Matthew 11:28,29 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." This tender yet sovereign word from the lips of our LORD Jesus Christ is not a mere invitation extended to those who might choose Him at their leisure. It is a royal command, spoken with Divine Authority and irresistible Power. The One Who speaks is not only the Shepherd but also the King—He Who has “all power…in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18) . He does not beg sinners to come. He commands the weary, the burdened, the broken, and the heavily laden, saying, “Come unto me.” To “come” is not an act of man's free will, for none will come unless drawn. As our LORD Himself declares: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). The call is effectual. Those whom the Father gave to the Son shall come— “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” (John 6:37). It is not a general offer rejected by most, but a sovereign summons attended by Divine Grace that makes the sinner willing in the day of His Power (Psalm 110:3). Notice that this command is given to a specific people: “all ye that labour and are heavy laden.” These are not those who feel healthy in their souls, nor those resting comfortably in their religious self-righteousness. These are the convicted, the crushed, the conscious of their sin and helpless estate. They labor under the weight of the law they cannot keep, and they are heavy laden with guilt because of the sinfulness of their sin that they cannot remove. To them Christ says, “I will give you rest.” Not offer nor suggest, but I will give, as a gift, sovereignly bestowed. And what is this rest? It is not a pause from labor, but the end of striving to justify oneself before God. It is the soul's resting in the finished work of Christ. It is that Peace which comes from the knowledge that He Who calls is the One Who also bore our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). It is rest in His righteousness imputed, His blood shed unto death, His obedience fulfilled, His redemption accomplished. Then comes His further word: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). The yoke of the law is heavy—it demands and never gives. The yoke of Christ is easy—it has been carried already by Another. The burden of our sin has been laid on Him, “and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6) . What remains for us is not condemnation, but communion. To walk with Christ under His yoke is not servitude—it is liberty. For “if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). His burden is light because He carries it with us, and indeed has already borne it to Calvary. The believer yoked to Christ walks not alone but in union with the risen LORD, upheld by His Spirit and led by His Word. This command of Christ to “Come” is not to be debated or delayed. It is to be obeyed by His Grace. It is not a suggestion to be considered, but a summons that grants what He promises. And all who come, come not because they willed it, but because they were made willing by His sovereign grace alone. They find in Him their Rest, their Righteousness, and their Reward. Come, then, weary soul—not in your strength, but in His. Come, not to do, but to have done for you. Come, and find that His yoke is easy, His burden light, and His rest eternal, everlasting as Christ Himself.

Romans 4:25 "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." Here we pause and meditate on this glorious text, a summation of the Gospel of substitution by the finished work of the LORD Jesus on the cross. Romans 4:25 sets forth two great Gospel pillars: Christ’s substitutionary death and His victorious resurrection. Both acts are not mere historical events, but Divine transactions rooted in God's eternal purpose, finished redemption, and absolute justification by the death of the LORD Jesus on the cross. “ Who was delivered for our offences …” This speaks of the substitutionary nature of Christ’s death. The word “for”  here means because of  — He was delivered up because of our offences . Not for His own sin, for He had none, but for ours. This is substitution, pure and simple. He stood in the stead of His people, bearing their guilt, enduring their judgment, satisfying divine justice in their name. It was not merely a potential atonement, but an actual propitiation — a real and effectual offering for specific transgressions. Christ was not delivered in hope that some might be justified at some later time, but in certainty that all those whose sins He bore would be eternally cleared once He had laid down His life. Therefore, we must say: when Christ died, God once for all  justified those for whom He died. The penalty was paid, the debt canceled, and the record of sin was blotted out. Isaiah 53:11 declares, “by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”  The bearing of iniquities and the justification of sinners are inseparably linked, and simultaneous. There is no justification apart from the substitutionary death of Christ, and there is no substitution without certain immediate justification when the work was complete. Then Paul adds, “ and was raised again for our justification. " Again, “for”   here means because of  , not to justify us, but because  justification had been fully accomplished at the cross. His resurrection was not finishing the work, but the divine proof and public declaration that the work was done, accepted, and complete. Christ did not rise to make justification possible; He rose because justification had already been accomplished. The resurrection is God's Amen  to Christ’s "It is finished" (John 19:30). Therefore, when we read Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith…”, we must see the comma rightly placed: “Therefore being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are not justified because  of our faith, but being already justified , we receive and embrace that justification by faith . Faith is not the cause, but the effect. This is the heart of sovereign grace: a finished salvation, a full justification, accomplished entirely by Christ, and embraced by God-given faith. No room for boasting. No ground for fear. Christ was delivered because of  our sins, and raised because of  our justification. May the LORD cause us to rest entirely in His finished work, rejoicing in the peace we now have with God through Him. Amen.

