Theme: BECOMING A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING NATION
Text: “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” – John 4:9.
Comment: in those days it was common for the Jews to treat the Samaritans with contempt, but the Lord Jesus, even though a Jew, never looked down on anyone nor descended low to such divisive categorizations. He related normally with the Samaritans and even spent a couple of days preaching the gospel to them consequent upon which many of them believed and became his disciples. – John 4:1-43.
It should be noted that God never told the Jews to regard non-Jews as outcasts or to subject them to inhuman treatment. Rather, those who accepted to serve God wholeheartedly were subject to the same laws as the Jews. “One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.” – Exodus 12:49. See also Leviticus 19:34.
Because of the liberal conditions with which the non-Jews lived in Israel, some of them who were faithful to God rose to positions of honour like Ruth, the Moabitess, who became the great-grandmother of Jesus Christ. We should be practical Christians who do not follow traditions of men that are incompatible with the Scriptures. No true Christian should despise his or her fellow human being due to circumstances of birth, over which one has no control. – Matthew 15:7-9; 1 Timothy 4:7; Titus 1:14.
Theme: COMMENTARY ON HEBREWS 11:32 - 40
Text:“For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.” – Jeremiah 32:3.
Comment: Because the king and people of Judah had given themselves to the worship of the devil, God Almighty used Jeremiah the prophet to warn them, telling them that if they would not repent, He would make Jerusalem and the temple they took pride in to suffer the fate of Shiloh, where the name of God was in earlier times before it was destroyed and abandoned. (Joshua 18:1; 19:51; 1Kings 14:2.) For warning the people against sin the leaders determined that Jeremiah must die. (Jeremiah 26:1-10) However, some of the elders, together with Ahikam, an officer of the king, intervened to prevent them from their wicked plot.
Again, when the Chaldeans besieged Jerusalem, Jeremiah was instructed by God to tell them to submit to their rule to avoid death and destruction. This was seen as treason for which the leaders of the people convinced King Zedekiah to cast Jeremiah into.a well. But God also delivered him. When we stand up for the truth, even in the face of danger, God will give us victory in the end. St. Paul in his writings recalled God delivered them “from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10).. He added that God Almighty shall deliver him “from every evil work, and will preserve him unto his heavenly kingdom. – 2 Timothy 4:18