Wichita, Kansas, United States - Great Plains Conference of the
United Methodist Church Daily Devotional for Saturday, 14 June 2014
This Week's Lectionary for Sunday, 8 June 2014:
Day of Pentecost – Red
Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
John 7:37-39
Lectionary Scriptures:
*Acts 2:1 Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all
with one accord in one place. 2 Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like
the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting. 3 Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat
on each of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to
speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. 5 Now
there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the
sky. 6 When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were
bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They
were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these
who speak Galileans? 8 How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9
Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia,
Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene,
visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians: we hear
them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!” 12 They were all
amazed, and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13
Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice,
and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem,
let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15 For these aren’t drunken,
as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.[a] 16 But this is
what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘It will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out
my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will
see visions.
Your old men will
dream dreams.
18 Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days,
I will pour out my
Spirit, and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the sky above,
and signs on the earth
beneath;
blood, and fire, and
billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness,
and the moon into
blood,
before the great and
glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 It will be that
whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[b]
Footnotes:
a. Acts 2:15 about 9:00 AM
b. Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32
Psalm 104: 24 Yahweh, how many are your works!
In wisdom have you
made them all.
The earth is full of
your riches.
25 There is the sea, great and wide,
in which are
innumerable living things,
both small and large
animals.
26 There the ships go,
and leviathan, whom
you formed to play there.
27 These all wait for you,
that you may give them
their food in due season.
28 You give to them; they gather.
You open your hand;
they are satisfied with good.
29 You hide your face: they are troubled;
you take away their
breath: they die, and return to the dust.
30 You send out your Spirit and they are created.
You renew the face of
the ground.
31 Let Yahweh’s glory endure forever.
Let Yahweh rejoice in
his works.
32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles.
He touches the
mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live.
I will sing praise to
my God while I have any being.
34 Let your meditation be sweet to him.
I will rejoice in
Yahweh.
35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth.
Let the wicked be no
more.
Bless Yahweh, my soul.
Praise Yah!
1 Corinthians 12: 3 Therefore I make known to you that no man
speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is
Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the
same Spirit.
5 There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. 6 There
are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all. 7
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the
word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith, by the
same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; 10 and to
another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another
discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another
the interpretation of languages. 11 But the one and the same Spirit produces
all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
12 For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the
members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13 For in one
Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond
or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
John 20: 19 When therefore it was evening, on that day, the
first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were
assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said
to them, “Peace be to you.”
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus therefore
said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send
you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive
the Holy Spirit! 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them.
If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
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John Wesley’s Notes-Commentary:
*Acts 2:1-21
Verse 2
[2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven — So will the Son of
man come to judgment.
And it filled all the house — That is, all that part of the
temple where they were sitting.
Verse 3
[3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them.
And there appeared distinct tongues, as of fire — That is, small
flames of fire. This is all which the phrase, tongues of fire, means in the
language of the seventy. Yet it might intimate God's touching their tongues as
it were (together with their hearts) with Divine fire: his giving them such
words as were active and penetrating, even as flaming fire.
Verse 4
[4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And they began to speak with other tongues — The miracle was not
in the ears of the hearers, (as some have unaccountably supposed,) but in the
mouth of the speakers. And this family praising God together, with the tongues
of all the world, was an earnest that the whole world should in due time praise
God in their various tongues.
As the Spirit gave them utterance — Moses, the type of the law,
was of a slow tongue; but the Gospel speaks with a fiery and flaming one.
Verse 5
[5] And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out
of every nation under heaven.
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews — Gathered from all
parts by the peculiar providence of God.
Verse 6
[6] Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together,
and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own
language.
The multitude came together, and were confounded — The motions
of their minds were swift and various.
Verse 9
[9] Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia,
and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Judea — The dialect of which greatly differed from that of
Galilee.
Asia — The country strictly so called.
Verse 10
[10] Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya
about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Roman sojourners — Born at Rome, but now living at Jerusalem.
These seem to have come to Jerusalem after those who are above mentioned. All
of them were partly Jews by birth, and partly proselytes.
Verse 11
[11] Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues
the wonderful works of God.
Cretans — One island seems to be mentioned for all.
The wonderful works of God — Probably those which related to the
miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the
effusion of his Spirit, as a fulfilment of his promises, and the glorious
dispensations of Gospel grace.
Verse 12
[12] And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to
another, What meaneth this?
They were all amazed — All the devout men.
Verse 13
[13] Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
But others mocking — The world begins with mocking, thence
proceeds to cavilling, Acts 4:7; to threats, 4:17; to imprisoning, Acts 5:18;
blows, 5:40; to slaughter, Acts 7:58. These mockers appear to have been some of
the natives of Judea, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, (who understood only the
dialect of the country,) by the apostle's immediately directing his discourse
to them in the next verse.
They are full of sweet wine — So the Greek word properly
signifies. There was no new wine so early in the year as pentecost. Thus
natural men are wont to ascribe supernatural things to mere natural causes; and
many times as impudently and unskilfully as in the present case.
Verse 14
[14] But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his
voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at
Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Then Peter standing up — All the gestures, all the words of
Peter, show the utmost sobriety; lifted up his voice - With cheerfulness and
boldness; and said to them - This discourse has three parts; each of which,
Acts 2:14,22,29, begins with the same appellation, men: only to the last part
he prefixes with more familiarity the additional word brethren.
Men of Judea — That is, ye that are born in Judea. St. Peter
spoke in Hebrew, which they all understood.