Job 9:33 "Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both." Job was one of God's children—perhaps one of the oldest that we find in the Old Testament—and yet the LORD was pleased to bring him through deep affliction and trouble. But the purpose was to draw him mercifully to his Redeemer and Savior, and to serve as a type of the LORD Jesus Christ, God's suffering Servant. He speaks in verse 33 of a daysman . This is a judge or an arbitrator, called a daysman  because such a person was designated to appoint the actual day on which arbitration or mediation was to take place. Now, nobody ever talks about arbitration or mediation unless there is a conflict. And here, there was a conflict—at least, Job in his depravity, crying unto the LORD in his complaint, saw it that way. Any kind of strife or controversy is one of three kinds: A strife that requires mediation due to a mistake, A controversy resulting from mutual wrongdoing, or A strife where one side wrongs the other. We know for sure that there is no blame that can be brought against God with regard to our sin or in how He deals with us. He is holy, just, and equitable. That was Job’s cry—that this Daysman , this Mediator, might "lay his hand upon us both." In other words, One Who could interpose Himself and lay His hand upon God in His justice and holiness, and at the same time, lay His hand upon Job, the sinner. Where is such a Daysman  to be found? And so, his cry was for a Mediator. Oh, that God would give us such a cry! Job, in his deepest moment of affliction—and again, this affliction was from the hand of God—was mercifully brought to see that nothing in this life has any lasting importance. You hear many preachers talk of health, wealth, or prosperity, but all these things are temporal. The first point we see here is the need for a Mediator. Job was a man whom God had enriched with substance and influence. Often, we do not understand the reason for a trial. We know that we do not deserve better, yet going through a trial as one of God's children can raise many questions. But one thing is certain—it is for God's glory. He does it for the honor of His Name and for His purpose. That was the whole reason the LORD laid Job low. Some might ask, “Why would God do that to one of His own?” It was a mercy that the LORD afflicted him and brought him low, lest he should in any way confide—even in the mercies of God—rather than in the merits of the LORD Jesus Christ as his God, his Savior, and his Redeemer. He was made to see just how vain the temporal enjoyments of time truly are. It is striking that we come, live, and die, and time marches on. Everything we enjoy in this life, by way of creature comforts, is temporary at best. And yet, time continues. The LORD graciously caused Job to look outside himself—not only away from temporal comforts, but also from any supposed personal obedience. The second point is this: the LORD Jesus Christ Himself is that Mediator . In 1 Timothy 2:5–6, we read: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Every word in this passage is vital. The LORD Jesus Christ is the Mediator, and He is also the Ransom required for all whom God has saved. Note again, the language used by Job is: “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both” (Job 9:33). What he refers to is an earthly mediator. If we look to men, or to anyone or anything, to stand between us and God, it is a false hope. Do not even look to the works of your hands or to any supposed good works to be that mediator. No! It is in the Person of the LORD Jesus Christ. The LORD Jesus Christ is the Daysman  between God and men. He is the God-Man in the flesh. That is why He became man—so that He might lay His hand upon God the Father, satisfying His law and justice, and honor the law. He did not set aside the law—He came to fulfill it by His perfect obedience. And then, to lay down His life—that is the ransom—to pay all that God's law and justice required because of the sin debt of the people He came to save. The LORD Jesus honored the law and made reconciliation for sinful men, making peace with the Father. How? “Having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself” (Colossians 1:20). Upon completion of His obedience unto death, God justified, once for all—everyone that the LORD Jesus Christ came to save. That would have included Job. Job died not having seen the promise fulfilled, but he died believing that his Redeemer would stand at the latter day upon the earth (Job 19:25). If Christ had only fulfilled all righteousness and returned to glory without dying, there would still be no salvation. He had to be the perfect Lamb—the perfect Sacrifice—and lay down His life for His people. As the God-Man, He has laid His hand upon those sinners the Father gave Him. Therefore, they are secure forever in His hand. If the LORD has taught you of Himself, your one confession is this: “ God is holy, and I am impure, a worm.” A worm is a lowly, despised thing. We hardly notice one on the ground, and if we do, we step on it or push it aside. That is how we are brought to see ourselves before a holy God. That was the purpose of Job’s affliction—that he might be stripped of anything outward that gave him the appearance of personal righteousness. He was brought to abhor himself. The LORD tenderly and mercifully deals with sinners such as Job to bring them to the end of themselves. That they might cry out for that Daysman , that Mediator. Christ is that Mediator Whom God Himself has appointed, Who can lay His hand upon God as God, and upon the sinner as man. And that is what Christ has done. Glory be to His name!

Galatians 4:30 "Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." Under the Spirit’s direction, the apostle Paul uses the story of Abraham casting out Hagar as an allegory of the truth that law and grace cannot abide together (Genesis 21).   This passage powerfully affirms that salvation is not by the flesh, the law, or human effort—represented by Hagar and her son Ishmael—but solely by God's free and sovereign promise—typified in Sarah and her son Isaac. The bondwoman and her son symbolize all attempts at righteousness through the law (Galatians 4:24-25) , which must be “cast out,” for they cannot inherit the promises of God. As Paul writes elsewhere, “For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21).  The freewoman’s son, Isaac, represents those born according to God's promise—chosen, redeemed, and justified entirely by God's grace in Christ. Thus, Galatians 4:30 calls the believer to rest in the finished work of Christ, “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9),  and to reject all confidence in the flesh, rejoicing instead in God's sovereign grace in Christ alone. The Galatians had begun to become enthralled again with the law as a means of justification and sanctification under the preaching and teaching of some legalistic preachers, and the apostle drew a line of distinction between salvation by the free grace of God in Christ (typified by Sarah, the freewoman), and any who would attempt to join to it any work or obedience of their own (typified by Hagar, the bondwoman). Such a distinction is necessary in our day, as many who would consider themselves preachers of grace are nothing more than servants of legalism. Nevertheless, when God truly reveals Christ in a sinner’s heart, and teaches them the Gospel, like Abraham with Hagar, they will cast out, and refuse to dwell with any doctrine or former profession that gives credence to man’s will or works.  Many today profess to be Christians based on something that they did to receive Christ. They unashamedly boast of having accepted Christ by their “free will,” and consider that they are the Lord’s because of having made a decision and now doing their best to live true to that profession.  Nevertheless, all such talk of free will and works is nothing but the voice and dialect of the bondwoman of which Paul writes. The only true sons of God are those born of the free woman—those in whom God has placed His Spirit. They have been made to see that what they once called “free will” is, in truth, bondage to self, sin, and self-righteousness. Now, as sons of the free woman, they freely confess that their salvation is entirely due to the free-will offering of Christ on their behalf: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). They rejoice that God has justified them freely: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24), and that He has granted them grace to live in the freedom of redemption, justification, and sanctification that Christ has purchased for them. As Scripture says, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). Let us then take to heart the sure word of Scripture: “Cast out the bondwoman and her son.”   As elect and redeemed sons of God, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. All who are born from above—true sons of freedom—gladly yield themselves to Christ, not as slaves under law, but as sons in grace. We serve Him not to be accepted, but because we are accepted in the Beloved. We obey Him not in dread, but in delight, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). We rejoice in His Person, rest in His Word, and glory in His finished work. And all of this is not of ourselves, but springs from the fountain of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. May we ever live as those who are free indeed, for if the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36).

