Ironworks

But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah”  Genesis 6:8 The fact of the worldwide flood is instrumental to our understanding of God’s desire to save man. We learn this story from our parents, we discuss it in our Bible classes, and occasionally we hear a sermon mentioning it. Have you considered that this is but one example of how grace, faith, and obedient works are critical in salvation?  Grace  When we look at Genesis 6:8, we see that Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. The Hebrew word ḥên is translated here as favor but is accurately translated as grace as well. God made an observation that the wickedness of men had caused every thought they had to be evil continually. It was so bad that the Lord changed His mind (repented) that He had made man, and it grieved Him. This is a far cry from the description of the creation being described as good. The choice of sin by each individual disfigures the goodness in which we are all created.  We fully employ ourse...

“I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy, for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ “  Philippians 1:3-6      Have you ever noticed all the ongoing work on our highway system? It is likely that some projects will never come to an end. Even in recent months, a new federal infrastructure package has been a source of much debate in the houses of Congress. How does this reality of our lives relate to our lives in Christ Jesus? When we look at the words of Paul, we certainly can understand we are a work continually in progress. Our Fellowship is Contingent on Furtherance of the Gospel       The Lord commanded that we are to take the Gospel and preach it to all creation (Mark 16:15-16). This Gospel is wha...

  “Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); and the king went by the way of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.” 2 Kings 25:4-7 Sin Will Cause You to Flee One that lives outside the law will face the consequences of the law; this is what happened to Israel first and then the kingdom of Judah. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar had control of Judah and yet King Zedekiah rebelled against him (2 Kings 25:1). Zedekiah believed he was safe for a while holed up in the ...

“Is this man Coniah a despised, broken vessel? Is he a vessel wherein none delighteth? Wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into the land which they know not? O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no more shall a man of his seed prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling in Judah.” Jeremiah 22:28-30 Jehoiachin of Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and he was taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzr to Babylon (cf. 2 Kings 24:10-12). While there is little account of this wicked king, we do have some insight regarding him in the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s prophecy is of great value in answering a popular but false doctrine. The theory of premillennialism has long contended that based on Revelation 20:1-6 Christ would literally reign on earth for 1000 years. Moreover, the view is that this reign will be from the city of Jerusalem, which the...