God allows things to happens so that we can see what is in our own hearts. And God let this happen to Abraham.
Genesis 22:1-2- And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
This must have been very hard for Abraham to hear. Even God acknowledged that Abraham loved his son. The heathen around Abraham were known for the sacrifice of their children to their false gods. Do you think Abraham wondered why God would ask this of him?
Genesis 22:3- And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
Abraham was willing to obey God! Did you know that God wants you to obey even when you don't understand? God has made some promises to you and you should obey him by faith even when you don't understand. Abraham had faith and he rested on God's promises.
Hebrews 11:17, 19- By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Abraham remembered that God promised to give him children as the stars of heaven and as the sands on the sea shore. And that promise was made about Isaac. Abraham rested in the promise and believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead to fulfill that promise because he knew that God never lies.
Genesis 22:5- And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
He told the servants to stay put and that both he and Isaac would come back. He knew God would keep his promise, so he would obey God no matter the cost!
Genesis 22:6-8- And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
The words of God are very important. God's words to Abraham promised that Isaac would have children. And the words that Abraham spoke that God put in the Bible are very important. Abraham said that God would provide himself a lamb. Do you know what that means? Abraham was prophesying that God would become the sacrifice for the sin of the world. He was saying that Jesus Christ was the Son of God!
Genesis 22:9- And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
We know that Abraham was an old man. And Isaac was a child. Isaac could have easily run away when Abraham tried to bind him and put him on the altar. But Isaac allowed his father to bind him. Not only was Abraham willing to obey God, but so was Isaac. Isaac was willing to die on the altar. Just like Christ was willing to die for us!
Genesis 22:10-12- And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Now, both Abraham and God knew what they meant to each other. God knew that Abraham would obey Him no matter the cost. And Abraham knew that God would bless him and keep his promises!
Genesis 22:13-14- And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Abraham named the place "It shall be seen". Do you know what that means? Again, Abraham was prophesying about Christ. He was saying that in the future Christ would be the substitute sacrifice. Abraham sacricficed a ram instead of Isaac, not a lamb! The Lamb of God would come some years later.
Genesis 22:15-19- And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
This story teaches us that if we obey God, no matter how hard it is, that we will be blessed! God said because thou has obeyed my voice. Do you wonder what would have happened had Abraham said, "No! I love my son more than I love you!"
Many times we like to tell God, "No! It's my life and I'll live it like I want to!" And we not only throw away the blessings of God, but we bring God's chastening on us.
Deuteronomy 30:19- I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Would you rather obey God and be blessed, or disobey God and be cursed?