Nehemiah 9:17 " And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not." If salvation were based on fairness, no one would be saved. What's fair, in terms of what we deserve, is that God would send each of us into eternal condemnation. In understanding the message of God's sovereignty and salvation, we see that God is a just God, but He's also a merciful God. If it were not for God's mercy, none of us would be saved. In Nehemiah 9:17, we have the prayer of the Levites in confession to God for the people, as God was pleased to do a work of grace among them and bring them back into the land and settle them back. They confessed their sin before God and the sin of their fathers. God, as He has revealed Himself in the scriptures, delights to show mercy and to pardon guilty sinners. He said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” (Expdus 33:19). He has not left us to guess about His character. David said of Him, "Thou, LORD art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee" (Psalm 86:5). His readiness to pardon is seen in His longsuffering toward that nation of Israel. God's dealings with national Israel were very typical of His dealings with His church, though we are no more deserving of mercy than they were. Yet, God in Christ Jesus has been pleased to choose, to justify, and to pardon His elect. Why? Not for anything in them, but for Christ's sake. " For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" (Romans 3:24,25). First, He's a God ready to pardon in His eternal purpose. God is eternal, He is without beginning from all eternity, so all that takes place we know and understand from the scriptures that it was settled in the mind of God, in the purpose of God, from all eternity. There's no time with God with regard to His eternality, and certainly in talking about a God ready to pardon, this is where we need to begin. What took place in eternity? He's a God ready to pardon in His eternal purpose. "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our LORD: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him" (Ephesians 3:8-12). Second, God is a God ready to pardon in His gracious provision in the working out of salvation. It's not just that in all eternity He purposed to save sinners. The truth of Scripture is that in time He has accomplished the salvation of those that He purposed to save. He didn't just purpose to save sinners and say, "well now, I hope that they'll do what's necessary to be saved." If that were the case then no one would be saved. None of us could ever even think of doing what is necessary. It requires providing a perfect righteousness before God. But God is the One Who has accomplished this. He's ready to pardon in His gracious provision of all that's necessary for sinners such as we are to be saved and be pardoned. " But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Galatians 4:4,5). Third, in that He has satisfied His justice by propitiation. The word “propitiation” means an appeasement. It means to satisfy the justice and holiness of God. And so we see that God is a God ready to pardon in the LORD Jesus Christ by that satisfaction that He provided for His people to God the Father. In Hebrews 2:16-18, we read, " For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." God is ready to pardon through that satisfaction that the LORD Jesus Christ has obtained for His people. Fourth, we see that He's a God ready to pardon in the preaching of the Gospel. Not many people want to hear it. Why? Because it gives God all the glory, and because sinners do not want to admit to what they are. They are sinners, depraved, condemnable before God, and yet man still thinks that somehow his salvation has something to do with what he does or doesn’t do as a sinner. No, it has everything to do with God and what God has purposed to do in Christ. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:17-20, " For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" Nehemiah 9:17 reminds us of God’s enduring mercy and faithfulness, even in the face of our sin, rebellion and forgetfulness. Though as elected sinners we have hardened our hearts and turned away, God has not nor ever will abandon any that He has chosen, and for whom the LORD Jesus Christ came to pay their sin debt. Instead, He remains “a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” This verse directs us to reflect on the constancy of God’s character — a powerful encouragement to continue to look to Him with confidence, knowing that His grace is greater than all our sins. “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our LORD,” Romans 5:20,21.

