A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold is as pictures of silver.(Prov.25:11) It is so important to speak the right words to people at the right time to produce the right results. When you think of apples of gold in pictures of silver, then you are thinking of wealth and excellence. When we speak wisdom into the lives of others we are making them wealthy. Therefore we must seek God for He is the source of all wisdom and He will give us just the right words needed at the right time.
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#Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. Lamentations 1:5
The Hebrew word for chief is Rosh; meaning the head. or captain. From an unused root meaning to shake the head (as most easily shaken) whether literal or figurative Leviticus 13:45 And the Leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent and his head bare. He shall put a covering upon his upper lip and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. Jeremiah is weeping cause the head is bare and full of Leprosy the enemies prosper, for Jehovah God has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.. It is time to put away the idols as this is Super Sunday because of the Superbowl, and not because of Church worship. People are gambling on who will win the game, and not concerned about worshipping the Lord. It is time to repent before God causes this affliction to come upon us, for not seeking His face early in the morning. We just went through the Covid 19 plague and that was a warning of something worse to come if we do not turn our eyes upon Jesus and look wonderfully at His beautiful face. We are saved by grace and not works, lest any man should boast.
#The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feast: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, the virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Lamentations 1:4
The Hebrew word for bitterness is Marar; meaning to be moved with choler and have sorely grieved. A primitive root; properly to trickle (See Mar) but used only as a denominative from Mar; to be (causatively, make) bitter and provoke or vex. Isaiah 38:17, 18,19,20 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. We must find God while there is still hope, for it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known thy truth. The Lord was ready to save me; therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD. Jehovah God shall save Zion, for the Messiah shall come with healing in His wings. I will praise thee in the great sanctuary, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. It is good that we have been afflicted, for now I keep thy law.
#Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. Lamentations 1:3
The Hebrew word for straits is Metsar; meaning something tight, or trouble. From Qebah; distress, and pain. Psalm 116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. The Hebrew word for hell is Sheol; meaning underworld (place to which people descend at death) From Shaal; Hades or the world of the dead, or grave. Jeremiah is describing the affliction and servitude that Judah had gone into captivity. Jeremiah 33:7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. This is the promise Jehovah God made when Judah and Israel returned to the Lord. Revelation 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Be not deceived God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. God will use our enemies to punish us when we go astray, and then when we repent, He will punish our enemies for hurting and killing us. Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore He saith, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. This is what Jesus did for us on the cross He went into Sheol and took it captive and gave gifts unto men when He transferred Abraham's bosom.
#She weepeth sore in the night and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. Lamentations 1:2
The Hebrew word for treacherously is Bagad; meaning to cover, to act covertly, or to pillage. Jeremiah 3:20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. Jeremiah is telling it like it is just as a wife covertly leaves her husband, Israel has covertly left Jehovah God. Now the hand of God is no longer protecting them, and all her friends have pillaged her. Just like Gomer left Hosea and all her lovers left her naked and destitute. So Hosea redeems her for fifteen pieces of silver. It has been said tears are our language, God understands. Psalm 107 is one of the most encouraging Psalms, and it tells how we get ourselves into trouble, then we cry out to the Lord, and then He delivers us from all our troubles. Oh, that men would praise the Lord, for His wonderful works to the children of men. Jesus wept over Jerusalem by saying thou that kills the prophets, and those God has sent to you, How I would have gathered you as a hen gathers her chickens, but you would not. Behold your house is left unto you desolate. Jeremiah is the weeping prophet, cause he warned the Israelites of the impending judgments for seventy years, but they would not listen. God will let us run from Him, but we cannot hide, for His everlasting arms are always there to save us. His arms are not too short to save. O let us magnify the Lord today, and praise His holy name. For God is good and His mercy endures for all generations. God places our tears in a bottle in heaven He will tell us how much He loves us, by sending His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross for all our sins, We will be trophies of His grace forever praising Him for His goodness and mercy towards usward.