Verse 15
[15] For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but
the third hour of the day.
It is but the third hour of the day — That is, nine in the
morning. And on the solemn festivals the Jews rarely ate or drank any thing
till noon.
Verse 16
[16] But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet — But there
is another and better way of accounting for this. Joel 2:28
Verse 17
[17] And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I
will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall
dream dreams:
The times of the Messiah are frequently called the last days,
the Gospel being the last dispensation of Divine grace.
I will pour out of my Spirit — Not on the day of pentecost only,
upon all flesh - On persons of every age, sex, and rank.
And your young men shall see visions — In young men the outward
sense, are most vigorous, and the bodily strength is entire, whereby they are
best qualified to sustain the shock which usually attends the visions of God.
In old men the internal senses are most vigorous, suited to divine dreams. Not
that the old are wholly excluded from the former, nor the young from the
latter.
Verse 18
[18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in
those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
And upon my servants — On those who are literally in a state of
servitude.
Verse 19
[19] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the
earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
And I will show prodigies in heaven above, and signs on earth
beneath — Great revelations of grace are usually attended with great judgments
on those who reject it.
In heaven — Treated of, Acts 2:20.
On earth — Described in this verse. Such signs were those
mentioned, Acts 2:22, before the passion of Christ; which are so mentioned as
to include also those at the very time of the passion and resurrection, at the
destruction of Jerusalem, and at the end of the world. Terrible indeed were
those prodigies in particular which preceded the destruction of Jerusalem: such
as the flaming sword hanging over the city, and the fiery comet pointing down
upon it for a year; the light that shone upon the temple and the altar in the
night, as if it had been noon-day; the opening of the great and heavy gate of
the temple without hands; the voice heard from the most holy place, Let us
depart hence; the admonition of Jesus the son of Ananus, crying for seven years
together, Wo, wo, wo; the vision of contending armies in the air, and of
entrenchments thrown up against a city there represented; the terrible thunders
and lightnings, and dreadful earthquakes, which every one considered as
portending some great evil: all which, through the singular providence of God,
are particularly recorded by Josephus.
Blood — War and slaughter.
Fire — Burnings of houses and towns, involving all in clouds of
smoke.
Verse 20
[20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
The moon shall be turned into blood — A bloody colour: before
the day of the Lord - Eminently the last day; though not excluding any other
day or season, wherein the Lord shall manifest his glory, in taking vengeance
of his adversaries.
Verse 21
[21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved.
But — whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord - This
expression implies the whole of religion, and particularly prayer uttered in
faith; shall be saved - From all those plagues; from sin and hell.
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Verse 25
[25] So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping
innumerable, both small and great beasts.
Creeping — This word is common to all creatures that move
without feet.
Verse 26
[26] There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast
made to play therein.
Leviathan — The whale.
Therein — Who being of such a vast strength and absolute
dominion in the sea, tumbles in it with great security, and sports himself with
other creatures.
Verse 20
[20] Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the
beasts of the forest do creep forth.
Darkness — Which succeeds the light by virtue of thy decree.
Verse 29
[29] Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away
their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Hidest — Withdrawest the care of thy providence.
Verse 30
[30] Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou
renewest the face of the earth.
Spirit — That quickening power of God, by which he produces life
in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first
creation, but of the continued production of living creatures.
Created — Other living creatures are produced; the word created
being taken in its largest sense for the production of things by second causes.
Renewest — And thus by thy wise and wonderful providence thou
preservest the succession of living creatures.
Verse 31
[31] The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall
rejoice in his works.
Rejoice — Thus God advances the glory of his wisdom and power and
goodness, in upholding the works of his hands from generation to generation,
and he takes pleasure in the preservation of his works, as also in his
reflection upon these works of his providence.
Verse 32
[32] He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the
hills, and they smoke.
He looketh — This is a farther illustration of God's powerful
providence: as when he affords his favour to creatures, they live and thrive,
so on the contrary, one angry look or touch of his upon the hills or earth, makes
them tremble and smoke, as Sinai did when God appeared in it.
Verse 35
[35] Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the
wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
Praise ye the Lord — Heb. Hallelujah. This is the first time
that this word occurs. And it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of
the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Revelation 19:1; 3,4,6, it is on a
like occasion, the destruction of Babylon.
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
Verse 3
[3] Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by
the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is
the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Therefore — Since the heathen idols cannot speak themselves,
much less give spiritual gifts to others, these must necessarily be among
Christians only.
As no one speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed —
That is, as none who does this, (which all the Jews and heathens did,) speaketh
by the Spirit of God - Is actuated by that Spirit, so as to speak with tongues,
heal diseases, or cast out devils.
So no one can say, Jesus is the Lord — None can receive him as
such; for, in the scripture language, to say, or to believe, implies an
experimental assurance.
But by the Holy Ghost — The sum is, None have the Holy Spirit
but Christians: all Christians have this Spirit.
Verse 4
[4] Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit — Divers
streams, but all from one fountain. This verse speaks of the Holy Ghost, the
next of Christ, the sixth of God the Father. The apostle treats of the Spirit,
1 Corinthians 12:7, etc.; of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:12, etc.; of God, 1
Corinthians 12:28, etc.
Verse 5
[5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same
Lord.
Administrations — Offices. But the same Lord appoints them all.
Verse 6
[6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same
God which worketh all in all.
Operations — Effects produced. This word is of a larger extent
than either of the former. But it is the same God who worketh all these effects
in all the persons concerned.
Verse 7
[7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal.