God Chooses A Man series coloring pages

God Chooses A Man- Part 3

Many times God's way requires patience. It's hard to wait. And during that waiting period, the devil will offer many suggestions. If you aren't strong in the Lord, you will accept these suggestions as God's will when they are the devil's distractions.
Gensis 16:1- Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Sarai was getting impatient waiting for God to give them a child. Perhaps she thought it was hopeless. But then the devil gave her an idea.
I want to point out first where she could have known that she was being decieved. Hagar was an Egyptian. Remember when Abram went to Egypt and lied? He got servants from Pharoah! But God didn't say that the promise of a son would come from Egypt. Can you guess why the promis wouldn't come from Egypt? Because Egypt, in the Bible, is a type of the world.
Only the devil offers you something worldly to use in place of God's promise. You can't go into the world, or even worldly churches, and find God's promises fulfilled with anything in them! They are all distractions from the devil, and they will cause trouble in the end- Sarai will find that out too late!
Genesis 16:2- And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Sarai wanted a child so badly that she would accept someone else's child as her own. But God didn't promise her someone else's child. He promised her a child of her own!
Genesis 16:5- And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
Uh oh! Sarai realized that she was wrong, but instead of repenting, she blamed Abram! Why is it that we always blame someone else for our mistakes? Adam did it. Eve did it. In fact, if you look through the Bible, there are very few people who repent of their mistakes without blaming someone else first.
Sarai started treating Hagar badly. So badly, that Hagar ran away!
Genesis 16:7-8- And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
God sends an angel to talk with Hagar. The angel tells her some important things about her child.
Genesis 16:9-12- And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
First, the angel tells her to go obey. It's always important to obey those who have the rule over us- parents, teachers, and most importantly, God!
Next, the angel tells her that she will have a son, Ishmael, and that he will be a wild man. He's going to fight against everybody, and everybody will fight against him! That doesn't sound too good!
Genesis 21:9- And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Time had passed, and Ishmael was now 14 years old. What the angel said about him was true. He would fight with anyone! Even a toddler! This made Sarah mad.
Genesis 21:10, 12, 14- Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Abraham told them to leave. The Lord's promise wasn't through them. It was through God's choice. And Abraham had to let go of the choices he made in the world!
But, you know what's the great thing about God? He takes our feelings into account. Abraham loved Ishmael, so God saw to it that Ishmael was taken care of.
Genesis 16:17,18, 20- And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
Even today, there are descendants of Ishmael living all over the world. But, even today God's words are true. Ishmael's descendants are still fighting with everyone, especially the Jews. This one little mistake made by an impatient woman has cost the lives of untold people, and has troubled Sarah's descendants for 4,000 plus years!
You see, it's always a good idea to wait for God's will. It may be a few weeks or it may be a few years, but God's way is best. And if you're patient, there'll be a whole lot less fighting and troubles and consequences that you'll have to reap.

God Chooses A Man series coloring pages

God Chooses A Man- Part 2

When God called Abram to go to Caanan, he was told to leave his country and kindred.
Genesis 12:1- Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
But, like most people today, Abram decided to obey God his way. He took his nephew, Lot, with him. But, as it always is, doing things our way brings consequences and complications.
Genesis 13:5-7- And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
First, Abram and Lot's servants started to fight! This caused so many problems that Abram realized they needed to separate. It's funny how people have to go through fights and problems before they realize God's way was the best way! Sometimes, we can't fix what we've done- and Abram had to watch Lot go through more because of his selfish decision.
Genesis 13:8-9, 12- And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
So, Abram and Lot separated. Lot decided to go toward Sodom. But, Lot made a mistake. You see, the people we hang around are the ones we become like. If we hang around people who spend money foolishly, we will be tempted to spend our money foolishly. If we hang around people who talk baldy, we will be tempted to talk badly.
The Bible says in Proverbs 27:17- Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Genesis 13:13- But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Lot started hanging around with wicked men. Pretty soon, he was living in the city of Sodom. And he was around their wicked ways every day!
Genesis 18:20-21- And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Sodom was so wicked, that the Lord decided to go see what was going on. He told Abram that he going to destroy Sodom if it was truly that wicked.
Abram knew that Lot had moved into Sodom, and he was afraid Lot would be destroyed with the city. So, Abram pleaded with God to spare the city if there were some righteous people in it.
Genesis 18:32-33- And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Abraham asked God to spare the city if 50 were righteous in it, and then wittled it down to 10! Just 10 righteous people! Surely, Lot had witnessed to someone!
Genesis 19:1- And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
Lot met the angels the Lord sent and invited them home with him. But, the men of the city tried to attack them! The Lord saw that the city was wicked, and he knew he had to destroy it. But, the Lord was merciful to Abraham, and he decided to save Lot and his family!
Genesis 19:12-13- And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
Lot tried to gather up his children so they wouldn't be destroyed. But, like the verse above said, they became like their friends.
Genesis 19:14-And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
His daughters and sons in law thought he had gone crazy! They liked sinning. They didn't want to repent. They didn't want to leave their friends. And so, they had to face the judgement of God!
Genesis 19:15- And when the morning arose, then 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.
Lot didn't want to leave because he had family and friends here. But the Lord was merciful to him,because of Abraham, and the angels dragged him, his wife, and his 2 daughters that lived at home out of the city.
Genesis 19:29, 16-17- And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
Genesis 19:23-25- The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
God destroyed everything that Lot had. Remember, he was a rich man with cattle and servants. He lost it all when God destroyed Sodom!
But, the most heart-breaking thing he lost was his wife. You see, his wife was feeling bad about what she was losing. Perhaps it was her children that she left behind, or maybe it was her friends or her posessions. I'm not sure what it was she missed, but...
Genesis 19:26- But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
God's judgement came on Lot's wife. She escaped the destruction of Sodom, only to be turned into a pillar of salt!
Christ warned people, while he was on the earth not to try to hold onto the world.
Luke 17:31-33- In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
If you try to keep your worldy life, you will lose your life just like Lot's wife. But, if you're willing to obey God and give up your worldy life, you will find blessing of the Lord that are worth more than what you gave up!

