Page 1165 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_11_MacArthur_Bible_Nov.qxd 8/8/03 17:10 Page 1146

NOVEMBER 13
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the king’s offspring, made a covenant with will dwell. And all the trees of the field shall
him, and put him under oath. He also took know that I, the LORD, have brought down the
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away the mighty of the land, that the king- high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up
dom might be brought low and not lift itself the green tree and made the dry tree flourish;
up, but that by keeping his covenant it might I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.”
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stand. But he rebelled against him by sending The word of the LORD came to me again,
2
his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give 18 saying, “What do you mean when you
him horses and many people. Will he prosper? use this proverb concerning the land of Israel,
Will he who does such things escape? Can he saying:
break a covenant and still be delivered?
16 ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely in the ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
place where the king dwells who made him And the children’s teeth are set on
edge’?
king, whose oath he despised and whose
covenant he broke—with him in the midst of 3 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “You shall no
Babylon he shall die. Nor will Pharaoh with longer use this proverb in Israel.
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his mighty army and great company do any- 4 “Behold, all souls are Mine;
thing in the war, when they heap up a siege The soul of the father
mound and build a wall to cut off many per- As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
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sons. Since he despised the oath by breaking The soul who sins shall die.
the covenant, and in fact gave his hand and
still did all these things, he shall not escape.’ ”
19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “As I
live, surely My oath which he despised, and
My covenant which he broke, I will recom- 18:4 The soul who sins shall die. God played
pense on his own head. I will spread My net no favorites, but was fair in holding each indi-
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over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I vidual accountable for his own sin. The death
will bring him to Babylon and try him there is physical death which, for many, results in
for the treason which he committed against eternal death.
Me. All his fugitives with all his troops shall
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fall by the sword, and those who remain shall 5 But if a man is just
be scattered to every wind; and you shall know And does what is lawful and right;
that I, the LORD, have spoken.” 6
22 Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will take also If he has not eaten on the mountains,
one of the highest branches of the high cedar Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the
house of Israel,
and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife,
of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant Nor approached a woman during her
it on a high and prominent mountain. On the impurity;
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mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it 7 If he has not oppressed anyone,
will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be But has restored to the debtor his
a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of pledge;
every sort; in the shadow of its branches they
Has robbed no one by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
8 If he has not exacted usury
Nor taken any increase,
17:22,23 one of the highest branches.This is But has withdrawn his hand from
messianic prophecy stating that God will pro- iniquity
vide the Messiah from the royal line of David And executed true judgment between
(“the high cedar”) and establish Him in His
kingdom (like a mountain,Dan.2:35,44,45).He man and man;
9 If he has walked in My statutes
will be “a high branch” reigning in the height
of success.“Branch” is a name for the Messiah And kept My judgments faithfully—
(34:23,24;37:24,25;Is.4:2;Jer.23:5;33:15;Zech. He is just;
3:8;6:12).The Messiah will be “a tender one”(v. He shall surely live!”
22) who grows into a “majestic cedar” (v. 23). Says the Lord GOD.
Under His kingdom rule, all nations will be 10 “If he begets a son who is a robber
blessed and Israel restored.
Or a shedder of blood,
Who does any of these things

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