MANY ARE THE AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS

 MONDAY, 24TH APRIL, 2023.

Topic:  MANY ARE THE AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS

MEMORIZE: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19.

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 45:7  

“I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil (i.e. calamity); I am Yahweh, that doeth all these things.”

EXPOSITION:

A righteous is connected with something that is morally right and good, pertaining to what a person think is morally acceptable or fair. Spiritually, a righteous is a person who has relationship with God and is having right standing with Him. A man who fear God and have close relationship with Him. 

Affliction is that which causes or tends to cause bodily pain or mental distress, as "the bread of affliction." (Deuteronomy 16:3; 2 Chronicles 18:26); It often comes in plural, as "Many are the afflictions of the righteous" (Psalms 34:19); (2) It is also the state of being in pain or trouble, as "to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." (James 1:27). 

The following are the chief forms of affliction referred to in the Scripture: 

(1) Individual affliction, especially sickness, poverty, the oppression of the weak by the strong and rich, perverted justice.

(2) National affliction. A great place is given in the Old Testament to affliction as a national experience, due to calamities, such as war, invasion, conquest by foreign peoples, exile. These form the background of much of the prophetic writings, and largely determine their tone and character. 

(3) In the New Testament the chief form of affliction is that due to the fierce antagonism manifested to the religion of Jesus, resulting in persecution.

THE SOURCE OF AFFLICTION

1. GOD: 

The Hebrew mind did not dwell on secondary causes, but attributed everything, even afflictions, directly to the great First Cause and Author of all things: "Shall evil befall a city, and Yahweh hath not done it?" (Amos 3:6 ); "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil (i.e. calamity); I am Yahweh, that doeth all these things" (Isaiah 45:7) Thus, all things, including calamity, were referred to the Divine operation. The Hebrew when afflicted did not doubt the universal sovereignty of God; yet, while assuming this sovereignty, he was sometimes tempted to accuse Him of indifference, neglect or forgetfulness. Compare Job passim; Isaiah 40:27; Isaiah 49:14; Ezekiel 8:12; Ezekiel 9:9 .

PRAYER POINT: Lord, let your resurrection draw me closer to you in unbroken relationship with you in Jesus name.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  1 Chronicles 11-14.