God Chooses A Man series coloring pages

God Chooses A Man- Part 1

After many people were spread out across the earth, God took notice of a family again.
Genesis 11:31-32- And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
We don't know why Terah moved his family away from Ur of the Chaldees. All we do know is that God took notice of this. God was watching one man in this family, and his name was Abram.
Genesis 12:1-3- Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
How would you feel if someone told you to move away from your friends and family, but didn't tell you where to move? God told him to go to a land that I will show thee- he hadn't shown him yet. What would you have done? Do you know what Abram did?
Genesis 12:45-- So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
Abram was 75 years old when God asked him to move. He must have had a lot of friends and family. But, Abram obeyed God! Perhaps his grandfather told stories of a man named Noah who obeyed God and his family was saved when the rest of the world was destroyed.
Genesis 12:7- And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
God spoke to Abram. Not only did He speak to him, but He gave Abram a promise. He promised to give the land to Abram's children. This might not seem like a big deal to you, but Abram was 75 years old and he had no children!
Do you know any 75 year olds who have little children? Not many do!
Do you think Abram was a perfect man? Do you think it was because he was so good that God promised him something? He wasn't.
Genesis 12:10-13- And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
He asked his wife to lie. He thought that because she was pretty, the people of the land would kill him so that they could marry her. Abram didn't have much faith that God would protect him. Do you think maybe it was because God didn't want him in Egypt?
There are many times that we worry that bad things are going to happen. Some times it's because we're doing wrong and we know there are going to be consequences for our actions. Maybe that's why Abram was afraid.
Genesis 12:14-16- And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
Well, Abram was right about these people thinking his wife was beautiful. She was so pretty that Pharoah wanted to marry her. Pharoah even gave Abram gifts so that he could take her and marry her. I wonder what Abram was thinking. Was he worried?
Even when we do wrong, God is watching. And sometimes, God will step in and take care of the mess we've made.
Genesis 12:17- And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
Gos protected Sarai. I believe it was because she obeyed her husband. The Lord tells wives in Ephesians 5:22- Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
God wasn't going to let anything happen to Sarai because she didn't do anything wrong! When you do what the Lord tells you to, He will protect you.
Genesis 12:18-20- And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
Abram realized that God was going to take care of them. So, he went back to where God wanted him to be- the Land of Caanan.
Genesis 13:1- And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
Now, Abram was back where God wanted him to be. But there were a few things that God needed to get out of Abram's life before He could use him.

God Chooses A Man series coloring pages

Note: For the story of Job, please follow this link.

When Jesus Went To Jericho (video sermon)

Adventures of the Northwoods book review

This series follows a girl named Kate when she moves from Minnesota to Wisconsin after the death of her father, and her mother's remarriage. What mysteries will she encounter? How will she like the people who will become her new friends? Will she fit in to her new home?

It's exciting, and reminiscent of the Little House series, set in the early 1900's, and the history is pretty accurate. It's not full of a ton of romance, but there is some friendship and interest.

This series has some characters that encourage your child in their faith, and show what happens when God answers your prayers- even if it's not in the way you thought it would be.

It is written by Lois Walfrid Johnson and is a great read for boys and girls alike.

