September 11, 2023- Morning Bible Reading and Meditation – Zechariah 11KJV
For Mitcah Bible Baptist Church- Bahrain Sept. 12, 2023
Tuesday Morning Devotional Bible Study
Lesson# 24- X RATED for Christians
“7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
10 And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.”
Words to ponder: Feed The Flock of Slaughter
These chapter according to some scholars were a foretell about the coming destruction that has to come to Israel, after they rejected The Son of GOD, who was sent to mankind. He came for the purpose of a supposedly culmination of His covenant given to His chosen people. To reign as The King and The High Priest, which is the blessed hope they are waiting for.
But because GOD knows their hardheartedness and obstinacy, that they refused to believe and rejected Him as their Messiah; crucified with mockery, then the sorer judgement; a comprehensive destruction was outpoured to them during the conquest of Emperor Titus around 70 AD.
Taken this phrase from enduring word commentary:
“ I took for myself two staffs: Zechariah’s two staffs were named “Beauty” (grace) and “Bonds” (unity). The staff was a common tool for a shepherd (Psalm 23:4).
Feed the flock for Slaughter: a representation of The LORD JESUS being the Shepherd to His people Israel, who are to face a great deal of slaughtering.
There might be really truth, if we are to take this interpretation about the Beauty as the Grace of God, and the Bonds for unity of God’s people. For God indeed has broken the covenant from His chosen people. The grace of God left them, when after they were fed by The LORD, and after they abhorred Him, and testified against Him, shouting “crucify him, crucify him!”, they were given to captivity; and there, many of them were slaughtered. They were dispersed abroad; their remnants seek asylum to far countries where they didn’t understand their language; such us also in our country.
Should they have been attentive and aware to what and Whom was with them, and they have been more willing to listen, believe and received Him with open heart, then there will be such a great blessing, and life now a days will be different; not only to them but to all the people who will come to believe and Worship the King. To all who are willing to hearken to the words about to be spoken more by The High Priest Christ Jesus The Only Son of GOD sent from heaven.
For four hundred years before the coming of The Messiah, that prophets from The LORD ceased to prophesy; people were confused that they were used to every evil deeds; not even aware what was supposed to be X-rated in their ways of living.
To name a few are the life of Zacchaeus: a tax collector, in Luke 19;1-10, the woman at the well, John 4:6-29, and the praying Pharisee and publicans; LUKE 18;10-14
In application of our today’s era, X-RATED things are becoming more rampant that some of them have been accepted by the majority to be the norms of life.
Christianity has become taboo to some, or just a joke, and not taken seriously. That even in the true church of Christ, lukewarm Christianity are like a plague that are contagiously spreading; infected even them who are in the leadership ministry. We can figure them out by just one glimpse if we are soaked and well taught by God’s words. Identifying them in these two categories:
Just as what Apostle wrote to warn Timothy, in 1 Timothy 4KJV
2Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviourof all men, specially of those that believe.
Incontinence- (Sexual immorality)
Over indulgence( always in for pleasures)
Fierce
Proud
Compromiser
Galatians 5:19-21KJV
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
2Timothy 3 KJV
know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
These all fall under the X-RATED for Christianity, and we are supposedly checking ourselves every now and then.
For none is invincible.
Aware or unaware, we are prone to get entangled with any of the above; that each one of us should keep in mind the word of GOD which makes us wiser; having knowledge how to scape in becoming similar to those who are fed as flocks of the slaughter.
As how Apostle Paul admonished the church in Ephesians 5KJV
“1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”
1 Thessalonians 4
King James Version
4 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
Let us keep our selves pure in the sight of GOD by abhorring the X-RATED for Christian way of living. And if we are struggling within, our GOD and Loving Savior JESUS CHRIST is just a prayer away. We are fed by the word of GOD to prepare us for His kingdom; not as the flocks for the slaughter or to be doomed. Let us always be reminded by His words every day.
Have a pleasant day ahead.
Zechariah 11
King James Version
11 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
2 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.
4 Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;
5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saiththe Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothedthem, and their soul also abhorred me.
9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
10 And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.
12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.
14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
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