The manifestation — The gift whereby the Spirit manifests
itself.
Is given to each — For the profit of the whole body.
Verse 8
[8] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to
another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
The word of wisdom — A power of understanding and explaining the
manifold wisdom of God in the grand scheme of gospel salvation.
The word of knowledge — Perhaps an extraordinary ability to
understand and explain the Old Testament types and prophecies.
Verse 9
[9] To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of
healing by the same Spirit;
Faith may here mean an extraordinary trust in God under the most
difficult or dangerous circumstances. The gift of healing need not be wholly
confined to the healing diseases with a word or a touch. It may exert itself
also, though in a lower degree, where natural remedies are applied; and it may
often be this, not superior skill, which makes some physicians more successful
than others. And thus it may be with regard to other gifts likewise. As, after the
golden shields were lost, the king of Judah put brazen in their place, so,
after the pure gifts were lost, the power of God exerts itself in a more covert
manner, under human studies and helps; and that the more plentifully, according
as there is the more room given for it.
Verse 10
[10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to
another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another
the interpretation of tongues:
The working of other miracles. Prophecy — Foretelling things to
come.
The discerning — Whether men be of an upright spirit or no;
whether they have natural or supernatural gifts for offices in the church; and
whether they who profess to speak by inspiration speak from a divine, a
natural, or a diabolical spirit.
Verse 11
[11] But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,
dividing to every man severally as he will.
As he willeth — The Greek word does not so much imply arbitrary
pleasure, as a determination founded on wise counsel.
Verse 12
[12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
So is Christ — That is, the body of Christ, the church.
Verse 13
[13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether
we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to
drink into one Spirit.
For by that one Spirit, which we received in baptism, we are all
united in one body.
Whether Jews or gentiles — Who are at the greatest distance from
each other by nature.
Whether slaves or freemen — Who are at the greatest distance by
law and custom.
We have all drank of one Spirit — In that cup, received by
faith, we all imbibed one Spirit, who first inspired, and still preserves, the
life of God in our souls.
John 20:19-23
Verse 19
[19] Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the
week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of
the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto
you.
Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36.
Verse 21
[21] Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Peace be unto you — This is the foundation of the mission of a
true Gospel minister, peace in his own soul, 2 Corinthians 4:1.
As the Father hath sent me, so send I you — Christ was the
apostle of the Father, Hebrews 3:1. Peter and the rest, the apostles of Christ.
Verse 22
[22] And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith
unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
He breathed on them — New life and vigour, and saith, as ye
receive this breath out of my mouth, so receive ye the Spirit out of my
fulness: the Holy Ghost influencing you in a peculiar manner, to fit you for
your great embassy. This was an earnest of pentecost.
Verse 23
[23] Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them;
and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Whose soever sins ye remit — (According to the tenor of the
Gospel, that is, supposing them to repent and believe) they are remitted, and
whose soever sins ye retain (supposing them to remain impenitent) they are
retained. So far is plain. But here arises a difficulty. Are not the sins of
one who truly repents, and unfeignedly believes in Christ, remitted, without
sacerdotal absolution? And are not the sins of one who does not repent or
believe, retained even with it? What then does this commission imply? Can it
imply any more than, 1. A power of declaring with authority the Christian terms
of pardon; whose sins are remitted and whose retained? As in our daily form of
absolution; and 2. A power of inflicting and remitting ecclesiastical censures?
That is, of excluding from, and re-admitting into, a Christian congregation.
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This Week’s Lectionary for Sunday, 15 June 2014:
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Psalm 8
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Matthew 28:16-20
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God[a] created the heavens and the
earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the
deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw
the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness. 5
God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was
evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the
waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 God made the expanse,
and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were
above the expanse; and it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky”. There was
evening and there was morning, a second day.
9 God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together
to one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 God called the
dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”.
God saw that it was good. 11 God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs
yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their
seeds in it, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 The earth yielded grass, herbs
yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in
it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and
there was morning, a third day.
14 God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to
divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days,
and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of sky to give light on
the earth”; and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights: the greater light
to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the
stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of sky to give light to the earth, 18 and
to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the
darkness. God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning,
a fourth day.
20 God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and
let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky.” 21 God created the
large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters
swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that
it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill
the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 There was
evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24 God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their
kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind”;
and it was so. 25 God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the
livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its
kind. God saw that it was good.
26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the
sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in his own image. In God’s
image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them. God
said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have
dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every
living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 God said, “Behold,[b] I have given
you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and
every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food. 30 To every
animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that
creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for
food;” and it was so.
31 God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very
good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
2:1 The heavens, the earth, and all their vast array were
finished. 2 On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he
rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 God blessed
the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work of
creation which he had done.
4 This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of
the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh[c] God made the earth
and the heavens.
Footnotes:
a. Genesis 1:1 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים”
(Elohim).
b. Genesis 1:29 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take
notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
c. Genesis 2:4 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered
“LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
Psalm 8: For the Chief Musician; on an instrument of Gath. A
Psalm by David.
1 Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,
who has set your glory
above the heavens!
2 From the lips of babes and infants you have established
strength,
because of your
adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the
stars, which you have ordained;
4 what is man, that you think of him?
What is the son of
man, that you care for him?
5 For you have made him a little lower than God,[a]
and crowned him with
glory and honor.
6 You make him ruler over the works of your hands.
You have put all
things under his feet:
7 All sheep and cattle,
yes, and the animals
of the field,
8 The birds of the
sky, the fish of the sea,
and whatever passes
through the paths of the seas.