Romans 6:3,4 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Many people interpret this portion of Scripture as referring to water baptism. While it is true that water baptism is a confession of Faith and symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ, that is not what Paul is describing here. Water baptism cannot purify or remove sin—but the baptism of Christ does. These verses do not refer to His baptism in water; rather, they point to His death. The LORD Jesus Himself referred to His death as a baptism of fire that He would endure, and the word baptism  means “an immersion.” So complete was Christ’s work in His obedience unto death, that His baptism with fire was the full endurance of the wrath of God. This fire signifies the justice of God. It is not that the Father hated His Son in any way—for He loved Him unto the end—but Christ willingly bore the wrath that was due unto the people He came to save. Thus, He was entirely immersed in that fire, consumed as The Sacrifice. Even as in the Old Testament, the burnt offering was wholly consumed upon the altar, and the smoke ascended as a sweet savour unto God, so Christ gave Himself wholly in sacrifice. It is written: "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 sweet smelling savour" (Ephesians 5:2) . "Know ye not?" —This is a truth not commonly known by all, but the apostle writes to those who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God, taught of Christ, and have seen in Him their full and perfect justification before God through His death, burial, and resurrection. In Romans 4:25  and 5:1, these truths are closely connected: “ Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  He was delivered up on account of our offenses—that is, the sins of those sinners that the Father had given Him—and was raised again because of our justification. The word “for” in that verse signifies “because of,” not “to.” Thus, His resurrection did not accomplish the act of justifying, but was the declaration that justification was already accomplished, finished, when He offered Himself once for all. There is that knowledge that the Spirit of God gives to those for whom Christ paid the debt, and that the Father gave Him from all eternity. He says, "that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?" The way that's written, it's not talking about individual water baptism, and it's also speaking in the past tense as if those who were baptized were all baptized at one time, in one place, and one Person, because it says we're "baptized into Jesus Christ." But how? We were baptized (immersed) into His death. Christ and Him crucified. When He died, they were altogether buried with Him in the waters of the death of His sacrifice. So in Christ we live by Grace according to the work of the LORD Jesus Christ, and what He has accomplished. When it speaks there in verse 3 of having been baptized into Jesus Christ and baptized into His death, it's talking about His death; that just as when He died, He was plunged into that death. He died. That means that that judgment was rendered for everyone for whom He died. So if He died for me, when He died, I died. "Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism into death." That's not talking about water baptism. It's a one-time burial. It's not a continual burying, but it says here, "by baptism into death: that like as: Christ was raised up from the dead."  There's the clear connection that this baptism here is not speaking of water baptism, but the baptism of His death, "like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father." " Even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). To walk in newness of life does not mean that, now that Christ has paid our debt and the Spirit of God has revealed Him in us, we shall never again struggle with sin. Rather, it means walking in the power and reality of that new life which Christ has accomplished on behalf of sinners such as we are. It is not the presumption that the sinful flesh is entirely eradicated, but the recognition that we are no longer under the dominion of the old man (Adam). To walk in this newness is to never trust in the flesh, never return to the law to establish some personal righteousness of our own, but to reckon ourselves “ dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11). It means that, by the Spirit of God, our hearts and eyes are fixed only upon Christ, in Whom our life is hid and by Whom we live.

Exodus 34:10 "And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee." In Exodus 34, Moses ascends Mount Sinai a second time to receive anew the words of the covenant, following Israel’s grievous idolatry with the golden calf. The LORD, in sovereign mercy, does not utterly forsake His stiff-necked people. Instead, He declares, “Behold, I make a covenant” (Exodus 34:10). Here, God graciously promises to work wonders that will astonish all nations, renewing His purpose to glorify Himself in and through His chosen people. Yet this declaration is not only historical; it is also profoundly prophetic, directing our eyes to the everlasting covenant of grace established in Christ Jesus our LORD. Israel had broken the covenant almost immediately after receiving it. Yet the LORD, rich in mercy, reveals His name to Moses, declaring, “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth”  (Exodus 34:6). He renews the covenant—not because Israel proved faithful, but because He is faithful. The foundation of His covenant is not man’s merit, but His own sovereign will and purpose. These promised “marvels”  prefigure the mighty acts of God in bringing His people into Canaan, subduing nations, and settling them in a land flowing with milk and honey. But the covenantal word in Exodus 34 reaches far beyond Canaan. The LORD declares that these wonders will be “such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation” (Exodus 34:10). Their ultimate fulfillment is found in Christ. What greater marvel has ever been wrought than the incarnation of the Son of God? “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In Christ, God fulfilled His covenant to do “terrible things” — not in cruelty, but in awe-inspiring, holy deeds that evoke both fear and wonder. The cross stands as the greatest of these: the most fearful and the most gracious act of all. There, God “spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). There “mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10). In Christ, the covenant is not merely renewed—it is fulfilled and eternally established. The marvels of God’s grace in Christ far surpass the Red Sea crossing, the manna from heaven, and the conquest of Canaan. They are “eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). The LORD Jesus is “the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). This is the covenant wherein God writes His law upon our hearts and remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:10–12). The LORD said, “All the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD”  (Exodus 34:10). So it is with Christ. His redemptive work was not done in a corner. The marvels of grace shine to the ends of the earth. Luke quoting the prophet Isaiah declared, “All flesh shall see the salvation of God”  (Luke 3:6). Christ crucified is the visible marvel of the invisible God. And in these last times, “every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him” (Revelation 1:7). Though the world despised Him, the elect behold His glory—the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6) . The work of the LORD in Christ is both terrible and beautiful: terrible in its judgment upon sin, beautiful in its salvation for sinners. His work is finished. His marvels endure forever. Thus, Exodus 34:10 finds its true and final fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of the LORD Jesus Christ, who came to establish the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6–13; Luke 22:20). Consider the key elements of this covenant fulfilled in Him: 1. “Behold, I make a covenant” This anticipates the New Covenant that God would establish—not merely a renewal of the Sinai covenant, but a new and living way. In Christ, God makes a better covenant—not written upon tablets of stone, but upon the hearts of His elect (Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:6). “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). Christ fulfilled the law, satisfied divine justice, and obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12, 15). 2. “Before all thy people I will do marvels” These “marvels” typify the miracles and signs of Christ’s earthly ministry (John 5:36; Acts 2:22). Above all was His resurrection, a marvel that ushered in the new creation (Ephesians 1:19–23). They said of Christ, “ Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46); “We never saw it on this fashion” (Mark 2:12). 3 . “Such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation” This speaks of the unique, unparalleled nature of Christ’s redemptive work—doing what the law could not do (Romans 8:3). The Gospel of the Kingdom brought surpassing glory—exceeding even the glory of Sinai (2 Corinthians 3:7–11). This was the inauguration of Christ's Kingdom whereby the scriptures declare: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17), in Him by electing grace, redeeming blood, and the effectual calling of the Spirit uniting them to Christ. 4. “All the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD” This foreshadows the visible manifestation of God's power in Christ—His miracles, His passion, and the birth of the church through the Spirit (Acts 2). The cross and resurrection remain the central “work of the LORD” revealed to elected sinners (John 6:29; Acts 2:36) . Though many saw the works and believed not (John 12:37–40) , yet a remnant according to the election of grace, believed, and the Gospel began to go to the nations (Acts 1:8) by God's sovereign will and determination (Romans 1:16). 5. “It is a terrible thing that I will do with thee” “Terrible” here refers to that which inspires reverence and holy fear. This points us directly to the cross, where God judged the sin of His elect completely in the Person of His Son. Christ crucified is the awe-filled wonder of grace: “ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows... Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him” (Isaiah 53:4,10). There, judgment and mercy met—wrath satisfied, grace magnified (Psalm 85:10; Romans 3:25–26). May we, like Moses, behold the covenant, not one written on stone, but one of grace and truth in Jesus Christ. Let us stand in awe of the marvels God has done in Christ—marvels that eclipse every wonder of old. And let us remember: it is all of sovereign grace, not of works, “according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9).

