Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

NIGHT BLIGHT

This entry was posted on 03-19-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

"Not in orgies and drunkenness..." (Romans 13:13-b NIV).

Paul has been admonishing the Christians living in Rome to lay aside the deeds of darkness (v. 12) and to live in God's 24/7 "Sunshine Law." Now he begins a series of couplets that describe the indecent behavior of "night blight" that should be no part of a Christian's life. Remember, Rome was a center of licentiousness.

"Orgies" is also translated "revelling" (ASV), "carousing" (Goodspeed). The Message calls it "sleeping around." Drunkenness is what it is. It seems almost strange that Paul would have to write to Christians about these matters. But you have to remember where many of these people had come from. To the Christians in Corinth, another carnal city, Paul wrote, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11 NKJV). Sex sins and drunkenness were some of those sins they had practiced (vs. 9,10). "Night blight" is incompatible with the Christian life.

Hymn/Prayer of Commitment: "I rise to walk in heaven's own light, above the world and sin; With hearts made pure and garments white, And Christ enthroned within. The cleansing stream I see, I see! I plunge, and oh, it cleanses me; Oh, praise the Lord, it cleanses me, it cleanses me, yes, cleanses me" (Mrs. Phoebe Palmer).