9 Yahweh, our Lord,
how majestic is your
name in all the earth!
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 8:5 Hebrew: Elohim. The word Elohim, used here, usually
means “God”, but can also mean “gods”, “princes”, or “angels”. The Septuagint
reads “angels” here.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be
comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace
will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints
greet you.
Matthew 28:16 But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the
mountain where Jesus had sent them. 17 When they saw him, they bowed down to
him, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority
has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go,[a] and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you.
Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 28:19 TR and NU add “therefore”
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John Wesley’s Notes-commentary for:
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Verse 1
[1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Observe here. 1. The effect produced, The heaven and the earth -
That is, the world, including the whole frame and furniture of the universe.
But 'tis only the visible part of the creation that Moses designs to give an
account of. Yet even in this there are secrets which cannot be fathomed, nor
accounted for. But from what we see of heaven and earth, we may infer the
eternal power and godhead of the great Creator. And let our make and place, as
men, mind us of our duty, as Christians, which is always to keep heaven in our
eye, and the earth under our feet. Observe 2. The author and cause of this
great work, God. The Hebrew word is Elohim; which (1.) seems to mean The
Covenant God, being derived from a word that signifies to swear. (2.) The
plurality of persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The plural
name of God in Hebrew, which speaks of him as many, tho' he be but one, was to
the Gentiles perhaps a favour of death unto death, hardening them in their
idolatry; but it is to us a favour of life unto life, confirming our faith in
the doctrine of the Trinity, which, tho' but darkly intimated in the Old
Testament, is clearly revealed in the New. Observe 3. The manner how this work
was effected; God created, that is, made it out of nothing. There was not any
pre-existent matter out of which the world was produced. The fish and fowl were
indeed produced out of the waters, and the beasts and man out of the earth; but
that earth and those waters were made out of nothing. Observe 4. When this work
was produced; In the beginning - That is, in the beginning of time. Time began
with the production of those beings that are measured by time. Before the
beginning of time there was none but that Infinite Being that inhabits
eternity. Should we ask why God made the world no sooner, we should but darken
counsel by words without knowledge; for how could there be sooner or later in
eternity?
Verse 2
[2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters.
Where we have an account of the first matter, and the first
Mover. 1. A chaos was the first matter. 'Tis here called the earth, (tho' the
earth, properly taken, was not made 'till the third day, Genesis 1:10) because
it did most resemble that which was afterwards called earth, a heavy unwieldy
mass. 'Tis also called the deep, both for its vastness, and because the waters
which were afterwards separated from the earth were now mixed with it. This
mighty bulk of matter was it, out of which all bodies were afterwards produced.
The Creator could have made his work perfect at first, but by this gradual
proceeding he would shew what is ordinarily the method of his providence, and
grace. This chaos, was without form and void. Tohu and Bohu, confusion and
emptiness, so those words are rendered, Isaiah 34:11. 'Twas shapeless, 'twas
useless, 'twas without inhabitants, without ornaments; the shadow or rough
draught of things to come. To those who have their hearts in heaven, this lower
world, in comparison of the upper, still appears to be confusion and emptiness.
And darkness was upon the face of the deep-God did not create this darkness,
(as he is said to create the darkness of affliction, Isaiah 45:7.) for it was
only the want of light. 2. The Spirit of God was the first Mover; He moved upon
the face of the waters - He moved upon the face of the deep, as the hen
gathereth her chicken under her wings, and hovers over them, to warm and
cherish them, Matthew 23:37 as the eagle stirs up her nest, and fluttereth over
her young, ('tis the same word that is here used) Deuteronomy 32:11.
Verses 3-5
[3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. [4]
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the
darkness. [5] And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning were the first day.
We have here a farther account of the first day's work. In which
observe, 1. That the first of all visible beings which God created was light,
the great beauty and blessing of the universe: like the first-born, it doth, of
all visible beings, most resemble its great parent in purity and power,
brightness and beneficence. 2. That the light was made by the word of God's
power; He said, Let there be light - He willed it, and it was done; there was
light - Such a copy as exactly answered the original idea in the eternal mind.
3. That the light which God willed, he approved of.
God saw the light, that it was good — 'Twas exactly as he
designed it; and it was fit to answer the end for which he designed it. 4. That
God divided the light from the darkness - So put them asunder as they could
never be joined together: and yet he divided time between them, the day for
light, and the night for darkness, in a constant succession. Tho' the darkness
was now scattered by the light, yet it has its place, because it has its use;
for as the light of the morning befriends the business of the day, so the
shadows of the evening befriend the repose of the night. God has thus divided
between light and darkness, because he would daily mind us that this is a world
of mixtures and changes. In heaven there is perpetual light, and no darkness;
in hell utter darkness, and no light: but in this world they are
counter-changed, and we pass daily from one to another; that we may learn to
expect the like vicissitudes in the providence of God. 5. That God divided them
from each other by distinguishing names. He called the light Day, and the
darkness he called night - He gave them names as Lord of both. He is the Lord
of time, and will be so 'till day and night shall come to an end, and the
stream of time be swallowed up in the ocean of eternity. 6. That this was the
first day's work, The evening and the morning were the first day - The darkness
of the evening was before the light of the morning, that it might set it off,
and make it shine the brighter.