Psalm 144:4 " Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away." David, the king of Israel, pens these words during a prayer for deliverance and blessing. A man of war, trial, and transgression, he knew firsthand the brokenness of human nature and the frailty of life under the curse. In Psalm 144:3 , he marvels: " LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!"  And in verse 4, he declares with sober clarity: "Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away." David had seen the rise and fall of kings and nations. He had watched the strength of men fade like withered grass and the glory of this world vanish like smoke. He knew the consequence of Adam’s fall—that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men" (Romans 5:12) . Man in his natural state is spiritually bankrupt—vain, fleeting, without substance, and utterly separated from God. David’s words are a divine assessment of fallen humanity: “Man is like to vanity.”   Not merely near it or affected by it, but identified with it. This is the doctrine of total depravity . Man is not merely sick—he is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him” (1 Corinthians 2:14). His religion, morality, and effort are all tainted by sin and void of saving power. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). No amount of good intention can raise him from spiritual death. He is vanity—a vapor, a shadow, a momentary breath that vanishes. “Surely every man is vanity” (Psalm 39:5). Yet, it is against this bleak backdrop that God's sovereign grace in Christ shines brightest. Though man is nothing, God is everything. From before the foundation of the world, God purposed to save a people, not based on their worth, but according to His will and grace (Ephesians 1:4–5; 2 Timothy 1:9). The elect were not left in Adam’s ruin. They were chosen in Christ, the Surety of a better covenant, Who came not to assist the weak but to raise the dead (John 5:21). Christ, the eternal Son, “was made flesh, and dwelt among us”  (John 1:14). He entered into this world of shadows to accomplish what no man could do. At the cross, He bore the full weight of His people’s sin, guilt, and vanity. “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows”  (Isaiah 53:4). “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”  (2 Corinthians 5:21). In His death and resurrection, Christ brought eternal substance where once there was only a passing shadow. He is the Light that shineth in darkness (John 1:5) , and the Life that conquered the grave. Those chosen in Him are made the very Righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), not by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by the sovereign will of God (John 1:13) . His obedience is their righteousness. His blood is their redemption. His life is their life (Romans 5:9-11). Psalm 144 , while a prayer for national deliverance, is also a prophetic longing for the true Deliverer. David, though a king, cries out for One greater than himself—a Redeemer Who alone can save from sin, vanity, and death. “Blessed be the LORD my strength,”   he says (Psalm 144:1) , for he knew that Strength, Salvation, and Deliverance are of the Lord alone (Jonah 2:9). For every chosen sinner given to Christ, His life, death, and resurrection are not vanity but eternal truth. He came to redeem a people plagued by brevity and sin and bring them into an everlasting kingdom. “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him… to such as keep his covenant”  (Psalm 103:17–18). He is the Substance. He is the Glory. He is the Eternal answer to man’s fleeting shadow. So yes— “man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away” (Psalm 144:4). But for the believer in Christ, “the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth” (1 John 2:8). Our hope is not in ourselves, but in Him wWho is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable Gift   (2 Corinthians 9:15) ! Man is vanity. But Christ is ALL   (Colossians 3:11).

