DCLM Daily Manna 12 October 2026: The Privilege of Choice
KEY VERSE: “Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever” (Jeremiah 17:25).
TEXT: JEREMIAH 17:19–27
Thus the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20 and say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the Lord: “Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. 23 But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.
24 “And it shall be, if you heed Me carefully,” says the Lord, “to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work in it, 25 then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, accompanied by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever. 26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and from the lowland, from the mountains and from the South, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, bringing sacrifices of praise to the house of the Lord.
27 “But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”
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You may not have come across the term “Hobson’s choice”. It describes a situation of free choice in which only one option is offered, and one may refuse to take that option. In this case, the choice is between taking the option and not taking it. This term originated from Thomas Hobson (1544–1630), a livery stable owner at Cambridge, England, who, in order to rotate the use of his horses, offered customers the choice of either taking the horse in the stall nearest the door or taking none at all.
Fortunately, God does not deal with us on a Hobson’s choice basis. Usually, He gives us freedom to choose between options. Consider how, in today’s text, He condescended to rehearse the laws relating to the observance of the Sabbath to rebellious Judah, who were already exposed to destruction. Here, God still set two options before them.
If they would return to the Lord and keep the Sabbath holy, the pending calamities would be averted, and they would be blessed with a continued succession of princes on the throne of David. On the other hand, if they rebelled still and continued to violate the Sabbath, the Lord promised to “kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched”. The latch was entirely on their side. Although some religious opinions argue otherwise, God’s word uniformly teaches that man is a free moral agent capable of making such important choices as turning to or turning away from God.
Today, the Lord still gives us the freedom to obey Him or act otherwise. But it must be noted that each choice carries a consequence. God is not willing that any should perish. But how damnable they are that reject the entreaties, grace and counsel of God. “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil…” (Romans 2:8,9). You truly have a choice.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The choices we make attract prices or prizes.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 23–24.
DCLM Daily Manna 12 October 2026
