INTERESTING FACTS : Many scholars agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 B.C.[1]

DAILY READING : [LEVITICUS 24 - 25]

TEXT : Lev 25:19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. Lev 25:20 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: Lev 25:21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

THEME : THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD

As we go on in Leviticus, we continue to see laws given to the priests and people in serving God. In chapter fourteen, there is a small statement that carries great impact. In Lev 24:1, we read - "And the LORD spake unto Moses." That statement - "and the Lord spake," is the foundation for all sixty - six books of the Bible. It states that Moses did not invent the laws that would control Israel. He received them from God. Therefore, this statement becomes critical to the student of the Bible. We do not read a Book written by Man. We are reading and studying the Book written by God. Man was simply the instrument God used to have His words put on paper. Aside from that, God is the Author of the Bible. A good example of this pattern of God instructing what the men of the Bible were to write is found in 1 Thessalonians. The Apostle Paul wrote -

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." [1 Thess. 2:13]

Here, the Apostle shows the relation between God''s Word and Man''s writing, teaching, and preaching it. He thanks God the Thessalonian Church did not believe they were simply listening to a man''s teaching. They believed and received it as it the Word of God. The Apostle Paul confirms that his words were just that - the mind and will of God. We find this with all the writers of the Bible. Each one claims they are repeating what God has told them whether directly or in dreams and visions. Therefore, we should be optimistic about the statements we read about God and His power. For those who have Christ, they encourage and strengthen the heart.

TRUTH FOR TODAY : GOD CONTROLS EVERYTHING!

There is not anything in the world God does not control. One may argue Man does whatever pleases him, but there are limits to what Man can do. Man has limited sovereignty. God has unlimited sovereignty. He controls everything, and no one can resist His will. For instance, in the text above, God says He will "command" the field to put forth its fruit in the sixth year to equal three years'' worth. This is the case because God wants the land to have its Sabbaths or rest. It is during a Sabbath God refreshes and renews Man or creature or any creation of His - such as the earth itself. When Man does not keep these laws are we are in trouble, for God not only controls the blessing, but He controls the curse as well. There is not one matter in this world God does not have direct control over. For example, look what God says through His prophet Joel.

"Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. [Joe 2:21 - 26]

Notice Who is going to do great things, and gives rain whether in moderation or in abundance. In addition, see Who will restore the years wasted by the insects that God calls - "His great army." If you read the Bible carefully, you will come across statements like these repeatedly. In all, there is no doubt God is omnipotent, or "all powerful." Nothing is without His notice or aid. He is everywhere at the same time, and since He is God; His will prevails in all matters.

What you should consider, is that God wants you safe for Eternity. With this in mind, we reason - if God wants me safe and secure for Eternity, who can stop Him from saving and keeping me? The answer is no one can stop God from saving and keeping you! Therefore, the Apostle Paul wrote these words.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Rom 8:28 - 39]

As we believe, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to preserve us to His heavenly kingdom! He controls everything!