Revelation 13:8 " And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." In this remarkable verse, the Spirit of God unveils a profound truth concerning Christ and the redemptive purpose of God. We are told of a Lamb — not just any lamb, but the Lamb , Christ Jesus — “slain from the foundation of the world.” Many have misread this verse, asserting that Christ was slain before  the foundation of the world, as if the cross was accomplished in eternity past. But the text does not say “before.” It says from  — indicating a point in time, since the foundation was laid. This matters because it aligns with the entire testimony of Scripture regarding Christ's sacrificial work: that it was accomplished in time, upon a real cross, in real flesh, in the fullness of the time. Paul writes in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Yes, Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world, as Peter declares in 1 Peter 1:20, but "was manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. " What then does it mean that He is the Lamb "slain from the foundation of the world”? It means that from the very beginning of this world’s history — from Adam’s fall and the first shedding of blood to cover sin — the purpose of God in Christ was being unfolded. The Lamb slain was set forth in type, in promise, in shadow, and in prophecy from the beginning. Abel’s acceptable sacrifice pointed to Him. The ram caught in the thicket for Isaac spoke of Him. The Passover lamb in Egypt, the daily offerings in the tabernacle — all cried out, “Behold the Lamb of God!” Christ was ordained to be the Substitute for an elected people that God chose in eternity past, whose names have always been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain. That's Whose book it is. The Lamb slain. However, He is the Lamb slain from or since the foundation of the world. Only the LORD Himself could and did uphold the law in perfect obedience as the God-Man. A body was prepared for Him, since the foundation of the world, Hebrews 10:5. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12). So the LORD Jesus had to come in the flesh to earn and establish the righteousness necessary to satisfy the Law and Justice of God the Father, as a Man, since the foundation of the world. The cross was not an afterthought or a reaction to man's fall. It was God’s determined purpose from the start . Every name in the Lamb’s Book of Life was written before the foundation of the world — not merely foreseen, but foreordained in God's sovereign grace (Ephesians 1:4). However, Christ’s death was not accomplished in eternity. It was purposed from eternity and carried out in time. From the first moment of creation, the slain Lamb was central to God’s dealings with this world, when God slew the innocent victims and clothed Adam and Eve with the skins ( Genesis 3:21). Why is this important? Because it lifts our eyes from philosophical abstractions to the historical, effectual work of Christ crucified. It reminds us that our salvation is not based on speculation, but on the accomplished death of Christ in time, for His people, chosen in Him, written in His book, from the beginning. Although on the surface this verse seems simple, it is rich in typological meaning, especially when read in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It depicts Christ's death by substitution and the imputation of righteousness to God’s elect. It preaches grace—from the beginning, salvation by God's initiative, through blood shed unto death, for the elect. Let us not make His sacrifice a mere mystical figure in eternity. No — He was slain in time , on Calvary’s tree. But from the very dawn of this world, His death prefigured was central in God's purpose, and the unfolding of redemptive history. If your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, it is because the slain Lamb, appointed from before the world’s foundation, came in time, bore your sins, and purchased your redemption. Thanks be to God for the Lamb Who was slain from the foundation of the world!

3 John 1:11 "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God." In this inspired Scripture, the apostle John gives a pastoral exhortation to his beloved friend Gaius, pointing him to continue to follow after Christ (the only Good). This counsel comes in the context between the faithful example of Gaius and Demetrius, by God’s Grace in Christ, and the harmful, self-serving conduct of Diotrephes, who rejected apostolic authority and acted maliciously toward the brethren. To "follow after good" means more than outward morality; it is the fruit of a heart regenerated by grace, pursuing the glory of Christ and walking after the Truth, as revealed in the LORD Jesus Who is THE TRUTH. Conversely, to follow evil reveals a heart estranged from God, regardless of religious profession. John’s words are not a general moral appeal but a spiritual call rooted in the Truth of the Gospel: only those born of God can truly do good. Thus, the verse challenges believers to examine whom they imitate, what they value, and how their conduct bears witness to their union with Christ. In the context, John is speaking specifically of one named Diotrephes who loved to have the preeminence. "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not" (3 John 1:9). When that's the case, there's always evil that follows. The question then is, how is such evil to be handled? John speaks with firmness and yet love. He's not reacting when he says in verse 9, "he receiveth us not." John is not elevating himself above Diotrephes to say, "Well, because he doesn't receive us, wait until I get there and he's going to find out. I'm going to carry a big stick." John was appointed of the LORD. The very truth of the Gospel is founded upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, " And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;" (Ephesians 2:20). Their instruction that they gave, what we read here in this Word, is the inspired Word of God, and therefore to be received. Not because John said it, but because, just like Paul said, " For I have received of the LORD that which also I delivered unto you... " (1 Corinthians 11:23). Every bit of their instruction was based upon what they had received of the LORD. Here we find John's instruction on how to deal with this issue. It’s not uncommon—whenever you stand before others to proclaim the Gospel, some will always criticize the doctrine and reject the teaching. In this case, Diotrephes had nothing good to say about the apostles. When he says, "receiveth us not," this isn't unusual. True ministers of the Gospel will be spoken against. It's just part of identifying with the Gospel of Christ. It goes against men's nature, and so it is when Gospel ministers stand to exalt the LORD Jesus Christ. The word exposes the heart. Many times there will be a reaction because even as it says in John 3:19, " And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Nothing in this portion of Scripture shows us that John feels like Diotrephes was one of the LORD's, even though he was found among the brethren, and especially in how he uses this language. "Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church" (3 John 1:10). The word “prating” indicates something that is silly and idle. This sounds like what Christ said of the Pharisees, " Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered" (Luke 11:52). And so we see thisa is a very serious matter. Don't follow after evil, but that which is good. What is good? It is all that pertains to GOD in His glory and attributes (the word “good” being a derivative in English of the word “God”. Therefore, good is that which glorifies the character and attributes of God such as His love, and how He shows mercy. It's forgiveness, kindness, and humility. It reflects a quietness that only the LORD can give. If there's an issue, a situation that is beyond our own ability to resolve, then what we do is prayerfully look to the LORD, seek Him. It's not just a matter of learning the doctrine of grace, but the grace of the doctrine, and to learn grace in the heart and in the spirit, as the LORD is pleased to teach us. So this was how John exhorted them to handle this one Diotrephes. Then he ends the epistle with a good example. Here was this one, Demetrius in their midst, "Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true" (3 John 1:12). Why does John commend Demetrius? It is because the LORD, in His sovereign grace, directed him to set forth this man