“… keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/jas.1.27.NASB2020
Brothers, I’m meditating on Deut. 20:17-18, “so that they will not teach you to do all the same detestable practices of theirs” and James 1:27, “… keep oneself unstained by the world.” There is a tension between becoming accommodating and affirming of sin or stern and legalistic like the Pharisees. But there is good reason not to turn our children over to the pagan and detestable government schools, to keep them away from that influence. Be encouraged and stand strong. I pray we walk in the tension by faith and support and encourage our wives in their role.
“Education without religion, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” – C.S. Lewis
If God commands that all the wicked people of the promise land be utterly destroyed “so that they will not teach you to do all the same detestable practices of theirs which they have done for their gods, by which you would sin against the Lord your God.” (Deut. 20:17-18), then why would a Christian send their children to be discipled by pagans in the government schools?
“Instead, you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they will not teach you to do all the same detestable practices of theirs which they have done for their gods, by which you would sin against the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 20:17-18 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/deu.20.17-18.NASB2020
Easter bonus. It’s likely the Levites would have been singing Psalm 24 the Sunday Jesus rode the colt into Jerusalem and the Sunday of His resurrection. Sing Psalm 24 and be encouraged today https://youtu.be/990Q_yPIKeM?si=DoLGsIRyvgeQ2Jbf
The return of the Ark to Israel, described in 1 Samuel 6, is generally placed in the early 11th century BC around 1050–1000 BC, before Jesus’ triumphant arrival. 1 AD to 2025 AD = 2024 years. Total = 1050 + 2024 = 3074 years since King David wrote Psalm 24 to celebrate the return of the ark of the covenant!
THE GOOD NEWS
There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.
We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV
Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV
But good news! God is merciful and loving. Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation.
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV
““Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV
We need only repent and believe it. Repent: turn away from our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after! “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 10:9-11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.9-11.ESV
There is hope. Believe in Jesus! ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV
It doesn’t matter who you’ve been or what you’ve done, God stands with arms wide open, ready to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV
Dobra Family Ministry 