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October 9 - Morning
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women,
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are
looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples:
‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead
of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’
Now I have told you.”
- Matthew 28:2-7
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| "Now I Have Told You" |
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The Jordan Rift Valley is part of a very large fault line that runs from the Taurus mountain range through Israel (particularly, the Mount of Olives) to the Gulf of Aqaba for a full length of 683 miles.
(see details here) Because of this fault line, earthquakes in Israel have been common. Although,
here Matthew makes it clear with the use of the word “for” that the shaking of this unstable fault
line was the result of an angelic visitation. This sensitive area could not handle the angelic
activity without the continental plates of the earth slipping and shaking.
The angel then rolls the stone back so that the woman can see that Jesus is no longer in the
tomb. The angel is seen by the Roman guards who are themselves “shaken” just like the earth
was in Matthew 27:51 when the earth shook, the rocks split, the tombs opened and the curtain
in the temple was torn at Jesus’ death. The Roman guards assigned to guard the corpse of Jesus have failed miserably in their assignment and, because of fear of the angel, they themselves
become “like dead men.”
The angel speaks to the women for whom he had come to roll the stone away. He assures
them that the very same one they saw crucified is alive for he had risen from the dead just like
he had said on several occasions. The angel then invites the women into the tomb to inspect the
evidence in order that their faith might rest on the promises of Jesus, the words of the angel
and the physical evidence of the empty tomb.
Jesus’ resurrection was not just spiritual into somewhere in the sweet by-and-by. Jesus’
resurrection was physical, right here on earth, in real time and visible to the natural eye.
The women are told to go and inform the disciples of these events and to tell them that
Jesus plans on meeting them in Galilee.
The angel ends with the words, “Now I have told you,” which seems to mean, “Now that the truth has been communicated, it is time for you to respond.” The correct response is to believe and obey. The woman, like each of us, must trust the word of God and respond with the appropriate action. |
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“I have known ninety-five of the world’s great men in my time, and of these eighty-seven
were followers of the Bible. The Bible is stamped with
a Specialty of Origin, and
an immeasurable distance separates it from all competitors.”
– W. E. Gladstone
(1809-1898), British Prime Minister, Statesman
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“It is hard to resist the impression that the present structure of the universe, apparently so sensitive
to minor alterations in
numbers, has been rather
carefully thought out.”
– Paul Davies, Australian Cosmologist |
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Mishpat (Hb) - Justice (Eng) - the Hebrew word mishpat is made from the verbal root word
shapat which is translated "to settle," "to judge," "law," "legal case," or "to decide."
Mishpat is a character of God that he demands be found in people and in governments.
Isaiah warned Israel's society and its leaders to seek justice and to assist the oppressed
(Isaiah 1:17, 23, 27, etc.) Amos tells Israel they will be punished for not treating the
disadvantages of their society with mishpat. One of the characteristics of the
Messiah's kingdom will be his mishpat, or his justice. |
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Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser records receiving tribute from Ahaz, king of Judah. The inscription is from a clay building that records battles between 744-727 BC. It says, "From these I received tribute...Ahaz, the
king of Judah...including gold, silver, iron, fine cloth and many garments made from wool that was dyed in purple..." This same event is found in 2 Kings 16:7-10. |
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Do I both believe and obey?
Do I demonstrate that I trust the Word of God by responding with the appropriate action?
I desire to learn God's Word and then allow that Word to direct my thoughts, words and actions.
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"The righteous eat to their hearts' content, but the stomach of the wicked
goes hungry."
Proverbs 13:25 |
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| Organization of you house and home management |
Teachers |
Congressional leaders |
Qatar - number of believers are few;
anti-proselytism laws |
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| Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening. |
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