as an example of one who walks in the Truth. Oftentimes, we become preoccupied with those who oppose the Gospel—such as Diotrephes, who "loveth to have the preeminence" (3 John 1:9) —yet the LORD places among us living testimonies of His grace, such as Demetrius. He did not seek recognition or praise from men, for “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). John writes, “Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself” (3 John 1: 12). This is not mere outward reputation, but a fruit of the Spirit’s work in him. He was kind, gracious, and considerate—not by nature, but by grace. When a man is taught of God, made to see himself as a sinner, bankrupt of righteousness, and brought to cry, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13) , he is made low. Such a soul, being humbled under the mighty hand of God, will walk in meekness with others. He will not exalt himself as Diotrephes did, but will manifest the Truth, not merely in word, but in life. This is the power of God's sovereign grace in Christ, the fruit of the Gospel of Christ, Who “hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). This verse sets forth the fruit of God's grace in the lives of His redeemed. The work of grace does not merely change a person’s status before God—it affects their walk. Those born of God, who have been effectually called by His grace and justified by the blood of Christ, are also sanctified by the Spirit. They follow after that which is Good (God), not to become children of God, but because they are. Their doing good is the evidence, not the cause, of divine life within them. Grace teaches the believer to deny ungodliness and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:11–12) . The mark of grace is not perfection, but a Spirit-wrought desire to follow Christ, to walk in truth, and to bear fruit unto God, all to the praise of His glorious grace.

Mark 8:22-25 "And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly." Christ's miracles were often public because He was manifesting Himself publicly as the Messiah. These miracles that He did proved Him to be the Messiah. But in this particular case, He pulls this man aside privately. Notice, it doesn't mention anything about him having faith—even in what the Lord was about to do. He was blind. He couldn’t see. And yet we find the Lord separating him out, that this miracle should be for him and not for those around who might be looking for a sign or wonder from the LORD. This text reveals a great spiritual truth. We may not be able to identify with physical blindness, but we can relate to spiritual blindness—if we’re the LORD’s. Spiritually, it is the LORD Who must give us eyes to see. If not, we’ll never know Him, and we’ll never know His grace. So, in this encounter with the blind man, there is a progression in how the LORD was pleased to restore his sight. And by way of parallel, we can see a progression even in how the LORD is pleased to reveal Himself in us. Some argue that as soon as the Spirit has done a work of grace in a sinner’s heart, they have full knowledge and receive that unction of the LORD so that they no longer need to learn anything more. They feel like it’s a done deal. Well, it wasn’t a done deal with this man. In addition, it’s not that we sought the LORD—no, He sought us. Why did the LORD pass by Bethsaida? It was for this one needy sinner, though there were many others, that He passed by on His way to reach this one. Left to ourselves, in our blindness, we wouldn’t even know to reach out to the LORD. We do not know how to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26). In this case, the blind man’s friends brought him, seeking the LORD on his behalf. Certainly, we are concerned for various loved ones, and we pray that the LORD might be merciful to them. But notice the word “besought”—it was a humble plea to the LORD that He might show mercy to this one sinner. We do not come demanding, but seeking. The need was so great that the man could not even seek the LORD himself; he would not have known how to find Him. His condition was one of serious infirmity. And that is true of every one of us—because of who we are and the sinfulness into which we are born. We may have physical sight, but spiritually, we are blind. How we need the LORD to intervene! And here, we see our LORD’s willingness to intercede. God is a merciful God, willing to save those whom He is pleased to save. First, we see how the compassion of the LORD was particular and personal to this man (v. 23). It says, "he took the blind man by the hand," it doesn't say that the blind man took Him by the hand. That's how it's often preached. Sinners are told, "You better get hold of Jesus' hand, while you can." We wouldn't even know where to look. No, He took the blind man by the hand and led him. That's the way it is in salvation. How compassionate that He would take this blind man and lead him gently to where He would be pleased to deal with him. So, we see how the compassion of the LORD was personal and particular to this needy blind man. Here was a man who needed the work of the LORD Jesus Christ. Notice also that he didn't speak a word until the LORD asked him what he saw. We were born in this world in darkness and blindness, but it took the LORD to minister particularly to us. There were a lot of other blind people that the LORD didn't heal that were in the land but the LORD had drawn this one to Himself. Second, it was private. He led the man literally out of town. Can you imagine that blind man as he continued to walk with the LORD wondering what this was all about? He didn't know, but the Lord did because His eye had been set on Him from before the foundation of the world. This was one for whom He came and would lay down His life. It may well be that some of these actually saw the LORD crucified when He hung on that cross because that's why He came. Salvation doesn't often occur in a public setting. Third, not only is this a particular work and private work, but also a purposeful work. The LORD had his eye on this man, even though he could not see the LORD. And when the LORD was pleased to spit on his eyes and touch him, and then ask him what he saw. And he said, "I see men as trees walking." When the LORD first opens our eyes, we don't see Him as clearly as we do now. Yes, His Spirit drew us to Him to cause us to see His accomplished work at Calvary. That's where the Spirit turns the eyes of those in whom He does this work of grace. But oh, how we need Him to continue to do that work, that we might see Him even more clearly! And our confidence is certainly that "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 1:6). Christ opening the eyes of sinners is a progression. Here in verses 23 through 26, we see this transformation that took place with this blind man through the Power of the LORD . He's the creator and He's the Savior and His work is perfect. Here we see the provision that when He spat on his eyes and put His hands on him, He's the one doing the work. He didn't demand the cooperation of this man that He had given sight to, but He was doing the work from the spittle to laying His hands on him. That's pretty humbling to have someone spit in your eye. A lot of people find this unsettling, but here our LORD knew what He was doing. Then it says he looked up and said, "I see men as trees walking." This part of the passage seems to cause confusion for some because they want it to be immediate. And there are some that in their pride will make you think that when they first believed or had their eyes opened that was it. There's no more learning to be done. That's not the case with the Lord. Didn't the LORD say, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29). That word "learn" is in the present tense. We continue to learn. That's what the word disciple means. We're ever learners. You never graduate from being a disciple. Even the LORD said to His disciples, " I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). Even right up to the cross, they did not have a clear view of what that death represented. He continued to teach them, never left them alone, never abandoned them. There's much that we will not know yet, even after all this time of studying the Word. None of us can say, " I know everything there's to know about Christ." He will be the Object of our learning, even through eternity. " Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5:12). That's going to be the theme in glory, and how we need to learn of Christ.

