Theme: The Vice of Slander
Text: “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” – Matthew 12:36, 37.
Comment: This statement by our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that we should not deliberately use words that will provoke, undermine or humiliate innocent people. “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” (Proverbs 26:22) People cannot just say anything they like against God, His work and get away with it. Even when one is angry he should exercise restraint and be careful in regard to the words he uses. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” – Ephesians 4:29.
This by no means rules out the principle of righteous judgment by which evil is condemned. (John 7: 24; 1 Timothy 5: 20) The condemnation or exposition of evil, provided it is based on truth, is justified. What the Bible warns against are evil-speaking or slander and similar evils. Whoever has been slandering his neighbour should repent in order to obtain divine mercy otherwise in God’s judgment he stands condemned. – Proverbs 18:21
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