Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
When you talk with someone about Jesus and the Gospel, do you feel like you have to answer every single question they ask? Find out why that’s not necessary—and often not advisable. Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg wraps up a study in 1 Timothy.
From the Sermon
A Covenant of Commitment
In biblical times, the city gate was the main hub of local activity, serving as both a marketplace and civic center. Merchants, beggars, city officials, religious leaders, and a host of others gathered there to conduct business, administer the law, receive alms, shop, and socialize. It was to that crowded place that Boaz went to declare publicly his commitment to marry Ruth. Their marriage helpfully leads us to consider the biblical definition of marriage.
First, biblical marriage is to involve committed love. Such love is not based purely on emotion or circumstances but remains deeply rooted and unconditional through all of life’s seasons and situations. This is reflected in the vows the church uses today in marriage ceremonies—commitment for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.
Second, marriage involves committed witnesses. When a man and a woman marry, they become one unit under a covenant of love and care. As fallible humans, we need others to hold us accountable to this commitment. This is why wedding ceremonies must have at least one witness to attest to the forming of a new union, a new family. Boaz put this into practice at the city gate, where a crowd of people and the elders of the town witnessed his pledge to take Ruth’s hand in marriage. They were then able to hold him to his word.
Third, godly marriage must have committed communion. God intends marriage to reflect the growing depth of intimacy that we experience with Him as His pursued bride. The personal relationship between husband and wife should deepen within marriage through, among other things, sexual intimacy. Such physical union should only take place within the context of a committed, loving, publicly recognized relationship. To try and isolate the physical commitment of marriage from the emotional, psychological, spiritual, and intellectual aspects makes a mockery of God’s design.
Much of the world’s perception of love and marriage pales in comparison with the beauty and benefit of a reliable, faithful, committed monogamous heterosexual union. When we see each facet of this covenant lived out, we are seeing a glimpse of the riches of our heavenly Bridegroom’s commitment to His church (Ephesians 5:22-27). Christian marriage is a blessing itself, and a portrait of that even greater reality. No marriage but that greater one is perfect, but every marriage between believers is to strive to picture it. In how you think of, speak about, pray for and behave towards marriage (whether your own or the marriages around you), be sure to uphold the biblical definition and to live it out.
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other
He
4You are beautiful as vTirzah, wmy love,
zawesome as an army with banners.
5Turn away your eyes from me,
for they overwhelm me—
aYour hair is like a flock of goats
leaping down the slopes of Gilead.
6bYour teeth are like a flock of ewes
that have come up from the washing;
all of them bear twins;
not one among them has lost its young.
7cYour cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
behind your veil.
8There are dsixty equeens and eighty econcubines,
and fvirgins without number.
9My gdove, my hperfect one, is the only one,
the only one of her mother,
pure to iher who bore her.
jThe young women saw her and called her blessed;
ethe queens and econcubines also, and they praised her.
10k“Who is this who looks down like the dawn,
beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun,
lawesome as an army with banners?”
She
11I went down to the nut orchard
to look at mthe blossoms of the valley,
nto see whether the vines had budded,
whether the pomegranates were in bloom.
12oBefore I was aware, my desire set me
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
Weapon of Prayer
Their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.
Prayer is the never-failing response of the Christian in any case, in every plight. When you cannot use your sword, you may take up the weapon of prayer. Your powder may be damp, your bowstring may be relaxed, but the weapon of prayer need never be out of order. Satan laughs at the javelin, but he trembles at prayer. Swords and spears need to be sharpened, but prayer never rusts; and when we think it most blunt, it cuts the best. Prayer is an open door that no one can shut. Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy's hand.
We can never be taken by siege or invasion as long as heavenly help can come down to us and relieve us in the time of our necessities. Prayer is never out of season: In summer and in winter its merchandise is precious. Prayer gains audience with heaven in the dead of night, in the middle of business, in the heat of noonday, in the shades of evening. In every condition, whether poverty or sickness or obscurity or slander or doubt, your covenant God will welcome your prayer and answer it from His holy place.
And prayer is never futile. True prayer is always true power. You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real needs supplied. When God does not answer His children according to the letter, He does so according to the spirit. If you ask for cornmeal, will you be angry because He gives you fine flour? If you seek physical health, should you complain if instead He makes your sickness result in your spiritual health? Is it not better to have the cross sanctified than removed? This evening, my soul, do not forget to offer your petition and request, for the Lord is ready to grant your desires.
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for November 4
Hoshea Reigns in Israel
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, xHoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. 2And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3yAgainst him came up zShalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. 4But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. 5Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.
The Fall of Israel
6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria acaptured Samaria, band he carried the Israelites away to Assyria cand placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of dGozan, and in the cities of ethe Medes.
Exile Because of Idolatry
7And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, fwho had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8gand walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, hand in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. 9And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, ifrom watchtower to fortified city. 10They set up for themselves jpillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger, 12and they served idols, kof which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” 13Yet the Lord lwarned Israel and Judah mby every prophet nand every seer, saying, o“Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”
14But they would not listen, pbut were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15They despised his statutes qand his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after rfalse idols sand became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the tLord had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of utwo calves; and they vmade an Asherah and wworshiped all the host of heaven and served xBaal. 17yAnd they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings1 and used zdivination and aomens and bsold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 18Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but cthe tribe of Judah only.