All That I Need (song)

One More Day's Work For Jesus (poem)

One more day’s work for Jesus,
One less of life for me!
But Heav’n is nearer, and Christ is clearer
Than yesterday, to me.
His love and light fill all my soul tonight.

One more day’s work for Jesus!
How sweet the work has been,
To tell the story, to show the glory,
Where Christ’s flock enters in!
How it did shine in this poor heart of mine.

One more day’s work for Jesus!
O yes, a weary day;
But Heav’n shines clearer, and rest comes nearer,
At each step of the way;
And Christ in all, before His face I fall.

O blessed work for Jesus!
O rest at Jesus’ feet!
There toil seems pleasure, my wants are treasure,
And pain for Him is sweet.
Lord, if I may, I’ll serve another day!

-Anna Bartlett Warner

Reprobate Silver

Jeremiah 6:30- Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

God is rejecting someone here who is called reprobate silver. This is very interesting to me because of two words- reprobate and silver.

First, silver is a precious metal. It can be used for many things from jewelry to dinnerware to medicinal purposes. But, in the Bible silver is something very precious.

Psalms 12:6-7- The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Silver represents the pure words of God, Scripture. 

So, how can something pure be considered reprobate? Because someone took and soiled it.

Don't think that I'm saying that we can soil God's pure Word; the Bible will always be pure. But, man soils the use of God's Word when he twists it for his own purpose.

Titus 1:16- They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Romans 1:25- Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

There are professing Christians out there who change the truth of God into a lie. They worship things in creation rather than the Creator. They preach Christ for their own personal gain. They become reprobate! And they make the Word of God a mockery to lost souls by how they use it.

Isaiah 1:22- Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 

Ezekiel 22:18- Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.

Christ wants to purify us into something that can be used by Him, and when we sully His Words for our own personal, political, monetary gain, we become the impurity that is suppose to be melted off. We start mixing the silver with other things- brass, tin, iron, or lead.

Brass is a mingled metal of copper and zinc. It's sort of the color of gold, and you can shine it up really pretty; but it's not worth the value of gold. It's a cheap imitation that looks good from a distance. I find it interesting that the giants that David and his men faced wore armor made of brass.

Brass, it seems, is an imitation of gold (which is faith- I Peter 1:7). It's a faith in something that isn't what it appears.

Jeremiah 6:28- They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

II Chronicles 12:9-10- So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.

Tin is a soft, pliable metal. It's used to coat things to make them last longer, or it's mixed with other metals.  When tin gets too cold, though, it changes to a powder. It appears to help things out, to make things better, but when the going gets tough, it crumbles.

God wants someone that will stand for what's right, even when there are troubles and trials around!

Isaiah 1:25-26- And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Iron is a doozy in the Bible. It's strong and hard and mostly representative of wickedness or evil. In Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the iron was part of the Roman Empire, which gives way for the AntiChrist. And, It's almost always mentioned with brass. 

Iron is like an evil worldly strength used for oppression, and it coincides with a false faith. 

Deuteronomy 3:11- For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man. 

Judges 4:3- And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 

1 Kings 8:51- For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:

Lead is a metal that is resistant to corrosives and easy to use. but it can accumulate in the human body and become toxic. Lead is a false religion that defiles the gospel of Christ. When lead is mention in Zechariah, it's associated with women who have stork wings (Catholic depictions of angels) who take this lead ephah to the land of Shinar (Babylon) to establish it. Yep, lead is congruent to Mystery Babylon.  

Zechariah 5:5-11- Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

Jeremiah 6:29- The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. 

Do you think that God wants this stuff mixing with His pure Words? Do you know who would want to mix these things with God's Word?

Ezekiel 22:20- As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. 

God wants to get it out; burn it with fire and melt it away; purge it. 

If you don't allow God to purge them from you, when you stand before Christ at the judgment your life's work will go up in smoke and ashes while you stand there knowing who you derailed and destroyed for your own personal gain. These things will follow you for eternity! If you want to be used of God you have to let Him rid you of these things, or you will be no better than reprobate silver.