Verse of the Day (January 5, 2020)

Verse of the Day (January 5, 2020) #BMSeminary – The prophet expresses the heart of YHWH in a series of commands: (1) wash yourselves; (2) make yourselves clean; (3) remove the evil (4) cease to do evil (5) learn to do good; (6) seek justice; (7) reprove the ruthless (possibly “rebuke the oppressor”); (8) defend the orphan; (9) plead for the widow. Notice that YHWH’s will is expressed in terms of a person’s righteous acts of compassion (cf. Mat 25:31-46). One cannot be rightly related to God and hateful and neglectful toward his covenant brother/sister. Often there is confusion about biblical faith. Is it based on the character of God (i.e., grace, mercy) or on the actions of believers? And the answer is “yes”! A good example of the covenant reciprocity (always initiated by God) is comparing Eze 18:31 with Eze 36:26-27 (also note Eph 2:8-10)! (You Can Understand the Bible by Dr. Bob Utley)