Verses 6-8
[6] And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the
waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. [7] And God made the
firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the
waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. [8] And God called the
firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
We have here an account of the second day's work, the creation
of the firmament. In which observe, 1. The command of God; Let there be a
firmament - An expansion; so the Hebrew word signifies, like a sheet spread, or
a curtain drawn out. This includes all that is visible above the earth, between
it and the third heavens, the air, its higher, middle, and lower region, the
celestial globe, and all the orbs of light above; it reaches as high as the
place where the stars are fixed, for that is called here the firmament of
heaven, Genesis 1:14,15, and as low as the place where the birds fly for that
also is called the firmament of heaven, Genesis 1:20. 2. The creation of it:
and God made the firmament. 3. The design of it; to divide the waters from the
waters-That is, to distinguish between the waters that are wrapt up in the
clouds, and those that cover the sea; the waters in the air, and those in the
earth. 4. The naming it; He called the firmament Heaven - 'Tis the visible
heaven, the pavement of the holy city. The height of the heavens should mind us
of God's supremacy, and the infinite distance that is between us and him; the
brightness of the heavens, and their purity, should mind us of his majesty, and
perfect holiness; the vastness of the heavens, and their encompassing the earth,
and influence upon it, should mind us of his immensity and universal
providence.
Verses 9-13
[9] And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered
together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. [10] And
God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called
he Seas: and God saw that it was good. [11] And God said, Let the earth bring
forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after
his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. [12] And the
earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree
yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it
was good. [13] And the evening and the morning were the third day.
The third day's work is related in these verses; the forming the
sea and the dry land, and making the earth fruitful. Hitherto the power of the
Creator had been employed about the upper part of the visible world; now he
descends to this lower world, designed for the children of men, both for their
habitation, and their maintenance. And here we have an account of the fitting
of it for both; the building of their house, and the spreading of their table.
Observe, 1. How the earth was prepared to be a habitation for man by the
gathering of the waters together, and making the dry land appear. Thus, instead
of that confusion which was, when earth and water were mixed in one great mass;
now there is order, by such a separation as rendered them both useful. (1.) The
waters which covered the earth were ordered to retire, and to gather into one
place, viz. those hollows which were fitted for their reception. The waters
thus lodged in their proper place, he called Seas; for though they are many, in
distant regions, yet either above ground or under ground, they have
communication with each other, and so they are one, and the common receptacle
of waters, into which all the rivers run. (2.) The dry land was made to appear,
and emerge out of the waters, and was called Earth. Observe, 2. How the earth
was furnished for the support of man, Genesis 1:11,12. Present provision was
made, by the immediate products of the earth, which, in obedience to God's
command, was no sooner made but it became fruitful. Provision was likewise made
for time to come, by the perpetuating of the several species of vegetables,
every one having its seed in itself after its kind, that during the continuance
of man upon the earth, food might be fetched out of the earth, for his use and
benefit.
Verses 14-19
[14] And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the
heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years: [15] And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. [16] And
God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser
light to rule the night: he made the stars also. [17] And God set them in the
firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, [18] And to rule over the
day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw
that it was good. [19] And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
This is the history of the fourth day's work, the creating the
sun, moon and stars. Of this we have an account, 1. In general, verse 14, 15.
where we have, (1.) The command given concerning them.
Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven — God had said,
Genesis 1:3 Let there be light, and there was light; but that was, as it were,
a chaos of light, scattered and confused; now it was collected and made into
several luminaries, and so rendered both more glorious and more serviceable.
(2.) The use they were intended to be of to this earth. [1.] They must be for
the distinction of times, of day and night, summer and winter. [2.] They must
be for the direction of actions: they are for signs of the change of weather,
that the husbandman may order his affairs with discretion. They do also give
light upon the earth - That we may walk John 11:9 and work John 9:4 according
as the duty of every day requires. The lights of heaven do not shine for
themselves, nor for the world of spirits above, they need them not; but they
shine for us, and for our pleasure and advantage. Lord, what is man that he
should be thus regarded, Psalms 8:3,4. 2. In particular, Genesis 1:16,17,18,
The lights of heaven are the sun, moon and stars, and these all are the work of
God's hands. (1.) The sun is the greatest light of all, and the most glorious
and useful of all the lamps of heaven; a noble instance of the Creator's
wisdom, power and goodness, and an invaluable blessing to the creatures of this
lower world. (2.) The moon is a lesser light, and yet is here reckoned one of
the greater lights, because, though in regard of its magnitude, it is inferior
to many of the stars, yet in respect of its usefulness to the earth, it is more
excellent than they. (3.) He made the stars also - Which are here spoken of
only in general; for the scriptures were written not to gratify our curiosity,
but to lead us to God. Now, these lights are said to rule, Genesis 1:16,18; not
that they have a supreme dominion as God has, but they are rulers under him.
Here the lesser light, the moon, is said to rule the night; but Psalms 136:9
the stars are mentioned as sharers in that government, the moon and stars to
rule by night. No more is meant, but that they give light, Jeremiah 31:35. The
best and most honourable way of ruling is, by giving light, and doing good.
Verses 20-23
[20] And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the
moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven. [21] And God created great whales, and every living
creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their
kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. [22]
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in
the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. [23] And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
Each day hitherto hath produced very excellent beings, but we do
not read of the creation of any living creature till the fifth day. The work of
creation not only proceeded gradually from one thing to another, but advanced
gradually from that which was less excellent, to that which was more so. 'Twas
on the fifth day that the fish and fowl were created, and both out of the
waters. Observe, 1. The making of the fish and fowl at first. Genesis 1:20,21
God commanded them to be produced, he said, Let the waters bring forth
abundantly - The fish in the waters, and the fowl out of them. This command he
himself executed, God created great whales, etc.-Insects which are as various
as any species of animals, and their structure as curious, were part of this
day's work, some of them being allied to the fish, and others to the fowl.
