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SEPTEMBER 7
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: And flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck their vines also, and their fig
“Whom shall I send, trees,
And who will go for Us?”
And splintered the trees of their
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” territory.
And He said, “Go, and tell this people: He spoke, and locusts came,
9 34
Young locusts without number,
‘Keep on hearing, but do not 35
understand; And ate up all the vegetation in their
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
“Make the heart of this people dull, He also destroyed all the firstborn in
10 36
And their ears heavy, their land,
And shut their eyes; The first of all their strength.
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears, Proverbs 24:28–29
And understand with their heart, 28 Do not be a witness against your
And return and be healed.” neighbor without cause,
For would you deceive with your lips?
11
Then I said, “Lord, how long?” 29
And He answered: Do not say, “I will do to him just as he
has done to me;
“Until the cities are laid waste I will render to the man according to
and without inhabitant, his work.”
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate, 1 Corinthians 15:29–58
12 29
The LORD has removed men far away, Otherwise, what will they do who are bap-
And the forsaken places are many in tized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all?
the midst of the land. Why then are they baptized for the dead?
13 30
But yet a tenth will be in it, And why do we stand in jeopardy every
And will return and be for consuming, hour? I affirm, by the boasting in you which
31
As a terebinth tree or as an oak, I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If,
32
Whose stump remains when it is cut in the manner of men, I have fought with
down. beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me?
So the holy seed shall be its stump.” If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die!”
Psalm 105:23–36
33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company cor-
23 34
Israel also came into Egypt, rupts good habits.” Awake to righteousness,
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
24 He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their
enemies.
He turned their heart to hate His 15:29 This difficult verse has numerous possi-
25
people, ble interpretations. Other Scripture passages,
To deal craftily with His servants. however, clarify certain things which it does
26 not mean. It does not teach, for example, that
He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron whom He had chosen. a dead person can be saved by another per-
They performed His signs among them,
27 son’s being baptized on his behalf, because
And wonders in the land of Ham. baptism never has a part in a person’s salva-
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; tion (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 3:28; 4:3; 6:3,4). A reason-
able view seems to be that “they…who are
And they did not rebel against His baptized” refers to living believers who give
word. outward testimony to their faith in baptism by
He turned their waters into blood, water because they were first drawn to Christ
29
And killed their fish. by the exemplary lives, faithful influence, and
30 Their land abounded with frogs, witness of believers who had subsequently
Even in the chambers of their kings. died.Paul’s point is that,if there is no resurrec-
31
He spoke, and there came swarms of tion and no life after death, then why are peo-
flies, ple coming to Christ to follow the hope of
And lice in all their territory. those who have died?
32 He gave them hail for rain,
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