Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®
Everlasting Punishment
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. . . . Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. . . . For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Throughout the Hebrew Bible, covenant denotes God’s special relationship with Israel—His care and protection for those who obey and honor Him. Everlasting covenant occurs 15 times in Scripture—from the account of the rainbow in the story of Noah to a New Testament reference to Christ Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection (see Genesis 9:16; Hebrews 13:20).
“The sure mercies of David” alludes to a covenant God made with David (see II Samuel 7:4–16; Psalms 89:3, 4). One scholar suggests, “The meaning is that Jehovah will, without fail, fulfill for His people the promises of loving-kindness made to David. . . .”
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Resources cited in this issue
RR: Dummelow, John Roberts, ed. A Commentary on the Holy Bible by Various Writers. New York: MacMillan, 1936.
Cit. 15: Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible: The Letters of John and Jude. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew, 1955. Revised and updated by Saint Andrew, 2001. Reprinted as The New Daily Study Bible: The Letters of John and Jude. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001–04.
Cit. 18: Barry, John D., et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016; Mays, James L., Joseph Blenkinsopp, et al., eds. Harper’s Bible Commentary. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988.
Cit. 23: Knowles, Andrew. The Bible Guide. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 2001.
Cit. 24: Bruce, F.F. Zondervan Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.
COPYRIGHT
Scriptural quotations marked New Living Translation are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked New International Reader’s Version™ are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version™, NIrV™. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scriptural quotations marked Common English Bible are taken from the Common English Bible, copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible.
Scriptural quotations marked International Children’s Bible® are taken from the International Children’s Bible®. Copyright © 1986, 1988, 1999 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked New Century Version® are taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked Amplified® Bible Classic are taken from the Amplified® Bible Classic, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.
Scriptural quotations marked Good News Translation are taken from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version—Second Edition, copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
© 2023 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The design of the Cross and Crown is a trademark owned by the Christian Science Board of Directors and is used by permission. Bible Lens and Christian Science Quarterly are trademarks owned by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