#How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people? How has she become a widow? She was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how did she become a tributary? Lamentations 1:1
The Hebrew word for solitary is Badad; meaning isolation, separation, and desolate. Isaiah 10:17,18 And the Light of Israel shall be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; And shall consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body, and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. Jeremiah notes how Jerusalem which was full of people before the captivity, has become isolated and lonely. Jehovah God has judged the daughter of Zion for sinning grievously. Jeremiah is the weeping prophet cause the judgment of God caused him to weep for Jerusalem the Capital city of the King of Israel. We must always weep when we preach a message of judgment. For God disciplines all those whom He loves. Jeremiah warned them of the coming judgment if they did not repent. Isaiah prophecized that they were calling evil good and good evil. We must be a watchman for if we warn the wicked and they turn from their sin, then God will not hold us accountable for their blood. But if we fail to warn the people and they perish in their sins, then God will hold us accountable for their blood. The Hebrew word for standard-bearer is Nasas; meaning to wane and be sick. This is why the people fainteth. The Psalmist said before I was afflicted I went astray, now I keep thy law. This is the blessing of affliction and therefore, why God sends it to us. The Hebrew word for tributary is Mas; meaning body of forced laborers, task workers For they had a tax burden causing them to faint. Taxation without representation. How we are seeing this same problem and people are fainting from working two or more jobs trying to pay their taxes. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
#But she is happier if she so abides, after my judgment and I think also that I have the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 7:40
Our prayers go out for King Charles III with his cancer diagnosis we are wishing him the mercy of God and that Jehovah Rapha will heal him. The Greek word for judgment is Gnome; meaning purpose, opinion, consent, and decision. From Ginosko; cognition, i.e. (Subjective) advice, resolve (counsel, consent, etc) Philemon 1:14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. Paul is saying the woman who decides to stay single and not remarry will be happier since he has the Spirit of God Paul can make this kind of judgment just as he advised Philemon to willingly accept the runaway slave Onesimus who accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and became a brother in Christ. Nowhere in scripture does it say that it is not good for a woman to be alone. Only the Lord tells the man this, so we see why Paul judges this way. Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed because His compassion fails not. I will start the book of Lamentations tomorrow and God willing we shall be blessed as we see how Jeremiah the weeping prophet mourned the passage of the 70 years of bondage by the Israelites in Babylon.
#The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives, but if her husband is dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:39
The Greek word for liberty is Eleutheros; it means free, not a slave, or not under restraint. Colossians 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all, and in all. Paul is using the free from slavery metaphor, as marriage can sometimes seem like slavery. Yet in Christ, we have been liberated from the law, and as long as the husband is dead, the spouse is free to be married to whom she chooses, but only that they must be a Christian.
#So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better. 1 Corinthians 7:38
The Greek word for marriage is Ekgamizo; meaning to give in marriage. From Ek and a form of Gamisko; to marry off a daughter. Luke 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. To give away a daughter in marriage is a wonderful thing, as I had the opportunity to give away one daughter in marriage, and the other one did a destination marriage due to the pandemic and I could not give her away. So due to the destress of the present day, I agree it is better to not have to give a daughter away in marriage. For one thing it is very expensive, and with my wife and I being separated it is good the other daughter did the destination wedding. Marriage is wonderful, but when God is left out of it, then it is idolatry and that is what the people before the flood were doing, eating, drinking, and marrying wives and giving them away when the flood came and destroyed them all. My advice to future fathers is to advise your daughter of the blessing of marriage and a destination wedding. Then decide which is the best for everyone to have.
#Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity but hath power over his own will and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. 1 Corinthians 7:37
The Greek word for steadfast is Hedraios; meaning settled, from a derivative of Hezomai (to sit) sedentary, i.e. immovable. Firm (Euripides, Plato, and others) in the N. T. metaphorically, of those who are fixed in purpose. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Job 31:1 I made a covenant with my eyes why then should I think upon a maid? One must be like Job, who was determined not to look upon a virgin and that is what standing steadfast in heart is like. Then you will be able to do the will of the Lord and be unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. It is not easy, for Paul told the young minister Timothy to flee youthful lust that wars against the soul.
#But if any man thinks that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she passes the flower of her age and needs so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry. 1 Corinthians 7:36
The Greek word for flower is Hyperakmos; meaning past the bloom of youth. From Huper and the base of Akmen; beyond the ACME, i.e. Figuratively (of a daughter) past the bloom (prime) of her age. Paul is telling men if they do not have the gift of celibacy, then as long as the girl is past the proper age, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn in lust. Today there is a problem with same-gender marriage and when God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden He said it is not good for man to be alone. So He put Adam to sleep and took a rib from his chest and fashioned He a woman, meaning part man. If God intended for same-gender marriage He would have formed another man. God said let them be fruitful and multiply and this can only be done between a man and a woman. So let us thank God that He made us into the gender that He predestined us to be and to marry the opposite sex.