For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death. Don’t think you can get away with saying, “I didn’t know.” God knows that you know. The plausible deniability defense will not work before His judgment seat.
If a person who exercises government authority uses that power to defend the poor and rescue the children of the needy, their enemies will fall before them. Such a ruler will govern a prosperous land.
Paul calls on us to seek unity with our fellow believers. In addition, he describes how we can have such unity, and the only way we can have such unity. We will not have unity as long as some among us think that they are more important than others, placing more value on their own wants and interests than on the interests of others. If we are guilty of thinking that what we want is more important than what others want, we are the ones causing division in the Church. Until we have the same attitude which Jesus had, we are going to bring division to the Body of Christ.
As I read chapter 60, part of me sees this as a prophecy for the Jewish people, but part of me also sees this as a prophecy which applies to those who follow Christ. I look around at the world and see the darkness of evil covering ever more of the world. However, God promises that the light of His righteousness will shine on those who honor and trust Him. That light will shine out from God’s people into the darkness and people will throng to God’s light.
Then we come to chapter 61, which Jesus declared was fulfilled in Himself. Jesus declared that He had come to proclaim that the captive would be freed and the blind would see. The Spirit of God was upon Him to bring these things about…and Jesus told us that the Spirit of God would be upon us as well to bring these things about. Let us remember as we read such passages that it is God’s intention to work through us to make these things happen.