19dJudah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced. 20And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them eand gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
21fWhen he had torn Israel from the house of David, gthey made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord hand made them commit great sin. 22The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them, 23until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, ias he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. jSo Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.
Assyria Resettles Samaria
24kAnd the king of Assyria brought people from lBabylon, Cuthah, mAvva, nHamath, and oSepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26So the king of Assyria was told, “The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land.” 27Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him2 go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land.” 28So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in pBethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29But every nation still made gods of its own and put them qin the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived. 30The men of rBabylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites sburned their children in the fire to tAdrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of uSepharvaim. 32vThey also feared the Lord wand appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of xthe high places. 33So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
34To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the Lord, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, ywhom he named Israel. 35The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, z“You shall not fear other gods aor bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, 36but byou shall fear the Lord, cwho brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and dwith an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. 37And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, eyou shall always be careful to do. zYou shall not fear other gods, 38and fyou shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. zYou shall not fear other gods, 39but byou shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” 40However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.
41gSo these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day.
Be Ready for Every Good Work
1Remind them xto be submissive to rulers and authorities, yto be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2zto speak evil of no one, ato avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and bto show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3For cwe ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4But when dthe goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, enot because of works done by us in righteousness, but faccording to his own mercy, by gthe washing of regeneration and hrenewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he ipoured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that jbeing justified by his grace we might become kheirs laccording to the hope of eternal life. 8The saying is mtrustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful nto devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9But oavoid foolish pcontroversies, qgenealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for rthey are unprofitable and worthless. 10As for a person who stirs up division, safter warning him once and then twice, thave nothing more to do with him, 11knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
Final Instructions and Greetings
12When I send Artemas or uTychicus to you, do your best to come to me vat Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and wApollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14And let our people learn xto devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not ybe unfruitful.
15All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
zGrace be with you all.
1qIsrael is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
rthe more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
2Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord1 will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars.
3For now they will say:
s“We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord;
and a king—what could he do for us?”
4They utter tmere words;
with empty2 oaths they make covenants;
so ujudgment springs up like poisonous weeds
vin the furrows of the field.
5The inhabitants of Samaria tremble
Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests—
those who rejoiced over it and yover its glory—
for it has departed4 from them.
6zThe thing itself shall be carried to Assyria
as tribute to athe great king.5
Ephraim shall be put to shame,
and Israel shall be ashamed bof his idol.6
7cSamaria's king shall perish
like a twig on the face of the waters.
8The high places of xAven, dthe sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
eThorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars,
and fthey shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,”
and to the hills, “Fall on us.”
9From gthe days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel;
there they have continued.
Shall not the war against the unjust7 overtake them in Gibeah?
10hWhen I please, iI will discipline them,
and nations shall be gathered against them
when they are bound up for jtheir double iniquity.
11Ephraim was a trained calf
that kloved to thresh,
and I spared her fair neck;
but I will put lEphraim to the yoke;
lJudah must plow;
Jacob must harrow for himself.
12mSow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
nbreak up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and orain righteousness upon you.
13pYou have plowed iniquity;
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way
and in the multitude of your warriors,
14therefore qthe tumult of war shall arise among your people,
and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,
as rShalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle;
smothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15Thus it shall be done to you, O tBethel,
because of your great evil.
At dawn athe king of Israel
shall be utterly cut off.
Psalm 129
They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth
A Song of mAscents.
1“Greatly1 have they pafflicted me qfrom my youth”—
rlet Israel now say—
2“Greatly have they pafflicted me qfrom my youth,
syet they have not prevailed against me.
3tThe plowers plowed uupon my back;
they made long their furrows.”
4The Lord is righteous;
he has cut vthe cords of the wicked.
5May all who hate Zion
be wput to shame and turned backward!
6Let them be like xthe grass on the housetops,
which ywithers before it grows up,
7with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8nor do those who pass by say,
a“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bbless you in the name of the Lord!”
Psalm 130
My Soul Waits for the Lord
A Song of mAscents.
1Out of cthe depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2O Lord, hear my voice!
dLet your ears be attentive
to ethe voice of my pleas for mercy!
3If you, O Lord, should fmark iniquities,
O Lord, who could gstand?
4But with you there is hforgiveness,
ithat you may be feared.
5I jwait for the Lord, kmy soul waits,
and lin his word I hope;
6my soul mwaits for the Lord
more than nwatchmen for othe morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7O Israel, phope in the Lord!
For qwith the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8And he will rredeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
Psalm 131
I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul
A Song of mAscents. Of David.
1O Lord, my heart is not slifted up;
my eyes are not traised too high;
I do not uoccupy myself with things
too great and vtoo marvelous for me.
2But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned wchild with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3xO Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