Notice is here taken of the various species of fish and fowl, each after their
kind; and of the great numbers of both that were produced, for the waters
brought forth abundantly; and in particular of great whales the largest of
fishes, whose bulk and strength, are remarkable proofs of the power and
greatness of the Creator. Observe, 2, The blessing of them in order to their
continuance. Life is a wasting thing, its strength is not the strength of
stones; therefore the wise Creator not only made the individuals, but provided
for the propagating of the several species, Genesis 1:22.
God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply —
Fruitfullness is the effect of God's blessing, and must be ascribed to it; the
multiplying of the fish and fowl from year to year, is still the fruit of this
blessing here.
Verses 24-25
[24] And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature
after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his
kind: and it was so. [25] And God made the beast of the earth after his kind,
and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after
his kind: and God saw that it was good.
We have here the first part of the sixth day's work. The sea was
the day before replenished with fish, and the air with fowl; and this day are
made the beasts of the earth, cattle, and the creeping things that pertain to
the earth. Here, as before, (1.) The Lord gave the word: he said, Let The earth
bring forth - Let these creatures come into being upon the earth, and out of
it, in their respective kinds. 2. He also did the work; he made them all after
their kind - Not only of divers shapes, but of divers natures, manners, food,
and fashions: In all which appears the manifold wisdom of the Creator.
Verses 26-28
[26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
[28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply,
and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the
sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon
the earth.
We have here the second part of the sixth day's work, the
creation of man, which we are in a special manner concerned to take notice of.
Observe, 1. That man was made last of all the creatures, which was both an
honour and a favour to him: an honour, for the creation was to advance from
that which was less perfect, to that which was more so and a favour, for it was
not fit he should be lodged in the palace designed for him, till it was
completely fitted and furnished for his reception. Man, as soon as he was made,
had the whole visible creation before him, both to contemplate, and to take the
comfort of. 2. That man's creation was a mere signal act of divine wisdom and
power, than that of the other creatures. The narrative of it is introduced with
solemnity, and a manifest distinction from the rest. Hitherto it had been said,
Let there be light, and Let there be a firmament: but now the word of command
is turned into a word of consultation, Let us make man - For whose sake the
rest of the creatures were made. Man was to be a creature different from all
that had been hitherto made. Flesh and spirit, heaven and earth must be put
together in him, and he must be allied to both worlds. And therefore God
himself not only undertakes to make, but is pleased so to express himself, as
if he called a council to consider of the making of him; Let us make man - The
three persons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, consult about it,
and concur in it; because man, when he was made, was to be dedicated and
devoted to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 3. That man was made in God's image,
and after his likeness; two words to express the same thing. God's image upon
man, consists, 1. In his nature, not that of his body, for God has not a body,
but that of his soul. The soul is a spirit, an intelligent, immortal spirit, an
active spirit, herein resembling God, the Father of spirits, and the soul of
the world. 2. In his place and authority. Let us make man in our image, and let
him have dominion. As he has the government of the inferior creatures, he is as
it were God's representative on earth. Yet his government of himself by the
freedom of his will, has in it more of God's image, than his government of the
creatures. 3. And chiefly in his purity and rectitude. God's image upon man
consists in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, Ephesians 4:24;
Colossians 3:10. He was upright, Ecclesiastes 7:29. He had an habitual
conformity of all his natural powers to the whole will of God. His
understanding saw divine things clearly, and there were no errors in his
knowledge: his will complied readily and universally with the will of God;
without reluctancy: his affections were all regular, and he had no inordinate
appetites or passions: his thoughts were easily fixed to the best subjects, and
there was no vanity or ungovernableness in them. And all the inferior powers
were subject to the dictates of the superior. Thus holy, thus happy, were our
first parents, in having the image of God upon them. But how art thou fallen, O
son of the morning? How is this image of God upon man defaced! How small are
the remains of it, and how great the ruins of it! The Lord renew it upon our
souls by his sanctifying grace! 4. That man was made male and female, and
blessed with fruitfulness. He created him male and female, Adam and Eve: Adam
first out of earth, and Eve out of his side. God made but one male and one
female, that all the nations of men might know themselves to be made of one
blood, descendants, from one common stock, and might thereby be induced to love
one another. God having made them capable of transmitting the nature they had
received, said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth - Here
he gave them, 1. A large inheritance; replenish the earth, in which God has set
man to be the servant of his providence, in the government of the inferior
creatures, and as it were the intelligence of this orb; to be likewise the
collector of his praises in this lower world, and lastly, to be a probationer
for a better state. 2. A numerous lasting family to enjoy this inheritance;
pronouncing a blessing upon them, in the virtue of which, their posterity
should extend to the utmost corners of the earth, and continue to the utmost
period of time. 5. That God gave to man a dominion over the inferior creatures,
over fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air - Though man provides for
neither, he has power over both, much more over every living thing that moveth
upon the earth - God designed hereby to put an honour upon man, that he might
find himself the more strongly obliged to bring honour to his Maker.
Verses 29-30
[29] And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing
seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is
the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. [30] And to
every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that
creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb
for meat: and it was so.
