Day 8/11 – Confrontation

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Confrontation
Day Two Hundred Twenty-three

“I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them.” 2 Corinthians 13:2

For the most part men love competition and hate confrontation. A man may love a hard game of tennis, but send a subordinate to fire a problem employee. Confrontation plays an important role in the Christian life. Biblical confrontation seeks what is best for the one being confronted. You do not confront others out of anger or a vindictive spirit, as though you seek revenge. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”291 You confront because you seek to help the one being confronted. You confront others for the same reason the Lord confronts you.

Confrontation is one of the highest expressions of love. When done in love and compassion, confrontation is one the kindest things you can do for another person. A refusal to confront when needed, is one of the most selfish things you can do. The parent who says, “I love my child too much to discipline him,” says in reality, “I love myself too much to discipline, confrontation is too distasteful for me.”

When Jesus said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged,”292 He did not have this type of confrontation in mind. Rather, He warned against the censorious spirit. Confrontation is not criticizing another; it is helping that person so that he will not be further hurt by his behavior.

291 Romans 12:19
292 Matthew 7:1

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Psalm 81-83 Romans 11:19-36 (New King James Version)

Psalm 81-83
An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance
To the Chief Musician. On[a] an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.
81
Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
2
Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
3
Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
4
For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
5
This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
Where I heard a language I did not understand.
6
“I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the baskets.
7
You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of [b]Meribah. Selah
8
“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
9
There shall be no foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10
I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11
“But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.
12
So I gave them over to [c]their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
13
“Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14
I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15
The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
But their [d]fate would endure forever.
16
He would have fed them also with [e]the finest of wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”
A Plea for Justice
A Psalm of Asaph.
82
God stands in the congregation of [f]the mighty;
He judges among the [g]gods.
2
How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3
[h]Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4
Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
5
They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are [i]unstable.
6
I said, “You are [j]gods,
And all of you are children of the Most High.
7
But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”
8
Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For You shall inherit all nations.
Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
83
Do not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
2
For behold, Your enemies make a [k]tumult;
And those who hate You have [l]lifted up their head.
3
They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
4
They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
5
For they have consulted together with one [m]consent;
They [n]form a confederacy against You:
6
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7
Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8
Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. Selah
9
Deal with them as with Midian,
As with Sisera,
As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10
Who perished at En Dor,
Who became as refuse on the earth.
11
Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,
Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12
Who said, “Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession.”
13
O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like the chaff before the wind!
14
As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
15
So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.
16
Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17
Let them be [o]confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18
That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.
Footnotes:
• Psalm 81:1 Heb. Al Gittith
• Psalm 81:7 Lit. Strife or Contention
• Psalm 81:12 the dictates of their heart
• Psalm 81:15 Lit. time
• Psalm 81:16 Lit. fat of wheat
• Psalm 82:1 Heb. El, lit. God
• Psalm 82:1 Judges; Heb. elohim, lit. mighty ones or gods
• Psalm 82:3 Vindicate
• Psalm 82:5 moved
• Psalm 82:6 Judges; Heb. elohim, lit. mighty ones or gods
• Psalm 83:2 uproar
• Psalm 83:2 Exalted themselves
• Psalm 83:5 Lit. heart
• Psalm 83:5 Lit. cut a covenant
• Psalm 83:17 ashamed

Romans 11:19-36
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, [a]goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own [b]opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be [c]saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has [d]committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34
“For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?”
35
“Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Footnotes:
• Romans 11:22 NU adds of God
• Romans 11:25 estimation
• Romans 11:26 Or delivered
• Romans 11:32 shut them all up in