1 Chronicles 4:10 "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." Testimonies abound from people who say they've prayed this Jabez' prayer and were blessed and received what they asked. Years ago, this was the rage as preachers would use Jabez' prayer as a formula, praying exactly as he prayed it, impressing their hearers that God would answer them according to their desires. And yet, not all answered prayer is necessarily a blessing. When the children of Israel loathed that manna that God had given them (a type of the LORD Jesus), they began to crave meat and asked for it from God. The scripture says, " And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague" (Numbers 11:33). He sent leanness to their soul. Was this how Jabez himself prayed? Was this the essence of what he was asking? It says, he called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed." When we ask God to bless us, what are we asking? In James 4:3, the apostle warns the readers, saying, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." This is not how Jabez was praying, being led by the Spirit, which is the only form of true prayer (Romans 8:26). He was praying that, according to God's Word, God might be pleased to enlarge the coast of His people in Israel. He was praying according to the Word. "And that thine hand might be with me." How does God place His hand upon a sinner? How can He, being a holy God, keep me from evil? Because the very thing that you ask of God may be for your destruction, how is it that a sinner should pray that God should answer with blessing and not a curse? First, Jabez called on the God of Israel. Every word of Scripture is inspired by God and therefore vital for our instruction (2 Timothy 3:16) . So here the question is, Who is the God of Israel? It's not just saying that He's the God of the Jews. But when you read this in the Scripture, the God of Israel, the first thing we need to note is that He's the Sovereign God, not only Sovereign over the nation of Israel, but all nations. To enlarge the borders of Israel, He would have to move other nations aside for them to live in that land. Therefore, to say that God is the God of Israel is to declare Him as Sovereign. In Deuteronomy 7:6 , we read, " For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." God having set them apart unto holiness, God having given them the oracles that pertain to the priesthood, those robes of holiness that they wore, those sacrifices that they offered, all of that was a type and picture of how God declares a people holy in Christ. For God to be the God of Israel means that He's Sovereign God above all other people on the earth. At this time, He chose this people and set them above all the other nations as favored because Christ the promised Seed was to come from the seed of David and the tribe of Judah. They were favored for Christ. the Promised Seed's sake (Galatians 3:16). However, Christ having come in the fullness of the time (Galatians 4:4), His wrath fell on them to the uttermost as an apostate nation (1 Thessalonians 2:16). In 70 A.D. God destroyed the temple in Jerusalem by the invading Roman armies. Why? Because Christ has come and fulfilled all of those Old Testament types, pictures, prophecies, and promises. The only reason why God preserved them as a nation was because he purposed to bring His Son through them. That's the God of Israel. That's who Jabez was addressing. He wasn't praying for everybody in Israel, but the remnant according to the election of grace (Romans 11:5). Second, Jabez asked that God bless him indeed . Men look for temporal and transient blessings. They crave wealth. They crave honor. They desire health, long life, and comfort. These are usually what men pray for in the flesh. According to Scripture, for God to bless indeed is to grant the blessings of His grace in Christ. As it says in Ephesians 1:3 , "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." How? In Christ Jesus. Where's your mind right now? Is it upon you? Is it upon this life, and what you hope to obtain, all the while leaning on your 'god,' to help you? Paul wrote to the Colossians, in Colossians 3:2 , "set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." True blessings are those that flow from the crucified and risen Saviour. What are those blessings that every sinner ought to be most concerned about and desire? Pardon, acquittal before a holy God, forgiveness of sins, a perfect righteousness that will stand us before a holy God, and peace with God. All of that is established through the Lord Jesus Christ alone. " For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (1 Timothy 2:5). Any blessing that comes because of Christ's redeeming work at the cross, whereby God has already justified once and for all those He gave to His Son, is everlasting indeed. If someone can't say "amen" to that, it shows that the heart is not on things of God, and the prayers and the endeavors are nothing more than self-serving wishes and NOT prayer. That's idolatry. It would be best if God would take everything away and settle a person down so that all they can do is sit and listen to the Gospel of Christ, at His feet as Mary did, where the LORD commended her for doing the one thing needful (Luke 10:42). Many of the Lord's people can testify as to how the Lord has used afflictions to wean them from this world and turn their thoughts to Christ, turn their thoughts to eternity, in the importance of being in Him. That is a blessing indeed.