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Tuesday
The First
Lesson
Zephaniah 3:1-8
1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she
trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening
wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests
have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
5 The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity:
every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth
not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
6 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made
their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed,
so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction;
so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished
them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that
I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the
nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them
mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth
shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
1st Lesson Questions -
Are today's people as corrupt as Zephaniah says they were in his day? RESOLVE.
The Second
Lesson
Romans 13
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there
is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance
of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.
Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good,
and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou
do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword
in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute
wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but
also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's
ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute
is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom
honour.
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that
loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill,
Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou
shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is
briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love
worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling
of the law.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake
out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour
of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness,
not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision
for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Love does no wrong. (V. 10) Have I wronged anyone "in the name of" love? Why? Which do I make provision for the most, the flesh or my destiny in Christ? RESOLVE.