We have here the third part of the sixth day's work, which was
not any new creation, but a gracious provision of food for all flesh, Psalms
136:25.-Here is, 1. Food provided for man, Genesis 1:29. herbs and fruits must
be his meat, including corn, and all the products of the earth. And before the
earth was deluged, much more before it was cursed for man's sake, its fruits no
doubt, were more pleasing to the taste, and more strengthening and nourishing to
the body. 2. Food provided for the beasts, Genesis 1:30. Doth God take care of
oxen? Yes, certainly, he provides food convenient for them; and not for oxen
only that were used in his sacrifices, and man's service, but even the young
lions and the young ravens are the care of his providence, they ask and have
their meat from God.
Verse 31
[31] And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it
was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
We have here the approbation and conclusion of the whole work of
creation. Observe, 1. The review God took of his work, he saw every thing that
he had made - So he doth still; all the works of his hands are under his eye;
he that made all sees all. 2. The complacency God took in his work. When we
come to review our works we find to our shame, that much has been very bad; but
when God reviewed his, all was very good. 1. It was good. Good, for it is all
agreeable to the mind of the creator. Good, for it answers the end of its
creation. Good, for it is serviceable to man, whom God had appointed lord of
the visible creation. Good, for it is all for God's glory; there is that in the
whole visible creation which is a demonstration of God's being and perfections,
and which tends to beget in the soul of man a religious regard to him. 2. It
was very good - Of each day's work (except the second) it was said that it was
good, but now it is very good. For, 1. Now man was made, who was the chief of
the ways of God, the visible image of the Creator's glory, 2. Now All was made,
every part was good, but all together very good. The glory and goodness, the
beauty and harmony of God's works both of providence and grace, as this of
creation, will best appear when they are perfected. 3. The time when this work
was concluded.
The evening and the morning were the sixth day — So that in six
days God made the world. We are not to think but that God could have made the
world in an instant: but he did it in six days, that he might shew himself a
free agent, doing his own work, both in his own way, and in his own time; that
his wisdom, power and goodness, might appear to us, and be meditated upon by
us, the more distinctly; and that he might set us an example of working six
days, and resting the seventh. And now as God reviewed his work, let us review
our meditations upon it; let us stir up ourselves, and all that is within us,
to worship him that made the, heaven, earth, and sea, and the fountains of
waters. All his works in all places of his dominion bless him, and therefore bless
thou the Lord, O my soul.
Verses 1-3
[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the
host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made;
and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. [3] And
God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had
rested from all his work which God created and made.
We have here, (1.) The settlement of the kingdom of nature, in
God's resting from the work of creation, Genesis 2:1,2. Where observe, 1. That
the creatures made both in heaven and earth, are the hosts or armies of them,
which speaks them numerous, but marshalled, disciplined, and under command. God
useth them as his hosts for the defence of his people, and the destruction of his
enemies. 2. That the heavens and the earth are finished pieces, and so are all
the creatures in them. So perfect is God's work that nothing can be added to it
or taken from it, Ecclesiastes 3:14. 3. That after the end of the first six
days, God ceased from all work of creation. He hath so ended his work, as that
though in his providence he worketh hitherto, John 5:17. preserving and
governing all the creatures, yet he doth not make any new species of creatures.
4. That the eternal God, tho' infinitely happy in himself, yet took a
satisfaction in the work of his own hands. He did not rest as one weary, but as
one well-pleased with the instances of his own goodness. (2.) The commencement
of the kingdom of grace, in the sanctification of the sabbath day, Genesis 2:3.
He rested on that day, and took a complacency in his creatures, and then
sanctified it, and appointed us on that day to rest and take a complacency in
the Creator; and his rest is in the fourth commandment made a reason for ours
after six days labour. Observe, 1. That the solemn observation of one day in
seven as a day of holy rest, and holy work, is the indispensible duty of all
those to whom God has revealed his holy sabbaths. 2. That sabbaths are as
ancient as the world. 3. That the sabbath of the Lord is truly honourable, and
we have reason to honour it; honour it for the sake of its antiquity, its great
author, and the sanctification of the first sabbath by the holy God himself,
and in obedience to him, by our first parents in innocency.
Verses 4-7
[4] These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth
when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the
heavens, [5] And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every
herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain
upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. [6] But there went
up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. [7] And the
LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
In these verses, 1. Here is a name given to the Creator, which
we have not yet met with, Jehovah. The LORD in capital letters, is constantly
used in our English translation, for Jehovah. This is that great and
incommunicable name of God, which speaks his having his being of himself, and
his giving being to all things. It properly means, He that was, and that is,
and that is to come. 2. Further notice taken of the production of plants and
herbs, because they were made to be food for man. 3. A more particular account
of the creation of man, Genesis 2:7. Man is a little world, consisting of
heaven and earth, soul and body. Here we have all account of the original of
both, and the putting of both together: The Lord God, the great fountain of
being and power, formed man. Of the other creatures it is said, they were
created and made; but of man, that he was formed, which notes a gradual process
in the work with great accuracy and exactness. To express the creation of this
new thing, he takes a new word: a word (some think) borrowed from the potter's
forming his vessel upon the wheel. The body of man is curiously wrought. And
the soul takes its rise from the breath of heaven. It came immediately from
God; he gave it to be put into the body, Ecclesiastes 12:7 as afterwards he
gave the tables of stone of his own writing to be put into the ark. 'Tis by it
that man is a living soul, that is, a living man. The body would be a
worthless, useless carcase, if the soul did not animate it.
Psalm 8
Verse 1
[1] O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
In — Not only in Israel, but among all nations. Which shews that
this psalm speaks of the Messiah, and the times of the New Testament.
Heavens — Where thy throne of glory is established, where the
blessed angels celebrate thy praises, where Christ sitteth at thy right hand in
glorious majesty, from whence he poureth down excellent gifts upon babes.
Verse 2
[2] Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained
strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the
avenger.
Babes — Weak and foolish, and contemptible persons, who are
frequently called babes or children. Such are very unfit to grapple with an
enemy: and therefore when such persons conquer the most powerful and malicious
enemies, it must needs confound them, and advance the glory of God: as indeed
it did, when such mean persons as the apostles, and disciples of Christ,
maintained and propagated the gospel, in spite of all the wit, power, and rage
of their enemies.
Ordained — Perfectly or firmly settled strength; that is, the
praise of his strength or power, Matthew 21:16, it is rendered praise.
Still — Silence and confound them.
Avenger — The devil, and all who are his vassals and espouse his
quarrel.
Verse 3
[3] When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the
moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
The moon — Either the sun is included under this general title:
or he omitted it, because he made this psalm by night.
Ordained — Placed in that excellent and unalterable order, and
directed to their several motions.
Verse 4
[4] What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of
man, that thou visitest him?
What is man — How mean and inconsiderable a thing is man, if
compared with thy glorious majesty.
Man — Heb. infirm, or miserable man. By which it is apparent
that he speaks of man, not according to the state of his creation, but as
fallen into a state of sin and misery, and mortality.
Mindful — Carest for him, and conferest such high favours upon
him.
The son — Heb. the son of Adam, that great apostate from God,
the sinful son of a sinful father, his son by likeness of disposition and
manners, no less than by procreation. All which tends to magnify the following
mercy.
Visitest — Not in anger, as that word is sometimes used, but
with thy grace and mercy.
Verse 5
[5] For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and
hast crowned him with glory and honour.
For — Thou hast in Christ mercifully restored man to his
primitive estate, wherein he was but one remove below the angels; from which he
was fallen by sin.
Crowned — Man, fallen and lost man: who is actually restored to
glory and dominion in Christ his head and representative, who received this
crown and dominion for man's good, and in his stead; which he will in due time
communicate to his members. And so the two expositions of this place concerning
mankind and concerning Christ, may be reconciled. For he speaks of that
honourable estate conferred first upon Christ, and then by his hands upon
mankind. But the words more literally rendered are, Thou madest him a little
less than God. And hence some have inferred, that man in his original state was
the highest of all creatures.
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Verse 11
[11] Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good
comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be
with you.
Be perfect — Aspire to the highest degree of holiness.
Be of good comfort — Filled with divine consolation.
Be of one mind — Desire, labour, pray for it, to the utmost
degree that is possible.
Verse 13
[13] All the saints salute you.
The grace — Or favour.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ — By which alone we can come to the
Father.
And the love of God — Manifested to you, and abiding in you.
And the communion — Or fellowship.
Of the Holy Ghost — In all his gifts and graces. It is with
great reason that this comprehensive and instructive blessing is pronounced at
the close of our solemn assemblies; and it is a very indecent thing to see so
many quitting them, or getting into postures of remove, before this short
sentence can be ended. How often have we heard this awful benediction
pronounced! Let us study it more and more, that we may value it proportionably;
that we may either deliver or receive it with a becoming reverence, with eyes
and hearts lifted up to God, "who giveth the blessing out of Sion, and
life for evermore."
Matthew 28:16-20
Verse 16
[16] Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a
mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
To the mountain where Jesus had appointed them — This was
probably Mount Tabor, where, (it is commonly supposed,) he had been before
transfigured. It seems to have been here also, that he appeared to above five
hundred brethren at once.
Verse 18
[18] And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth.
All power is given to me — Even as man. As God, he had all power
from eternity.
Verse 19
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Disciple all nations — Make them my disciples. This includes the
whole design of Christ's commission. Baptizing and teaching are the two great
branches of that general design. And these were to be determined by the
circumstances of things; which made it necessary in baptizing adult Jews or
heathens, to teach them before they were baptized; in discipling their
children, to baptize them before they were taught; as the Jewish children in
all ages were first circumcised, and after taught to do all God had commanded
them. Mark 16:15.
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Today’s Devotion:
Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily
Devotional "A New Traditon" for Saturday, 14 June 2014 - Read Matthew
7:7 “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will
be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him
who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks
him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, who will
give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things
to those who ask him! 12 Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you,
you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be
glad in it.(Psalm 118:24 (NRSV))
Shortly after returning from church, my wife and I were greeted
by our children and grandchildren. On a day of warm summer breezes, bright
sunshine, and a few lazy clouds, we were celebrating Father’s Day. We enjoyed a
beautiful day together filled with the sounds of children’s laughter. What a
delight to watch the family enjoy the simple pleasures that God has given us!
After everyone went home, I reflected on the day. I realized that over the
years, I had never thought of making our heavenly Father part of our f amily
celebration. Next year, I will suggest a new tradition — that we attend church
together as part of our celebration. What a gift that would be for our Father
in heaven and for our entire family!
The Author: Bob Beaudoin (Connecticut, USA)
Thought for the Day: How can I invite God into my family
celebrations?
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, guide us throughout our lives.
Help us to recognize the ways you have blessed us so that we can praise you
every day, as we pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever” (Matt. 6:9-13, kjv). Amen.
Prayer focus: Fathers
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Contact Information
Great Plains Episcopal Office
9440 E Boston, Suite 160
Wichita KS 67207
316-686-0600
800-745-2350
info@greatplainsumc.org
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